WoodCentral Forums

Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

Last dumb Water Stone question...

Posts

Last dumb Water Stone question...

#1

Last dumb Water Stone question...

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

>I promise this is the last water stone question I asked. Well, maybe...

FedEx just delivered my new 1000/6000 water stone from Japan Woodworker. It's a King #31 KDS #1000/#6000 Water Stone. I plan to use Chris Schwarzs' technique outlined in the Autumn issue of WoodWorking magazine.

I was just looking at it and reading the enclosed sheet of paper on its use and so on. Here's the really dumb question... and I'm asking just to make sure... I know, I'm an idiot for asking... are ya ready for this?... here goes... which side is the 1000 and which side is the 6000?! Geez. What an idiot I know.

It doesn't say on the stone and I want to make sure. They both feel so similar. There is a tan colored thinner side and a darker brown thicker side. I'm pretty sure the thicker side is the 1000 grit. Kinda feels rougher and it would make sense to me that the coarser side would be thicker.

I know I'm WoodCentral's Village Idiot, but somebody's gotta be. And I'm proud to step up to the plate to be him! :)

Thanks,

Joe

unzip email address

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

#2

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Joe -

I don't have the stone so I can't tell you which is which - but 1000 grit should be a shaping grit and 6000 should be a polishing grit.

Do you have a magnifying glass? Soak the stones and then work some tool steel on them. I would expect you would see a difference in size of the scratch pattern (especially under magnification, but probably with the naked eye, as well) - with 1000 leaving larger scratches and 6000 leaving smaller ones. The 6000 might even leave a polished surface. I wouldn't expect that from the 1000.

Have fun -

Dave

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

#3

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

Kurt Loup, Baton Rouge

>I believe I have this stone. The tan side is the 6000 grit. My 800 grit stone is approximately the same color as the 1000 side and my 8000 Lee Valley stone is approximately the same color as the 6000 grit side.

Kurt

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

#4

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

Jeff Spirer

>Joe

Haven't got the answer, but don't feel bad.

I have a drawer with some stones in it I forgot about from years ago.

Their not marked and I don't have any idea what grit size they are.

I mark my stones with a Perminant Marker on the sides now.

Jeff

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

#5

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

Bob Reeve

>I just took a sharpening class at the woodworker academy which is located at the Japanwoodworker and we used that stone in class. The teacher gave us a big tip after we opened up our new stones. Take a permanite marker and mark the dark(thicker) side at 1,000 and the the lighter at 6,000. You will never guess again. Great class by the way.

Re: Last dumb Water Stone question...

#6

Great! Thanks All!

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

>

👍 This page answered my questions

Your vote helps other woodworkers quickly find the answers and techniques that actually work in the shop.