Has anyone had any luck mixing chromium oxide powder with linseed oil? I got a 8" leather honing wheel with a "chromium oxide kit" recently and it didn't work out for me. The kit was a small vial of chromium oxide powder, a small amount of. 25 micron diamond paste, and linseed oil. I mixed per instructions, applied to the wheel, and let sit overnight. The next day it was still tacky, and I didn't know if that was normal, but I used the wheel anyway. The knife smoothed out the paste to a shiny surface, so I stopped using it and let it sit another night. The next day it was dried hard with a glossy, smooth surface that wouldn't hone anything. No abrasive qualities whatsoever, so I sanded the wheel clean.
Should I have let it dry another day before using? I have no experience with this, so I have no idea what a correct finished product should look like. I didn't realize the linseed oil would dry as hard as it did, and I suspect that smoothing it to a glossy surface is what ruined it. I guess I was expecting a product similar to a chromium oxide stick like the one I have from Harbor Freight. So far the stick I have is the only chromium oxide product I have experience with. Now I have a new 8" honing wheel and I want to put it to use with a compound/paste that will compliment the Tormek compound I'm using on my other wheel. Any guidance will be greatly appreciated!
Joe,
The experience I have with Chromium Oxide is ... similar to yours. I used the technique prescribed by Wootz in one of his videos, and let it sit a full week before using it. I still got that glassy finish when using it for the first time.
I can't say whether or not it hones anything but I'd concur with you : There are no traces of steel indicating that it does anything, and BESS scores are unimpressive to say the least. It's probably mostly due to poor technique on my side, but I've never gotten anything useful out of that wheel, unlike with other leather wheels coated with diamond spray. So I'll sand it clean whenever I need a new honing wheel.
Quote from: tgbto on February 21, 2025, 02:31:45 PMJoe,
The experience I have with Chromium Oxide is ... similar to yours. I used the technique prescribed by Wootz in one of his videos, and let it sit a full week before using it. I still got that glassy finish when using it for the first time.
I can't say whether or not it hones anything but I'd concur with you : There are no traces of steel indicating that it does anything, and BESS scores are unimpressive to say the least. It's probably mostly due to poor technique on my side, but I've never gotten anything useful out of that wheel, unlike with other leather wheels coated with diamond spray. So I'll sand it clean whenever I need a new honing wheel.
I have been mixing chromium oxide with mineral oil (and .25 diamond paste). That has been working for me. When looking through a microscope you can see the difference in the edge from the courser diamonds on the first wheel.
Quote from: joe103 on February 21, 2025, 10:37:21 AMHas anyone had any luck mixing chromium oxide powder with linseed oil?
Don't use linseed oil. As I mentioned in your other post linseed oil is not recommended for leather, it will harden over time, harden the leather and may contain additives. A light machine oil or another oil recommended for leather (there are a few.