Thread: Moldy Hone

Evening Gentlemen,

I pulled out the Norton 4/8K today and noticed a few spots of mold on the 4000 side. A little was removed during lapping, but the remnants are there.
I must have stored it before it was dried out properly.

Anyone ever have this issue?

A scrubbing with dish soap & a tooth brush first,,,, if it is still visible , then put it back in water soaking with a ratio of "8" to "16" drops of regular strength bleach to "1" gallon of water.

This ratio is used for decontaminating water to drink, so you won't over bleach the stone. Let it sit in the water for a couple of days, so it can absorb & work.

I've used this ratio of bleach to water to soak my Norton hones for 2 months with no ill effects to the hones or the blades.

Thanks Hirlau, I'll be setting that up tomorrow.

My King 1200 gets stinky of I pack it away too early. Never seen actual mould though.

Hirlau is right, bleach will keep the mold away.

Bleach is good, and if you can't stand the smell liquid aspirin will work on a lot of molds. Half of a soluble tablet in your spritz bottle should stop the mold and keep it away, It's what my wife uses to keep mold off her greenhouse veggies when bleach isn't an option.

I don't normally soak them for long peroids of time, that 2 month peroid was a time when I was working with three different finishers & a handful of razors, bring each up from a 4K. I kept the finishers in the tub too. If you keep them in there for long peroids, weeks or months & your constantly pulling them in & out, a drop or 2 every 10 days or so helps.

I dry my hones in a dish rack I got at Wal Mart, for at least 7 days, before I put them in closed storage

I just thought of this,,, all my drinking water at home is purified with a SteriPen, I use it in a gallon jug I keep in the fridge.

,,,so,,,

if you are concerned about bleach on the hones or blades, you could use a SteriPen in the water container every 4 or 5 days & it would kill anything in the water,,, maybe an option,,,,