OldTools Archive
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265685 | Don Schwartz <dks@t...> | 2018‑04‑08 | flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
I have a small Black Hard Arkansas stone which is concave ( hollow Jeff) on one side and convex on the other. I know the convex side is going to be hard to flatten, so I'm working on the concave side. I am using a coarse Norton Crystolon stone ( SiC, 100 grit maybe ) with my usual mix of lamp oil and dish detergent ( washing-up soap Jeff). It's cutting, but I'm finding it very slow going. Apart from a surface grinder, is there a better way? Don -- I have decided to leave my past behind. So, if I owe you money...I am sorry, but I’ve moved on. The harder they come, the bigger they fall." Ry Cooder |
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265686 | Bill Ghio <bghio@m...> | 2018‑04‑08 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
Sent from my iPad > On Apr 8, 2018, at 6:06 PM, Don Schwartz |
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265688 | Brent A Kinsey <brentpmed@c...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
Don, I have flattened my washita, hard ark, and translucent white on diamond stones and while it took quite a bit of elbow grease it was much quicker than other methods I tried. I found I needed to clear the swarf regularly with a stiff brush or rinse the diamond plate under water when it started to load up. I used my diamond plates dry when flattening the stones. I started with a coarse diamond stone to get it flat then a couple of passes on a fine to smooth the surface. YMMV Brent A Kinsey |
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265689 | "Gary P. Laroff" <glaroff@c...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
Don, I've bought a number of "antique" sharpening stones, mainly for their natural shape or the combination of stone and wood they were in. I also have a number of stones including the hard black Arkansas and translucent, probably from Woodcraft, which either came un-flat or later required it. I think I have mostly flattened concave surfaces These and my Japanese Waterstones are flattened on DMT brand diamond plates. If you have a choice, use the coarsest one you have. To be kind to the diamond, I wash the oilstone in detergent and scrub with a coarse brush. This is just to get as much of the oil grunge off it. Then flatten it dry on the diamond plate. I let the diamond do the work and never press down heavily. When flattening Waterstones, I do it under a gentle stream of water. Shortly after starting you will see the areas that are flat and those that aren't by color. It is a quick process. I turn the stone around often so that I'm not leaning more on one side than another. This will not damage a quality diamond sharpening plate. The dust can be wiped off both the diamond and your stone with a brush, cloth or water. For a very fine Black Hard stone such as yours, you will probably want to lighten up the pressure towards the end or rub it against a much finer diamond at the end. You'll be surprised how clelan, quick and easy the process is. Gary Laroff, Portland, Oregon > On Apr 8, 2018, at 6:06 PM, Don Schwartz < <mailto:dks@t...> dks@t...> wrote: > > > I have a small Black Hard Arkansas stone which is concave ( hollow Jeff) on one side and convex on the other. I know the convex side is going to be hard to flatten, so I'm working on the concave side. I am using a coarse Norton Crystolon stone ( SiC, 100 grit maybe ) with my usual mix of lamp oil and dish detergent ( washing-up soap Jeff). It's cutting, but I'm finding it very slow going. Apart from a surface grinder, is there a better way? > Don, I bought a translucent Arkansas stone that the seller said he flattened on a diamond plate. It is definitely flat. Diamond should cut the black too. Bill |
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265690 | Don Schwartz <dks@t...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
On 2018-04-08 4:14 PM, Bill Ghio wrote: > Diamond should cut the black too. It will. I've been reluctant to use my diamond for that. Not that it gets much use otherwise. I think I read somewhere that it shouldn't be used for flattening stones. No idea why or where. But considering how many came out in favour of that method, I'll try it.. Thanks to all who responded. Don -- I have decided to leave my past behind. So, if I owe you money...I am sorry, but I’ve moved on. The harder they come, the bigger they fall." Ry Cooder |
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265692 | John Ruth <johnrruth@h...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
Don, and the rest of the porch: Seeing as diamond hones are expensive, I too would be reluctant to use them for flattening whetstones. My father used to “prospect” for whetstones among the glacial till of upstate NY. He’d flatten “candidates” by rubbing them on a smooth concrete surface, with plenty of water and some rubbings from a common red brick. Not sure what the brick was supposed to do, but it made a nice slurry. (I do not recall that any of the “found” stones was a great whetstone, but at least one of them would crudely sharpen a pocket knife.) Maybe coarsely flatten your stone on smooth concrete with water and then use the expensive diamond stones to put the finishing touches on it? John Ruth |
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265693 | Zachary Dillinger <zacharydillinger@g...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
In line with this suggestion, I might offer the following: an old cinder block. I have used the same cinder block for this duty for last four or five years, with a constant dribble of water from a garden hose. Run the stone in a circular motion over the whole surface of the stone, flipping the stone end for end and moving your hands around the stone periodically. It works well. -- Zachary Dillinger 517-231-3374 |
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265694 | scott grandstaff <scottg@s...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
Run the stone in a circular motion over the whole surface of the stone, flipping > the stone end for end and moving your hands around the stone periodically. > It works well. Ahyup Didn't I tell this story already? And recently? Pick a decently smooth patch of cement. Last time I did some stones, I chose my back porch step. There was a small part of it that the trowel man didn't get quite as smooth. I'd like to fire that cement guy,............. but he lives here....... hahahaha So anyway, a two-fer. Smoother cement, flat stone at the same time. yours scott with no diamonds on the soles of his tools -- ******************************* Scott Grandstaff Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca 96039 scottg@s... http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/ http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html |
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265695 | Kirk Eppler <eppler.kirk@g...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
On Mon, Apr 9, 2018 at 5:05 AM, John Ruth |
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265696 | Ed Minch <ruby1638@a...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
About 1995 we were cruising on our sailboat in the Exumas - below Nassau - and stopped at the Bahamas National Land and Sea Park. Amazing amazing place with 200 pound grouper and big big crabs, and great reef snorkeling as everything is less than about 12 feet deep. The park office was out of commission for a couple of years and they were putting it back together with volunteers. There was a blue 1960’s Stanley #4 that they were trying to use and it had a bit of rust and would have been great for cutting that room temperature butter - the room temperature was in the 90’s. The whole area is limestone and they had limestone pathways. I found a flat one and sharped her up, then honed her on a local hardwood plank. Worked OK for construction. The park office is in the row of pictures first down: http://exumapark.org Ed Minch |
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265697 | Cliff <rohrabacher@e...> | 2018‑04‑09 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
Nuthin' brings da galoots out like a discussion about making a rock flatter Don't ya love it? |
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265698 | Don Schwartz <dks@t...> | 2018‑04‑10 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
On 2018-04-09 2:57 PM, scott grandstaff wrote: > > Pick a decently smooth patch of cement. > Last time I did some stones, I chose my back porch step. > There was a small part of it that the trowel man didn't get quite as > smooth. I'd like to fire that cement guy,............. but he lives > here....... hahahaha > > So anyway, a two-fer. Smoother cement, flat stone at the same time. Becep fo my cement is currently buried under cold white stuff! Don -- I have decided to leave my past behind. So, if I owe you money...I am sorry, but I’ve moved on. The harder they come, the bigger they fall." Ry Cooder |
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265699 | Don Schwartz <dks@t...> | 2018‑04‑10 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
On 2018-04-09 4:51 PM, Cliff wrote: > Nuthin' brings da galoots out like a discussion about making a rock > flatter > > Don't ya love it? Well, the 325X diamond is quicker than the coarse Norton Crystolon, but it's still bloody slow! Don -- I have decided to leave my past behind. So, if I owe you money...I am sorry, but I’ve moved on. The harder they come, the bigger they fall." Ry Cooder |
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265705 | Don Schwartz <dks@t...> | 2018‑04‑11 | Re: flattening Black Hard Arkansas |
On 2018-04-09 10:55 PM, Brent Beach wrote: > Don > > Perhaps a bit of diamond on the crystolon to break up any glazing? > > Brent > > On 2018-04-09 18:19, Don Schwartz wrote: >> On 2018-04-09 4:51 PM, Cliff wrote: >>> Nuthin' brings da galoots out like a discussion about making a rock >>> flatter >>> >>> Don't ya love it? >> >> Well, the 325X diamond is quicker than the coarse Norton Crystolon, >> but it's still bloody slow! >> >> Don >> > Thanks Brent, I tried that, but it was still slow. A little faster maybe, but not quick enough. And I was reluctant to rub the BHA on the exposed foundation down the basement. So I let the thing sit until this afternoon, when I recalled having a couple of Eze-lap diamond paddles, which our daughter gave me some time ago - and for which I'd found little use - until now. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=70638&cat=1,43072,43077 I have the black (Coarse, 250X) and the green (Extra Coarse, 150X). I generally err on the fine side, so I put the 250X paddle to work on the high spots, and it cut the BHA just as nice - and quick - as can be, a lot quicker than the 325X ( which may be worn). The white dust that accumulated on the low spots and on the paddle was so fine, it reminded me of the floury silt that washes down from the mountains in glacier-fed streams. Finer than flour, so fine it gets into your pores. And as pure a white as you wouldn't believe coming off a black stone. I kept a spray bottle of water handy, set to give a stream, and cleaned the paddle off with it as the dust accumulated, drying the paddle as best I could between sessions. As Kurt suggested, the high spots just spread out to the edges and disappeared there. And low spots which I hadn't noticed before accumulated enough of the white rock dust to make themselves visible. So there it is, a thoroughly satisfying discovery. The right combination of hardness and coarseness, and at an affordable price point! Now that the high spots are cut back, I'll finish and maintain the BHA on the Norton Crystalon. Those paddles are worth their weight in, um industrial diamonds? Don -- I have decided to leave my past behind. So, if I owe you money...I am sorry, but I’ve moved on. The harder they come, the bigger they fall." Ry Cooder |
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