How to de-oil an oilstone?

I inherited a well used two sided oilstone 6 x 2 x 1 inches.

It is noticeably cratered and has pretty grey sludgy coating all over. In other words it's well used! [I'm sorted with the flattening.]

However I'd like suggestions on how to de-oil it/flush out the old stuff in the pores. Then I can re oil with fresh Nuto H32.

Thanks in advance.

I have found that cellulose thinners seems to work well on old sticky oilstones. Just leave it in the thinners for several days and the stone is much improved.

Andrew.

I soaked mine in acetone then lapped it flat .

Boiling in water and detergent will shift all the oil from the stone.

Mike.

I was told a long time ago to wrap it in several sheets of newspaper and put it in an oven. Obviously not too hot to avoid a fire.

Adrian.

+1 for Cellulose thinners . I used an old metal pan scourer to clean up the surface before leaving it to soak .

Brian

I realise that you want to clean a dirty stone but many years ago as an apprentice I recall the old hands used to keep their oilstones in a tabacco tin with the lid on, with some paraffin in the bottom of the tin, this used to prevent the build up of crud in the stone. Since then I have always done the same but used WD40 instead of the paraffin, reduced fire risk.

Phil

Mmm, I believe WD40 contains Hexains - a form of kerosene, which is rather similar to paraffin - in fact I think it's kerosene in the USA and paraffin in the UK ( and South Africa, etc). So not sure about the lowered fier risk...In fact, earlier on WD40 used to have liquid petroleum gas as the propellant and would make a wonderful flame thrower...Now it has CO2 as propellant in Green Countries...

Joe

I stick mine in the Aldi ultrasonic cleaner with detergent and a bit of hot water from t'kettle. Works well enough.

I used to keep my stones in a pan of Kerosene. Never had any buildup of crud.

By the time you have flattened the stone, the surface contamination should be gone.

Hi, we do no end of old oilstones and we 'soak' them in a hot ultrasonic bath containing water and Fairy liquid for about an hour, sometimes taking them out and giving them a quick scrub before popping them back in.

Take out and blow off with compressed air then scrub them with acetone while still warm.

Amazing how clean this gets them.

I should add that generally we only do this for the higher quality natural stones, Washita, Arkansas, Dalmore Blue etc as the normal synthetics are not worth the time taken when sold but I do them for pals sometimes.

They nearly all end up in Russia for the straight razor fanatics!

Record price of £160 for a perfect 6" Dalmore!

Cheers, Martin

A way of resurfacing a worn oil stone is to use a face mill in the vertical milling machine, use worn out tips in the face mill, keep the speed down. I think I spotted the idea in an old "Model Engineer" mag.

Ian S C

While you're here... I've got an old Rolls Razor, one day I'll have a try - but the honing paper/strip(?) is ripped (rest is mint, probably unused) - is it possible to get a replacement?

Neil

Neil, If there is ever one thing that is virtually 'saleproof' it is a Rolls Razor Set, for some reason impossible to sell!

The upside however is that they contain an extremly thin hard honing stone which if undamaged (few are ) which on its own is quite desirable.

Not too sure what the paper strip is that you mention, can I see a pic please?

Funny stone story from last year: a chap from Belgium came over to the David Stanley auction and bought loads of stones paying serious money for the good ones. At lunch time he went oiut with his missus to a garden centre nearby where they were selling largish 'garden rocks' for rockeries etc. Sat on the top of the heap was an enormous Belgian Blue stone 'in the rough'. He reckoned by the time he had cut it up it was worth about 300 Euros easily!

Cheers, Martin