A plastic pencil eraser works great. Same as Trend recommends for their diamond plates. I also use their diamond lapping fluid on my WE. Increases your stone life and prevents rust damage that you’ll get using water (and prevents dust)
I use the tooth brush method with warm water but I wet the stone first and then apply the dish soap directly to each stone and then I give it a good scrub with the brush but when I rinse the stone I use running water and continue to scrub with the brush till the soap is gone. I use more soap and a little more water that way but the cost of the stones compared to the cost of the dish soap there's no comparison.
This is a great method and it works really well. I agree with you . Running water is better than a container of water when scrubbing. When using this method, I normally use running water. There just wasn't a good vantage point to film that so I used a container instead for the video. Thanks for commenting.
I'd recommend using a basket in the US cleaner to keep the stones off the bottom of the cleaner. Resting on the bottom may damage your cleaner over time.
Without submerging the whole stone and just to put the grit side down in the water about 4-5mm I get the same results. But I like yours too. Nice video.
Hi BladeStuff. Just a thing about your method comparing the two. It's good that you put the handwashed stones through the sonic cleaner but you didn't put the sonic-cleaned stones through the handwash process. I understand that it's a little more difficult to find the metal particles. Maybe do the hand-cleaning on the sonic cleaned stones in a clean sonic cleaner and afterwards take the stones out (leave the brush in) and turn the sonic cleaner on for a while. It could simply be that both methods leave some particles behind.
Hello. Yes , you are correct I did not use a true scientific method when comparing these two methods. To be honest, I was just wanting to show both methods and wasn't planning on comparing them until we started filming. That was a last minute idea and I had no idea what the results would be. As stated, I think that both methods are absolutely good and acceptable by the manufacturer. Thank you for your comment.
I know this video is a bit older, but I just recently picked up a Wicked Edge system, found this video, had a bad experience and DID have a glue failure, so I wanted to share it with you. Full disclosure: i bought it used, but was told it had very little use, and overall I think they were honest about that. I have a small, cheap ultrasonic cleaner, that i actually feel isn't powerful enough for most things I've tried in it. It is sonic only, it doesn't have a heating element. But it just fits the WE stones, so I gave it a shot. Got through most of them fine, cleaned about 90% of the gunk without issue on the diamond stones. It didn't work as well on the ceramics...but the first one came maybe half clean after a 2 minute run. The second one i put in longer, to see if it could do better....and after a 5 minute bath, the white ceramic had separated from the base. It let go on the ceramic side, leaving the glue attached to the plastic base. So now i need to scrape that out, figure out what sort of method is best for gluing these back in, and keep an eye on the rest to see if any others loosened partially. Kind of a bummer, and will be the last time i use this method. Normally, for cleaning diamond plates and ceramic stones, i use either rubberized rust erasers, or Bar Keeper's friend and a toothbrush. I'll be going back to that method for these, going forward.
I am sorry that you have had this issue and I really appreciate you sharing this with me. My goal is not to try to push any particular method at all. Instead, it is to share information that might help somebody. By sharing this with me, you are doing just that as well and I do appreciate that. It is my understanding that the ceramic stones use a different adhesive, and you are not supposed to get them wet as the adhesive will fail. Please see "Cleaning your ceramic stones" support.wickededgeusa.com/portal/en/kb/articles/cleaning-and-cari#:~:text=Clean%20your%20Ceramic%20Stones%20when%20the%20surface%20of,the%20stones%20to%20break%20free%20from%20the%20handles. I had another person comment and say that they had an issue like this and used 3M VHB 4910 Heavy Duty Mounting Tape - 0.75 in. x 15 ft . Claimed it was waterproof heat resistant and fit perfect on the holder and stone. I have not tried this but he claimed it worked really well. Thank you for your comment and good luck to you.
@@BladeStuff no worries, entirely my fault for not doing more research BEFORE doing anything lol It hadn't even crossed my mind that the two types might use different adhesive. After a bit of research, i did come across some forum responses from WE, who stated the ceramics are assembled using a kind of industrial hot glue gun, and that either hot glue, or plain old Elmer's glue are the two best recommendations they have for re-assembling them. I'll try one of those first, but will keep that tape in mind if they fail again. Thanks
@@Kavik79 That is good to know. Thanks for sharing that info. Best of luck to you getting them back on and secure. Thanks again for watching and commenting.
@@BladeStuff And it's still holding strong I've cleaned all the stones I used the above adhesive probably a dozen times by now and no problems they haven't loosened up at all. I was just revisiting your vid and saw this so thought I would add an update.
Technically the answer to your question is yes, but this would not be my recommendation. Lapping stones will actually remove part of your stone as well. I use lapping stones on my larger "free hand" stones to keep them flat. If your objective is solely to clean a stone that has clogged particles, I would recommend a cleaning method that would target just the clogged particles and not the stone itself. With that being said, I normally lap my larger "free hand" stones every 2-3 uses (sometimes after a single use if I have sharpened several knives). I want the surface to be perfectly flat when I start. If this is your objective, the lapping stone will serve both purposes. I hope this helps. Thank you for your comment!
Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it. In my opinion, the longevity of your rig will depend on how much you use it. I have had mine for a few years now and am still using the same stones. I would consider my use to be moderate to frequent. I have noticed that my 100 doesn't seem as coarse as it used to be and I may need to replace those soon. The rest are still doing fine. Thanks
Hello thanks for sharing how to clean the diamond plates . I have a question I am very new to guided sharpening & sharpening knives . I have a 150 diamond plates I have about 30 min of use that's all . Today I used it for the second time and I noticed that it feels very smooth except for the very ends . Looking at the plate it looks fine not dirty looks new I have not wash it but I did do the eraser method of cleaning it and it still feels smooth is this normal ? Thanks
There is a "break in period " for the diamond stones. More than likely, that it what you are experiencing. Once the break in period is over, they should stay somewhat uniform. Hope this helps. Thanks for your comment
I enjoyed your video thanks for posting this. I tried a hybrid method by using an ultrasonic toothbrush and that seems to do a good job cleaning my diamond stones. Will the stones get damaged if still damp when stored?
Thank you very much. I would not recommend storing your stones while damp. However, I can't tell you with experience only because I have always let mine dry completely before storage. I feel that this is the safest way. Thanks for commenting!
Looks like yes this might be the best way. But personally i don't own one of those machines so i just use a simple kids school eraser to rub out any metal on the stone and when i have time the first way you did.
Love how quickly and effectively a simple eraser can restore a diamond stone. I even tried it on many other abrasive surfaces, metal files, sandpaper or ceramic stone and it works great! On white ceramic stones I could not get everything off with an eraser or with toothbrush and soap, maybe ultrasonic works better there, has anyone tried?
Thanks for an informative vid. I use a nylon brush, like for a shaver after each pair of stones. I'll be getting a sonic cleaner. Like you, my knife has to be sharp!
Great vid I just received my Hornady sonic cleaner and it worked great. Question do you need to put any oil or rust preventative on the stones after you are done or just dry them and put them up till the next lime Thanks.
@@BladeStuff Just an update I did have 2 of the diamond plates come off in the sonic cleaner be it from the heat of the vibrations and they were also the original stones so they had some age on them but I ordered 3M VHB 4910 Heavy Duty Mounting Tape - 0.75 in. x 15 ft it's waterproof heat resistant and fit perfect on the holder and stone. I've cleaned them a couple times since and no problems just thought id let you know thanks again.
Thank you for this update. Out of curiosity, how old were the stones? Was it a particular grit that detached? Did you use any cleaning solution? I do not ask argumentatively at all. I am legitimately curious as to what was the cause. I may would even email WE to see if they have any ideas or if they have changed their stance on the issue. Thank you very much for your update as well as your idea on using the mounting tape.
@@BladeStuff The stones were the 400/600 which came with the WE and were about 6 to 7 years old they came with the model before I upgraded to the cam-lock system so they have a little age on them. The grit is fine just the whole stone separated from the plastic holder and it was just double-sided tape holding them together from WE. I was only using Dawn soap in the sonic cleaner all the other stones new ones and the other old ones have been fine and the new waterproof double-sided tape has worked perfectly hasn't changed the angle or anything of the stone. Not sure if they have changed anything on the new stones or not but the fix was easy enough that if any more come apart I'd just fix them and move on and keep using the ultrasonic cleaner myself. Just wanted to let you know an easy fix that will hold if it ever happens to any of yours. Thanks
No. You definitely do not want to put your ceramics in water. The glue that holds the ceramics on has a tendency to break down. I use a super eraser that I bought through Wicked Edge for my ceramics. Thanks for your comment
LOL. I completely understand. Not to make it any worse, but I haven't found the end of the rabbit hole yet. I keep finding stuff that I need/want to buy. Thanks for commenting. I hope you enjoyed the video.
I haven't tried the ceramics at that grit. That would be nice. I have been using the glass platens and lapping film at that point of progression. They do a great job, but you have to interchange the film periodically of course. Something that you wouldn't have to do with the ceramic I presume.
That's a great question. While obviously the stones are in the same body of water with the metal particles, I personally do not think that we are contaminating the stones. My reasoning is based on the fact that our entire purpose in this process is to clean the stones and try to get them as close to their original state as possible. So, in a sense, we are almost doing the opposite and trying to decontaminate them instead. With that being said, I recommend that you rinse them after each cycle to remove any of those particles that may have settled on the stones during the process. This is just my opinion. Thanks for commenting.
This video is complete with great information, simple testing, and even an answer from the manufacturer. Thank you and great job!
Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
A plastic pencil eraser works great. Same as Trend recommends for their diamond plates. I also use their diamond lapping fluid on my WE. Increases your stone life and prevents rust damage that you’ll get using water (and prevents dust)
Wow ... with the ultrasonic you can definitely tell which areas of the stones you work the most. Good information, thanks.
Thanks for sharing your method. I will try it next time I have to clean my stones.
Thumbs up an greetings from Germany!
Greetings!! I am happy you enjoyed it. Please let me know how it works for you. Thank you so much for your comment!
Great video. It’s very informative. Thank you!
Thank you very much for watching. I'm glad you found it interesting.
I use the tooth brush method with warm water but I wet the stone first and then apply the dish soap directly to each stone and then I give it a good scrub with the brush but when I rinse the stone I use running water and continue to scrub with the brush till the soap is gone. I use more soap and a little more water that way but the cost of the stones compared to the cost of the dish soap there's no comparison.
This is a great method and it works really well. I agree with you . Running water is better than a container of water when scrubbing. When using this method, I normally use running water. There just wasn't a good vantage point to film that so I used a container instead for the video. Thanks for commenting.
I use a easy bake oven, works pretty good.
I'd recommend using a basket in the US cleaner to keep the stones off the bottom of the cleaner. Resting on the bottom may damage your cleaner over time.
That's great advice!
Without submerging the whole stone and just to put the grit side down in the water about 4-5mm I get the same results. But I like yours too. Nice video.
Thank you very much! I appreciate your comment.
Hi BladeStuff. Just a thing about your method comparing the two. It's good that you put the handwashed stones through the sonic cleaner but you didn't put the sonic-cleaned stones through the handwash process. I understand that it's a little more difficult to find the metal particles. Maybe do the hand-cleaning on the sonic cleaned stones in a clean sonic cleaner and afterwards take the stones out (leave the brush in) and turn the sonic cleaner on for a while. It could simply be that both methods leave some particles behind.
Hello. Yes , you are correct I did not use a true scientific method when comparing these two methods. To be honest, I was just wanting to show both methods and wasn't planning on comparing them until we started filming. That was a last minute idea and I had no idea what the results would be. As stated, I think that both methods are absolutely good and acceptable by the manufacturer. Thank you for your comment.
I like your channel. Looking forward to more content
Thankyou very much! I appreciate that.
I know this video is a bit older, but I just recently picked up a Wicked Edge system, found this video, had a bad experience and DID have a glue failure, so I wanted to share it with you.
Full disclosure: i bought it used, but was told it had very little use, and overall I think they were honest about that.
I have a small, cheap ultrasonic cleaner, that i actually feel isn't powerful enough for most things I've tried in it. It is sonic only, it doesn't have a heating element. But it just fits the WE stones, so I gave it a shot. Got through most of them fine, cleaned about 90% of the gunk without issue on the diamond stones.
It didn't work as well on the ceramics...but the first one came maybe half clean after a 2 minute run. The second one i put in longer, to see if it could do better....and after a 5 minute bath, the white ceramic had separated from the base.
It let go on the ceramic side, leaving the glue attached to the plastic base. So now i need to scrape that out, figure out what sort of method is best for gluing these back in, and keep an eye on the rest to see if any others loosened partially.
Kind of a bummer, and will be the last time i use this method.
Normally, for cleaning diamond plates and ceramic stones, i use either rubberized rust erasers, or Bar Keeper's friend and a toothbrush. I'll be going back to that method for these, going forward.
I am sorry that you have had this issue and I really appreciate you sharing this with me. My goal is not to try to push any particular method at all. Instead, it is to share information that might help somebody. By sharing this with me, you are doing just that as well and I do appreciate that. It is my understanding that the ceramic stones use a different adhesive, and you are not supposed to get them wet as the adhesive will fail. Please see "Cleaning your ceramic stones"
support.wickededgeusa.com/portal/en/kb/articles/cleaning-and-cari#:~:text=Clean%20your%20Ceramic%20Stones%20when%20the%20surface%20of,the%20stones%20to%20break%20free%20from%20the%20handles.
I had another person comment and say that they had an issue like this and used 3M VHB 4910 Heavy Duty Mounting Tape - 0.75 in. x 15 ft . Claimed it was waterproof heat resistant and fit perfect on the holder and stone. I have not tried this but he claimed it worked really well. Thank you for your comment and good luck to you.
@@BladeStuff no worries, entirely my fault for not doing more research BEFORE doing anything lol It hadn't even crossed my mind that the two types might use different adhesive.
After a bit of research, i did come across some forum responses from WE, who stated the ceramics are assembled using a kind of industrial hot glue gun, and that either hot glue, or plain old Elmer's glue are the two best recommendations they have for re-assembling them.
I'll try one of those first, but will keep that tape in mind if they fail again. Thanks
@@Kavik79 That is good to know. Thanks for sharing that info. Best of luck to you getting them back on and secure. Thanks again for watching and commenting.
@@BladeStuff And it's still holding strong I've cleaned all the stones I used the above adhesive probably a dozen times by now and no problems they haven't loosened up at all. I was just revisiting your vid and saw this so thought I would add an update.
@@JR-5465 that is good to know! Thank you very much for giving the update. I appreciate it.
Thanks for your video and idea. However for larger stones, can I use lapping grits to take off cluged particles ?
Technically the answer to your question is yes, but this would not be my recommendation. Lapping stones will actually remove part of your stone as well. I use lapping stones on my larger "free hand" stones to keep them flat. If your objective is solely to clean a stone that has clogged particles, I would recommend a cleaning method that would target just the clogged particles and not the stone itself. With that being said, I normally lap my larger "free hand" stones every 2-3 uses (sometimes after a single use if I have sharpened several knives). I want the surface to be perfectly flat when I start. If this is your objective, the lapping stone will serve both purposes. I hope this helps. Thank you for your comment!
Hi , great video, and now having purchased a WE 139 with grits to 800/100, I am wondering how long should I expect the stones to work or last?
Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it. In my opinion, the longevity of your rig will depend on how much you use it. I have had mine for a few years now and am still using the same stones. I would consider my use to be moderate to frequent. I have noticed that my 100 doesn't seem as coarse as it used to be and I may need to replace those soon. The rest are still doing fine. Thanks
Hello thanks for sharing how to clean the diamond plates . I have a question I am very new to guided sharpening & sharpening knives . I have a 150 diamond plates I have about 30 min of use that's all . Today I used it for the second time and I noticed that it feels very smooth except for the very ends . Looking at the plate it looks fine not dirty looks new I have not wash it but I did do the eraser method of cleaning it and it still feels smooth is this normal ? Thanks
There is a "break in period " for the diamond stones. More than likely, that it what you are experiencing. Once the break in period is over, they should stay somewhat uniform. Hope this helps. Thanks for your comment
I enjoyed your video thanks for posting this. I tried a hybrid method by using an ultrasonic toothbrush and that seems to do a good job cleaning my diamond stones.
Will the stones get damaged if still damp when stored?
Thank you very much. I would not recommend storing your stones while damp. However, I can't tell you with experience only because I have always let mine dry completely before storage. I feel that this is the safest way. Thanks for commenting!
Great vid! How often do you clean your stones?
Thankyou! I am glad you enjoyed it. I normally get several sharpening's between cleanings. Thanks for commenting
Looks like yes this might be the best way. But personally i don't own one of those machines so i just use a simple kids school eraser to rub out any metal on the stone and when i have time the first way you did.
Nice method
Love how quickly and effectively a simple eraser can restore a diamond stone. I even tried it on many other abrasive surfaces, metal files, sandpaper or ceramic stone and it works great! On white ceramic stones I could not get everything off with an eraser or with toothbrush and soap, maybe ultrasonic works better there, has anyone tried?
Thanks for an informative vid. I use a nylon brush, like for a shaver after each pair of stones. I'll be getting a sonic cleaner. Like you, my knife has to be sharp!
Thank you very much for watching and commenting! I appreciate it
Great vid I just received my Hornady sonic cleaner and it worked great. Question do you need to put any oil or rust preventative on the stones after you are done or just dry them and put them up till the next lime Thanks.
Thankyou very much! I am glad you enjoyed it. I just stand them up on end and let them dry before putting them back up. Thank you for your comment.
@@BladeStuff Just an update I did have 2 of the diamond plates come off in the sonic cleaner be it from the heat of the vibrations and they were also the original stones so they had some age on them but I ordered 3M VHB 4910 Heavy Duty Mounting Tape - 0.75 in. x 15 ft it's waterproof heat resistant and fit perfect on the holder and stone. I've cleaned them a couple times since and no problems just thought id let you know thanks again.
Thank you for this update. Out of curiosity, how old were the stones? Was it a particular grit that detached? Did you use any cleaning solution? I do not ask argumentatively at all. I am legitimately curious as to what was the cause. I may would even email WE to see if they have any ideas or if they have changed their stance on the issue. Thank you very much for your update as well as your idea on using the mounting tape.
@@BladeStuff The stones were the 400/600 which came with the WE and were about 6 to 7 years old they came with the model before I upgraded to the cam-lock system so they have a little age on them. The grit is fine just the whole stone separated from the plastic holder and it was just double-sided tape holding them together from WE. I was only using Dawn soap in the sonic cleaner all the other stones new ones and the other old ones have been fine and the new waterproof double-sided tape has worked perfectly hasn't changed the angle or anything of the stone. Not sure if they have changed anything on the new stones or not but the fix was easy enough that if any more come apart I'd just fix them and move on and keep using the ultrasonic cleaner myself. Just wanted to let you know an easy fix that will hold if it ever happens to any of yours. Thanks
@@JR-5465 thankyou very much for sharing this information. I do appreciate it
How to clean ceramic stones? The same way?
No. You definitely do not want to put your ceramics in water. The glue that holds the ceramics on has a tendency to break down. I use a super eraser that I bought through Wicked Edge for my ceramics. Thanks for your comment
I learned I need to buy a Sonic cleaner, I thought I was through buying sharpening stuff. At least I have the Dawn dishwashing soap and water.
LOL. I completely understand. Not to make it any worse, but I haven't found the end of the rabbit hole yet. I keep finding stuff that I need/want to buy. Thanks for commenting. I hope you enjoyed the video.
I need more ceramic 1.4 stones 🙁
I haven't tried the ceramics at that grit. That would be nice. I have been using the glass platens and lapping film at that point of progression. They do a great job, but you have to interchange the film periodically of course. Something that you wouldn't have to do with the ceramic I presume.
I use the 1200/1600 ceramics and a fairly quick cleaning with the eraser seems to do the trick nicely. Thanks for commenting
Mixing the two different stones together, does that contaminate the stones?
That's a great question. While obviously the stones are in the same body of water with the metal particles, I personally do not think that we are contaminating the stones. My reasoning is based on the fact that our entire purpose in this process is to clean the stones and try to get them as close to their original state as possible. So, in a sense, we are almost doing the opposite and trying to decontaminate them instead. With that being said, I recommend that you rinse them after each cycle to remove any of those particles that may have settled on the stones during the process. This is just my opinion. Thanks for commenting.
I use a pencil eraser to clean my diamond stones.
Don’t clean diamond stones with water. Dry paper towel or toilet paper or brush
Thank you for your comment. Can you elaborate more on your opinion?