How do I clean...
- Thread starter ErieSurfer
- Start date
I'm in north Texas but we got space, come on.
- Thread starter
- #43
Whoops, spoke about the wrong stone before.
That's a translucent that really confuses me. There has been a white spot on one side since I bought it. I had it in the SG with the formerly labeled stone for, what was it, 4 days? When I took it out of the SG and rinsed the stone, the spot was smaller and none of the white was visible on the right side. I set it down to air dry and walked away. Ten minutes later, the white spot has grown larger and the white splotchiness is visible on the right end.
I don't get it.
I'm in Northern California but you and Empire are welcome any time!
I don't know about that. I got a translucent(ish) white washita that is white sometime when it come out of the sg, somehow tan, sometimes almost steel grey.... God makes folks of us all.
Dribbling very slow running hot tap water over the label will probably get it to fall right off. I've done it more than dozens of times. Fragile labels are more difficult - sometimes soaking in deep dish with hot water running into it works better. Then you have to 'float' the label onto a substrate - like a piece of flat plastic or something.
Occasionally the label doesn't survive, but most of the time it does.
Getting it back on after cleaning isn't that difficult but not really necessary either. Just put it under the stone in the box.
Occasionally the label doesn't survive, but most of the time it does.
Getting it back on after cleaning isn't that difficult but not really necessary either. Just put it under the stone in the box.
Yea, I once carefully peeled off a blue end lable from a Black Escher with a razor blade and put it away for safe keeping.
Where ever it is, it is safe. Don’t plan on selling it anyway.
Your stone needs more soaking, I have soaked some Arks for over a year if you want them white.
Where ever it is, it is safe. Don’t plan on selling it anyway.
Your stone needs more soaking, I have soaked some Arks for over a year if you want them white.
Once a label is sealed using clear nail polish it it safe to soak in SG without losing the label?
- Thread starter
- #49
Doubtful. Empire Straights soaked a soft/washita recently with the fluid level below the label, and the fluid migrated through the stone. I think his label is toast, but you'd have the ask him to be sure.
I've decided not to try and soak it. Just lapped it a bit to clean up the surface, don't want to ruin the label.
Gutting about those labels gents!
I put an old pike no1 in to soak recently, degreaser level was easily 10mm from the top of the stone. Got distracted and forgot about it and in the 45 mins I left it the degreaser had wicked through the stone and as good as ruined the label
It happens and it’s crap, but keep the “before” photo and if you ever sell them at least there’s a photo of the label as it was
As a rule I never walk away from stones if I’m cleaning them like that, I soak for a few mins, lift them out, wipe the sides and put back in until they’re gunk free.
I put an old pike no1 in to soak recently, degreaser level was easily 10mm from the top of the stone. Got distracted and forgot about it and in the 45 mins I left it the degreaser had wicked through the stone and as good as ruined the label
It happens and it’s crap, but keep the “before” photo and if you ever sell them at least there’s a photo of the label as it was
As a rule I never walk away from stones if I’m cleaning them like that, I soak for a few mins, lift them out, wipe the sides and put back in until they’re gunk free.
It's not toast, still very much intact, while faded. I've come to grips with the fact that the stone won't be clean..... BUT I've sharpened a couple razors on it and I like it. Really fast.
That's what I settled on too. I got a queer creek I plan on take the label off of eventually because it's an awesome pocket knife stone with water, I'll probably study label removal a little more in depth. I just got in too much of a rush to put steel to stone.
Hi All,
I’m cleaning a vintage Washita for the first time. Trying to figure out if I am making normal progress or should modify my technique.
No label on the stone. I am soaking in a solution that is ~ 50% SG, rest tap water. Every 1-2 days I pull out the stone and scrub it briefly with a plastic bristle brush. I haven’t changed the solution.
The business side in particular is improved but nowhere close to white. The back has some damaged areas and get a much better idea of what the stone looked like new.
Before and current shots below. First seller’s pix.
Photos taken yesterday
The back side just seems to have had a layer of dirty oil on it that came out quickly. On the front side the grunge has really been ground into the pores.
I’m cleaning a vintage Washita for the first time. Trying to figure out if I am making normal progress or should modify my technique.
No label on the stone. I am soaking in a solution that is ~ 50% SG, rest tap water. Every 1-2 days I pull out the stone and scrub it briefly with a plastic bristle brush. I haven’t changed the solution.
The business side in particular is improved but nowhere close to white. The back has some damaged areas and get a much better idea of what the stone looked like new.
Before and current shots below. First seller’s pix.
Photos taken yesterday
The back side just seems to have had a layer of dirty oil on it that came out quickly. On the front side the grunge has really been ground into the pores.
Get some Easy-off oven degreaser it works way faster. It does in a day or teo what simple green will do in months of soaking.
Get a thick plastic bag(turkey bags work great but some thick grocery bags work too. If to thin, they can melt and leak).
Spray stone and place in bag for a hour or two. Then rinse with simple green and repeat until white. The most it took me was two days and that was a totally back washita full of gunk.
Use some nitrile gloves as Easy-off is very strong and spray outdoors as you do not want to breath those vapors.
Get a thick plastic bag(turkey bags work great but some thick grocery bags work too. If to thin, they can melt and leak).
Spray stone and place in bag for a hour or two. Then rinse with simple green and repeat until white. The most it took me was two days and that was a totally back washita full of gunk.
Use some nitrile gloves as Easy-off is very strong and spray outdoors as you do not want to breath those vapors.
Nice stone.
Next time, do not dilute your SG degreaser. It is much better concentrated.
So I have used degreaser soaks for a long time, but it was after I joined this site that others like @kcb5150 advised me to wrap the stones in paper towels after the soak in degreaser and place that in a ziplock bag (out in the sun helps) to help sweat out remnant oils and swarf. Also some soaks in clean water between cycles to help clean the stone out. And note - cycles - as in keep repeating. Repeat until clean or until you give up. Quite a bit extra comes out during that sweating/paper towel period and seemed to really help for me.
The rotation method is what I swear by. 3 or 4 cycles will get all but the filthiest washita or hindostan gleaming.
- Thread starter
- #59
Help me out. Has the stone been rinsed of degreaser and air-dried before going in the bag with the paper towel? I've got a hindostan that is giving me trouble.
I use 50/50 solution.
For long-term soaking I look at the color of the water, a quick phone pic helps documents the start date, change it when it goes from green to brown. As said, start with oven cleaner to get the surface grime off the face.
I take them out of solution every few days and rinse in a tub (plastic shoe box) in hot water. If an oil slick appears on the hot water, it needs more soak. The solution will drive the oil to the surface, scrub with stiff brush in soapy water.
You might want to get an assortment of loose Silicone Carbide from Got Grit .com. $15 will get you a progression from 60 – 500 grit, ¼ pound of each is enough to do several stones. You will use more 60grit but do not need much, 5-6 teaspoons.
You will need to flatten them anyway.
Sprinkle a plastic teaspoon on a steel cookie sheet, (dollar store) sprinkle some water on the sheet, lay on the flattest cement floor you have and grind the stone flat using your body weight. Add grit when you feel it stops cutting. 20 minutes should get you flat
Once flat you can run through the grits quickly, looking for a smooth surface. Take one side to 120 and the other side to 220 or 320
You will see when it is flat, but if needed make a grid with a sharpie, pencil will wash off with slurry.
Take a Hard Black or Translucent to 500 loose then 600-2k wet and dry. Again, once flat you can run through the grits quickly.
You don’t need to get all the oil out, I do because I don’t like the smell, but it does not affect performance.
For long-term soaking I look at the color of the water, a quick phone pic helps documents the start date, change it when it goes from green to brown. As said, start with oven cleaner to get the surface grime off the face.
I take them out of solution every few days and rinse in a tub (plastic shoe box) in hot water. If an oil slick appears on the hot water, it needs more soak. The solution will drive the oil to the surface, scrub with stiff brush in soapy water.
You might want to get an assortment of loose Silicone Carbide from Got Grit .com. $15 will get you a progression from 60 – 500 grit, ¼ pound of each is enough to do several stones. You will use more 60grit but do not need much, 5-6 teaspoons.
You will need to flatten them anyway.
Sprinkle a plastic teaspoon on a steel cookie sheet, (dollar store) sprinkle some water on the sheet, lay on the flattest cement floor you have and grind the stone flat using your body weight. Add grit when you feel it stops cutting. 20 minutes should get you flat
Once flat you can run through the grits quickly, looking for a smooth surface. Take one side to 120 and the other side to 220 or 320
You will see when it is flat, but if needed make a grid with a sharpie, pencil will wash off with slurry.
Take a Hard Black or Translucent to 500 loose then 600-2k wet and dry. Again, once flat you can run through the grits quickly.
You don’t need to get all the oil out, I do because I don’t like the smell, but it does not affect performance.
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