New King KDS (1000/6000) prep for first use and storage

[Tom DiBiasio]

Hi All
Just looking for some basic advice on water stone prep before using for the first time. I bought my first water stone for honing the blades on my new LN planes - I settled on a King KDS 1000/6000 stone. I plan to use the stone with a veritas honing jig but I am confused about how to prepare and store this combo stone.

Should I:

• Store the 1000 grit submerged but leave the 6000 out of the water?
• Place the stone on edge so that a portion of both 1000 and 6000 sides are partially submerged?
• Submerge the entire stone in water?
• Store dry and simply soak the entire stone for 15 minutes or so before using each time?

** my shop is heated so I dont face any risk with freezing the stone.

I also purchased a small Nagura stone for creating a slurry on the 6000 grit stone before using, but I am wondering if I can use the same stone to prepare the 1000 grit side as well?

Thanks for any advice you can offer...

TomD

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I do not own or know much about this stone, but, my recommendation based on what little I know is:

Soak the stone before use until bubbles stop coming out (because I believe this to need some soaking).

I would not leave the stone indefinitely in water unless the company specifically states that this is OK or someone who actually knows and uses this stone provides information that says it is fine. I believe that most water stones can sit indefinitely in water, but, I also believe that a few cannot. I believe that the Shapton stones are one of them, but I am reaching deep into my flawed memory to state that. Also, I expect that these two stones are glued together somehow and I do not know how prolonged soaking affects that.

[David Eisenhauer]

Like Andrew, I don't have any experience with this particular water stone, but I would plop the stone in a water tub when I expected to use it, leave it in for ten minutes before use and set it on it's edge (out of the tub) to drip dry after final use for the day. I tend to drop my stones in their individual tubs when I open up the shop in the morning and take them out of the water at the end of the day. They may be placed back in the tub after a use, or not if I know that more use is coming. I don't believe that water stones need exact "scientific" handling to work well, just be wet before use and spritzed during use as they dry out. I have forgotten and left the stones in the water tubs for a few days without any apparent injury but cannot confirm that as being gospel at all. I haven't used a nagura since I stopped using my older King stones years ago so son't know how the 1000# side with a nagura would work. I don't think anything would be hurt by trying it out but something tells me that the 1000# does not particularly benefit from it.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I purchased a Nagura for a 5K stone because it was "recommended". I have not used it in years.

It might give you a finer edge and it might help with stiction (is that the right word? Where the blade sticks to the stone). Try it both ways and let us know what you think....

[Warren Mickley]

I have used the King 800 and 1200 since 1983. I use the 800 the most and have worn out three or four of them. I have stored them in water the whole time. Sometimes when I am working I leave the 800 stone out on a piece of newspaper and it stays damp enough that I just spritz it when I am ready to use it.

You can leave it out or leave it submerged as you like.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I have used the King 800 and 1200 since 1983. I use the 800 the most and have worn out three or four of them. I have stored them in water the whole time. Sometimes when I am working I leave the 800 stone out on a piece of newspaper and it stays damp enough that I just spritz it when I am ready to use it.

You can leave it out or leave it submerged as you like.

Have you had to flatten it?

[David Eisenhauer]

Now that Warren mentions it, I now remember that I also left my older King 800#, 1200# and a finer finishing stone in a water tub full time. I don't use those anymore but constant soaking never bothered them at all. I had to re flatten the stones regularly as I used them and I recall that they were softer or needed re flattening much more often than my newer Sigma stones. They were also much messier to use than the Sigmas but created just as sharp edges as the Sigmas.

[Warren Mickley]

Have you had to flatten it?

I am able to control the stone so that it is flat side to side but it gets dished end to end. The lengthwise dip is not as crucial but eventually needs work. I probably flatten the stones about 20 times as it goes from 1 3/8 to 1/4 in thickness during the life of the stone.

[Andrew Seemann]

I'll probably get called a hack for this, but I just store my waterstones in a drawer (shop is always above freezing). When I use them I take them out, set them on the formica topped sharpening bench, dribble some water on them, sharpen as needed, and then put them back in the drawer a few days later after they they have dried out unless I remember to do it sooner. Same with diamond stones. I haven't noticed any problems with this system in 15 years. I do a thorough cleaning of the swarth every once in a while, and flatten almost but not quite as often as I need to.

[Lawrence Burkett]

I have used the King 800 and 1200 since 1983. I use the 800 the most and have worn out three or four of them. I have stored them in water the whole time. Sometimes when I am working I leave the 800 stone out on a piece of newspaper and it stays damp enough that I just spritz it when I am ready to use it.

You can leave it out or leave it submerged as you like.

One note on Warren's comment: as he says, the King stones can be permanently soaked. But Warren may be using them more frequently than most people doing woodworking as a hobby. If you don't plan on sharpening at least every few days, the water can start to get pretty gross (if not changed). This is probably not an issue if you're using the stones everyday and regularly changing/refilling water as needed. If you're sharpening less frequently, it's probably easier to dry them between uses.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I'll probably get called a hack for this, but I just store my waterstones in a drawer (shop is always above freezing). When I use them I take them out, set them on the formica topped sharpening bench, dribble some water on them, sharpen as needed, and then put them back in the drawer a few days later after they they have dried out unless I remember to do it sooner. Same with diamond stones. I haven't noticed any problems with this system in 15 years. I do a thorough cleaning of the swarth every once in a while, and flatten almost but not quite as often as I need to.

Seems like as good a place as any

My most used water stones mostly live in a plastic container wrapped in either rags or paper. They are not sealed up and stored unless they are dry. if i am active and using them, then the plastic container stays out with the stones ready to go, but, the stones I use most often I do not need to soak.

I found some rust (not a lot, but some) on one or two of my diamond stones, so now I use them with honing oil that is safe for use with diamonds. I found that I like it better than water and it is supposed to help prevent rust. I used to always wash my diamond plates with hot water because then they dry faster / better, and I can only "dab" them with towel (as opposed to a good wipe down). Now I do not need to worry that much about it and the honing solution is cheap.

[Pete Costa]

I've got a set of King stones from 800 to 8,000 that I leave in my water bucket whenever I'm not using them. I don't think it's a better or worse method than any of the others above, it really just comes down to laziness on my part. First, by keeping them in the bucket, its one less thing I have to find a storage place for. Second, I figure if the lower grit stones are already soaked, I'm more likely to use them when the thought first crosses my mind. As noted above, higher grits only need a spritz. I do change the water regularly, but expect I'd do that either way, as I clean the stones off in there. May be opening myself up to cross grit contamination, but I haven't noticed an issue yet.

I'm pretty sure all the stones are manmade ones. If they were natural, I'd keep them out of the water.

I got the veritas Mk 2 a few months back and love it. Much easier and effective than my prior approaches. My only issue is that the angle jig that slides onto it doesn't seem to match the stated factory angles on my chisels (mostly LN). Rather than regrind bevels, I've been using an intermediate setting (I.e. not in the detents). Perhaps with all this time on my hands, I'll finally make a projection jig out of wood.

[David Eisenhauer]

A few drops of Clorox in the tub water keeps the penicillin from growing.

[Jim Matthews]

A few drops of Clorox in the tub water keeps the penicillin from growing.

+1 on a little bleach in the tank.

[Bob Jones 5443]

That’s me, too. I left my Norton combo stones (220/1000 and 4000/8000) constantly soaking in a Tupperware tub for years of very little use before I went full Neander. They were fine. I would also add a few drops of bleach in the water once I noticed a little green forming.

Recently the tub for the 4000/8000 broke, so now I just leave that one in a blue Norton plastic case with air holes, and I spritz/Nagura the 8000 side just before use. I rarely use the 4000 grit — only when flattening the back of a new tool.

My 1000 side is going to wear out soon, and I’ll replace it with a King 1000. I’m through with combo stones.