Jnat: Lap then seal? Or seal then lap? Other random questions…

[Frank Shaves]

I have had very good experience using this stuff. Readily available, inexpensive, easy to use and has held up very nicely. I think I used the gloss.

 

[MG31]

It doesn’t matter what prder that you lap/seal in, just as long as the stone is dry when you apply the lacquer. 24h is usually sufficient. If it isn’t really dry when you coat the stone, you can get little bubbles as the water evaporates out of the stone.

Usually you get a little lacquer on the surface and have to re-lap it anyway, or at least I do, so seal then lap works well, especially since you have to chamfer the edges and corners of the face.

I use the black a lot depending on the color of the stone. A yellow (kiita) stone looks very impressive with black lacquer on the sides.

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Thank you for the wisdom. That stone looks fantastic.

 

[MG31]

There really is no need to lap any Jnat with SIC. I recommend not using it on stones like that, the stuff is friable and can embed into the stone which can be problematic. If it gets in far enough, it will be a long while before the stones finishing qualities are realized.
Honestly, there is just no need for it - 220x w/d paper works fine. Save the SIC for Arks and Washita and similar.

For sealing - it's your stone so do what you like. I don't use solid color lacquer usually because that is what unscrupulous people use to hide cracks in the sides. Sometimes it's done to cover a glued fissure though, so the visual is nicer. Sometimes a Washi wrap is added for adding strength to weak or problematic stones. Whatever the case, it makes me uneasy when I see an expensive stone sealed in opaque lacquer. Honestly, 99.9% of the time - I would rather use clear nail polish than Opaque Cashew. The solid color Cashew is weaker than the transparent type, so there's that.
When nail polish is diluted well enough for the first few applications, it will creep into the stone deep enough to make both a good seal and added strength. Just applying something 'on top' will help prevent water ingress but it won't do anything else. It's called 'sealing' but the process is designed to be much more than just that.

I would not recommend trying to 'paint' stamps back on. There are enough stones with fake stamps out there as it is.
Photograph them, save them, if you ever go to sell you have the stamps to show.

Lots of things to consider here, thank you. I think the consensus is not to repaint the stamps, which I shall not lol.

 

[MG31]

Just my personal feelings……

Use the stone a few times before sealing it. It gives you a feeling of what you want to do and what you expect to see when the sealing is finished.

I was on a cashew kick years ago but then they came out with a newer clearer urushi (varnish?) that is spray on. Costs more but it’s all around better IMHO.

PLEASE practice on a practice stone first. There is a learning curve with cashew.

Do it outside. It finds a way to get messy, and it gets really messy.

You might need to use some thinner to get a good consistency. Looks better thin but then it tends to run like crazy. Runs probably don’t matter as much with the black.

Use painters tape on all surfaces you don’t want cashew on. Personally I run a line of tape all around about 3 mm down from the sharpening surface then I fold that in and cover the rest of the surface.

Have somewhere to store the stone outside. Cashew wreaks of cat urine for about a week before it fully dries.

Personally I like to scrub my stones with Barkeepers Friend to get the surfaces as clean as possible before coving with clear varnish. This makes them look really good. I have a vintage Maruka and the stamp came out looking even better. I have a new-age Maruka and the stamp almost instantly disappeared. YMMV, but cleaned stone and clear lacquer can have a very beautiful effect.
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My original thought was to lap it and give it a go on a razor, then seal after it dried. Then I worried about it “cracking” if not sealed first. Looks like it should be pretty safe to just lap first though.

I did get some distilled turpentine from an art supply store which I plan to use. I might seal my thuringian first just for the heck of it.

I’ve never heard of barkeepers friend. Is there any other common cleaner I could use? I’ve read not to use soap, I was considering vinegar. I was also considering just scrubbing it with a toothbrush and distilled water.

 

[MG31]

I have had very good experience using this stuff. Readily available, inexpensive, easy to use and has held up very nicely. I think I used the gloss.


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Good to know, thanks for the heads up!

 

[Frank Shaves]

I chamfer the top edges hand holding a small piece of sandpaper (400-grit?). I tried chamfering using a diamond plate, but the lacquer coating chipped a teeny bit. I think I got this tip from @Steve56 . Better to start with finer grit and move your way coarser if necessary.

 

[Mr Kooby Shemayrew]

My original thought was to lap it and give it a go on a razor, then seal after it dried. Then I worried about it “cracking” if not sealed first. Looks like it should be pretty safe to just lap first though.

I did get some distilled turpentine from an art supply store which I plan to use. I might seal my thuringian first just for the heck of it.

I’ve never heard of barkeepers friend. Is there any other common cleaner I could use? I’ve read not to use soap, I was considering vinegar. I was also considering just scrubbing it with a toothbrush and distilled water.

Barkeepers Friend is a form of scouring powder. Most forms of scouring powder used with a brush should work fine. They are aggressive so you may want to not use them on the stamps.