Conditioning and charging the honing wheel?

[Ern]

Hi Jeff!

The manual says to condition the wheel with light machine oil, if memory serves, and then charge the surface with the compound.

I've done this.  The leather soaked up a good deal of oil.

I assume the point is to get a thick slurry happening so that the oil and compound together soak into the leather.

What's happening when I hone is that the compound balls up and drops off.  There's little blackening of the strop that would indicate metal coming off.

I gave the two profiled leather wheels the same treatment, and trying to hone out the milling marks on a turning gouge flute soon got the tell-tale blackening of the surface.

So what am I doing wrong with the flat edge wheel?  Too little oil?  Oil's too thick?

Would appreciate your advice.

Best wishes for Easter,

Ern

[Jeff Farris]

No more oil.  That is a one time break in process only. 

The surface should feel somewhat dry.  If it is greasy, wipe as much off as you can with paper towels or shop rags.  Then apply one very thin stripe of compound all the way around the wheel and hone your tool.  Use one very thin stripe for each tool for the first 24 tools, then you can use compound every second or third tool.

[Ern]

Will do; thanks.