Waterstone grit and garbage disposals

[Aaron Rappaport]

Hi All,

I once read somewhere that it's a bad idea to sharpen at a kitchen sink that has a garbage disposal, because they're messed up by the slurry from the coarser waterstones (1000 grit and down). Is this true?

Conversely, I've messed up the porcelain in my bathroom sink when loose SiC grit got under something and rubbed against the counter top and the bowl. And anyway, I like sharpening in the kitchen because it gets me around my family rather than down in my basement cave. I'd just like to use the sink rather than a bucket as my water source because the running water is so convenient.

Thanks, Aaron

[Chris Vandiver]

Garbage disposal aside, the stone slurry is going to build up in your waste line and especially your p-trap. Good luck with that.
If you go through a grit progression(1000-8000gr)you might end up with a very sharp garbage disposal!:)

[Jim Belair]

I sharpen at the laundry tub but never considered that grit would build up in the p trap. For those who flush their waterstones in a bucket, then you take the bucket outside the house to dump?

Jim B

[David Keller NC]

Aaron - I sharpen at the kitchen sink. I've not had issues with waste build-up in the lines, but I think that's because I'm absolutely anal about cleaning the line out once a month with liquid drain cleaners. The high pH of these liquids will dissolve most waterstone grits, and the remainder is flushed by filling the sink completely full of water, then letting it drain at high velocity.

I suspect that your garbage disposal will be fine so long as you don't run it without flushing the grit first. My guess is that this one of those "correct in theory, but not of practical concern" adages.

[Jay Maiers]

I don't think build-up is the problem. I'd worry about the grit getting into the bearings and seals, causing leaking or premature failure.


Side story:
My wife and I used to do a little bit of pottery work. Not knowing any better, I used to wash and rinse the sludge covered tools and trays in our basement sink. After a year or so, the drain was really slow due to sludge build-up. I first found the problem when the sink filled up with wash water. The sink drain was downstream from our washer, so it received a lot of flushing action. Note that this drain setup was not ideal, and it was probably not up to code. I'm pretty sure that sink should not have been tapped in to the washer drain line (it was a hack job by a handyman, not a licensed plumber). However, it worked fine for the first six or seven yeears we owned the house. In any case, the amount of sludge produced during one or two pottery sessions is probably equal to or greater than the amount produced by the average hobbiest sharpening over over the course of a year.

[Jim Koepke]

My set up is away from a sink. I have thought of setting up my own sink with a drain off the house drain system.

Currently the waste water from my sharpening is dumped outside on the ground. The soil here already has a high iron content, a little more isn't going to hurt.

It would not feel right for me to dump it down a drain. Of course here we are on a septic system and would likely have to pay to have it pumped out eventually.

jtk

[James Taglienti]

I think it would get into anything that moves and wear it badly... The grit can get stuck between two surfaces and just cut and cut and cut... We have a wide belt sander at work and loose sanding belt grit gets into the moving parts and wears them badly

[Jack Curtis]

So, if we agree that it's not good to flush grit into whatever plumbing system we have, what can we do besides dump it on the earth? Where should it go? How has this been done before?

[John Lanciani]

So, if we agree that it's not good to flush grit into whatever plumbing system we have, what can we do besides dump it on the earth? Where should it go? How has this been done before?

I don't think we agree. I always have, and will continue to send mine down the drain and into the septic system. There is nothing harmful in the sludge, just some minerals and steel filings. Not worth fretting over IMHO.

[Jim Koepke]

I don't think we agree. I always have, and will continue to send mine down the drain and into the septic system. There is nothing harmful in the sludge, just some minerals and steel filings. Not worth fretting over IMHO.

I do not think there is anything harmful to a septic system in the sludge. I also do not think the bacteria that digest in a septic system can digest abrasive grit and metal particles.

The OP asked about a garbage disposal. In my opinion, a garbage disposal is not something for me. It is also my opinion that dumping abrasives into a garbage disposal is not a good practice.

Every bodies milage may vary as do their opinions.

If someone is concerned about "dumping" their stone pond waste, it is possible to make a settling pond and evaporator out of a 5 gallon bucket. Then the solid waste that remains could be handled like any other unwanted waste in a land fill.

jtk

[Aaron Rappaport]

Thanks guys,

I guess I'll continue to be nervous about mucking up the moving parts in the disposal. Maybe capture the sludge in a tub or something instead of the sink.

As for other ways to dispose of sharpening sludge, for the past year I've been pouring mine into the toilet along with left over sharpening pond water, and flushing it. No moving parts and lots of flushing action! Given the amount of mud that must work its way into the town sewage system, I don't imagine my sludge creates a problem for that either.

[John Lanciani]

I do not think there is anything harmful to a septic system in the sludge. I also do not think the bacteria that digest in a septic system can digest abrasive grit and metal particles.

The OP asked about a garbage disposal. In my opinion, a garbage disposal is not something for me. It is also my opinion that dumping abrasives into a garbage disposal is not a good practice.

Every bodies milage may vary as do their opinions.

If someone is concerned about "dumping" their stone pond waste, it is possible to make a settling pond and evaporator out of a 5 gallon bucket. Then the solid waste that remains could be handled like any other unwanted waste in a land fill.

jtk

I think we're on the same page. I wouldn't put it through the disposal either, but down the drain in the shop sink isn't a problem to me. No worse than washing mud off your hands or dirty laundry. The ammount of inorganic and indigestable material is quite small and totally inconsequential in a septic system or municipal waste water facility.

[Dustin Keys]

What would be the harm in using a bucket and pouring it out in your yard? I could certainly be missing something, but I can't think of any environmental harm that it would do. If you want to be in with your family, just do it on the kitchen counter but use a bucket. Seems like a win-win to me unless there is an environmental issue I don't understand.

D

[Stuart Tierney]

What would be the harm in using a bucket and pouring it out in your yard? I could certainly be missing something, but I can't think of any environmental harm that it would do. If you want to be in with your family, just do it on the kitchen counter but use a bucket. Seems like a win-win to me unless there is an environmental issue I don't understand.

D

Aluminium Oxide is, in essence, bauxite/ruby/sapphire/etc. It came out of the ground originally.

Silicon Carbide is less common in nature, but chemically inert.

Binders? Depends on the stone, but they range from clay to fired ceramic to resins and plastics.

Perhaps the resin type binders might cause some consternation, but the amount in a bucket of water would not be easily detectable by any reasonable means (including a lab full of analytical gear).


Perhaps there might be some cause for concern at some level, but the amounts being generated by any single person are so small to be insignificant I would think.

The stone cutters and grinders around here have deep sumps on their drains to capture the huge amounts of particles/sediment they generate, but the stuff itself, so long as it's not dust and blowing around, is not considered to be more troublesome than common dirt and is sent to landfill as a heavy mud.

I put it in the garden, but not on the plants we eat.

Stu.

[Ryan Baker]

Thanks guys,
As for other ways to dispose of sharpening sludge, for the past year I've been pouring mine into the toilet along with left over sharpening pond water, and flushing it. No moving parts and lots of flushing action!

You already mentioned messing up your sink. You will eventually do the same thing to the tub and toilet bowl with the abrasive, not to mention that it can't be a lot of fun to take a shower standing on the leftover grit that doesn't get washed away. Keep the abrasive away from the fixtures and appliances. If you don't have a utility (laundry) sink, take a bucket outside and dump it.