Where do I get Carborundum stones from?

[lub0]

Hi all.

After years of unsuccesfuly knife sharpening a friend of mine gave me an old black carborundum stone in fine grit and to my delight I was suddenly achieving shaving sharp edges with minimal effort.

This particular stone is old and pretty uneven so I'm looking to buy a new one. eBay have a few second hand but I'd like a brand new one guranteed smooth level surface.

Anyone know where they are sold?

 

[launditch1]

I'd imagine any good woodworking tool suppliers...

 

[TomBartlett]

Can't you put a flat surface on your current stone?

 

[ged]

Local hardware suppliers, builders' merchants, places like that. There are lots of tool suppliers on the Web, Axminster is mentioned here quite a bit but I'm not sure they're always the cheapest. It doesn't have to be carborundum, in fact these days it mostly isn't but it does the same job. I've bought diamond sharpening tools and aluminium oxide stones for a few pounds from local hardware suppliers. If you're doing a knife blade the stone doesn't have to be perfectly flat but things like places and chisels need a flat stone. There are ways to flatten ("dress") a stone and you can reduce the amount of uneven wear by using care when sharpening. Personally I prefer a well-used stone, they have a lot of the roughness taken out of them already. Don't overlook other sharpening methods like steels and strops.

 

[lub0]

I've used diamond sharpening blocks and I hate how rough they are, I've also tried japanese water stones but never got anywhere with them. This corborundum stone just seems to work like magic. I'll look into dressing sharpening stone sufaces, thanks for the tip.

 

[lub0]

Both axeminster and other quality online hand tool shops do not sell Corborundum stones.

But I just won this on eBay...

 

[nitrambur]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Candian-Silicon-Carbide-Honing-Stone/dp/B00278JXLU

Silicon carbide = carborundum

 

[ged]

...I just won this on eBay...

Very nice find. That should last you the rest of your life.

 

[Biker]

Just wondering if those stones that QDanT hauled back from his wanderings last year and shaped into wetstones would do as good a job? Maybe he has some left. To be honest I haven't tried using mine in anger yet but they're of a very fine grit.

Second to what Ged said above. Nice grab lub0

 

[Ch@rlie]

I have a Engineering hand book thats about 50yr old in my loft, regards dressing an oil stone, years ago I recall reading using a thick sheet of Glass & believe it was "valve grinding paste" (but I cant be certain memory has faded with that kind of stuff) then I found this in google which would give my recollection some backing..
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/cleaning-carborundum-stone-89621/
posted by Locoweed.
First, I spray the stone generously with WD-40 and scrub with a coarse nylon brush to loosen up the crud. Then, to clean and flatten them I take a plate of glass (the thicker the better), cover it with valve grinding compound, and then start scrubbing the glass with the stone in a figure 8 pattern. Stop when the glaze is gone and the stone is flat and do a final cleaning with a spray cleaner (WD-40 or brake cleaner or even hot soapy water). Your stone will only be as flat as what you rub it against. Bricks may have hard inclusions which will score the stone. I have always used automatic transmission fluid (ATF) as the lube when sharpening with an oilstone. It won't become sludgey like motor oil and clog the stone over time. If you are only using them to freehand sharpen knives the stones don't have to be so flat (but the glaze still needs to be removed) but if you're honing chisels and plane blades they must be very flat and even. If I sharpen something that will leave a groove (e.g. an awl or scriber) I use the side of the stone.