I have heard that some people collect the slurry from their finishing hones and some how dry this to use as a honing powder. I have heard of people adding this to paper and using it as an abrasive stropping medium. I would really like to try this but I am having some difficulty collecting this stuff.

I tried washing some slurry off onto a sheet of plastic and tried to evaporate the water out. But I just don't have the patients to do this. Also my wife doesn't like the look of a wet and dirty plastic sheet on the desk.

I tried in lapping a stone in a bucket of water and let the slurry settle to the bottom. Once this had settled over a couple of days I gently poured off some of the liquid only to find that it had darkened. The bucket of water left outside had been contaminated with the exhaust fume dust that covers everything here in Bangkok.

So does anyone know of a way to cleanly collect slurry for use as honing powder?

I'd love to hear how you go about it.