New SJ250 Care Help?

[darita]

I just got my SJ250 and boy is it a beauty and came in great condition.  Do you all use the diamond card method for truing?  I use Japanese stones in my TSProf and use Bar Keepers Friend to keep them clean after each session.  I also have the red eraser suggested by Wootz.  What's the best way to clean it and how often do you do that?

[Ken S]

I don't use my Japanese stone much. I have trued it successfully using the TT-50 very carefully. I am a believer in gently rounding the corners of the wheel.
Two things to keep in mind:
1) the SJ is a softer, more fragile stone than the SG. Treat it carefully.
2) the SJ is, like a 4000 grit bench stone, a polishing stone rather than a grinding stone. Your edge should already be sharp before using the SJ.

The purpose of "cleaning" the SJ is to clear out the steel debris on the surface of the stone. The black marks on the wheel edge are steel which clogs the wheel. The purpose of cleaning is for cutting efficiency, not aesthetics. You set your own schedule. I like to start each sharpening session with a clean wheel.
I use Barkeeper's Friend on my ceramic rods. I would think it would also work on the SJ. A fine rubber rust eraser works well. In fact, an inexpensive set of three rubber rust erasers will be very handy to have in your shop for many things. I've had a set for thirty years and use it frequently.

Ken

[tgbto]

I found that cleaning the stone with a very fine diamond plate in the square edge jig was very fast and did not seem to wear the stone too much. I Use a USB in the vertical sleeves and another one in a FVB so I don't risk the stone getting out of round.

I need much more time to get it clean with the rust erasers, though they probably wear the stone down even less.

Cheers,

Nick.

[RickKrung]

I use my SJ wheel almost every time I sharpen something.  Garden tool and the like are examples of where I do not use it, sort of pointless to put a fine polish on some things.  I also use the black marker on virtually all bevels so not only does my SJ become clogged with metal particles, it gets really blackened by the marker residue.  I clean it after most sessions, depending on how much use it has received. 

For cleaning I use two coarseness Sabitoru rust erasers.  I don't know how these compare to "red erasers" the Knife Grinders mentioned item and didn't find that mention on their website.  I found only single grit options online at various suppliers.  The only place I found the dual set is on Amazon.  I find that it works best to use both, the coarser one cleans most of the discoloration, but the finer one really finishes it. 

For routine maintenance/refreshing of the grinding surface, I use a 1000 diamond grit plate for refreshing the surface, but not as frequently.

I do true the SJ wheel occasionally.  It gets out of round faster than the harder wheels, but I hardly ever use those anymore, using primarily the three diamond wheels and one 180 grit CBN wheel. 

I highly recommend rounding the corners of your SJ wheel, to minimize chipping, both during use and when truing.  Grading stone or diamond plate work best for this.

Rick

[darita]

Thank you for all the good advice.  Does anyone here use distilled water only?  I read that on a FB page.  Also, do you do leading edge or trailing?  I know trailing edge may be safer for the wheel, but is a leading edge better for the edge?

[cbwx34]

Thank you for all the good advice.  Does anyone here use distilled water only?  I read that on a FB page.  Also, do you do leading edge or trailing?  I know trailing edge may be safer for the wheel, but is a leading edge better for the edge?

I use tap water, (and my water is pretty hard)... never seen a problem  YMMV.

In my experience, edge leading produces a better edge, and I use the SJ stone edge leading.  I think this part in Tormek's video on this topic describes it best... 

https://youtu.be/PrRwBTil1l8?t=1332

...on why "catching" happens and how to avoid it.

[John_B]

After reading many comments about chipped wheels I recommend that you practice on the SG-250 building your skill and a light touch.

[darita]

Thanks. I'll go easy and practice.

[TireguyfromMA]

This may seem like a dumb question, when using the Sabitoru rust erasers on the SJ250 do you use these while the SJ250 is circulating through the water, or do you use these while the SJ250 is bone dry?

[RickKrung]

Running in water.  Helps lift and float away the debris.  I use a fair bit of pressure.

Rick

[cbwx34]

This may seem like a dumb question, when using the Sabitoru rust erasers on the SJ250 do you use these while the SJ250 is circulating through the water, or do you use these while the SJ250 is bone dry?

With water.  I do it frequently when I'm using the SJ stone... if I do it frequently it only takes a few seconds to clean it up.

[TireguyfromMA]

Thanks guys!  I saw a Vadim recommending to use the rust eraser in one of his videos but didn't see how he used it.

[tgbto]

This may seem like a dumb question, when using the Sabitoru rust erasers on the SJ250 do you use these while the SJ250 is circulating through the water, or do you use these while the SJ250 is bone dry?

With water.  I do it frequently when I'm using the SJ stone... if I do it frequently it only takes a few seconds to clean it up.

In my experience the SJ gets black very quickly. Polishing a 28cm chef knife is enough to blacken it almost completely. Then if I use the rust eraser, I seem to be taking off some, but far from all the steel collected by the stone. I feel like I'm pressing a lot already...