Water Stones cut fast as diamond hones?

Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark

Joined
Apr 27, 1999
Messages
6,117
The attached chart shows water stones to be up close to diamonds for material removal rates. In particular it predicts high cutting rate for stones rated as 1000 grit. While the grit rating on water stones isn't equivalent to your regular hones, I still question the chart in this regard. I've got a 1000 grit water stone and I don't think it cuts anywhere near as fast as my extra-fine diamond hone or even my medium coarse aluminum oxide hone.

I use significantly more force on my diamond hone and a lot higher force on my aluminum oxide hone, so that may account for some of my different experience.

Question: How do other people rate water stones for relative cutting speed. Do you think the attached graph is representative?
http://www.ameritech.net/users/knives/norton.htm

 
Jeff,
I have used water stones on my wood lathe gouges and they cut very fast. The only drawback is that they wear out very fast.
If you are using a flat stone it needs to be reflattened after it wears down. I am not sure how this is done, maybe some other forumites can help on that subject.

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If a man can keep alert and imaginative, an error is a possibility, a chance at something new; to him, wandering and wondering are a part of the same process. He is most mistaken, most in error, whenever he quits exploring.

William Least Heat Moon
 
One way to reflatten a water stone is to lay a piece of wet or dry paper on a flat surface, wet it, lay your water stone top-down on the wet or dry paper, and wear it down.
 
Jeff,
Thanks for the tip. I use cone shaped stones on the gouges but would like to get some flat ones for sharpening my knives now that I know how to flatten them.

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If a man can keep alert and imaginative, an error is a possibility, a chance at something new; to him, wandering and wondering are a part of the same process. He is most mistaken, most in error, whenever he quits exploring.

William Least Heat Moon
 
I use both diamond stones and waterstones. My experience is that diamond stones cut a lot faster and stay flat. However, diamond stones won't put near as fine an edge on a knife as water stones so I usually go to a waterstone after the diamond stones. For example, my DMT extra fine 1200 grit is not near as fine as my King 1200 grit. Now they don't measure grit in the same way and the diamond should come out way ahead but it does not.

Before I got my diamond stones I flattened the waterstones with wet dry paper on a 3/8" glass or on the bed of my jointer. Now I flatten them with the diamond stone and it makes short work of it.
 
Ive got a set of water stones and it seems to me that in the time i get them "slurried" i could have finished my sharpening needs on a conventional oil, diamond or ceramic stone.

Ive used all types of stones, and to me the ceramic stones are the best. No need for water, oil or any other lube and they cut very well.

I wish the water stones i had came with better directions! Im probably not using them to there fullest extent.

Matt.
 
One method that has not been mentioned for "truing" waterstones is a Nagura stone. This stone is used for truing a 4000x or 8000x grit waterstone, it is also used for creating a slurry faster.

I think where waterstones shine is the higher level of finish that a 4000x or 8000x stone can give you.
 
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