advice on using 12000x natural stone from WoodCraft

[Daniel H]

got one of these natural stones recently and I tried it out yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm using it right.

My chisel face doesn't slide nicely across the face; it seems to catch at places and slide easily at times too. I don't think it's suction due to the water between the flat surfaces. I do get a polish with this stone better than with my 4000x synthetic waterstone, but it does come with considerably more effort than for the 4000x and it seems like there is almost no wear at all on the stone -- very little grit comes off and no slurry forms at all (at most the water turns slightly white).

Should I be using a nagura stone to build a slurry first, or is this behavior I'm observing normal?

Thanks!

- Daniel

[George]

I'd be worried if an allegedly finer grit ate metal as fast as a coarser. Finer grit means more places than spaces, so the tool will ride more than it digs. Irregularities in a "natural" stone will register in drag much more than a graded ceramic, so that's a given as well.

[Andy Dingley]

Not my favourite stones at all, the only thing I use them for is grinding ink.

Guangxi stones need a lot of work with a Nagura to get a slurry. They also cut reasonably well, but very, very slowly. Wear on the stone happens at about the same rate as glaciers. If you're a Brit, it's like using an old Charnley Forest stone.

OK, so they're dirt cheap. But you're getting what you pay for. A synthetic stone is much better. I'd suggest North Mountain rather than King, at this range.

[TeamCasa]

Let it soak in water for a full day first, it absorbs water very slowly. Insure it is dead flat before use. Using a nagura stone is a little overrated with a stone of this grit, but a little will help. Keep it wet in use and be patient, it will yield you a very fine edge.

Dave

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