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G'day everybody,
I saw an oil stone the other day that smelled of turpentine. The owner was not around to ask why so I am throwing my question out to the forum members.
Do some people use turps as a lubricant when sharpening or would the owner have used turps to clean the oil stone?
Thank you.
Turps could have been used to clean up a stone. I have seen old stones soaked in kerro and other solvents to disolve built up gunk.
Regards
John
G'day Brigalow,
I quite often use turps on W/D sandpaper. I have used it as a lubricant when flattening plane soles.(sanding belt stuck on float glass) It works a treat.
Regards Ross
Lubricants reduce friction. That is NOT desirable in edge mangement. The stones are meant to be as abrasive as their nominal grit sizes make them to be. That is why you are using them for what they are.
In use, any stone flooded with the appropriate liquid carrier develops a mud of smashed abrasive particles and metal particles. The trendy word for this mess is Èswarf.È
You need the liquid to carry away the mess to obtain the grit-size effects.
What I expect with 800 is not what I expect with 1500 is not what I expect with 4000.
Turpentine would be a most useful solvent to clean and wash off old oil stones = to clean them of oxidized oils and smashed abrasive particles. Lap those smoothéflat and you are good to go.
If youère guessing at grit sizes, close your eyes and feel sandpapers with your fingertips. Then feel your newly cleaned stones = you will not be far off.
Yep I use it as a honing oil as well on W and D paper but I pretty much always use it with diamond hones. It keeps them cutting fast and clean.
I have used them in the past the same as Ross when fettling hand planes.
It has a few benefits, the one I prefer the most is that i find it cleaner than water or oil and it dries pretty fast. You can use the drying affect to your advantage just like Japanese water stones.
I'm not so sure how it would work out on an oilstone though. Have not used one in years.
At a guess I would say John and RV are on the money. He probably cleaned it with turps. I would not hesitate to give the turps a go! Mix it up with a bit of baby oil if it soaks in to quickly.
Dry cleaning fluid is another alternative to turps if your sick of the smell. It is pretty much just double distilled turps. Dries a bit faster though.
Actually, we have to be careful recommending things on the net as internationally, products are often called something else. Our dry cleaning fluid is called also called White spirits. I had some people here from Poland that said white spirits was different over there and more like gasoline (I know they are all derived from crude oil). Traditional Gum turpentine still found overseas is know to have a pretty dangerous effect when in direct contact with the skin. Diggers who distribute our gum turpentine claims ours does not.
Thanks everyone for your input.
That's the great thing about 'Woodwork Forums', there is a wealth of knowledge/experience out there to draw upon. Hope I am in the position to return the favour sometime.
Grant.
Mate I think it's awesome! I feel really lucky I have a place to ask my questions or get a different perspective on something.
I still remember my Dad ordering books from the states from the mini catalogue in the back of other books. 6 to nine weeks later......
https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...eferrerid=2684
I just stumbled across this old thread... It describes gum Turps vs mineral Turps.
I think I'm going to be more careful with the Aussie gum turps just in case!