Whetstone cleaning

[metricmonkeywrench]

Seems like the right forum. Pretty simple question, how do you clean a whetstone? I have a 20+ year old 1 1/2 x 4 1/2 fine (Buck Arkansas i think) whetstone. It has always been used with oil, and sharpened hundreds of knives. I think the use of CLP while in the military didn't help.

Any tips on cleaning and truing?

[smokeywolf]

Cheapest way to unload and flatten it is to 'skate it' on some 280 to 320 grit Wet-or-Dri paper on a surface plate or a sheet of glass. Might want to apply some mineral oil to the Wet-or-Dri paper.

[William Yanda]

Boil it in a dish detergent solution.

[fast ronnie]

I use mine in a solvent tank on a piece of flat steel. Is is amazing how fast the stuff comes off. Hot detergent water on a flat of steel will work, too, but not quite as fast. Just use it flat as if stoning the plate.

[Hickory]

If you have a sonic cleaner and the solution is ready to be changed, clean it there.
The above advice is very good also.

[Tatume]

I use kerosene and a wire brush.

[472x1B/A]

I've always used dish washing soap and as hot water I could stand. Usually after 10 or 12 times use.

[oldlongbeard]

I use Ajax/Bar Keepers Friend and a bit of water, and the aforementioned wire brush. Soak her good with your honing oil when she’s clean.

[Maine1]

Ive had good luck with very hot water, and Comet, and a plastic brush, add elbow grease. Ive salvaged some " ruined" stones for folks that came out looking nearly new.

[bmortell]

I use comet and a tooth brush

[country gent]

I have cleaned them in solvent and soaking scrubbing. Skating or dressing them on a piece of sand paper will sharpen dull stones and make them cut cleaner. A good soap water cleaning and or solvents will remove old oils and some loading.

[RED BEAR]

+1 on solvent to dissolve oils. The best way to resurface a wet stone is on a cement sidewalk or floor . Get it wet and make deliberate strokes its pretty easy to see when its done. A simi smooth walk works best. And before everyone goes nuts a fellow that resurfaced the shops granite table showed this to me and been using ever since.

[Winger Ed.]

I've had a couple of real old ones that the oils had solidified.

I soaked them in lacquer thinner a couple days and went after 'em with a stiff nylon brush.

[Bazoo]

I didnt know silicon carbide would cut a whetstone. I've used a DMT extra coarse stone to dress an arkansas stone before. It worked well.

[fiberoptik]

I use comet and a tooth brush

With a squirt of Dawn dish soap.


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[country gent]

You don't need to cut the actual stone. Just the bonding agent and this releases the grit bringing up sharp particles.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I soaked mine in gasoline, and then scrubbed with an old kitchen brush.

[Bazoo]

The stone I dressed with the diamond stone had some pits. I was able to remove most of them.

I had a carborundum stone that was load badly from years of being used without oil, I dressed it on the concrete sidewalk at work. I used water to make a slurry.

Like others, I've washed Arkansas stones with dish soap and scrubbed with a toothbrush to remove oil and swarf.

Stones and their care are neat. Guess it comes along with being a knife accumulator.

[EO1]

Dishwasher

[nun2kute]

Ive had good luck with very hot water, and Comet, and a plastic brush, add elbow grease. Ive salvaged some " ruined" stones for folks that came out looking nearly new.

Elbow Grease ??? Where can I get me some of that ?