Hindostan Whetstones from the same rock
I thought I would post a few photos of the Hindostan whetstones I've been working on the past few weeks. My friend's father worked in one of the quarries that produced scythe stones years ago, and he turned my interest into an adventure, and I have begun making my own stones.
I had a gentleman with long experience cutting stone do the slab work on two rocks, and I am flattening and lapping by hand. The rocks were the ironstone form of Hindostan which should be the finest grain of the different varieties.
Here are stones wet down to help find problems with lapping.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/...82cea16c_b.jpg
Lapping, lapping, and more lapping....and more lapping.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/...c32ba76c_b.jpg
This looks like a combo-stone, with one side grey and the other side orange. I keep telling myself that iron oxide is what red rouge or jeweler's rouge is made from as I invest hours in preparing the orange stones. As long as I insist on no cracks or voids I think they will make fine finish stones, but only time will tell.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/...33d8eccb_b.jpg
Another stone with the orange banding.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/...c7a3f174_b.jpg
Layers. Lots of layers.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/...77bc2894_b.jpg
More???? And more work????
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/...8f9ee5d8_b.jpg
Since these are the only Hindostan stones I've ever handled I don't know how they compare to what was sold commercially years ago, but I hope to have good useable stones when I am done.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indiana...7624827314878/