mixing oil and water stones

A Question

Todd Hughes

>Why do you think adding water stones to your "kit makes sence"? What do you expect to accomplish with the water stones that you can't do with the stones you are using now?...just a wondering.....Todd

Re: mixing oil and water stones

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>If your unsure why not see how much sharper you could make your tools with a few sheets of Micro abrasive paper. If your convinced then spending the money for stones may be worth it to you. I use oil stones for shaping of the edge on carving tools.

Re: mixing oil and water stones

steve knight

>what you would get over the oil stones is speed. the speed factor would be pretty large in your case. there is some maintence issues but shaptons don't take a lot.

I know about giving up a old way. but if a new way works better and is still working in the way you want it to them go for it.

Higher grits

mike morris

>Hi,

Objective is a sharper edge. As water stones have higher grits compared to oil stones a sharper edge is possible.

The objective of a sharper blade is to have a smoother finish off the plane without need for sanding.

Mike

Re: Higher grits

joel

>the absolute grit of a water stone is higher than the grit of a natural oilstone but the former has a sharper crystal. As Popular Woodworking reported not long ago - you can easiely get equally sharp with both media.

Waterstones do cut faster but if you are hollow grinding you will be equally fast and faster than not hollow grinding on any media.

Oilstones use oil but less of it so the cleanup can be faster.

Waterstones use more water - but the water is easy to wash up.

6 = 1/2 dozen.

note: I have come to the conclusion that stropping with a plain untreated strop after an 8K stone gives me a sharper edge than not doing it.

Re: mixing oil and water stones

Alan Hamilton

>Mike,

As Mark Twain* put it: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

If you already have a routine and materials that give you good, sharp tools, I can't think of a reason to go shopping.

Alan

* Supposedly--but I'm sure this often-quoted homily is also ascribed to others.

Re: mixing oil and water stones

Wiley Horne--Glendora CA

>Hi Mike,

On your question about mixing stones, yeah, if you wipe them off, you can go back and forth. However, I think moving from one set of stones that work to another set (or a mixed set) is questionable, considering the amount of money you will sink into the Shaptons. Keeping the stones flat becomes an issue, so in addition to the stones themselves, you'll need to budget for a 220g diamond stone or somesuch to flatten them. As Steve Knight said, you could gain speed, but then you'll acquire more of a maintenance burden too.

I've been using Shaptons for a few years, and before that water stones. They're real good. But they're not a cure-all--I'm now beginning to convert more to diamond, to use on high-alloy blades, plus the diamond is easier to use 'in the dry' (as are your oil stones). On the sharpness issue, I receive blades from Larry Williams (of C&W) that are perfectly sharp, critically sharp, where he finishes up on a translucent Arkansas. That is something you might want to consider.

For the money you'll put into Shaptons, you'll end up where you already are--you'll have two sets of stones that are each good for honing. Just thinking out loud, the things that my stones don't do very well for me are blade shaping, especially on gouges, and getting to a primary burr really fast. Something like an LV motorized system would add a lot of value. Your issues are no doubt different than mine, but you might think about investments that would really expand your shop's capabilities.

Wiley

Do you strop just the bevel?

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>

Re: Do you strop just the bevel? *LINK*

joel

>This is exactly what I do - except after the 8k water stone.


Stropping

More Questions

Todd Hughes

>How much higher grits are water stones then the super fine hard yellow Translucient stone I use now? and how much sharper can you get a plane blade with a water stone then you can with one like it.I have no trouble getting a blade sharp enough to pop the hairs off my arm....Wonder how woodworkers did fine work all these years with out using water stones to sharpen thier irons....Todd

Re: More Questions

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI

>You are absolutely right about not "needing" water stones. Personally, I kind of have a fascination with stones and pick them up cheap whenever I can, so I have more oil stones than I would use in ten lifetimes. I have not found any water stones ever at garage sales or auctions. Their are two big advantages to water stones; they cut very quickly and are very easy to flatten. This is why I use water stones for most of my sharpening, and a coarse oil stone for initial honing of the back when I first get a blade.