Farmers Markets Ends in Disaster - or - Don't Drop your SJ Stone

[RickKrung]

Final farmers market today went pretty well but I was glad to be done.  As I was loading things up, the final stone on my table was the SJ.  Then the table collapsed, sending the SJ stone on to the pavement and an open can of Acetone spilled all over it and some other stuff.

First inspection the SJ suffered only a large chip off the edge (the large crack visible in the photo was not there initially).  I thought, Oh Crap, but that could be dealt with (what I really thought and said was a bit more strongly worded and expressed  ). 


I thought nothing more off it and loaded it on top of the SB & SG stones in a milk crate with towels between them.  But when I got home after the hour drive and I had unloaded all the stuff into my garage and was "hanging" the stones to dry, I found the SJ stone cracked way beyond any hope.  Multiple cracks deep into the body and across the outer periphery in four places. 




The acetone was wrinkling and peeling the label and it is clear where the acetone had penetrated the stone.  I'm thinking the stone could not tolerate that strong a solvent and may have caused it to swell, causing weakened areas within the stone to crack.  But, who knows, those cracks my have shown up just with use and saturation with water. 


I don't know if there is anything I can do with chunks of the SJ stone if it were cut up, but it is definitely not usable as a wheel any longer.  Checking prices just now, thinking of replacing it...

$401 !!!!!!

I think that is going to have to wait.  I haven't really been using it all that much lately.  That is way more than the total revenue generated from all the farmers markets I worked. 

Rick

[Plekter]

Sorry for your loss.

I was thinking - maybe you can glue it. Fill out all the cracks good with a syringe loaded with a glue capable of gluing this type of stone - or another means, maybe using airpressure, to get it deep into all the cracks - tie a rope tight around it to press it all together - and hope for the best :-).

I am not sure which type of glue - just not harder when its dry than the stone itself. Maybe some 2k epoxy.

Then true it and give it a try...

Joergen

[cbwx34]

That is a mega-bummer... hurts just to look at it.

Honestly, if that happened to mine, I doubt I'd replace it.  I'm a bit unimpressed with the SJ wheel... for knives anyway.  I think you wrote you have some paper wheels coming... I believe you'll find they do an amazing job of refining/polishing knife bevels, in a fraction of the time.

Like Plekter said... sorry for your loss.  That had to hurt. 

[RickKrung]

That is a mega-bummer... hurts just to look at it.

Honestly, if that happened to mine, I doubt I'd replace it.  I'm a bit unimpressed with the SJ wheel... for knives anyway.  I think you wrote you have some paper wheels coming... I believe you'll find they do an amazing job of refining/polishing knife bevels, in a fraction of the time.

Like Plekter said... sorry for your loss.  That had to hurt. 

Thanks.  I agree, it hurts to just to look at. 

And yes, I am likely to not replace it, at least not yet and not until after I try diamond grits and paper and felt wheels. 

I had previously looked at Wootz' web site about all this and had ordered and received diamond pastes and have ordered 10" paper wheels from Steve Bottorff.  As a result of the SJ wheel damage, I have been in touch with Wootz and Grepper, off-line, about what combination would replicate the SJ wheel.  5 micron and paper wheel from Wootz.  Belt at 4000 grit from Grepper.  Both would be much faster than the SJ wheel (my own comment but consistent with yours). 

I had been considering trying diamonds and paper wheels already and my interest and attempts at sharpening ceramic knives had motivated me to action, prior to the SJ wheel debacle.  Which may be a blessing in disguise, kinda like when I totaled my still very new 2014 Subaru Outback wagon hitting a deer.  There were a couple things about that car that I didn't like and found that the replacement of same as a 2016 model year fixed those things and improved others I hadn't been bothered by.  Plus, I opted for the hazard detection and other warning systems which I REALLY like.  I got a $5k payoff from the insurance which went to a very timely need of my daughter's.  I was happy with the 2014 but am much happier with the 2016.  I am also VERY much more careful about driving in relation to deer, which is a very good thing, given that I live in heavy deer country. 

My plan is to set up at least two paper wheels, as Wootz does, one with 5 micron diamond and the other with a mixture of 0.5 and 0.25.  I will set up a 10" rock hard felt wheel with 1 micron diamonds for the Tormek for deburring. 

Perhaps like you, I found I wasn't using the SJ wheel much.  It was too much for use at farmers markets and I wanted to keep some toothyness on those blades.  I tried it on one of four plane blades and felt it was more than a $5 sharpening job and so just finished the others with the DE wheel.  I had not yet tried it with drill bits, but I think it could have been overkill as well.  I wasn't using it to finish my own knives either. 

One thing I'm still searching for is a tackifying agent for the diamond pastes on the paper wheels.  I've heard of using chain saw bar and chain oil, which has a tackifier to keep it adhered.  The problem I'm finding is that it only comes in quantities that I'll never get full use from as I don't own or use a chain saw.  I've searched high and low for just the tackifying agent, but have been unsuccessful.  Living where I do, use of wood stoves and chain saws is extremely prevalent, so I should be able to get a small quantity of it, but I haven't asked, yet. 

So, short answer is, yes I am headed that way. 

Rick

[cbwx34]

If you haven't... I would contact kwakster and see what his setup is.... he's the best authority on paper wheels IMO.

[RickKrung]

Sorry for your loss.

I was thinking - maybe you can glue it. Fill out all the cracks good with a syringe loaded with a glue capable of gluing this type of stone - or another means, maybe using airpressure, to get it deep into all the cracks - tie a rope tight around it to press it all together - and hope for the best :-).

I am not sure which type of glue - just not harder when its dry than the stone itself. Maybe some 2k epoxy.

Then true it and give it a try...

Joergen

I doubt seriously that it could be glued and have it be effective.  Even the softest glue I know of I think would cause hard inclusions that would not work well for such a fine grit wheel. 

If I were to try it, and I may just because the wheel is worthless as is, might be to use a wood hardener product, like Min-Wax Wood Hardener.  All that it is, is acrylic plastic dissolved in acetone.  I already know that acetone absorbs readily into the SJ matrix and having it soak into the entire matrix would have a better chance of actually fixing the cracks.  That is the function of the wood hardener for soft and friable woods in preparation for turning and other processes that would tear apart unhardened woods.  One risk is that the acetone, left soaking the SJ matrix long enough for the plastic to penetrate deep enough, might totally dissolve it all. 

My sense of the acrylic is that it may still be too hard to avoid hard spots in the stone, so I have my doubts.  But I have a quart plus of the hardener just sitting around, so it may by worth a try.  Gotta find the right container though, close enough fitting so as to not require too much hardener.  If it holds together but is unusable as a grindstone, it could make an interesting door stop  

Rick

[RickKrung]

If you haven't... I would contact kwakster and see what his setup is.... he's the best authority on paper wheels IMO.

Already have.  Said he doesn't use them hardly at all and referred me to experts on the BESS Exchange, like Mark Reich.  I haven't posted there yet about this but will.  Maybe there is someone there who can help with my search for a tackifier. 

Rick

[RickKrung]

If you haven't... I would contact kwakster and see what his setup is.... he's the best authority on paper wheels IMO.

Already have.  Said he doesn't use them hardly at all and referred me to experts on the BESS Exchange, like Mark Reich.  I haven't posted there yet about this but will.  Maybe there is someone there who can help with my search for a tackifier. 

Rick

OOOPS!!!!  My mistake.  Make that Grepper, not Kwakster.  Sorry.  Sorry for the heart attack, CB.

I will contact Kwakster, but I'll also post the question on the BESS Exchange. 

BTW, at breakfast this morning, I was mentioning all this with a friend and he has (had) about a cup in the bottom of a gallon of chain saw bar oil, that he said he'd give me (and he did).  The issue of the tackifier may be moot now. 

Rick

[cbwx34]

If you haven't... I would contact kwakster and see what his setup is.... he's the best authority on paper wheels IMO.

Already have.  Said he doesn't use them hardly at all and referred me to experts on the BESS Exchange, like Mark Reich.  I haven't posted there yet about this but will.  Maybe there is someone there who can help with my search for a tackifier. 

Rick

OOOPS!!!!  My mistake.  Make that Grepper, not Kwakster.  Sorry.  Sorry for the heart attack, CB.

I will contact Kwakster, but I'll also post the question on the BESS Exchange. 

BTW, at breakfast this morning, I was mentioning all this with a friend and he has (had) about a cup in the bottom of a gallon of chain saw bar oil, that he said he'd give me (and he did).  The issue of the tackifier may be moot now. 

Rick

Haha... I was already researching who the impostor was you talked to. 

[Scott an Edge]

Despite the fact it may have been a blessing in disguise, it still makes me cry just looking at the pics.

[Ken S]

Just to set the record straight, in his interview with Stumpy Nubs, Stig does advise against dropping the grinding wheel on the floor. 

Ken