# Using a Water stone dry



## Jackplane (Jun 5, 2013)

Hi All,

I am new to the forum and only been wood working for a couple of years as a hobby.

I read on a blog today about using sharpening stones without lubricant and I was curious on what others thought about this.

Here's the blog:
http://www.fullchisel.com/blog/?p=4015&cpage=1

I use water stones and I'm wondering if I could do this or if I would be ruining my stones. 

Thanks


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

As with oil on an oil stone, the water on a water stone is the vehicle to carry away the "swarf", the soup of metal particles and smashed abrasive particles. I have read claims that the water/oil is a "lubricant," certainly a gleaming bright piece of foggy thinking.
Consider the 1,000 grit water stone. Porous, otherwise, you couldn't soak it, agreed? The fines, the smashed 1,000 grit particles, can plug that porosity, partly defeating the value of the 1,000 grit.
I scrub my wet water stones with a stiff vegetable brush at the end of a session to keep the stone 'open.'


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I'm not a fan of using my water stones dry and in fact, I just wouldn't do it. This week's video on my youtube channel is coincidentally about sharpening with water stones.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I would not use either a water stone without water, or an oil stone without oil.



















.


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

Kenbo said:


> I'm not a fan of using my water stones dry and in fact, I just wouldn't do it. This week's video on my youtube channel is coincidentally about sharpening with water stones.


I really enjoyed the video. I still haven't sharpened my store bought chisels as I hadn't come up with "the" way to do them. Your method seemed quite simple and straightforward. Would you please answer a few questions?

1. What type stones do you use? ie Arkansas, Japanese, etc

2. I know you said the stones were 800 & 4000 grit. What size are they? (They looked 2" x 8".)

3. Is your red tub designed for sharpening? If so where did you get it?

4. You stated you keep your stones in water. Do you do this in winter? (My shop isn't heated and could potentially freeze.)

Thanks again.


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## Jackplane (Jun 5, 2013)

@Kenbo - Great video by the way. I've just subscribed to your channel I'll have to check out your other videos later. 

@Burb - I store mine in water as well. In the winter time I bring them into my house and store them in a cabinet so they don't freeze.

Seems like the consensus is to use lubricant so I'll continue to do so.

Thanks everyone


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Jackplane: You already know that water stones are soft and wear is noticible.
Just wetting/flushing the stones in use isn't enough. Of course the last few light strokes
take advantage of the smaller abrasive particle.
I believe that it is of great importance at the end to scrub the wet stone faces to get rid of 
broken (= smaller) abrasive particles which get mashed into the porosity of the stones.
A messy 1K stone performs like 4K or 6K. I believe that, dried out, that "mud" sticks into the stone surface.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Burb said:


> I really enjoyed the video. I still haven't sharpened my store bought chisels as I hadn't come up with "the" way to do them. Your method seemed quite simple and straightforward. Would you please answer a few questions?
> 
> 1. What type stones do you use? ie Arkansas, Japanese, etc
> 
> ...



I really don't way to hi jack this thread so I'll answer these questions and back away.
1) These are Japanese water stones.

2) 2"X8" it is.

3) Yes the tub is designed for sharpening and you can get it here.

4) I bring my water stones in the house for the winter, as my shop isn't heated either. 

Sorry to hi-jack the thread. I will back out of it now. 

Carry on gents. :thumbsup:


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## Jackplane (Jun 5, 2013)

Kenbo said:


> I really don't way to hi jack this thread so I'll answer these questions and back away.
> 1) These are Japanese water stones.
> 
> 2) 2"X8" it is.
> ...


No worries. This is all relevant information.


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