Tip #15
Honing
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Hones - Classes and Types

Most tools require a razor sharp cutting edge and must be honed after grinding. To do this there are four different classes of hones that you can use: oil stones, water stones, rubber bonded abrasives and diamond hones. As the names imply, oil stones and water stones are used with liquids. The liquids keep the pores of the hone from filling (loading) up and the surface from glazing over. Plus the combination of metal particles and the abrasive forms a paste (swarf) that actually helps the hone cut faster and smoother. An important difference be-tween hones is their hardness. The hardness dictates the direction that the cutting edge of a narrow or round tool is moved in relation-ship to the hone.

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