Oil for stoning and wet sanding

I ran out of the commercial stoning oil over the holidays. So scrounging around the garage I spied a jug of lamp oil, this is the liquid candle stuff( paraffin )not kerosene. About $10 for 32 oz around here in the hardware store
Works great a a lot less expensive
Happy New Year

and now your shop smells like sandalwood & patchouli oil...

Dave,

Thank you for the good idea

For hand sharpening gravers on my Arkansas stone I use 90% Isopropel Alcohol. I was out of honing oil one day so I used it in a pinch and found it made a great honing fluid. It cleans the stones and the nicest part is when your done it evaporates with no oily a mess. Your mileage may vary.

Another Lubricant

I have never used this for sharpening tools as long ago went to diamond laps etc.
Using a lubricant for polishing metal with a power reciprocating die profiler with either abrasive papers/cloths and stones I have used:

Kerosene 3 parts
ATF 1 part

The kerosene will evaporate leaving a very thin film of light oil(ATF). which in most cases is desirable for finishing metals.

The smell is not so bad now as they are refining kerosene to not have the stink it once had.

Roger

I wish my shop smelled like patchouli.

I use Kerosene for most things, mineral oil sometimes on quartz type stones and white arkansas stones. Or on some stones that soak up the kerosene too fast. Tried alot of things.

Kerosene allows the stone to bite and cut the steel. Easy to keep the stone clean, not get clogged up or glazed.

When using an oil on hard india stones you have to apply more pressure to get the stone to cut. This leads to glazing of the stone, where the sharp particles of abrasives become rounded and cut poorly.

Mineral oil works well on hard fine stones because for some reason it is easier to keep the work flat to the stone. Cuts a little slower than kerosene but leaves a nicer finer finish.

Lamp oil is pretty much kerosene without the smell.
Oil sold as sharpening oil such as Pike brand is just mineral oil. Baby oil bought at the grocery store etc is the same with a little bit of perfume added. But costs way less. About 75% less.

Kerosene is called paraffin in British countries. (Why can't they learn proper english?? It is bad enough that they speak with funny accents. )