Sharpener Lubricants

When two hard materials rub against each other they cause friction and heat. When sharpening hand planes or chisels the same two can happen. To prevent this we use a lubricant. Lubricant serves two main purposes what is to lubricate the blade against the sharpener and keep the sharpener clean. 

You could say the lubricant will help cool the edge of the blade but this is only necessary when machine sharpening. If your hand sharpener it is unlikely you will overheat the Sharp edge of your tool.

Oilstone lubricant

0il stone requires a lubricant. This lubricant will help keep the oil stone free from the metal grinding during the sharpening process. It will also aid in the movement of the blade across the oil stone. There are many options for a lubricant for use with an oil stone. The oil stone that I refer to would be a Norton India oil stone. you could just use a simple thin oil such as 3 and 1 or a sharpening purpose designed oil.

I make my own oil stone lubricant

I often mix my own sharpening oil. To do this I just use any clean engine oil and dilute it with a white spirit or turpentine. The purpose of the spirit is to make the oil thinner so it can facilitate the blade to move over the stone freely. The lubrication of the oil stone also carries the fine metal fragments from the oil stone surface. The lubricant also slows the wear of the oil stone. If you did not use I sharpening lubricant they all stone would become clogged and less abrasive. 

Does the oil matter on an oilstone?

The grade or the viscosity of the oil is important. I have used a variety of different oils including cooking oil when desperate. In my opinion of thin oil similar to a machine, oil works best. Engine oil tends to be too thick. Thick oil causes too much resistance when sharpening by hand or with a jig. I often mix my own sharpening oil using engine oil with a little bit of white spirit. Remember the oil quality will not cause any issues during the sharpening process. 

Can I use old oil for sharpening?

Dirty engine oil mixed with a bit of white spirit is a bad idea. Because the metal fragments or carbon from the engine that is left in the oil will make a hell of a mess. this will stain you and your wooden handles on your tools. 

The dirt in the oil will also clog a traditional oil stone making it less effective.

Diamond sharpeners also require a lubricant

Diamond sharpeners just like all stones require some form of lubricant. This lubricant also carries the final metal sharpening grindings away from the diamond sharpener.

Which lubricant should I use for a diamond sharpener?

Water is often the first port of call but there are other options. Windex which is a window cleaning solution or Windolene if in the UK is a good lubricant. The benefit of Windex is that the viscosity is better and the surface tension is reduced. When you use Windex or Windolene the globules of liquid are more even efficiently covering the diamond sharpener. The lubricant is more slippy too.

There is a proprietary lubricant for diamond sharpeners such as Krud Kutter. It is a good product and probably the best lubricant you could use but personally I prefer to use what I have available. Windex is available in any store and you can clean your Windows afterwards!

Which lubricant should I use with sandpaper?

when using wet and dry sandpaper for sharpening you will still need a lubricant. you made this I just use water just a small amount during the process of sharpening. Personally, I prefer to use the same lubricant that I use for my diamond sharpeners. 

Can I just use water for sharpening?

yes, you can use water on its own for sharpening on a diamond or wet and dry sandpaper. The only problem that I have encountered is that the surface tension of water. This prevents the metal grindings from being clean the way as effectively as Windex or water with a drop of washing up liquid. 

When using water for sharpening will my tools rust?

The short answer to this is yes because water will corrode Steel. The trick is to make sure that you dry your tools once you are finished sharpening.

Can I use any sharpener with any tool?

The quick answer to this is no. You cannot use any sharpener with any tool. Is true that some sharpeners will sharpen most tools but not all. For instance tools with high tungsten contents such as tungsten carbide is way too hard for traditional oil stones. 

What sharpener do I need for tungsten carbide?

Tungsten carbide can be sharpened with a specific sharpener designed for the sharpening of tungsten carbide. 

How do I sharpen masonry drill bits?

A bench grinder with a green wheel is designed for sharpening or grinding of tungsten carbide. This grinding wheel is ideal for sharpening masonry drill bits or other tools made of tungsten carbide. Another good sharpener for tungsten carbide is a good quality diamond sharpener.

What is the most universal sharpening tool?

For me, the clear winner has to be a diamond sharpener. Which one will depend on what you wish to sharpen with it? If you want to sharpen a plane blade then a simple block diamond sharpener will suffice. but for instance, if you want to sharpen a router bit a credit card diamond sharpener is also very useful. If sharpening a gauge chisel then the clear winner there would have to be around diamond sharpener such a pocket sharpener. So the answer to that question would be yes the diamond sharpener is the most versatile but you may need different shaped sharpeners for different tools. 

If I could only buy one sharpener which one would it be?

This is a difficult question for me because I have a personal preference using India oil stones. But frankly I use my Norton India 8″ oil stone for most of my sharpening.