Carborundum Company Manchester , Stone grade

[whatknot]

Hi all

I wasn't sure if to post this in tools or general

Went to a car boot earlier, very little of interest to me

But picked up a sharpening stone, made by the Manchester Carborundum company Trafford Park Manchester

On the end of the box it says 116 (then a rip) 1" silicon carbide

Anyone have a catalogue of know what grade a 116 stone is please?

Its in very good nick, looks like its hardly been used at all

Cheers

 

[AndyT]

This would be much easier if you would post a picture, or at least give us a clue from the packaging of what sort of date to go back to.

Without that, taking a stab in the dark, it's just possible that there was a connection between the Carborundum Company in Manchester and the Carborundum Company in New York. If there is, then this 1906 catalogue might be relevant.

https://archive.org/details/Carborundum ... atalog1906

Have a look at page 30. There is a stone listed there with a code number of 116. If that's the same as yours, the answer is "Medium." How about that!

 

[Cheshirechappie]

You'll get a fair idea of grade by passing a finger over the surface. Rougher is coarser, a smoothish feel is a finer grade - no rocket science needed!. An even better idea can be had by using it to put an edge on a chisel and then trying the chisel on a scrap or two of wood. You'll also find out how fast-cutting it is, that way.

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for that, yes the company started in America in 1895, and they opened factories in Germany then Trafford Park

I hadn't thought to look at archive.org for a catalogue, I use it all the time so should have checked there

The box is a standard cardboard one of which there are quite a few listed in ebay, but aside of the partial label on the end nothing to help identify it further, I don't think its that early, possibly 60's or 70's

In the catalogue it certainly matches the 8" x 2" x 1"

Many thanks that answers my question nicely

 

[whatknot]

Thanks for that but I wasn't really looking for rocket science ;-)

Just a little on what grade it was, which I now know

I knew what I thought it was, but not what it was originally sold as

But thanks for your reply

You'll get a fair idea of grade by passing a finger over the surface. Rougher is coarser, a smoothish feel is a finer grade - no rocket science needed!. An even better idea can be had by using it to put an edge on a chisel and then trying the chisel on a scrap or two of wood. You'll also find out how fast-cutting it is, that way.

 

[whatknot]

Actually, just realised on the end of the box where part of the label was ripped off it had UM just visible after the rip

I thought it was the last two of carborundum but now see its to short and is the end of MEDIUM ;-)

Oh well teaches me to look further

 

[AndyT]

Re catalogues at the Internet Archive - use this link for a collection of over 3000 items, put together by tool entusiast Mark Stansbury. He has found or personally scanned catalogues from many countries, going back to the eighteenth century. Having scanned a few catalogues myself, I respect the amount of work he has put in to making this sort of information available. It's a great resource.

https://archive.org/details/internation ... loglibrary

 

[tsb]

My neighbour was the European sales director for the Carborundum Company until he retired.Was very handy for sandpaper samples when he working. Sadly he passed away last year but I was always amazed how many different variety of companies would use their abrasives

 

[whatknot]

Thank you for that, my normal usage of archive.org is for genealogy but am often surprised by the wealth of information on there

I shall investigate that link later

Re catalogues at the Internet Archive - use this link for a collection of over 3000 items, put together by tool entusiast Mark Stansbury. He has found or personally scanned catalogues from many countries, going back to the eighteenth century. Having scanned a few catalogues myself, I respect the amount of work he has put in to making this sort of information available. It's a great resource.

https://archive.org/details/internation ... loglibrary

 

[whatknot]

I am fairly sure I have been using their products in one form or another for many years without giving it a thought, sad they closed in the UK like so many others

My neighbour was the European sales director for the Carborundum Company until he retired.Was very handy for sandpaper samples when he working. Sadly he passed away last year but I was always amazed how many different variety of companies would use their abrasives