Conditioning Stone - How To Use It?

[rbscebu]

I have what I believe is referred to as a conditioning stone. I understand that it is applied to a whetstone when the whetstone glazes up.

My question is, how do I apply it to the glazed up whetstone?

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I assume that it is used to remove the glazed effect on the whetstone.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I have what I believe is referred to as a conditioning stone. I understand that it is applied to a whetstone when the whetstone glazes up.

My question is, how do I apply it to the glazed up whetstone?

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I assume that it is used to remove the glazed effect on the whetstone.

I am not familiar with a conditioning stone. If it is used to remove the glaze on a whetstone I would wet both and do tiny circles with it on your whetstone. But I am only guessing. Would lapping on a diamond stone do the same? Take my advice with a grain of salt, I have no experience with this.

 

[rbscebu]

I am not familiar with a conditioning stone. If it is used to remove the glaze on a whetstone I would wet both and do tiny circles with it on your whetstone. But I am only guessing. Would lapping on a diamond stone do the same? Take my advice with a grain of salt, I have no experience with this.

Unfortunately I don't have a diamond stone. I am also totally unfamiliar with how to use a correction stone.

 

[musicman980]

These are often used on synthetics when they clog up with swarf, or on any stone when it stops cutting efficiently. All you have to do is rub it on the base stone until the swarf goes away, or until the base stone's surface is "refreshed" or not glazed over anymore so it can cut better. Yes a diamond plate does the same thing but more effectively.

 

[Tomo]

You will be better off using WD sandpaper on a flat substrate to lap your natural stone periodically. The same as you would on a balsa strop. The conditioning stone is not much use to you. It won’t clean or refresh the stone any better than the sandpaper will. The conditioning stone will bring your natural razor hone out of flatness though. I’d leave it alone if I were you.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I refresh my Naniwa stones with a sheet of 400 WD sandpaper. Works fine. Inexpensive.

 

[bluesman 7]

Rub stones rock.

 

[Legion]

I would rub two synth stones together Under running water after use. It would clean and flatten them at the same time.

I avoided using sandpaper in case particles got away from from the paper and contaminated the stone.

for natural stones I rub two similar together, or a diamond plate to flatten

 

[bluesman 7]

I don't always use a conditioning stone, but I do always have one on 'soak' on my honing bench when honing razors. Very useful tools. Like most useful tools they have the potential to be misused.

 

[Steve56]

Just make sure both stones are well hydrated then rub the little one on the big one.

 

[Gamma]

The idea would be that the 'conditioning stone' or 'correction stone' would be able to resurface the hone you're working on; basically, this is done by rubbing the small stone over the working surface of the hone. To an extent, this is something to do for 'deglazing' but for a lot of synths it's also used for removing embedded swarf so the stone can continue to cut evenly. Swarf can be a factor in glazing also, but when I think about glazing I think of a Jnat that gets shiny spots, and embedded swarf brings up visions of dark streaking on my 1k when I am bevel-setting.
Rubbing the small stone evenly across the top of the main hone, when wet, will - usually - suffice.
If you rub in one spot too long, you will wear the hone unevenly, so being consistent from edge to edge is important.
Thing is - there is no one single universal 'conditioning stone' for all hones. Naniwa Chosera used to come with a 600x 'rubber' and Norton used to make a synth 'nagura' also - both options were good for removing embedded swarf. The Chosera 'rubber' was great as setting up the surface texture, esp on the 1k. i don't think I would randomly just use any old synth 'nagura' on any synth stone with going through some tedious testing first.
They bring a new element into the picture; a coarse grit stone that can leave coarse residue - and cross contamination becomes a possibility. Care has to be taken so low-grit 'slurry' doesn't ruin work on a finer stone.
I pretty much use diamond plates for everything, deglazing, and de-swarfing. Once in a while I will use a tomo to re-surface, or maybe I'll use a Tenjyou or Botan to do that. Depends on my mood. I will clear a coticule with a slurry stone but I will probably go for a diamond plate first. W/D paper is good for final lapping, or deglazing, of Arks when I want a polish higher than my plates can do, but that's doesn't happen too often.

 

[rbscebu]

Thank you @Gamma, very informative. I do not have access to a diamond plate but I do have W&D and a few conditioning/correction stones. I have always just used W&D but not the stones as I didn't know how to use them or really why.

From what I have learnt from this thread, the conditioning/correction stones are used to deglaze and remove swage from a whetstone. This is also much like using W&D on my flattening plate.

If using a stone, it should be used wet (like W&D) and care needs to be taken to ensure that the flatness of the whetstone is not disturbed and that there is no cross contamination with grit particles.

W&D is about the same but does not require such careful consideration with regard to disturbing flatness.

Is all that about right? Any other things to take into consideration?

 

[camoloc]

Thank you @Gamma, very informative. I do not have access to a diamond plate but I do have W&D and a few conditioning/correction stones. I have always just used W&D but not the stones as I didn't know how to use them or really why.

From what I have learnt from this thread, the conditioning/correction stones are used to deglaze and remove swage from a whetstone. This is also much like using W&D on my flattening plate.

If using a stone, it should be used wet (like W&D) and care needs to be taken to ensure that the flatness of the whetstone is not disturbed and that there is no cross contamination with grit particles.

W&D is about the same but does not require such careful consideration with regard to disturbing flatness.

Is all that about right? Any other things to take into consideration?

I made a 1k correction swarf removing stone out of my King 1K.

works well for cleaning up any of my synth stone. I chamfered the edges with a file......and relapped on granite with WD.

I just keep her setting in a red solo cup......when working.

camo

 

[Steve56]

I made a 1k correction swarf removing stone out of my King 1K.

works well for cleaning up any of my synth stone. I chamfered the edges with a file......and relapped on granite with WD.

I just keep her setting in a red solo cup......when working.

camo

I have exactly the same, a chunk of King 1k that sits in a little tub by my sink.

 

[rbscebu]

I used my conditioning stone for the first time today. I was resetting the bevel on my new (to me) George Buttler "Shakespeare".

My 12k synthetic had developed a slight glaze. What I did was soak both the 12k and constone in water for about 20 minutes. I then gently and evenly rubbed the constone over the entire surface of the 12k while both were underwater. The 12k was then thoroughly washed under running water to remove any trace of constone residue.

The bevel on George was set using 4k then to 8k and finally on the 12k before diamond pasted balsa stropping. Compared to its previous use, the 12k was pleasure to hone with and all worked exceptionally well.

Thank you all for your guidance.

 

[rbscebu]

I forgot to add, I found that the constone is much easier to use than W&D if all you want to do is deglaze a whetstone. I wouldn't use a constone to try and flatten a whetstone. That's what my W&D with a flat substrate is for.

 

[camoloc]

I forgot to add, I found that the constone is much easier to use than W&D if all you want to do is deglaze a whetstone. I wouldn't use a constone to try and flatten a whetstone. That's what my W&D with a flat substrate is for.

there you go. my exact usage. cleanup dirty stones.......ensure flatness by lapping on known flat objects.

camo

 

[camoloc]

I have exactly the same, a chunk of King 1k that sits in a little tub by my sink.

yeah but.......

@Steve56 ........but you did take a black sharpie and pencil in a Gamma's tomo nagura character on it????? (yep I did for humors sake)

camo

 

[Steve56]

yeah but.......

@Steve56 ........but you did take a black sharpie and pencil in a Gamma's tomo nagura character on it????? (yep I did for humors sake)

camo

Nah, my pal Mike @Southbound1 cut it for me. I don’t think he has a nagura stamp!