Cleaning Sharpmaker rods

S

Swedge

Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
334
When the Sharpmaker rods load up with steel, what is the best method (or at least the method you use :D) to clean them?
 
I have used SOS pads. So far that has worked the best for me. I am also interested in knowing what others use.


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Water + Dawn liquid, rinse, then water + Bar Keeper's Friend. I have used Comet before, but nothing beats BKF for total cleaning.
 
Really just any kind of abrasive cleaner or pads. You can tell easily if the shavings scrub off.
 
I just use an ordinary pencil rubber on the ceramic rods.
Use rubber on the black marks after every knife, takes a few seconds.
Works on larger ceramic sharpening rods too e.g. a 10 inch kitchen sharpener
(that looks similar to an old steel) that I use to touch up very large blades quickly.
Not tried it on diamond rods though. :D
 
Bar Keepers Friend is the best cleaner I've found for ceramic stones.
It will make the Sharpmaker rods look like new
 
I compared several cleaners side by side on a Spyderco extra fine ceramic stone. BKF was significantly better then all of the others.

By significantly, I mean it blew them away.
 
Mr clean Magic eraser dawg. Thay stuff cleans em perfectly. Only problem is the rods sort of saw through the pads.
 
I use a combination of the methods described. Like stickwhistler and Shanks4300, I like a quick rub with an eraser after (almost) every use. It keeps them clean and allows you to go a good while between more thorough cleanings. I like the "latex free" erasers you can find at the big box office supply stores---they seem to clean a little better and throw off a little less residue---but plain ole block erasers work well, too. For the periodic thorough cleaning, it's Bar Keepers Friend on a scouring pad.

For the diamond or CBN rods, soapy water on an old toothbrush works fine.

Andrew
 
Bar Keepers Friend and scouring pad.

Used it for years.

Regards,
FK
 
Big pencil eraser for cleaning while I'm sharpening to keep them clean-ish, then a scouring pad and regular soap at the end of the session.
 
BKF or a stainless steel polish tends to chemically break down residue as well as push it out using a fine wet abrasive. My go-to quicky clean is to use a wet nagura stone (intended for flattening waterstones). This creates a slurry that help push debris out of the ceramic hones.
 
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