Cleaning a clogged SiC stone

H

Harry White

Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
136
I have a dual-sided SiC bench stone (coarse/fine) that I have been using "dry" since I got it a few months ago. Not it seems clogged, especially in the middle. I have recently begun using honing oil while sharpening instead of using it dry, but I would like to clean it up to remove any embedded steel particles.

I do have a container of pure acetone, but I've heard kerosene is recommended for cleaning SiC stones.

Can I use acetone, or do I need to locate some kerosene?

Also, any tips or tricks would be appreciated if anyone has gone through this before.

Thanks! :)
 
Acetone won't hurt your stone, but it may not work as well as paint thinner or kerosene. If you have a good tough scrub brush or wire brush it would help. I would start with hot water, sink scouring cleanser and a scrub brush first.
 
Thank you Jeff. I will try that.

Regarding the acetone (or kerosene if I can find some) -- should I soak the stone overnight, or is scrubbing with a firm brush sufficient?

Thanks again.
 
I would not soak the stones. Soaking in the solvent will leave more residue in the hone than you really want. I don't like the smell of the solvents and you may cause the hone surface to break down faster than you want. Part of the function of honing with water or oil is to get the hone surface to break down a little quicker, but without the stone and metal debris clogging the surface of the hone. If you don't use enough fluid the surface tends to break down fast, but also clog fast. If you soak the hone you may get some of the same effect. Once you get oil or kerosene into the hone you are forced to keep using an equivalent fluid until you get back to clean unsoaked material.

In general I use the lightest, cleanest oil if I am working on an oil stone. You might try a little mineral oil mixed with a touch of kerosene or light machine oil. I have even used rubbing alcohol as a fluid on some oil stones.

You might scrub the hone with hot water and sink cleanser then run it through a pan cycle in the dishwasher. You should be good to go after that.
 
I've had good luck using brake cleaner spray. I used to use Gun Scrubber, but
it is more pricey. Seems to work well. I'm not sure of the long term effects. I go through stones pretty fast.
 
Thanks everyone. I first scrubbed the stone under hot water with a wire brush, then let it soak in acetone for about an hour and a half, then scrubbed it with a wire brush in the acetone bath. Finally, I ran it again under hot water and scrubbed with a wire brush, then ran it through the dishwasher.

It looks as good as new now. Next step is to apply some mineral oil and test it by sharpening some blades. Will give that a try when I get home from work. I'll let you know how it all turns out.
 
I've had decent results with simple dish detergent and hot water. But I've found that over time it seems like my stone gets dull. It doesn't look or feel clogged, just doesn't seem to cut into the edge like it used to. Perhaps this is why Aluminum Oxide seems to be prefered.
 
i was at my friends shop one day and he was at the sink with a concrete block in the bottom. he was cleaning his stones by rubbing it on the block with plenty of soap and a small stream of water running on it. he was reading in this book where this old man used the same method to clean and flatten his stones. i had my doubts until i used one that didnt cut well before to take the burr of a lathe toolbit. just make sure to use a new, good flat block and move the stone all over the whole block.
 
richard j said:
i was at my friends shop one day and he was at the sink with a concrete block in the bottom. he was cleaning his stones by rubbing it on the block with plenty of soap and a small stream of water running on it. he was reading in this book where this old man used the same method to clean and flatten his stones. i had my doubts until i used one that didnt cut well before to take the burr of a lathe toolbit. just make sure to use a new, good flat block and move the stone all over the whole block.
Click to expand...

That gave me an idea -- what if I used my D8XX diamond hone against my SiC stone to expose a fresh, flat surface?

Although the stone now looks "new," it still feels "dull" (not as rough) as when I first used it.

Any thoughts on this approach?
 
Silicon carbide hones are usually rough and ragged when they are new. They cut fast, but leave a rough finish on the edge. I don't think that it is a bad thing if your hone doesn't feel as rough as when it was new. You will probably get a better edge finish with a broken-in hone.
 
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