Thread: Has anyone seen anything like this before?

It looks bad but should not affect honing at all

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

I have had it happen with a 10k Chosera - although it didn't affect honing I had paid so much for it that I'm afraid I got a bit pedantic and insisted that the seller exchange it. The replacement is now about 6 months old, and has very fine lines along the edges, but I suppose I can live with that. I haven't noticed it with the 1k, 3k and 5k that I have.

If my 1k looked like yours I would get a replacement - those lines are far worse than I experienced with the 10k. I did read about a guy on another forum who had a chunk fall off one of his choseras - if you get another line coming in from the side...

I never soak mine - I just put a puddle of water on the top, run a diamond plate over them, add more water and begin honing, so I'm not convinced that it is an excess of water take-up that causes the cracking. They aren't dimensionally stable - much better than the shapton GS hones, but they still move about a bit according to how dry or damp the prevailing weather is - I can lap them after use (which I don't do anymore as it is counter-productive in my case) then darken the surface and lap again the next morning before use, and low/high spots will be evident, but in different positions each day. Interestingly, if I go away for a week or two the dimensional change is far less pronounced.

I have a 16 and 30k shapton, the GS versions, and these have developed rather longish lines at the short edges, but it doesn't affect honing at all. They do change shape far more than the choseras though, although some people report not noticing this. Perhaps it is something to do with how frequently they are used - I use mine everyday, so maybe they never get the chance to dry thoroughly. Like I said above, after a holiday they seem OK. Strange. Perhaps they need a rest

Regards,
Neil

I agree. I am starting to think the continual soaking of hones comes from the early preference of the fine (and still fine!) Norton hones. Naniwas and other synthetics will not tolerate it. Are we getting to a "no soak"society?

Also, I have noted that my best bet with the Naniwa 12000, totally dry, is to flatten quickly under runnning water, on a worn DMT 20 strokes one way, 20 another. Every razor. Wash it good and rub a bit of clean scotchbrite before each use, rinsed well. The best! As I let it soak, as I first got it, it was swelling and warping. Not good!

I read somewhere that these stones need to dry slowly. I wish I could remember where I read it at. Maybe Norse Woodsmith? Idk. It said if they dry out too fast after soaking, they'll crack. Anyways, what's working for me is just to let it dry in the bathroom. Seems to be the most humid room in the house. Too little too late in your case. But everyone says it doesn't matter anyhow. So..I guess I didn't really need to post here...sorry.

Choseras crack because when you soak them they swell a little, next when you dry them too fast the outside will dry faster than the inside causing stresses in the stone.
What really helps is if after use you dry them with a microfiber cloth and use that slightly moist cloth to wrap the stone.
This way the stone will dry slowly and evenly trough out preventing cracks.
I had some hairline cracks in mine before I realized this and after lapping them out and using above method never saw any cracks again.

Originally Posted by Puerco

Choseras crack because when you soak them they swell a little, next when you dry them too fast the outside will dry faster than the inside causing stresses in the stone.
What really helps is if after use you dry them with a microfiber cloth and use that slightly moist cloth to wrap the stone.
This way the stone will dry slowly and evenly trough out preventing cracks.
I had some hairline cracks in mine before I realized this and after lapping them out and using above method never saw any cracks again.

Yep, this is what I do too nowadays.
It seems to have stopped further cracking.
At least for now

I bought my 800 and 1200 grit stones in 1984. They are Japanese made synthetics and purchased through Trendlines (may be out of business but the same set can now be purchased through Woodworker.com. The current list is 800, 1200, 6000 grit and costs $90 USD).

They have been in water since the day they arrived. I always put a small spash of bleach in the air-tight container to stop any mold.
Obviously, some stones can be continually water soaked without damage.

OTOH, the 4000 grit finish stone purchased in the same order did not handle water soaking. Stupid me, this stone, after an extended soak, separated from the wood base and subsequently did crack when I did NOT have it on a level surface. A towel had gotten under one end and allowed the unit to "flex". This stone also showed some water related damage.

Dave

Kind of makes an argument for only using Natural Stones. Will have to be more careful with the Man Made ones from now on. Thanks for the info.

Honesty here

I abuse the crap out my "Chosera Green Machine", I leave it in the Steelx stone holder screwed down TIGHT I toss that whole thing in the water and go eat dinner.. It might soak for and hour maybe more, I take it out and set it on a towel then do it all over the next day, I use it pretty much at least 5 days a week sometimes 6 or 7...
I lapped it once when I got it, I do 5 or so figure 8's before each razor and off I go,, I have had zero problems, so I would be thinking either I have the best one ever made or something is up with yours...

Mine has no base and is the thicker one...

Originally Posted by Johnus

Kind of makes an argument for only using Natural Stones. Will have to be more careful with the Man Made ones from now on. Thanks for the info.

You need to be careful with some (all?) naturals too - they are not immune to swelling and cracking with temperature changes, though I've heard they need to be extreme. Never had an issue with it myself, but that may be because I live in a sub-tropical climate.

James.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Honesty here

I abuse the crap out my "Chosera Green Machine", I leave it in the Steelx stone holder screwed down TIGHT I toss that whole thing in the water and go eat dinner.. It might soak for and hour maybe more, I take it out and set it on a towel then do it all over the next day, I use it pretty much at least 5 days a week sometimes 6 or 7...
I lapped it once when I got it, I do 5 or so figure 8's before each razor and off I go,, I have had zero problems, so I would be thinking either I have the best one ever made or something is up with yours...

Mine has no base and is the thicker one...

Than yours will probably never get dry enough to develop cracks while for us who use them only now and then they get dry through and through and drying them slowly and as evenly as possible seems to help to avoid cracks.
I also have the thick version without a base and I like it better when soaked for at least a couple of minutes, in fact I bought mine after seeing you use it on youtube, saying the bevel is the most important part of honing and the chosera is the "best" bevelsetter. I'm glad I did, thanks!