Thread: Soaking Norton Waterstones

I just bought a kit with a 220/1000K and a 4K/8K. How long do you guys think they should be submerged before use?
Also, should they be submerged while stored between hones? Thanks

I do not permanently soak mine.
!k take ~15 min to soak well, the 4/8k less than 10 min.

+1

The only time mine stay in the water is if there are a bunch of razors over a couple of days to do. Otherwise I let them dry out nicely and put them away.

And just to confuse the issue, my norton 4/8 has been almost permanently soaking in water since the day I bought it (minus a month or two here and there) in 2006. I do change the water on a regular basis though. Nortons don't look good in green.

James.

You can soak That hone as long as you want as long as you prevent algae and such; the minimum time is long enough so that when you add water to the surface it stays on the surface long enough that you don't become annoyed with the rate at which you have to add more water.

Case in point, when I used a King 1k, which people say are very thirsty stones, I never soaked mine. I just kept adding water to it for about 1 min, then started honing and kept adding more as needed. It worked for me.

I, like most woodworkers keep theirs soaking all the time. Although high grit stones, 8000 and above, are often moistened right before use. Change the water every once in a while or put in a bit of bleach to discourage algae. Make absolutely sure that you don't leave stones soaking in your garage in the winter. If the water freezes, then your stones will crack!

FacialDirt: I have the 4000/8000 combination and soak it 15 minutes.

Thanks everyone for your awesome input. Ine more question..
Does the lapping stone/ flattening stone need soaking time too?

No, you needn't soak the lapping stone. It is alright to lap the 1k and above but I wouldn't do the 220. It might wear the plate too much. Lap under running water for best results.

Originally Posted by FacialDirt

I just bought a kit with a 220/1000K and a 4K/8K. How long do you guys think they should be submerged before use?
Also, should they be submerged while stored between hones? Thanks

Rumor is that Nortons can soak for a long time but that is not
true of all man made water stones. Since some stones will
be damaged it is good practice to let them air dry (slowly)
when not in use.

Also if you are in a northern clime letting a wet water stone
freeze will wreck it.

Since it only takes 5 - 15 min of soaking and
a lot less if you used them yesterday store your
hones so they can dry.