Thread: Oil on a water stone!!! Are you crazy!!!!

So a couple weeks back I had my 1000 grit water stone at work to put an edge on my wood chisel. Of coarse I left it back by the grinder over night. The next day I show up for work, go back to grab my hone and a coworker had used it with 3 in 1 oil. Not just a bit, a ton! Naturally, smoke starts shooting from my ears!!

Now, I wouldn't call myself a hone expert, but I'm pretty sure the box didn't say water and oil hone. It just said WATER!!!! Another reason I'm so ticked is this was my grandfather's stone I got from him when he passed away when I was 16. I've had this stone for 17 years and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. It seems as though the oil is gone now but, it doesn't cut like it use to. It takes wayyyy to long for anything to happen.

What should I do fellas?

I would soak & scrubb with Simple Green a few times.
Just my thoughts.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I would soak & scrubb with Simple Green a few times.
Just my thoughts.

Simple Green stone cleaner probably?

Maybe try putting it in a bag of white rice. That may pull out some of the oil and moisture.

The Simple green found in stores, it's a good bio safe (it says) degreaser. I have used it on many stones.

I have not used it on my white Norton 4000, though.

On a stone like a 1000 grit, I would try this favorite trick of mine...

wrap stone in a few layers of paper towel. Place stone in electric toaster oven. (make sure paper towel doesnt pop up anywhre and touch heater coils)
Set at 200 degrees
After 2 hours, raise temp to 250 degrees
After 2 hours, Lower temp back to 200 degrees
After an hour, turn off, and allow to cool to room temp without opening the door to the oven.
You will find that the warm oil has migrated through the stone, and seeped into the paper towel
I know it seems like a lot of work, but I am cautious (perhaps unnecessarily so) of thermal stresses causing fractures in the stone.
After that, you can soak it in a bucket of soapy water, to help float out and dissolve any remaining oils.

Originally Posted by Magpie

On a stone like a 1000 grit, I would try this favorite trick of mine...

wrap stone in a few layers of paper towel. Place stone in electric toaster oven. (make sure paper towel doesnt pop up anywhre and touch heater coils)
Set at 200 degrees
After 2 hours, raise temp to 250 degrees
After 2 hours, Lower temp back to 200 degrees
After an hour, turn off, and allow to cool to room temp without opening the door to the oven.
You will find that the warm oil has migrated through the stone, and seeped into the paper towel
I know it seems like a lot of work, but I am cautious (perhaps unnecessarily so) of thermal stresses causing fractures in the stone.
After that, you can soak it in a bucket of soapy water, to help float out and dissolve any remaining oils.

I like the sounds of this. Ill give it a try.

First thing you do is drop a 10# sledge on top of the idiots toes. Next time he will leave your tools alone. Then you can follow the good suggestions above.

Originally Posted by Maxi

Maybe try putting it in a bag of white rice. That may pull out some of the oil and moisture.

Even if the rice looks tasty, don't eat it!

What brand of stone is it? We can't really give you an accurate procedure to follow if we don't know what kind of stone it is.