Sharpening with a Norton Stone

Magnaminous_G said:
I use diamond and ceramic stones and used them dry for years, but recently switched to using water and sharpening on my kitchen counter, right next to my water source (sink). It's very nice to just reach over and splash water onto the stones or just rinse them out under the sink. The swarf just goes down the drain where it belongs. I like using the drop of dish soap on the finer grit stones to break the surface tension of the water.

Another thing I found out recently: a scotch scouring pad is really good at cleaning diamond and ceramic stones with just dish soap (no comet needed). So the whole operation takes place right there in the kitchen, and clean up is a breeze.

I've never used oil stones, but as the above poster mentioned, it sounds messy. I don't think I'd enjoy degreasing my stones, either, and I ask myself why I should pay for oil when water is a lot less expensive (and less messy)?

EDIT: I've got Arishiyama water stones on order, and I'm really looking forward to learning to use them. All those videos by knifenut and Murray Carter got me hooked on the idea.
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Those videos are a great resource. You can use much of the technique on any stone type, though backhoning on an oil stone doesn't work nearly as well as on a waterstone. If you use MCs method of rough grinding on the fine side of a combi stone and use his waterstone polishing technique on a firm strop, you can adapt his method very well to an oil stone.

The mess from using water on an oilstone is comparable to a waterstone, maybe a little less as it doesn't soak in much during use. Working with oil sounds messier, but you're using a lot less of it compared to water with your waterstones. Convenience wise its about a push. Having one combination stone and a small bottle of oil travels a lot easier than a pair or waterstones and a bucket or washbasin, and the oil is actually optional. You MUST use water with your waterstones. For traveling or backpacking where the temps might go below freezing, they're not a good choice.

The cool thing is that even the better combination stones are extremely inexpensive compared to just about any other sharpening method, including sandpaper. A huge bottle of mineral oil is a couple of bucks and will last a long, long time - soap and water are even cheaper.

I love my waterstones but for convenience and bang for the buck, a combination stone and some stropping compound is tough to beat. The waterstones do make a nicer edge, but hair whittling, crosscutting paper towel, push cutting TP can all be achieved with an oilstone - in some respects you're not even "splitting hairs" re the differences.
 
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DM, I wouldn't use DMT "stones" in an oil bath. Those diamond particles are oil magnets, and the oil is particularly hard to remove from the DMT stuff.
 
I don't. I use water or soapy water with the DMT's.
I looked at a combination SiC 8X2" stone today at our hardware store and thought it was a good buy. USA made for under 8$ with my ACE rebate card. Plus, I already have the Norton holder for that size stone. DM
 
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Curtis_Lowe said:
I've actually had coughing fits after sharpening on dry sandpaper. I definitely recommend some sort of lubricant.
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Good to know. I already have breathing issues. I wear a mask but still want to reduce the amount of stuff in air
 
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