Sharpening Stones

Most carbide grinders with diamond wheels use straight oil as the coolant, lots of it. I would also add that you DO NOT want to use Simple Green, or any other alkaline cleaner, with raw aluminum as it WILL corrode it. Pretty much all aluminum mounts for stones are not sealed against corrosion. A couple of drops of dish soap will do the same thing as SG but won't hurt the aluminum, or anything else.
 
Some of us, mostly old farts, have used Arkansas, Silicon or Aluminum Oxide stones with oil for decades with great success. Best bet is to try different stones and methods but for untreated stones (many come pre-oiled) start with water because once soaked through with oil they won't ever work well with water. I too use ceramic stones dry and clean them with Bar Keepers Friend when needed.
 
g123 said:
How come some sharpening stone require the use of oil and some only water to make sure the metal does not clog up the stone?
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How come i dunno. I am among the few in the community and dis thread who prefer "oil on ceramic stones (like spyderco or ruby)". sometimes i use these ceramic stones dry, depending. it's either dry or with oil. works great for me. I doht question myself with how come.
 
Use what the manufacturer intended. They made the thing. Oil vs water neither is better than the other. There are both premium and junk oil and water stones.
 
I use ceramic stones dry and clean them after use. I have Arkansas stones that were used with oil, and I continue that. With newer Arkansas and Washita stones, I use water. The Norton India stones come pre-impregnated with oil, and so I use oil on them.
There are advantages and disadvantages to using oil and water. Water can rust blades if they are not dried out. Oil can be messy, and if any remain on a blade can interfere with glue joints if deposited on wood. In general, I prefer to use water where I think it helps with sharpening.
 
Hard-bond stones are best used with oil as it's more lubricating and reduces wear on the abrasive, lessening the chances of glazing the stone and lengthening the time between when it will need dressing. Oil will also dissolve pitch when sharpening things like axes or machetes that have been used on conifer trees which would be prone to gumming up a stone used with water. Water is generally convenient and helps keep a stone from clogging with fines and water is useful for flushing metal particles and/or excessive slurry from a stone. Low-suds detergent can act as sort of a halfway between. Often abrasives sold to consumers will say to use them dry not because it is actual best management practice, but because a priority is being placed on marketing convenience to their target customers.
 
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