Waterstone Lesson Learned!

[Wayne Bitting]

Finally got some time to learn how to sharpen my chisels using Norton water stones. Really enjoyed the process and results so much that I dug out really old junk ones to sharpen. After about an hour I noticed that the white 4000 grit stone had some red streaks on it. Yup blood, thought I just cut myself. Nope, much funnier - apparently those stones also wear off skin! I have a perfectly flat finger tip! I keep looking at it because I find it quite funny. Anyone else sharpen their finger tips?

[David Sallee]

LOL... now that's funny, I don't care how ya are!!!!

Never done that but have glued my coat pocket shut.... was using some super glue and put it in my coat pocket while I was gluing something... later I went to get in my pocket and it was glued shut! Evidently I leaned up against something and it opened back up and glued my pocket shut...

Dave

[David DeCristoforo]

"Never done that but have glued my coat pocket shut...."

Ha! I'm crackin up here! Reminds me of the time my wife sewed the pockets on the jacket she was working on shut! Never heard a woman curse like that before (or since)....

YM

[Jay Hart]

I have hand sanded small sections of skin off my fingers before realizing it. That area is really sensitive while it heals.

[Mike Henderson]

Yep, I've done that when flattening the back of a chisel on a DMT diamond plate. I had my palm pressing down on the chisel and noticed some blood. Now, when I do that with a narrow chisel, I take a piece of wood and use that to hold the chisel down.

Mike

[Narayan Nayar]

Well, while you're at it, Wayne, I'd strongly recommend a secondary bevel on the 8000 grit stone. No reason your fingertip shouldn't have a mirror polish too.

[Dewey Torres]

Almost all of us have done something similar to this (at least to some extreme) when first discovering water stones. The finer ones (4000 and up) especially, tend to take skin off just as minutely as the steel we intend them to (only this time ... to the human). Just goes to show how effective they are. Keep woodworking!
Dewey

[Ron Dunn]

I did the same thing the first time I grouted an area of tiling. The instructions said "wear gloves", I thought that was for sissies.

I could have committed the perfect crime ... there were no fingerprints for months.

[John Powers]

Epoxyed scarfed panels together for a row boat. Forgot to put the waxed paper behind the joint and if you haven't guess, epoxyed it to the garage floor.

[Randal Stevenson]

I did the same thing the first time I grouted an area of tiling. The instructions said "wear gloves", I thought that was for sissies.

I could have committed the perfect crime ... there were no fingerprints for months.

But you leave your DNA at the scene.

It only happens with the small chisels with me, due to them not fitting well in the jig. The first couple of times, I was trying to figure out how I slipped with the chisel and didn't realize it, then I remembered the slurry (as I was giving it that final). Now I use surgical gloves for some minor protection.

[John Dykes]

Well, while you're at it, Wayne, I'd strongly recommend a secondary bevel on the 8000 grit stone. No reason your fingertip shouldn't have a mirror polish too.

Coffee spew!

[Mark Stutz]

Glad I'm not the only one who has lubricated his 8000 stone with a little blood!+

[Michael Gibbons]

I'd be able to get through a set of four chisels before the stone wore through a 1/16 of dead skin on my fingers.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, but your finger is now pretty sharp...keep it away from your nose...