Thread: Water or Oil - what is the difference?

Why is the performance of some hones different with oil or water as the lubricant?
Is the lubricant just aiding in the dispersal of swarf and/or any debris from the stone, or does it serve other purposes?
How about on finishers where little to no metal is removed?

It's a question out of pure interest, I'm happy enough learning about my stones with water at present!

Cheers
P

I use oil or lather after water, it lubes the abrasive particles so at that stage your reducing the cutting depth of each grit. So the level of polish increases. It's like taking a sheet of sand paper and putting some kind of paste over it, so each grain doesn't cut as deep leaving you with a smoother finish.

lather sounds nice to try. I think I would avoid oil on a water stone, might prevent the stone from being soaked properly, and with some artificials oil is said to break down the binder faster than water.

Originally Posted by LameBMX

lather sounds nice to try. I think I would avoid oil on a water stone, might prevent the stone from being soaked properly, and with some artificials oil is said to break down the binder faster than water.

I just want to clarify this quickly - I'm not suggesting people try oil on their waterstones!
I use a number of slate, or other impervious rock, hones, and can safely use oil without permanently damaging my hones. For instance lapping both sides and trying one with oil and one with water.
I'm more interested in why they are different, or maybe no-one knows!

Smith's Honing Solution... See if you can find it on your side of the pond... It runs about $5 a bottle and is great for people like me that hate the mess of using real oil on my oil stones ...

Personally I haven't noted any difference in the performance and I don't have to store the hones away from my waterstones...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Smith's Honing Solution... See if you can find it on your side of the pond... It runs about $5 a bottle and is great for people like me that hate the mess of using real oil on my oil stones ...

Personally I haven't noted any difference in the performance and I don't have to store the hones away from my waterstones...

I'll look into that Glen, thanks.
Interesting that you haven't noticed any difference, especially as you do a lot of honing.
I probably can't tell the difference yet due to lack of experience more than anything! However, especially on the Novaculite type rocks, several people have mentioned finer edges produced with oil.

Just to be clear I don't note a Difference between the Smith's and Honing oil

I tried my Charnley with water and lather and never got a great edge, not bad but never Wow !!!

I switched to oil and then I got the Wow, but I didn't like the mess or the smell, I found the Smith's at a hunting shop and bought it on a whim and loved it..

I took the time to clean up my Arkie and the CF and have never looked back since I highly recommend it for people that want to test a stone too, as it cleans up with soap and water...

Oil clogs pores, water doesn't.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Just to be clear I don't note a Difference between the Smith's and Honing oil

I tried my Charnley with water and lather and never got a great edge, not bad but never Wow !!!

I switched to oil and then I got the Wow, but I didn't like the mess or the smell, I found the Smith's at a hunting shop and bought it on a whim and loved it..

I took the time to clean up my Arkie and the CF and have never looked back since I highly recommend it for people that want to test a stone too, as it cleans up with soap and water...

Apologies, stick dropped, other end picked up, ok now!