Thread: IT’S ALIVE, Saving a Snow White 8K

Originally Posted by Euclid440

My 8K Snow White has been crazed for years. it is several years old and even crazed can produce an edge similar to my 12k Super Stone.

A couple years ago I purchased a new stone anticipating the stone would become unusable. Actually, I bought 2, one as a backup.

Today as I was honing on it, I felt a click, heard a Tink and saw a small divot in the middle of the stone and chip in the edge. A while back another chip/divot appeared near one end, but I have been able to avoid it, still it got a bit larger.

So, I cleaned up the holes, (running water and toothbrush) and filled the two divots with CA and glued a few of the larger cracks, even though they could not be felt while honing or with a fingernail. Let cure for a few hours and lapped flat with a 300-grit and 1k diamond plate.

Honed on it and it is just a good as it always has been. I cannot feel the glued divots or any of the cracks and they do not chip the edge. I have tried the new Snow Whites and they produce nice 8K edges, but not mirror finished like the old 8K.

I have CA glued natural stones, but never a synthetic and not a crazed stone. We will see if it lasts. I sure hope so…

If you have a crazed Naniwia, all is not lost, give it a try, what do you have to lose?

First pic is pre cleaning and gluing, the rest are after lapping the small center chip is about 2mmx2mm and the larger 6mmx4mm.

I think you’ll find the stone will work just as well without the CA glue. Just keep it lapped as usual and all should be fine.

I did dry it with a microfiber and waited about an hour.

Moisture will make CA kickoff faster. An old modelers trick is to breath on a CA glued joint to get it to kick off.

I wonder if one could squeegee the whole top surface with CA to get it down into the checking and then lap it.

How about a layer of epoxy and then either a pressure pot to force it into the cracks or a vacuum chamber to to pull the air out and replace it with spoxy. I have a pressure pot setup.

The funny thing with these stones that craze is, it does not affect the ability to finish and you cannot feel the cracks with the razor or with a thumbnail.

You can see them and on a white stone the swarf collects in the crack which makes them more visible. Perhaps the swarf is filling the cracks and why they do not affect performance.

I could feel the chip in the middle and it did chip the razor.

I filled what appeared to be a few of the larger cracks even though I could not feel them. They lapped flat.

With a thin CA it would not take long to run a bead on all the cracks then lap.

I was mostly concerned with the chip in the middle of the stone. I will wait and see how it holds up. As long as it still performs, I will leave it alone. This stone sees every razor I hone.

Originally Posted by life2short1971

How about a layer of epoxy and then either a pressure pot to force it into the cracks or a vacuum chamber to to pull the air out and replace it with spoxy. I have a pressure pot setup.

I would do it for sure, if I had the setup. I'm thinking you would have to place the stone in a cast and make sure it's submerged in epoxy. Then grind off the excess once it's out. Otherwise, I'm not sure how well it would really soak and take the epoxy in. Another idea could be to soak it in cactus juice in vacuum, and then bake it after. I've never seen or heard anyone do it, but I'm thinking, if it can be done with wood, it can be done with stone, too.

If you were in the USA I would give it a try for you just to see the result if for no other reason.