What is your preferred lubricant for bench sharpening with diamond plates?

What is your preferred lubricant for bench sharpening with diamond plates?

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Sharpeningsupplies.com posted a simple side-by-side test of a bunch of different stone types: oil stones, water stones, diamonds. They were testing the theory of using each stone type dry, versus with the recommended lubricant. In all cases, their testing showed that it's better to run stones wet than dry. In the case of diamond stones, they concluded that using them with water resulted in faster, more efficient cutting, and easier cleaning when done.

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Should-I-Use-My-Sharpening-Stones-Wet-or-Dry-W115.aspx
 
I use glycerin, thinned with a few drops of water.
It's non-toxic, and gives better feedback. I never use diamonds dry because I'm a little paranoid about getting "cutler's lung"
 
Yep, if using vegetable glycerin (vs petro-derived glycerin), it is healthy and good stuff for all kinds of uses. Not a chemist, but an interesting thing on that: glycerin is a humectant, meaning it draws and retains moisture. Soap/detergent is a surfactant, meaning it lowers the surface tension of water, enabling the solution to "float" the swarf rather than it just embedding on your plate. I wonder if an ideal cutting fluid for manual sharpening on diamond plates would give you both: a surfactant, AND a humectant. The surfactant, to float the swarf as indicated. A humectant, to bond to the water molecules in your cutting fluid and prevent them from evaporating as fast. Glycerin as a humectant should, in theory, slow the rate of evaporation of the water molecules in your cutting fluid (because glycerin attracts and bonds to the water molecules--that's how it works whether in your shampoo, or on a diamond plate). Thus adding glycerin in the right amount, could enable your cutting fluid to stay 'wet' longer and work more effectively.

Good that you mentioned glycerin, right now I've been experimenting with a 50/50 mix of castile soap/glycerin (and a couple drops lemon oil--because I like the smell :) ). I've been sprinkling a few drops on the plate, spread them around, then add a few drops of water. I'll tinker with this a bit to see if changing the ratio of soap-to-glycerin makes any difference, or if just using pure soap vs soap + glycerin makes a noticeable difference.
 
I tried the Glycerin, after seeing an earlier mention of it from r8shell. Works pretty well, and I could see it being a viable alternative for some. And since it dilutes well with water, that'd also be a plus in cleaning things up afterward. As to it's ability to hold/retain water mixed with it, I still notice that anything mixed with water, in my local and very arid environment, still evaporates pretty fast (or the water in it does, anyway). When the moisture evaporates out of it, the glycerin gets a little bit tacky or sticky on the hone. Not a big deal, but I've noticed it. I also notice it most easily with the residual left on my hands & fingers, as they dry up awfully easy with anything but a mineral oil-based product on the skin. That's the main advantage for me, in using the mineral oil for sharpening, as my fingers don't have to pay the same penalty in cracked/split fingertips when I'm done. If it weren't for that, I'd not have any qualms at all about using any of the various water-mixed methods, or water alone.
 
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maximus83 said:
Yep, if using vegetable glycerin (vs petro-derived glycerin), it is healthy and good stuff for all kinds of uses. Not a chemist, but an interesting thing on that: glycerin is a humectant, meaning it draws and retains moisture. Soap/detergent is a surfactant, meaning it lowers the surface tension of water, enabling the solution to "float" the swarf rather than it just embedding on your plate. I wonder if an ideal cutting fluid for manual sharpening on diamond plates would give you both: a surfactant, AND a humectant. The surfactant, to float the swarf as indicated. A humectant, to bond to the water molecules in your cutting fluid and prevent them from evaporating as fast. Glycerin as a humectant should, in theory, slow the rate of evaporation of the water molecules in your cutting fluid (because glycerin attracts and bonds to the water molecules--that's how it works whether in your shampoo, or on a diamond plate). Thus adding glycerin in the right amount, could enable your cutting fluid to stay 'wet' longer and work more effectively.

Good that you mentioned glycerin, right now I've been experimenting with a 50/50 mix of castile soap/glycerin (and a couple drops lemon oil--because I like the smell :) ). I've been sprinkling a few drops on the plate, spread them around, then add a few drops of water. I'll tinker with this a bit to see if changing the ratio of soap-to-glycerin makes any difference, or if just using pure soap vs soap + glycerin makes a noticeable difference.
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That's an interesting point about the difference between humectants and surfactants. (I did very poorly in chemistry class, and only recently learned that soap and detergent are not the same thing :oops:) Now I want to experiment with your 50/50 mix.

Obsessed with Edges said:
I tried the Glycerin, after seeing an earlier mention of it from r8shell. Works pretty well, and I could see it being a viable alternative for some. And since it dilutes well with water, that'd also be a plus in cleaning things up afterward. As to it's ability to hold/retain water mixed with it, I still notice that anything mixed with water, in my local and very arid environment, still evaporates pretty fast (or the water in it does, anyway). When the moisture evaporates out of it, the glycerin gets a little bit tacky or sticky on the hone. Not a big deal, but I've noticed it. I also notice it most easily with the residual left on my hands & fingers, as they dry up awful easily with anything but mineral oil-based product on the skin. That's the main advantage for me, in using the mineral oil for sharpening, as my fingers don't have to pay the same penalty in cracked/split fingertips when I'm done. If it weren't for that, I'd not have any qualms at all about using any of the various water-mixed methods, or water alone.
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Most of the year it's pretty humid here, but it's true the glycerin can get a little sticky as it evaporates. That's when I sprinkle a few more drops of water.
One reason I don't like to use oil is I carry a few stones in the car and will touch up a knife on the go. Last weekend, the waitress at the local diner gave me a free slice of pie for sharpening her pocketknife. ;) I wouldn't want to leave an oily mess all over the table.
 
Trend Lapping Fluid. $14ish for a 3.4 oz bottle but I only use a few drops each time I sharpen. It is specifically made for diamond abrasives.

I'm no expert on sharpening but I can get a good, consistent edge.

I'm not a fan of dry use. A slurry helps keep debris away and some lubrication makes sense.

I'm not a fan of water. Most diamond plates are metal and you better makes sure you dry them well after use.

A lubricant of oil or similar makes the most sense to me. YMMV.
 
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I just tried the glycerin and soapy water tonight on elmax and s35, just one drop of the glycerin on the plate each time and it seems to hold together and stick to the stone if that makes any sense . Just soap and water disipated very fast for me
 
FWIW, looping back on this. After doing a little sharpening on diamond plates as I had time over the holidays, I found that the 50/50 mix of liquid Castile soap with vegetable glycerin, and a few drops of lemon oil for scent, is working good on the diamond plates. I add 2 or 3 drops on the plate and spread it around to a thin sheen, then add a few drops of water. As this dries during sharpening, I just keep adding 2 or 3 drops of water every few minutes and it keeps activating the solution without having to apply more.

I like this mix for these reasons:
* Does its job working as a cutting fluid on the plate, preventing loading. Is not so thick/gunky that it interferes with grinding or seeing what you're doing. And of course, reduces the hazard of diamond dust.
* Everything in it is 100% non-toxic, and rinses cleanly off the plate with water when done.
* Castile soap and glycerin are both good for skin, so reduces issues with cracking that one might have with some dish detergents, etc.

I'll keep experimenting with it, but so far seems promising.
 
Same thing I used 55 years ago when I learned the art of sharpening, spit
 
LOL, I LOVE IT! It's so handy and organic. Just hock up a big loogie, drop it on your plate, and spread it around. Guessing it works best if heavily laced with snot, to add lubricity. :D
 
I think soap reduces friction and that increases sharpening time. Then your holding sharp blade with soappy fingers?...
 
Check out the link posted above in thread, that tested running stones wet vs dry. It may seem counter-intuitive, but one reason to use a cutting fluid (whether oil, or water, etc.) is actually that it may help cut FASTER and more efficiently than doing it dry.
 
maximus83 said:
Check out the link posted above in thread, that tested running stones wet vs dry. It may seem counter-intuitive, but one reason to use a cutting fluid (whether oil, or water, etc.) is actually that it may help cut FASTER and more efficiently than doing it dry.
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Not sure if this is directed @ me or not. I just use water and going back and forth keeps it inplace longer. I use soap later to rinse in a sink.
 
maximus83 said:
LOL, I LOVE IT! It's so handy and organic. Just hock up a big loogie, drop it on your plate, and spread it around. Guessing it works best if heavily laced with snot, to add lubricity. :D
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No just spit, plenty slippery by itself, and a water and micro fiber cloth for clean up
 
I use my WE diamond plates dry because I’ve never seen a how to video using anything.

But I’m still a beginner so has the advice given by you all applicable to WE?
 
David45 said:
I use my WE diamond plates dry because I’ve never seen a how to video using anything.

But I’m still a beginner so has the advice given by you all applicable to WE?
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If you keep the plates a bit wet they will load less. It's hard to keep water on them in this case due to gravity, so people don't bother doing it.
 
I use HoneRite Gold mixed into some water for my diamond plates. I have also used diluted simple green with good results too.
 
I like to use a bit of Sunlight Soap and water,the reason is simple I feel it give better result's to a certain degree but also one thing that has not been mentioned yet is how diamonds like to hook into the edge of your knife when using diamond plates and they get pulled out,I think a bit of soap and water help's the edge to slide along better and also helps to prevent some diamond tear out from the diamond plate.

Now that I'm using Poltava Metallic Bonded CBN stones the tear out issue is a thing of the past,but I will still use soap and water for health reason's and even if I'm wrong about feeling that soap and water make for a better edge no harm done either way.
 
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