Thread: Whats under the stone.

Originally Posted by planemaker

Stewart; that's 2 sweet looking natural honing stones.

regards Stewie;

Only one stone just a photo of both sides. You can see the "bedding" on the sides.

Cheers

Stewart

Stewart; appreciate the clarification.

Do you have a side view available on that stone .

Stewie;

No but you can see the "bedding ". I will take photo this evening.

Stewie

I made a box for it yesterday and can't get it out :/ I have taken a photo of the exposed part. Hope that helps?

Cheers
Stewart

Thanks Stewart.

Originally Posted by bunya pine

Stewie

I have accumulated a couple of oil stones over the years as a result of purchasing old tool boxes full of tools.

I had a look at them yesterday and one was a natural stone. I cleaned it up and flattened it with sandpaper ( same as you described).

After testing it, the stone proved to be a fine grit stone. I compared it with my 6000 grit Japanese water stone and it appears to be finer than that.

Based on the info you have provided I now be using it. Thanks for the insight, because this old stone will now get regular use once again.

Cheers Stewart

Tam o shanter.

I have 3 oil stones of different grits (60, 120, 200) for repairing severe damage. Used with 5W40 motor oil. Several waterstones 1K, 2K and 4K for fine sharpening of wood carving knives, gouges and adzes.
I have abandoned them for the 3M range of fine grit automotive W&D finishing sandpapers. Always fresh, always flat (or cylindrical.) No more leather strops, all box card or filing card
with CrOx or AlOx or a mix. They're a means to an end for me and work as well as is required.

Robson; we all need to seek our own direction within the work we do. I am well pleased with the performance of my stones, and enjoy working with traditional W1 and 01 tool steel.

regards Stewie;

Hindustan Honing Stone. (Country of origin USA).

Received this Hindustan from the u.k. Dimensions are 8" x 2 1/4" x 5/8". Out of flat on both major surfaces, and badly stained with iron oxide.



After flattening on 220 loose sic, followed by w & d up to 400 grt, the natural features within the stone become more noticeable.



The chisel shown was worked with a medium grit Norton Crystolon stone prior to the Hindustan stone. The Hindustan was 1st trialled using Honing Oil, but was rejected soon after due to the dulling effect it had on the cut of the stone. Using water as a stone lubricant was much more successful. Taking into account the rate of cut, and the size of the wire edge formed, my personal opinion is that this stones characteristics was comparable to a Mst Muller 8000 grit.



Testing the sharpness of cutting edge (straight from the stone). The cutting edge was good enough to cleanly slice through the end grain fibres, but slightly more effort was required, compared to that of another chisel, by the same maker, to the same bevel angle specs, but taken to a higher grit of 12000+ on my Welsh Llyn Idwall Grecian Hone.



Stewie;

Received some excellent info on the Hindustan from a member on the SRP forum site; http://straightrazorplace.com/hones/129 ... one-2.html


Hindostan Stones were sold from nearly all the bigger Stone Quarrying Companies, Tool Makers and Trading Companies. The offered mostly two different qualities. To name some of the companies:

- Pike Mfg. & Co. (US)
- William F. Osborn
...have the list somewhere, need to seach for it....

As far as i remember all the historical sources named that the variances are quite big,
the stones show tidal layers which were also used to research historical tidal movements. Those layers do appear in different amounts (they can reach from 9 to 32 layers). The space between those layers can reach from a few mm to some inches or less then 3inches.

Also the coloration seems not be constant and ranges from a yellow, brown towards a reddish or even white coloration.

The stones were also used as a Tombstone on the graveyards. see that reference here:
Whetstone Gravestones » American Scientist

More about the research on tides can be found here, i posted this earlier:
https://igs.indiana.edu/FossilsAndTime/Tidal.cfm

A short quote from that source:
"If you understand the semi daily tidal cycles and the tidal cycles related to the phase of the moon, you can see how tides have affected the thicknesses of the layers in the delicately layered Hindostan whetstone beds. At this point, you are beginning to understand how rocks can record time. You may also be beginning to understand how geologists are able to determine how rocks were originally deposited. We know the whetstone beds were deposited by tides because we know of no other process that would produce such regular thickness changes in the layers of the rock."

Special selected stones and trademarks:
Those stones also appeared in special cut sizes called "Glassmaker Stones", Pike Mfg. also offered different qualities of the Hindostan stones sold as "Hindostan Hackers" or "Hacker Stone".

"The extra Hindostan Hackers are choice, selected white stones, all full size, polished, each stone wrapped in tissue paper and packed in 2 or 3 dozen boxes, and 6 or 4 of these boxes in a case. No. 1 are all good, full sized stones, packed 1 gross in a case.
No. 2 are taken out of the extra and and No. 1 as not good enough for those grades."
Taken from - Pike Mfg. Catalog (1889)

"Hindostan stones are soft and fine gritted and are extremely useful for general sharpening purposes. Best results are obtained by using water. They are supplied in three grades: hard, medium and soft, respectively."
Taken from - Pike Mfg. Catalog 14 (1926)

"Fastcut - These Stones are made from selected Hindostan stock, neatly finished and packed in attractive individual pasteboard boxes. They cut rapidly and impart a medium coarse edge."
Taken from - Pike Mfg. Catalog 14 (1926)