Slurry on Sharpening Stones

[fritz eng]

A nagura stone came separately when I purchased my 8000 grit water stone. The purpose of the nagura stone is to create a slurry before sharpening. I was wondering if the slurry created by flattening the stone would serve the same purpose instead of rinsing it off.

[Mel Fulks]

If you used a diamond stone, then I would guess that the slurry from that operation is uncontaminated and OK to use.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Fritz, you didn't specify how you flatten the 8000 stone. I use 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper. If you do that, read on; otherwise, skip this post.

Looking at the all-over slurry after lifting the 8000 stone from the paper, I was once tempted to just go ahead and use that for my next polishing step. Mistake. I actually felt the little 220 bumps between the stone and the blade. Fortunately I use a light touch, so my stone was not gouged deeply. But you can bet I reflattened it, and you can also bet I have always rinsed the stone afterward. There's a reason for the Nagura.

[Jim Matthews]

If the plate was clean when you started, it's fine for polishing. The slurry is really only useful on the finest stone, to prevent slippage.

[ken hatch]

If the plate was clean when you started, it's fine for polishing. The slurry is really only useful on the finest stone, to prevent slippage.

Jim,

?, not saying you are wrong but...

BTW, my experience with nagura stones is with JNATs. The nagura is used to produce a working (sharpening) slurry and it helps keep the stone flat. With correct use of the stone and using a nagura I seldom need to flatten my JNATs.

ken

[Jim Matthews]

I'm quoting Odate.

I don't own or use stones that fine - my synthetic Shapton pro is around 12000 grit. The Nagura stone is used after I flatten the stone with a diamond plate.

(The diamond plate "holds" most of the slurry it raised.)

"Toshio Odate in his classic book Japanese Woodworking Tools says (along with tons of other useful info) that if, on a hard finishing stone, your tool slips rather than abrades on the stone, creating a little slurry will stop the slippage."

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/91

[fritz eng]

Fritz, you didn't specify how you flatten the 8000 stone. I use 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper. If you do that, read on; otherwise, skip this post.

Looking at the all-over slurry after lifting the 800 stone from the paper, I was once tempted to just go ahead and use that for my next polishing step. Mistake. I actually felt the little 220 bumps between the stone and the blade. Fortunately I use a light touch, so my stone was not gouged deeply. But you can bet I reflattened it, and you can also bet I have always rinsed the stone afterward. There's a reason for the Nagura.

I flatten the water stone with the Trend 300 grit diamond stone

[ken hatch]

I'm quoting Odate.

I don't own or use stones that fine - my synthetic Shapton pro is around 12000 grit. The Nagura stone is used after I flatten the stone with a diamond plate.

(The diamond plate "holds" most of the slurry it raised.)

"Toshio Odate in his classic book Japanese Woodworking Tools says (along with tons of other useful info) that if, on a hard finishing stone, your tool slips rather than abrades on the stone, creating a little slurry will stop the slippage."

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/91

Jim,

Now I understand.

Mistake most folks who have not used JNATs make is thinking in terms of finer grit like with synthetic stones. JNATs are softer or harder, easy to make a slurry or more difficult to make a slurry. You are correct, if you are using a hard stone and it is not cutting then you need to use a nagura to make more slurry. Hard stones are mostly used by the razor guys most wood working tools respond better to medium hard stones.

ken

[Jim Matthews]

Jim,

Now I understand.

Mistake most folks who have not used JNATs Kmake is thinking in terms of finer grit like with synthetic stones. JNATs are softer or harder, easy to make a slurry or more difficult to make a slurry.

ken

I have an aversion to stones that are more expensive than my tools : they mark the entry to a very deep rabbit hole.

Saner minds than mine have been lost in there.

[ken hatch]

I have an aversion to stones that are more expensive than my tools : they mark the entry to a very deep rabbit hole.

Saner minds than mine have been lost in there.

Jim,

Smart, guilty as charged but they are so beautiful and each is so different:p. In defense of JNATs it is the collector grade stones that cost so much. If you freehand you can have a working kit for not a lot more or maybe even less than a set of good synthetic stones because you have no need for the number of stones. That's in theory, in practice they are addicting and because each can be so different you want to try "just one more".

ken