Windex with water stones?

[Mike Baker 2]

Hi,
I use a 400/1k diamond plate, 6k King, and 1um lapping film progression on my chisels and plane irons for sharpening. I have used water before, but I prefer either glass cleaner(generic Windex) or a bit of soapy water when I use my diamond plate. But I don't like having to carry both that and water to the bench with me.
Has anyone used glass cleaner or soapy water on your water stones? Will this cause any issues you can foresee?
Thanks.

[Robert Engel]

Yup, all the time. I still coat with WD40 after every use.

Lately I've been using just WD40 and I like it just wipe off when done eliminates a step.

[Stanley Covington]

Hi,
I use a 400/1k diamond plate, 6k King, and 1um lapping film progression on my chisels and plane irons for sharpening. I have used water before, but I prefer either glass cleaner(generic Windex) or a bit of soapy water when I use my diamond plate. But I don't like having to carry both that and water to the bench with me.
Has anyone used glass cleaner or soapy water on your water stones? Will this cause any issues you can foresee?
Thanks.

if you use soap, stick with dishwashing soap because the PH tends to be alkaline. The problem with soap is that it is slippery, and tends to reduce friction. But more friction, not less, is what you really need when sharpening steel.

Washing soda or borax dissolved in distilled water works better. Some professional sharpeners in Japan go as far as to add dilute lye to adjust the PH of their sharpening water. These chemicals make the "water wetter" without decreasing friction, and greatly reduce water's corrosive tendency.

[Mike Baker 2]

Thanks, gentlemen.
Stanley, I have some borax here somewhere. Might try that. Would you happen to have a guess at the ratio borax/water? If not, I can experiment.
As for friction, or lack of, I've not had any issues, and I like the feel on the plate, particularly the glass cleaner. I just don't want to somehow cause an issue with my water stone.

[brian zawatsky]

Yup, all the time. I still coat with WD40 after every use.

Lately I've been using just WD40 and I like it just wipe off when done eliminates a step.

wait, you use WD-40 on your waterstones?

[Stanley Covington]

Thanks, gentlemen.
Stanley, I have some borax here somewhere. Might try that.
As for friction, or lack of, I've not had any issues, and I like the feel on the plate, particularly the glass cleaner. I just don't want to somehow cause an issue with my water stone.

I believe the active ingredients in Windex are isopropyl alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonia. I don't know if any of these are harmful to waterstones in Windex's concentrations.

I know from experience that acetone will destroy waterstones.

[Mike Baker 2]

I believe the active ingredients in Windex are isopropyl alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonia. I don't know if any of these are harmful to waterstones in Windex's concentrations.

I know from experience that acetone will destroy waterstones.

Thanks. Think I'll try the borax.

[david beck]

I used glass cleaner when using sandpaper to flatten and such until i found it was making me a bit ill after long sessions. If i would of used a fan i would of not noticed the fumes but sitting all night at it in the winter i didnt care for that fan on me. Now it is just a bit of dish soap in water for that process and water for stones only.

[John C Cox]

Mike, I think that would be a great question for the tech folks at the company who makes your water stones.

There are so many proprietary binder mixes that what is perfectly safe on one could be complete disaster on another.

I tend to get nervous about putting soaps and things good at cutting dirt onto things with clay binders..

[Brian Nguyen]

I've used Windex on my Shapton Kuromaku stones and hasn't seen any ill effects.

[roger wiegand]

What problem is being solved by these additives? I'm a relative neophyte at waterstones, but I'm not observing anything going on for which a surfactant would be a benefit. I can think of lots of ways in which it might be bad, unless you need to clean up oil or grease from the surface.

Depending on the composition of the stones I might imagine some difference in stability of the stone or binder at higher or lower pHs, but wouldn't expect a huge difference around neutral, between 5 and 9. Does very high pH etch the stones and change the effective grit? The idea of "wetter water" just makes my head hurt. That's one we never talked about in pchem.

[Philipp Jaindl]

I'm using Water with a drop of dishsoap, seems to work better at keeping the diamondplates clear then just regular water. Used it on Waterstones too though not long enough to say any long term results however so far didnt notice any damage.

I can see the benefit of less corrosive water if you're doing alot of sharpening on all kinds of steels.

Forgot, i never use Glas cleaner because of the smell and cost.

[Ryan Mooney]

The idea of "wetter water" just makes my head hurt. That's one we never talked about in pchem.

Maybe this will help (err, you likely know all this .. but context): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetting

Basically the idea is to improve the wetting characteristics. The problem is either hydrophobic elements in the stone or transference of hydrophobic elements from the tool to the stone. That can reduce the wetting solutions ability to remove swarf. How much of a problem this all is .. I dunno. It does seem like a little something to lower the surface tension helps a smidge.

[steven c newman]

May be because Paul Sellers uses a "cheap" window cleaner to spritz both the wet-n-dry sandpaper, and the plates he sharpens with. I did not see anything about using it on waterstones.

On one of the Ishitani videos, he is using his water stone at a sink. Hands to sprinkle a bit of running water on to the waterstone he is using....stone sit on a metal rack that sits on top of the sink, not in the water.......Seemed to get good results on the plane plane he was sharpening...

[Robert Engel]

wait, you use WD-40 on your waterstones?

He's talking about diamond plates.