Stone cleaning

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Maxlord

Joined
Jul 11, 2021
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Does anyone have any opinions on the cermic rust eraser because they seem too expensive for something a eraser can do for less in removing built up material on your stone's.
 
Erasers are OK and can do pretty well, if you use them after each use of your ceramic hones. If you neglect them too long, the heavier/deeper accumulation of swarf won't be removed adequately with an 'eraser' of any kind. The 'rust erasers' are usually a silicon carbide grit embedded in a rubbery matrix. I tend to avoid using those anyway, for the most part. I'd rather use a simple pink eraser for the per-use wipedowns. I use those about 99% of the time, after each use of my ceramic hones. If you stay ahead of it this way, you'll possibly never need to do anything else.
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For heavier accumulation of swarf on ceramics, the already mentioned Bar Keepers Friend powder, mixed to a paste with water, works well to dissolve the swarf. It'll leave the ceramic cleaner than any other method, save for complete abrading and resurfacing of the ceramic itself. But resurfacing isn't needed unless or until the ceramic grit becomes too worn/glazed to function anymore.
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
Erasers are OK and can do pretty well, if you use them after each use of your ceramic hones. If you neglect them too long, the heavier/deeper accumulation of swarf won't be removed adequately with an 'eraser' of any kind. The 'rust erasers' are usually a silicon carbide grit embedded in a rubbery matrix. I tend to avoid using those anyway, for the most part. I'd rather use a simple pink eraser for the per-use wipedowns. I use those about 99% of the time, after each use of my ceramic hones. If you stay ahead of it this way, you'll possibly never need to do anything else.

For heavier accumulation of swarf on ceramics, the already mentioned Bar Keepers Friend powder, mixed to a paste with water, works well to dissolve the swarf. It'll leave the ceramic cleaner than any other method, save for complete abrading and resurfacing of the ceramic itself. But resurfacing isn't needed unless or until the ceramic grit becomes too worn/glazed to function anymore.
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Just curious,why don't you favor the abrasive erasers?
 
Robert Ptacek said:
Just curious,why don't you favor the abrasive erasers?
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I've found them not to be any more effective than the simple pink erasers, and even less effective at times.

AND, being that the abrasive grit in the rust erasers is actually harder than the AlOx ceramic, I don't like the possibility of burnishing/polishing the ceramic with the SiC grit of the rust eraser. Just being cautious, as that goes. Bear in mind, SiC grit is often recommended as an effective abrasive for resurfacing ceramic hones. That sort of aggressiveness isn't necessary for simple cleaning of them. Generally, I don't want to permanently alter the working characteristic of my ceramic hones in the process of just cleaning them up.
 
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Try using a cheap Nagura, like the King Nagura sold on Amazon, or the Bodrid stone that Gritomatic sells. They both work wonders at cleaning and conditioning.
 
777 Edge said:
Search for the "King Nagura" on Amazon, or search for the "Bodrid" stone on Gritomatic.
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I know what those products are and I'm well versed in cleaning/leveling stones but the stone type has not been mentioned nor has the specific product the OP was referring to.
 
Jason B. said:
I know what those products are and I'm well versed in cleaning/leveling stones but the stone type has not been mentioned nor has the specific product the OP was referring to.
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The idahone super eraser is what I mean spefically here since that cost 16$ and it usual used for sharpen rods.
 
Maxlord said:
The idahone super eraser is what I mean spefically here since that cost 16$ and it usual used for sharpen rods.
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Unless it's that expensive due to where you might be living (are you outside the U.S.?), you might want to shop around or recheck per-unit pricing. Looking online, it seems most of them are priced in the U.S. at around $5 - $6 each. Many are sold in packages of either 2 or 4, priced around $12 - $25 for the bundled package - so hopefully, the $16 price tag pays for at least a couple of them.

These appear to be of the same type I mentioned: a SiC grit in a rubbery matrix. Very generic, widely marketed product and these have been sold under many brand names for many years. I have some I bought back in the 1990s, if I recall. As I mentioned earlier, I've found them not any more effective than a pink eraser. The grit is often pretty coarse in these and they crumble apart in use too quickly, leaving that SiC grit everywhere. On some Fine/EF ceramic rods, I've found they don't do a very good job getting into the tiny recesses/pores of the ceramic surface, where much of the metal swarf is embedded. That's where I feel a pink eraser works better in this application. These rust erasers were originally marketed for use with yard tools, shop tools, etc, to keep rust off the blades - they'll do fine in that usage. The marketing toward use with ceramic rods is sort of off-label usage and I don't think it works all that well in that application, as other means will (pink eraser, BKF).
 
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I have used all of the above, but I have had the best success with the bar keepers friend mixed in to a paste and using a green scouring pad to apply it. Try it ,it works
 
Maxlord said:
The idahone super eraser is what I mean spefically here since that cost 16$ and it usual used for sharpen rods.
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Ah, sintered ceramic stone. (see below)
veltic2 said:
I have used all of the above, but I have had the best success with the bar keepers friend mixed in to a paste and using a green scouring pad to apply it. Try it ,it works
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Same.

If on a flat stone I often just mix into a paste and rub with my finger, let set for a minute, then rinse. The Oxalic acid in the BKF eats away the small iron particles leaving a stone cleaner than any scrubbing could ever do.
 
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