I was in Winn Dixie and asked pharmacist for mineral oil for my new norton economy stone. I was surprised at the absorption rate the stone kept drinking the oil. Is this normal? Also the oil seemed slightly thick, not like a hvy syrup but not like a thin wt oil. Did I get the wrong oil and does it matter?
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Mineral oil thick kind
- Thread starter Tealboy1
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A dry stone will soak up oil like a sponge. The Nortons I've bought came pre-oiled, but maybe the economy version you got doesn't. And yes, mineral oil feels somewhat thicker than your typical 3-in-1, etc. :thumbup:
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The Norton Economy stone will drink whatever liquid you throw at it. Mine's exactly the same, in that respect. I've actually taken to using some mineral oil-based hand lotion on my stone, which stays on the surface longer and does a great job floating swarf. It's also very easy to clean up, just like washing the lotion from your hands. I use dish detergent and warm/hot water to clean it up.
Being that the Norton Economy stone comes un-oiled from the factory, it can also be used with water or dish soap + water. I've experimented with mine using any/all of these methods, and it seems to work well enough with any of them. When using water, it's convenient to work near or over a sink filled with water and/or dish detergent + water; just 'dunk' the stone periodically to rinse swarf away and re-wet it.
The 'laxative grade' (USP) mineral oil is what's known as 'heavy mineral oil'. It is thicker, but it won't cause any trouble for your stone. Basically, it comes down to preference; some like the 'feedback' or feel of the heavier stuff, and some prefer the 'light mineral oil' commonly found in cans/bottles of branded 'honing oil'.
David
Being that the Norton Economy stone comes un-oiled from the factory, it can also be used with water or dish soap + water. I've experimented with mine using any/all of these methods, and it seems to work well enough with any of them. When using water, it's convenient to work near or over a sink filled with water and/or dish detergent + water; just 'dunk' the stone periodically to rinse swarf away and re-wet it.
The 'laxative grade' (USP) mineral oil is what's known as 'heavy mineral oil'. It is thicker, but it won't cause any trouble for your stone. Basically, it comes down to preference; some like the 'feedback' or feel of the heavier stuff, and some prefer the 'light mineral oil' commonly found in cans/bottles of branded 'honing oil'.
David
I also have a oil drinking stone and Heavyhanded recommended that I rub some vaseline into the stone before I sharpen on it. So far it has worked. I don't think it is better than any of the other ways but it is another option to try.
OP, I hope you get this stone working.
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Yep, petro jelly here too.
When I got my Norton Economy I soaked it in usp mineral oil in a zip lock. I kept having it leech oil whenever it got close to something porous (meaning paper mostly) which got old fast.
Next time I grab one of these stones I'm going to try water + soap. I like it on my Edge Pro 120 grit.
When I got my Norton Economy I soaked it in usp mineral oil in a zip lock. I kept having it leech oil whenever it got close to something porous (meaning paper mostly) which got old fast.
Next time I grab one of these stones I'm going to try water + soap. I like it on my Edge Pro 120 grit.
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The mineral oil hand lotion method has sort of grown on me. It's viscous enough to stay on the surface of the stone, and yet just light enough that simple dish soap & water will clean it up (I realized this because I wash my hands frequently during the day; the lotion comes off pretty fast). I've used it on diamond hones as well. I sort of like the fact that the stone can be cleaned to essentially 'like new' after each sharpening session, with no worries about old oil or grease or whatever eventually making a gummy or sticky mess of it.
I have a smaller stone (4") from Ace Hardware that otherwise seems identical. I may try using the Vaseline on it, and see how it compares.
David
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David, if you do a comparo between the petrol and lotion, let me know what you think. I'll give the lotion a shot if you think it's better.
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I've no idea if the lotion is better or not. But, I found it seems to work well for the task, cleans up easy and is readily at hand (around here, anyway; we have bottles of it all around the house). Just too convenient, and it keeps my fingers moisturized, to boot.
One other thing I liked about it, versus using oil anyway, is that it doesn't drip all over the place when I'm working with it. This is handy for me, when I'm using it on smaller hones held in my hand (my sharpening habits were built around doing 'freehand' this way).
The lotion I've used is called 'Eucerin', and Walmart also carries a generic equivalent under their 'Equate' brand name (less expensive), if you're interested in trying this. A head's up: Eucerin also makes a very thick & heavy cream in a jar, which uses petroleum jelly (petrolatum) as a base, and also some mineral oil. Probably a little too thick to be useful for this.
David