Oil stone revival.

[Richard_C]

In the bottom of a box that came from my father's garage I found 2 Stanley spokeshaves and an oil stone. Grey, fine, nice and flat. It was probably last used 40+ years ago.

It's encrusted and clogged with ancient dried on oil, I was thinking of hot water wash, rub with kitchen detergent, white spirit, soaking in something?

Is there a 'right way'?

 

[Adam W.]

No right way.

I clean mine in natural turpentine and flatten them on a bit of cloth based emery paper.

 

[Inspector]

Go to your mother in laws place and put it in the dishwasher.

I would start with soaking in strong solvents as that is what I have but strong detergents/degreasers in very hot water should work. Can't hurt, it's stone after all.

Pete

 

[Richard_C]

Thanks both

Sounds like a common sense approach won't do any damage.

Pete - to do your first suggestion would mean going to a place I don't much want to yet at only 70 We do have our neighbours keys when they are on holiday though ....hmmmm

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

Oven cleaner then a rinse in very hot water.

No dish washer, unless you want to buy a new dish washer (dahikt).

Also if it is old, gray and flat, I suspect it might be an "India" stone (artificial). Bear in mind, when India stones are made, they are oil impregnated at the factory. In other works, just work to get surface contamination off, until the stone appears clean. Do not keep trying to rid the stone of oil that comes to the surface, as that is typical of oil impregnation.

 

[Jacob]

I'd probably freshen up the surface with a bit of wet n dry on a cork block and white spirit, then just start using it.

 

[mikej460]

Degreaser using a nail brush, rinse then flatten as above

 

[Pete Hughes]

Good morning Richard,
I was advised some time ago to leave the stone out in the sun, I can hear you all shouting what’s the sun. The heat makes the stone sweat, keep wiping away the oil that leaks out.
Hope this is of use.
Pete

 

[carpenteire2009]

I have salvaged some old stones by boiling in a pot on the kitchen hob. I put an old rag or some kitchen paper in the bottom of the pot, pop the stone in and then add the special ingredient- a dishwasher tablet! Bring to the boil and allow to simmer, turning occassionaly with a tongs! This really does revive clogged up stones, a quick bit of flattening on some coarse sandpaper and your good to go.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I have salvaged some old stones by boiling in a pot on the kitchen hob. I put an old rag or some kitchen paper in the bottom of the pot, pop the stone in and then add the special ingredient- a dishwasher tablet! Bring to the boil and allow to simmer, turning occassionaly with a tongs! This really does revive clogged up stones, a quick bit of flattening on some coarse sandpaper and your good to go.

Will also prevent you from replacing the dishwasher when you can’t get rid of the oily film on every surface inside the appliance.

 

[Eric R]

I use an outdoor fryer I got to deep fry Turkey (to boil the water) and add a bit of those industrial degreasers.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I worked with an old chippy who told me when he was an apprentice people threw stones in the workshop stove and fished them out when it had gone cold.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I worked with an old chippy who told me when he was an apprentice people threw stones in the workshop stove and fished them out when it had gone cold.

Nearing 50 years ago when I was an apprentice (where did all those years go?), I was told similarly outlandish tales! To toss an oil laden stone into a fire would probably be the end of the stone, as the heat would have the oil rapidly outgas, cracking the stone. I could see laying the stone on top of the stone fora few minutes, helping, provided one were to carefully lift and wipe off the stone every few minutes.

 

[Jacob]

I worked with an old chippy who told me when he was an apprentice people threw stones in the workshop stove and fished them out when it had gone cold.

You get a lot of tales like that.
My favourite was a farmer we knew who told us that he always had tinned condensed milk to put in his tea and just left it on a ledge in the cowshed. The big advantage being that when it skinned over and went mouldy in the tin you could just open it from the other end.
He felt he was defeating the system and getting something for nothing!
Salmonella most like.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I worked with many journeymen that were tops in their knowledge and abilities, but many quite full of tales aimed at apprentices. A few freely would explain/help with their knowledge, most would take time for those willing to watch and a few were downright nasty in keeping to themselves.

Figuring that many of these guys were born prior to WWI through the 1940s, with most starting a very adept house carpenters (a few very experienced high end finish), I remain amazed, in my memory, how their tools were approached as tools, with tool boxes far more limited in scope to the typical internet forum participant.

I left the trade in 1989 to start my manufacturing company where remain today. at that time, nearing 40, I already had aching knees and elbows and could only imagine how I’d feel in another 20 years. I have employed the contractor I worked for, at my plant and remained amazed at the practical approach to tools the carpenters had. Maybe all the infills, custom made saws, waterstones and what nots are kept hidden away in their home shops?

 

[bridger]

In the bottom of a box that came from my father's garage I found 2 Stanley spokeshaves and an oil stone. Grey, fine, nice and flat. It was probably last used 40+ years ago.

It's encrusted and clogged with ancient dried on oil, I was thinking of hot water wash, rub with kitchen detergent, white spirit, soaking in something?

Is there a 'right way'?

Here's my approach:
Wrap the stone in a rag. Put the wrapped stone in a zip lock bag. Add enough of your favorite light solvent (turpentine, mineral spirits, naptha) to saturate the rag. Seal it up and place somewhere safe in the case the bag leaks for a couple of days. Open the bag and scrub the stone with the rag. If it's clean enough to use, do so. If not, repeat.

 

[Adam W.]

I worked with many journeymen that were tops in their knowledge and abilities, but many quite full of tales aimed at apprentices. A few freely would explain/help with their knowledge, most would take time for those willing to watch and a few were downright nasty in keeping to themselves.

Figuring that many of these guys were born prior to WWI through the 1940s, with most starting a very adept house carpenters (a few very experienced high end finish), I remain amazed, in my memory, how their tools were approached as tools, with tool boxes far more limited in scope to the typical internet forum participant.

I left the trade in 1989 to start my manufacturing company where remain today. at that time, nearing 40, I already had aching knees and elbows and could only imagine how I’d feel in another 20 years. I have employed the contractor I worked for, at my plant and remained amazed at the practical approach to tools the carpenters had. Maybe all the infills, custom made saws, waterstones and what nots are kept hidden away in their home shops?

Many people I know have a secondry set of site tools and they do it to save their shop tools from getting permanently borrowed.

 

[Phill05]

You do not need to get rid of the oil out of the stone it is there to help to stop the crud from sticking that's left behind from the steel.
I often gave my stone a quick blast from a power washer then left out to dry for a few days.

Many people I know have a secondry set of site tools and they do it to save their shop tools from getting permanently borrowed.

I had a secondary set of site tools as you never knew what you would come up against in old houses, they were often used & abused on site then end of day re-sharpen ready for next task.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

You do not need to get rid of the oil out of the stone it is there to help to stop the crud from sticking that's left behind from the steel.
I often gave my stone a quick blast from a power washer then left out to dry for a few days.



I had a secondary set of site tools as you never knew what you would come up against in old houses, they were often used & abused on site then end of day re-sharpen ready for next task.

With artificial stones, such as Crystalon or India, those are oil-filled by the maker, and crud & (added) honing oil needing removed.

My days of “site work” have been gone for decades, but even at home, I have tools that never leave the shop and some that do. But I also have a few that will accompany me to my great reward (or punishment) when I stop pushing air!