Hard Arkansas stone cleaning

[johndi]

I found a translucent hard Arkansas stone.
Seems to be in nice shape, but has what looks like oil sludge on the sides and ends.
Is it safe to wipe down with mineral spirits?
Thanks

[Hank Knight]

Yes. It's a rock. Mineral spirits won''t hurt it.

[Rob Young]

I found a translucent hard Arkansas stone.
Seems to be in nice shape, but has what looks like oil sludge on the sides and ends.
Is it safe to wipe down with mineral spirits?
Thanks

Last stone I cleaned, I put it in a tray, covered with lacquer-thinner and sealed up the tray.  Then left it on the stoop for the afternoon.  Did a pretty good job, other than the smell.

A brass bristle brush works wonders too.

[johndi]

Thanks
That's what I thought but wanted to check with the brain trust

[DaveParkis]

A collector told me that he cleans his oilstones by putting them in a zip lock bag with Lestoil. He said that was the best method he had found.

[med-one]

I believe his name is Bob Smalser or somfin like that.

[Tony Z]

Bob Smalser-top notch craftsman, wish he was still around the forums!

Oven cleaner also works for cleaning. After each, wiping down the stone is a great ounce of preventative cure-just a quick swipe with a paper towel dampened with whatever lubricant you use n the stone (for me, its "Marvel Mystery Oil").

[AHill]

I kinda remember a guy, his first name was Bob and he was a boat builder. I believe he used kerosene on his oilstones. Maybe someone else remembers who I'm trying to think of. He had a website with all kinds of good info.

Yes, it was Bob Smalser, a talented boat builder and restorer.  He was a frequent contributor here and also wrote articles for FWW.  The kerosene was his lube - not necessarily used to clean the stones.

[Bibliophile 13]

I've not had great success using mineral spirits on my Arkansas stones. Maybe they need a longer soak than I had been giving them.

I've found that WD-40 and sandpaper work pretty well to clean the surfaces. Natural stones are often dished, so rubbing them on sandpaper stuck to a flat surface will both clean and flatten them. Gets two jobs done at once.

[bridger]

Translucent arks are nice finishing stones, but they can tend to get glazed and shiny. Dressing them with a diamond plate will give you a fresh surface but I like them best with a surface that is broken in but not shiny. 

As far as cleaning them goes, they don't absorb much, so you're largely dealing with surface crud. A good scrub with kitchen cleanser works wonders. I recommend barkeeper's friend brand cleanser.