Cutting a Japanese waterstone down to size

[LM J]

Can anyone offer me any sagely words of advice of how to go about cutting a Japanese waterstone down to size? Cheers y'all!

 

[launditch1]

Not that ive ever done it before but i would imagine you would need a stone cutting disk in an angle grinder.Mark it out carefully and wear goggles and dustmask.

 

[TJRoots]

i'm not entirely sure if this would work, but to cut a brick in half you get a large bolster chisel, place it in the middle of the brick where you want to cut it and give it a hard sharp blow with a club hammer and you get a clean split. thats bricks though, could work on a waterstone, just an idea.

ATB
TJ

 

[dazcon]

I assume you are talking about dressing the stone to make it flat! Stick a length of 60 grit aluminium oxide paper to a flat board or a piece of glass and rub the stone on it until the hollows are removed.

Dazcon.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Talk to Dave Budd he does it daily and sells smaller ones very cheap

 

[JonathanD]

If you mean cutting it literally, I did this once on a combination stone that I was taking into Venezuela. Took me ages with a hack saw, and I mean ages. If you plan on doin it with a full size stone, I suggest getting quite a few spare blades or cutting discs.

 

[TJRoots]

another idea i forgot to mention earlier is an old builders trick for cutting through walls to add doorways or windows where they mark out where its gonna go then with a drill drill holes all along the lines about half an inch apart then it comes apart real easy with a bolster. so you could try that with your stone on a smaller scale, get a good drill bit about 1.2mm dia and drill holes along where you want to cut it about 1-2mm apart and it should come apart really easy. its just like the perforated lines on bog roll.

 

[dazcon]

I've never tried it, but a diamond grinder disc would probably make light work of chopping it up. They can be picked up for peanuts nowadays.

Dazcon.

 

[LM J]

Yeah, I mean literally cutting it. It's combination stone, too.

If you mean cutting it literally, I did this once on a combination stone that I was taking into Venezuela. Took me ages with a hack saw, and I mean ages. If you plan on doin it with a full size stone, I suggest getting quite a few spare blades or cutting discs.

 

[LM J]

TJ, I wouldn't dare go near an expensive waterstone with a bolster chisel. I can just picture the scene.

 

[JonathanD]

Yeah, I mean literally cutting it. It's combination stone, too.

In that case, a hacksaw, and not one of those daft little ones... and a vice.

 

[Jericho]

What about a tile saw?

 

[demographic]

Just leave the big waterstone at home and take a diafold double sided diamond hone.

If you can't get a decent working edge on a knife with one, give up and sell your knifes.

 

[JonathanD]

Just leave the big waterstone at home and take a diafold double sided diamond hone.

If you can't get a decent working edge on a knife with one, give up and sell your knifes.

True, but half a combi waterstone is much better for a parang or machete.

 

[1234]

maybe of some interest to you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwh6A95kJzQ

 

[Biker]

Can I have back the 6 minutes I just spent watching that geezer on youtube please?

At least he didn't say "And this is one I prepared earlier."

 

[1234]

i dont own a time machine sorry
i saw it ages ago and just thought it would show it can be done with a hack saw
he could of atleast fastened up the boring shiz, some people eh

 

[Dave Budd]

some interesting ideas thrown up there I've tried most and can say for sure that drilling, chiselling and trying to snap along a groove all leave you with more than one piece of stone, but not necessarily straight or regular pieces

angle grinder with a diamond coated blade (for tiles and masonry) works very well but a wet running tile saw is much better The only trouble is that the tile saws only cut to a depth of about 20mm, the stones are about 25mm

 

[bigandy]

if that works just get a wet diamond tile cutter, mine will cut things over two inch's thick

 

[Dave Budd]

you must have a better one than my twenty quid axminster tile cutter!