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Tip
#15
Honing
(continued)
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Oil
Stones
There
are many types of oil stones ranging from coarse to ultra-fine.
The most common types are: silicon carbide (coarse, medium,
and fine), aluminum oxide (coarse and medium), and Arkansas
(soft is fine and hard is ultra-fine).
The hard
oil stones are usually used by moving the cutting edge of
the tools into the stone as if you were trying to cut it.
Silicon
Carbide (CarborundumŽ) -Silicon carbide oil stones are
the least expensive of any type of stone. They are dark blue-black
in color and relatively soft. They will dish and wear away
where used frequently. They are very porous and will soak
up a lot of oil when new. They are a good general purpose
starter stone that, when taken care of, will last a lifetime.
Aluminum
Oxide (lndia)-The aluminum oxide oil stone is a slightly
more expensive type of stone. The coarse stone is black and
the medium is a reddish-brown. Both are relatively hard and
less likely to wear than the silicon carbide stones. They
are porous and will soak up some oil when new. This is a fast
cutting stone that is easy to use. They are also good general
purpose intermediate stones that, when taken care of, will
last a lifetime.
Arkansas-The
Arkansas oil stone is an expensive but very high quality type
of stone. They are the only natural sharpening stones still
mined. The soft Arkansas (fine) is usually white with a slight
reddish or grey marbling and the hard Arkansas (ultra-fine)
is almost always pure white and sometimes looks translucent.
They are very hard and not likely to wear but they are fragile
and will shatter like glass when dropped. The hard Arkansas
is not porous, however the soft Arkansas is slightly porous
and will soak up a small amount of oil when new. These are
polishing stones. They are not fast cutting or easy to use,
but will produce the sharpest cutting edges of any oil stone.
They will, when taken care of, last a lifetime and be able
to be passed on to future generations.
The
Oil-The oils used with oil stones are as varied as the
stones they are used on. Some "highly refined honing oils"
are nothing but mineral oil. Others contain "special secret
additives" that the manufacturer may claim will make the stone
cut faster and keep it cleaner. All that is really needed
is a clean natural petroleum based oil. Avoid food oils like
those made from corn, vegetables, or animal fats. They will
spoil and become rancid.
Maintenance-Along
with using oil to keep the stones clean while honing, they
will also need cleaning periodically. All that it takes to
clean, even a badly abused stone, is a generous amount of
oil. Rub the oil on the surface of the stone with your fingers
to float the debris from the pores. Then blot the dirty swarf
from the surface of the stone. You will notice an immediate
opening of the pores and im-proved honing surface.
Continue
to Water Stones
Back to Hones-Classes and types
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