restoring oilstones

Mike(NEOhio)

Well-known Member
Location
Newbury, Ohio
I have some combination oil/india stones and old honing stones that are not flat and kind of grooved from use. Is there a good way to dress the surfaces back to flat and unclog the abrasives. The real old ones are very fine grit and all black like they are oil-soaked. I did a quick cleaning with simple green and they look orang like an india stone. Any suggestions on getting them flat again?
 
Silicon Carbide Powder (comes in different grits) on a thick piece of glass works best flatten and condition honing stones..

Should be able to find You Tube videos on the process of Flattening and conditioning Whetstones that can give you a better idea of how it is best done better than I can explain it.
 
You could make them flat by sanding them with a belt sander with a silicone carbide sanding belt. Personally I would throw them away. I only use water to lubricate sharpening stones. Most I have are 40 years old or more and work like new. I keep the stones in water 24/7 and the water rusts away the metal that gets imbedded in the pores of the stones.
 
If they are grooved less than 1/16 inch, it may pay to flatten them. The cost to flatten them will be more than a new stone. Wear on an abrasive belt will ruin it, even with silicon carbide (probably what is in your stones if synthetic). I am not an elitist with stones, I have many and 1/2 are from my grands. I make sure to use all surfaces of the stone pretty much evenly as I sharpen. Diamond is my friend. I have two of the "stones" shown in the link, the medium, and the fine. The medium is ~320 grit, and the fine one is ~ 600. Finding someone with a diamond tub saw would solve the flatness issue pronto. Put the stone in a wooden Jorgenson Style wooden clamp, and saw the thing flat. Jim
Diamond
 
(quoted from post at 18:45:16 09/11/18) You could make them flat by sanding them with a belt sander with a silicone carbide sanding belt. Personally I would throw them away. I only use water to lubricate sharpening stones. Most I have are 40 years old or more and work like new. I keep the stones in water 24/7 and the water rusts away the metal that gets imbedded in the pores of the stones.

Microscopic analysis shows that water gets knives sharper than oil too.
 
Worked in hog packing house very short time. We sharpened our knives at a sink. Couple drops liquid hand soap on stone then water occasional passing under running water. Stones kept clean because of soap use. Always passed USDA inspections.
 
Worked in hog packing house very short time. We sharpen our knives at a sink. Couple drops liquid hand soap on stone then water occasional passing under running water. Stones kept clean because of soap use. Always passed USDA inspections.
 

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