Do Oil Stones need to be prep before using for 1st time?

[Bert Pacleb]

I bought one of those stone sets were you rotate a 3 stone rig to go from grit to grit. And when I put oil on the coarse stone it just disappears into the stone. I stays on the surface for a little bit.. then the stone soaks it up. Is this normal??

If I get one of those 3 inch wide stones will it do the same thing?? do I have to soak it in oil???

thanks

[Robert Rozaieski]

Depends on whether the mfg. pre-soaked it or not. Sounds like yours were not. Just get a small bottle of mineral oil from the grocery store or pharmacy. It's much cheaper than an equal volume of pre-thinned honing oil but basically the same thing, only thicker. Thin it a bit with some turpentine (the oil straight from the bottle is too thick), put the stone in a freezer bag and cover with oil. Let it sit overnight and you should be good.

[george wilson]

Are you sure you don't mean thin with mineral spirits? Turpentine can get very much like Karo syrup when it starts to dry,becoming turpene resins. I used to make varnish out of turpene resins from bubbling air through turpentine. Left alone,it will eventually become like rock candy. Not sure about it mixed with a non drying oil.

[Richard Niemiec]

I dilute drug store mineral oil with about 35% of kerosene, works for me.

[Scott Burright]

Thumbs up on thinning with kerosene.

I have some presoaked Norton oilstones and one of those Smith's tri-hones, where the manmade stone is not presoaked, and yes, there is a huge difference!

[Bert Pacleb]

Is there a way to tell if the stones are pre-soaked in oil, just by looking or feeling?

The smith tri-stone that i have, I used up all the oil that it came with. It just soaked right into the coarse stone. one drop of oil was enough for the other 2 grits to stay on top.

How much oil/kerosene mix am I going to need to fill up the coarse stone? Can I keep using this mix to sharpen with?

[Scott Burright]

Is there a way to tell if the stones are pre-soaked in oil, just by looking or feeling?

The smith tri-stone that i have, I used up all the oil that it came with. It just soaked right into the coarse stone. one drop of oil was enough for the other 2 grits to stay on top.

How much oil/kerosene mix am I going to need to fill up the coarse stone? Can I keep using this mix to sharpen with?

Presoaked stones feel oily and don't guzzle down oil like that dry Smith's stone. I dunno how much oil it'll soak up.

The other two stones on your tri-hone are natural Arkansas stones and aren't so porous. So they won't soak up the oil like that.

Yep, you can sharpen with the kerosene/mineral oil mix.

The 8" combo Norton Crystolon stone shown here is presoaked. So is the equivalent Norton India stone. You can get either one for $20 or less.

[Jim Nardi]

You need to flatten them. Then add mineral oil.

[Bruce Branson]

I use baby oil from the 5&10.Cheap and smells good too.

[george wilson]

Actually,I meant thin with KEROSENE!!! Some old timers just leave their carborundum & India stones soaking in kerosene.