what do you use on your diamond stone

[Ed Bray]

Earwax!

 

[bridger]

Isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle. Water if I'm working at the sink.

 

[Woodmonkey]

I wonder why anyone uses anything when the instructions say not to?

 

[Paul Chapman]

I wonder why anyone uses anything when the instructions say not to?

The DMT website states that you can use their stones dry, with water or with oil. I've used mine for many years with oil (and I know several other people who also use oil), with no adverse effects on the stones.
http://www.dmtsharp.com/resources/dmt-f ... i-store-my
Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[marcros]

i have used mine dry, but it does appear to work better with something on. I have oil, water and spit- all seem to work better than dry, IMHO. Using oil means that i need a rag to wipe it clean afterwards, using water or spit i wipe it on the leg of the old jeans that i wear in the workshop. I am not set in my ways, whatever is to hand at the time. There is little wonder that I am not allowed towear good clothes in there, even when "I am just going to look at something, i will be 5 minutes..."

 

[carlb40]

Nothing. I have a dmt which states can be used with water or dry, but not oil.

 

[dc_ni]

I use window cleaner, started using it after watching a Paul Sellers sharpening video on youtube.

 

[AndyT]

I'm not a frequent user of diamond stones but did succumb when Axi discounted their good value dual stone to £16 recently. I've used it dry but felt it would help to have something to wash the residue away so I used a bottle of diluted soluble cutting oil (as used on my metalworking lathe). This seems to me to be a good compromise - nice and thin, non-rusting and cheap.

 

[Bedrock]

A small spray of water seems to work better for me, then wiped off with kitchen paper towel which now is an essential in the workshop. Saves on trousers.
By the way, Aldi had a four sided diamond stone on offer several months ago for about £8. Bought when I also bought their set of chisels.
Amazingly at that price, all faces are flat, which is not a given, having spent a biggish price on a "named" diamond stone some years ago, which was nicely convex. Stupidly, it took me some time to realise.
The Aldi is 200, 300, 400 and 600. It works fine for basic sharpening/shaping.
Mike

 

[jimi43]

Just to make sure I was getting the maximum out of my diamond stones...I sent an email to the maker of mine and this was the reply....

Dear Jim,



Thanks for your question. Having used whetstones for almost 60 years and sold them during the past 30 years, I believe I have a sufficient experience in sharpening tools and how to treat/use them.



What’s so extremely good with the diamond/ceramic stones of today is that they don’t need any liquid for working well and for many years. Unlike sedimentary stones, like the Arkansas whetstones, the diamond/ceramic stones don’t need any water or very light oil for working satisfactory. Another good reason to acquire them is that though they will become smoother and smother, they will still stay flat and that’s a very positive quality, not available in Japanese water stones or sedimentary stones.



It’s nothing wrong to use water but the benefit is zero, to my experience. I notice that DMT (USA) is telling people to use water while Eze-Lap (USA don’t say a thing about water. Having used/sold both brands for 30 years I insist that both work satisfactory when used dry.



Finally, cleaning your stone in warm water and some asking-up liquid now and then is OK, as with your knife.



Best regards



Peter Hjortberger



Fällkniven AB



www.fallkniven.com

[email protected]

Phone: +46 (0) 921 544 22

Fax: +46 (0) 921 544 33

Granatvägen 8

S-961 43 Boden

Sweden

Does it for me.

Jimi

 

[iNewbie]

The "asking up" liquid is a bit of a concerning... :wink:

 

[Cheshirechappie]

The manufacturer's advice is to use ceramic stones dry. I did when I first had them. They clogged and glazed quite quickly, and cleaning them needed quite a bit of scrubbing with a fairly aggressive pan-scrub in the washing-up. Since then, I've used them with water, and had no problems at all.

I'm fairly convinced that sharpening bench stones of almost any sort are best used with some sort of thinnish liquid to float off the abraded bits. If you don't, the abraded bits are ground back into the pores of the stone, and eventually build up enough to glaze or clog it. The same applies to abrasive papers and films - wet and dry used dry clogs, used wet it wears out, but does more work before that happens.

I've not much experience with diamond stones, but it may be there's enough space between the abrasive grains for cuttings to lie, and be brushed or knocked off periodically. That does seem to be the case with a set of three Eze-Lap diamond hones I use for odd jobs, but they are used rather like files. If they were laid permanently flat on the bench, a bit of liquid to float off the gunge would be a definite help, I think.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I'm fairly convinced that sharpening bench stones of almost any sort are best used with some sort of thinnish liquid to float off the abraded bits.

I agree. When I bought my DMT stones many years ago, I tried using them dry and with water. Dry just didn't feel right and I found water very messy. So then I tried oil - that seemed ideal and I've used it ever since. Works very well and no risk of any rust problems.

Oil wasn't originally recommended by DMT but they've subsequently agreed it's OK.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[paulm]

Same here Paul, I use WD40 for preference but don't think it matters particularly, and have been using different versions of the DMT and other stones for many years quite happily, likewise a couple of Spyderco ceramic stones.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Same here Paul

Us Clifton users tend to know what's best :wink: 8)

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[J_SAMa]

The manufacturer's advice is to use ceramic stones dry. I did when I first had them. They clogged and glazed quite quickly, and cleaning them needed quite a bit of scrubbing with a fairly aggressive pan-scrub in the washing-up. Since then, I've used them with water, and had no problems at all.

I'm fairly convinced that sharpening bench stones of almost any sort are best used with some sort of thinnish liquid to float off the abraded bits. If you don't, the abraded bits are ground back into the pores of the stone, and eventually build up enough to glaze or clog it. The same applies to abrasive papers and films - wet and dry used dry clogs, used wet it wears out, but does more work before that happens.

I've not much experience with diamond stones, but it may be there's enough space between the abrasive grains for cuttings to lie, and be brushed or knocked off periodically. That does seem to be the case with a set of three Eze-Lap diamond hones I use for odd jobs, but they are used rather like files. If they were laid permanently flat on the bench, a bit of liquid to float off the gunge would be a definite help, I think.

EZE-Lap here, dry or with water and dish soap depending on how many blades I sharpen. Scrubbing with an ERASER every two weeks gets it super clean.
Bit surprised nobody mentioned the eraser... :roll:

Sam

 

[MIGNAL]

I spray it with water and let the rusty gunk build up. After a couple of weeks I get sick of how messy the stone looks. I then take it to the sink and clean it with a scrubbing brush and bicarb. No idea if the bicarb will damage it but it's a relatively cheap stone and I'm free to experiment. Tried the eraser and that was OK too, obviously not much chance that an eraser will damage the stone.
Of course the crucial bit is what you use with the eraser: dry, water or mustard?

 

[J_SAMa]

I spray it with water and let the rusty gunk build up. After a couple of weeks I get sick of how messy the stone looks. I then take it to the sink and clean it with a scrubbing brush and bicarb. No idea if the bicarb will damage it but it's a relatively cheap stone and I'm free to experiment. Tried the eraser and that was OK too, obviously not much chance that an eraser will damage the stone.
Of course the crucial bit is what you use with the eraser: dry, water or mustard?

Tabasco + a bit of melted lard works great with the eraser.

Really though the eraser eliminates the need for any fluid. Don't use an eraser if the stone uses oil, you'll just end up clogging the stone with rubbery gunk.

 

[kinsella]

I'm water,
but I love the idea of whiskey, but sorry it would have to be Irish. Does one lick it clean ?

 

[rafezetter]

Water.
Amazing. 5 responses, 5 different answers! any others? HP sauce? Mustard? Blood?

Blood only once, stopped sharpening after that while I took an unexpected lie down.

EZE-Lap here, dry or with water and dish soap depending on how many blades I sharpen. Scrubbing with an ERASER every two weeks gets it super clean.
Bit surprised nobody mentioned the eraser... :roll:

Sam

eraser eh? might give that a try as mine is definitely not as good as it was new only a year or so ago and it's not used all that much, 360 / 600 mainly for regrind.