Soaking Stones Question

[mr drinky]

I know on Jon's site he says to change the water frequently if you keep your stones soaked.

How often do you guys change your water?

And do you have two buckets, one for rinsing and one for soaking?

Just wondering. I'm going to try do better at keeping my water fresh.

k.

 

[JBroida]

i change my the water my frequently used stones are in about 1-2 times a day on average... my less frequently used stones get the water changed at least once a week (often more than that). Pretty much as soon as it doesnt look clean.

 

[EdipisReks]

Pretty much as soon as it doesnt look clean.

same. as soon as any discoloration appears i change the water.

 

[tk59]

When I was soaking, I'd change the water and clean the bucket every time I used the stones (once every one or two weeks). That gets old if you have big buckets and lots of stones, unless you're a pro. At this point, I probably sharpen something once every couple days at least so having the 1/5k Gesshin combo sitting around is very convenient.

 

[JBroida]

thats a good point about cleaning the container... thats just as important as changing the water

 

[tk59]

Yeah. I started doing that more often once I realized it was starting to feel slimy.

 

[ecchef]

Here's a related question. I have extermely hard water where I live.
What are the chances of the stones performance being slighly altered if left soaking in hard water?
I normally keep my stones dry. I'll start a soak in the morning if I'm going to sharpen that night.

 

[JBroida]

shouldnt cause too much trouble... just dont let the water evaporate and the minerals build up on your stones

 

[tk59]

Good question. I've wondered about this myself. So far, I don't know of anyone that's noticed a difference. Someone did point out in a previous thread that the abrasives in the stone are much harder than the salt deposits from the water so the effect, if any should be minimal.

 

[ecchef]

Ahh....so maybe I should just leave them to soak rather than continuous wet/dry cycles? That's not good for magnesia based stones though, is it?

 

[JBroida]

no... magnesia based stones should not soak

 

[mr drinky]

I suppose if you keep the stones and water clean it won't be a problem, but is grit contamination an issue when storing in water?

k.

 

[tk59]

If the stones are all together, I rinse the stone off before use. That seems to take care of most of it to the point where I usually don't notice anything but I still don't like it.

With regard to wetting and drying and mineral build-up, I was using distilled water for a while then I got lazy. I haven't noticed anything bad yet...

 

[JBroida]

I suppose if you keep the stones and water clean it won't be a problem, but is grit contamination an issue when storing in water?

k.

it can be... work clean

 

[mr drinky]

Just FYI, and it probably doesn't apply here as water would likely be changed often enough, but I have a rowing machine that has a water-filled drum to create resistance, and in the instructions they said not to use distilled water because the additives used in city water inhibit bacterial and algae growth. Distilled water is actually a better environment for algae growth. I have had the same water in the drum for 2.5 years and there it is as clean as when I put it in.

Just made me think of it.

k.

 

[tk59]

...the additives used in city water inhibit bacterial and algae growth...I have had the same water in the drum for 2.5 years and there it is as clean as when I put it in...

Somehow, I find this deeply disturbing. About the distilled water, I wasn't using it for permasoaking. I got more concerned about mineral deposits when I started doing lots of soaking and drying cycles. That's when I thought distilled water would be good. If you are permasoaking, it wouldn't matter because you wouldn't get mineral build-up.

 

[Cadillac J]

Yeah. I started doing that more often once I realized it was starting to feel slimy.

Feels pretty gross when it gets like that! I keep a Scotchbrite sponge right by my sink and use the rough side to get any 'slime' off the stones if necessary. I keep my Bester in a pretty shallow tub, so its easy to dump out the water and refill each time I use it, not to mention giving a quick wipe to the sides of the container.

 

[slowtyper]

My bester 1200...is it much better to permasoak it? Typically I just soak it for awhile before I use it, then dry and wrap it in paper towel before I put it away. Which is better or is it just a convenience thing?

 

[Cadillac J]

My bester 1200...is it much better to permasoak it? Typically I just soak it for awhile before I use it, then dry and wrap it in paper towel before I put it away. Which is better or is it just a convenience thing?

Mine has been in water constantly for the last 1.5 years and I think it performs better than ever now, plus its more convenient. Give it a try!