Coticule Help!

Hello everyone, I bought a coticule couple weeks ago. Last weekend I honed one of my straights and everything went good. Yesterday I had honed another razor and let the coticule rest and dry for an hour or so. When I attempted to put the coticule back in the case I saw a crack on side surface. It wasn't there before. Barely noticeable by nail. What shall I do? Shall I glue it, and lap it? or this stone is waste now? I feel terrible right now. BTW anyone can tell me which type of coticule is this?
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That looks like a normal fissure. It seems odd that you say it was not there before. Is there any chance you simply did not notice it?

Does your fingernail or a blade catch at all where it is on the coticule honing surface?

You may be right about I didn't notice before. I an mot sure if blade did catch the crack(there was no chip on the edge). I didn't feel anything until I saw the crack. After I saw it, my fingernail caught it but barely.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

That looks like a normal fissure. It seems odd that you say it was not there before. Is there any chance you simply did not notice it?

Does your fingernail or a blade catch at all where it is on the coticule honing surface?

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You should try to glue the crack in any way.
Even if you don't feel the crack while honing on the surface, if the crack will remain open, the water that penetrates in will most probably led to an enlargement of the crack. The crack from the side seems to be too wide for "normal" CA glue that can brige the gap, so I think hot glue will due better in this case.
Heat up the stone to approx. 80°C (slow heating i.e. in a backing oven) and then use a hot glue stick that you bring in contact with the coticule along the crack so that the glue melts and can penetrate into the crack. That seals the crack and prevents from an enlargement.

If you can feel the crack seriously while honing and the blades catches the crack it is more complicated to repair. You may have to enlarge the crack on the surface to a v-shape and then fill it with clue.

There is a very good guidance for repairing cracks in coticules (and also other hones) that you find here: http://www.coticule.be/faq-reader/it...-coticule.html

Thank you hatzicho, I have a CA but I will need to find a stick super glue. I think I can fill the the crack with CA by a syringe and needle?

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Originally Posted by hatzicho

You should try to glue the crack in any way.
Even if you don't feel the crack while honing on the surface, if the crack will remain open, the water that penetrates in will most probably led to an enlargement of the crack. The crack from the side seems to be too wide for "normal" CA glue that can brige the gap, so I think hot glue will due better in this case.
Heat up the stone to approx. 80°C (slow heating i.e. in a backing oven) and then use a hot glue stick that you bring in contact with the coticule along the crack so that the glue melts and can penetrate into the crack. That seals the crack and prevents from an enlargement.

If you can feel the crack seriously while honing and the blades catches the crack it is more complicated to repair. You may have to enlarge the crack on the surface to a v-shape and then fill it with clue.

There is a very good guidance for repairing cracks in coticules (and also other hones) that you find here: http://www.coticule.be/faq-reader/it...-coticule.html

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Originally Posted by Chinaski

Thank you hatzicho, I have a CA but I will need to find a stick super glue. I think I can fill the the crack with CA by a syringe and needle?

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Yes you can try this, but the problem is, that normal CA has a very low viscosity and cannot bridge the gap between the walls in the crack. You need a certain filler that can do this. Professional CA glue is availabe in higher viscosities that can do this job better. Or as said hot glue.

You can try the following. Fill the crack with the CA glue you have. While the glue is still liquid lap the coti on the side where the crack is with sandpaper. This will move small coticule particles into the crack that fill the space between the walls and will be glued together with the CA. You may need to repeat this process a few times to have a satisfying result.

All good information. Make sure stone is DRY before attempting any repairs! It is normally recommended to seal or bond a crack or joint while in mid-range of expansion and contraction. Be very careful heating or cooling any stone natural or synthetic to increase expansion or contraction (make sure stone is dry if you do this). Sealing only the sides of the stone with lacquer or similar substitute will help to encapsulate the stone and keep moisture from penetrating the sides.
Mike

although im not happy you have a crack in your coti , i am happy this subject came up !! i had never looked into a repair of a stone other then just putting the glue in the crack but have learned much more after your post !!

best of luck in your repair and honing !

That looks like a stress crack and if it is not stabilized it will grow and get worse, much worse. There was probably a tiny crack there to begin with and something caused it to grow. temperature extremes can cause this. I would be wary of any heating because the crack can suddenly grow before you even get the chance to do the repair. I know squat about coticules but I know a bit about rocks so I base this on general rock behavior.

Quite honestly since you just bought it I would send it back.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

That looks like a stress crack and if it is not stabilized it will grow and get worse, much worse. There was probably a tiny crack there to begin with and something caused it to grow. temperature extremes can cause this. I would be wary of any heating because the crack can suddenly grow before you even get the chance to do the repair. I know squat about coticules but I know a bit about rocks so I base this on general rock behavior.

Quite honestly since you just bought it I would send it back.

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The hone has never been exposed any extreme condition actually, especially temperature. Since you mentioned stress crack, lapping force can casue this I guess. I can't send it back because I glued it already. I applied CA to fill between the crack lines and let it dry for one or two hours. It will stabilize the crack I hope.

I check the honing surface with my finger nail and it caught barely. And I looked under 40x loupe then decided that it can be used after lapping on 400 grit w/d sandpaper. What do you think? Shall I seal the sides with lacquer or paint?

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Originally Posted by Chinaski

The hone has never been exposed any extreme condition actually, especially temperature.

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Of course it has! The length of your ownership isn't a statistical blip in its life. The Ardennes area gets plenty cold. There are a few guys that spent a very cold and bloody Christmas there 70 years ago that could testify to that.

You mean should I store it in the refrigerator? if 20-25 degree Celcius is extreme for coticule hones if so how it is used across the world?

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Originally Posted by Splashone

Of course it has! The length of your ownership isn't a statistical blip in its life. The Ardennes area gets plenty cold. There are a few guys that spent a very cold and bloody Christmas there 70 years ago that could testify to that.

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Without seeing the crack up close and personal it is hard to say, but I would bevel the edges and just see what happens. My guess is you'll be fine with the crack glued as is.

If it was bought from a Vendor, I'd return it. They will gladly replace it!

No it wasn't from a vendor. I bought it from a store.

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Originally Posted by Chinaski

You mean should I store it in the refrigerator? if 20-25 degree Celcius is extreme for coticule hones if so how it is used across the world?

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No, I meant for you to state that it had never been exposed to extreme temperatures is beyond your ability to know. How could you know what it has experienced over the last few million years?

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Originally Posted by Splashone

No, I meant for you to state that it had never been exposed to extreme temperatures is beyond your ability to know. How could you know what it has experienced over the last few million years?

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I'm not a student of geology, but I'm under the impression that these metamorphic rocks were formed over ages and ages of layers of dust, minerals, and the like settling on the surface and getting deeper and deeper. Eventually weight and pressure pressing the conglomeration together forming the rock that we know today. Extremes of heat and cold contributing to the melange. One of the reasons for the variability of the natural hones. Correct me if I'm wrong, this is only my impression from the scant reading I've done on the topic.

I didn't mean the rock is never exposed any extreme condition during the world was forming. I meant it never exposed any extreme condition since I have it. I keep it in normal room conditions like everbody else. You misunderstood what I meant.

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Originally Posted by Splashone

No, I meant for you to state that it had never been exposed to extreme temperatures is beyond your ability to know. How could you know what it has experienced over the last few million years?

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Originally Posted by Chinaski

I didn't mean the rock is never exposed any extreme condition during the world was forming. I meant it never exposed any extreme condition since I have it. I keep it in normal room conditions like everbody else. You misunderstood what I meant.

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No, I didn't misunderstand. The issue is the crack. That can be caused by stresses latent in the rock itself. Those stresses can be temperature induced and present long before it was quarried. Just because you didn't expose it to any "extremes" doesn't mean that the rock has lead a "sheltered life." Realistically it was exposed to stressors beyond our ability to appreciate. Unfortunately in your piece, they are now just revealing themselves.

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Originally Posted by Splashone

No, I didn't misunderstand. The issue is the crack. That can be caused by stresses latent in the rock itself. Those stresses can be temperature induced and present long before it was quarried. Just because you didn't expose it to any "extremes" doesn't mean that the rock has lead a "sheltered life." Realistically it was exposed to stressors beyond our ability to appreciate. Unfortunately in your piece, they are now just revealing themselves.

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Ok, I got your point. Whatever the cause I hope CA fix the crack. I will lap it today and try to one of my auxiliary razors.
Thank you