Thread: Norton No.1 Washita Oilstone

Originally Posted by eKretz

I believe you. I've done it myself also, but I prefer a synthetic only because it's a lot less work - the Washita will certainly set a bevel if it's kept refreshed, but for me it's extra work I don't always feel like doing. I still do set a bevel with a Washita now and then though. The stones don't need to be refreshed nearly as often when used with slightly softer steel. I will have to try that crystolon trick - I usually refresh with loose SiC, so it's a bit of a pain.

There's a couple references in that thread you linked about the stones slowing down due to "clogging" with swarf - that I don't agree with. IMO the vast majority of the loss in cutting speed is due to the stone glazing (abrasive particles dulling) - although I'm sure the swarf clogging the stone plays a minor role also. Evidence of this is pretty clear when the cutting speed stays high a lot longer in softer steels - if the major factor in the speed reduction was clogging, softer steels should slow the stone down faster, not make it cut faster for longer. Especially as the softer steel is easier to pull way more swarf from very quickly.

What loose SiC grit are you using to refresh?

What grit wet dry sand paper?

What grit crystolon?

Can't speak to the others, but I use 320 SiC loose grit. I would assume something like a 120 or 240 crystolon would work well. I would recommend staying away from the wet/dry. The loose grit and crystolon will tend to produce some loose grit chunks and "scoop" out the stone, leaving nice sharp abrasive peaks behind. Wet/dry not so much.

Originally Posted by biglou13

What loose SiC grit are you using to refresh?

What grit wet dry sand paper?

What grit crystolon?

I use a 6” crystolon norton stone with a coarse and fine side. The coarse side is approximately 120 grit according to some and the fine I believe is 320 grit. It is a cheaper alternative to a DMT and is as easy as quickly lapping a synthetic before/after use.

For chips and restoration you may need to go below a Washita. I have used them for this purpose but with restoration honing you may need something else depending on how wide the bevel is, how deep the chips/bad steel goes, how heavy the grind is etc.

I am not urging people to necessarily put away their synthetic stones as they are very effective and sometimes cheaper than a pike Washita. I am only saying that I use a Washita for all of my bevel setting and they have a very wide range which saves me time having to remove deep scratches. Instead of setting the bevel on a 1k synthetic and pulling a 2 or 4K out of a water bath to remove the deep scratches I am able to move right to a finishing stone which saves a lot of time and sets it up for an easy amazing edge.

As outback uses a synthetic to set a bevel and then moves to a Washita and then to some mid naturals before finishing there is nothing wrong with that. I will often finish on a hard black Arkansas or translucent and then go to a thuringian just for extra security and fun!

Of all the naturals I have tried to set a bevel on, all except the Washita have been so slow that it nears impossible and at the very least unnecessarily time consuming even with a coticule. The Washita stone is a special animal indeed, but it takes a level of love (or insanity. You decide) to sit down and learn to use them effectively.

As for glazing vs dulling eKretz, I would agree that the majority of the speed reduction comes from the particles wearing. I can keep a stone almost perfectly clean and it still will slow within a honing session.

I have also used loose SIC and even dust from an Arkansas to refresh a Washita. The Arkansas dust seems to work really good but both methods are meticulous and time consuming. The Crystolon stone does wear down with use too but has lasted me a couple years of some pretty heavy use and is still going but I have noticed it getting finer and finer too. Again, not much different than a DMT but significantly less expensive.

I have used my Washitas as bevel setters for a long time. Moving on through soft, then hard, then SB or translucent arks provides great edges. I use Norton oil on the washitas and softs, Smiths on the hard arkies. I refresh them on the CKTG 400/1000 diamond or one of those cheap Harbor Freight diamond plates.

I bought a Chosera 1K a few years ago and it works well. I like it. If you have one, I wouldn't say that you needed a washita or vice versa.

Originally Posted by kelbro

I have used my Washitas as bevel setters for a long time. Moving on through soft, then hard, then SB or translucent arks provides great edges. I use Norton oil on the washitas and softs, Smiths on the hard arkies. I refresh them on the CKTG 400/1000 diamond or one of those cheap Harbor Freight diamond plates.

I bought a Chosera 1K a few years ago and it works well. I like it. If you have one, I wouldn't say that you needed a washita or vice versa.

I have HF diamond hone 4 sided I’ll try that next.

Sorry to be late to the party here. I wouldn't recommend taking an Arkansas or a Washita stone to a diamond hone for lapping. It's a sure-fire way to trash the diamond hone. The Washita no. 1 is great natural bevel-setter, and I would recommend lapping it with 320x SiC powder as eKretz has mentioned. As for upkeep with a Crystalon hone as Steel mentions, this I haven't tried, but it does sound promising. I find that emery cloth on a flat surface also helps to refresh the honing surface.

Strongly agree with arkies being rough on diamond plates and the recommendations of using SIC for lapping.

I only use the diamond plates for refreshes. All it takes is a few seconds of light pressure to bring them back.

Water-only on my arkies seems to allow the swarf to clog them up a little more.

Some guys have posted that WD40 will lift that swarf right out. I need to try that some day.

If you use a diamond plate to refresh an Ark use under running water or under water and with light pressure or you will rip out the diamonds. I don’t use my good plates, but have eBay’s and $30 CNTG 3&400 plates that are years old, have done tons of stones and still cutting.

You are just refreshing, not flattening. Barkeepers Friend and a stiff fingernail brush also works wonders if it is just clogged, works a dream for refreshing diamond plates, make a paste and leave on for 10-15 mins and scrub off.

For more aggressive work loose Silicon Carbide and a steel dollar store cookie sheet on flat cement floor, will get it done quickly with little mess. Got Grit.com will get you an assortment of grits 60-500 for under $15 that will do a lot of stones, and you can experiment with the grits to get the finish you want. You might want to buy extra 60 grit as that is what you will use most for flattening, it is inexpensive.

Originally Posted by biglou13

I have HF diamond hone 4 sided I’ll try that next.

i ended up using well worn down 150 wet dry to refresh, tried the HF diamond plate on side seemed to harsh
i'm going to stick with wet dry, and SiC powder/grit

on last run i did clean off swarf more often and it stayed fresh longer..

Originally Posted by biglou13

i ended up using well worn down 150 wet dry to refresh, tried the HF diamond plate on side seemed to harsh
i'm going to stick with wet dry, and SiC powder/grit

on last run i did clean off swarf more often and it stayed fresh longer..

With HF tools, there's no telling what the real grit is on their diamond hones! I've seen drastic shipment to shipment variations on their imports. Even different packaging from different vendors with the same part number. Gotta love 'em.