My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

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Re: My first Jnat gas a crack, now what?

Post by Jeff B »

gladius wrote: Tue May 08, 2018 10:28 am Many times cracks won't really affect cutting, especially at low/mid grits. Simply glue to wood base and lacquer the sides and you should be fine.
Exactly.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by old onion »

Bensbites wrote: Tue May 08, 2018 12:59 pm
old onion wrote: Tue May 08, 2018 12:36 pm Humm,I still have scraps left from making this cutting board.I think you have something there Ben.
Kit deserves some credit for the inspiration as do you. Your comment about movement made me think of a board with glue joints should be more dimensionally stable, especially when sealed.
Lol, Kit has his share of credits from me.He's the one who inspired me with natural stones. He's the Man! :D
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by ken123 »

Ben,

Let me make this extremely simple and easy for you. Send it to me and I'll take care of it for you - a solid base (I use float glass for strength and precision). I'll also lacquer the stone for additional strength. Pack it well and decide what color lacquer you want.

If you cover shipping I'll do the rest for you on the house.

Shipping address is:
Kenneth Schwartz
484 Central Parkway
Mountain House, CA 95391

Pack it well!

---
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by Radar53 »

@ken. I was just starting this post when I saw yours. I know nothing at all about JNats but the thought occurred to my engineering brain that Shapton glue their Glass range to float glass and maybe that would be an option.

Also just as a query to improve my knowledge & understanding. With a crack like this that is right through the stone (or nearly through the stone), could you actually complete the break and then paint a "film" of epoxy on both rough, cracked faces and then gently clamp it all back together. This would seem to me to give the greatest surface area for the glue to adhere to and the the glue thickness would be at a minimum, thus having the least impact on the performance of the stone??

This has been an interesting thread for me, so thanks
Cheers Grant

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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by ken123 »

Just to be specific the Shapton glass is TEMPERED glass. If you have ever worked with tempered glass, you will know that it has a [great] tendency to not just crack but SHATTER.

I use float glass which is just as flat and far safer.

" With a crack like this that is right through the stone (or nearly through the stone), could you actually complete the break and then paint a "film" of epoxy on both rough, cracked faces and then gently clamp it all back together"

Crack completion can be quite dangerous - it may not crack where you think it should. Chips may fly out making a gap, etc etc. Ask me how I know this :) Much like a bone fracture you want to preserve what natural integrity is remaining. Another issue is the glue - how does it react with the stone? Will it impart scratches, expand at it's own rate and crack the stone, etc. There are ways to glue or support the crack line further, which is why I suggest sending it to me. I have spent a few grand working out the details of the technique and want to optimize the results,

It would be great to do a stone MRI first, because there are often unknown internal cracks in a stone. Breaking the stone may activate some of them and you wind up with a pile of chips.

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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by nakneker »

ken123 wrote: Tue May 08, 2018 4:10 pm Ben,

Let me make this extremely simple and easy for you. Send it to me and I'll take care of it for you - a solid base (I use float glass for strength and precision). I'll also lacquer the stone for additional strength. Pack it well and decide what color lacquer you want.

If you cover shipping I'll do the rest for you on the house.

Shipping address is:
Kenneth Schwartz
484 Central Parkway
Mountain House, CA 95391

Pack it well!

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Ken
Whether Ben takes you up on your offer or ventures out on his own, I’m always impressed with your willingness to help Ken. Actions always trump words, that’s a very nice offer.

BTW, I just bought an Aoto stone from Ken, the Laquer Job was perfect, he also lacquered over the paper stamp which I thought was a neat touch.
Last edited by nakneker on Tue May 08, 2018 6:00 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by Radar53 »

THanks Ken, and a very nice offer.
Cheers Grant

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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by ken123 »

Ok I cant help it. I got lucky and got a Meara in ! It' going out today. Thanks for the referral, Mr M !

I don't advertise all my stones, so it's good to call to see today's catch or some gem hiding under a rick.

So I thought I'd post a Meara with a freshly lacquered Meara tomonagura to ho with it.
20180508_155204.jpg
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by ken123 »

@nakneker Thank you for your recommendation !

Guys like you make this all worthwhile.

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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by Bensbites »

ken123 wrote: Tue May 08, 2018 4:10 pm Ben,

Let me make this extremely simple and easy for you. Send it to me and I'll take care of it for you - a solid base (I use float glass for strength and precision). I'll also lacquer the stone for additional strength. Pack it well and decide what color lacquer you want.

If you cover shipping I'll do the rest for you on the house.

Shipping address is:
Kenneth Schwartz
484 Central Parkway
Mountain House, CA 95391

Pack it well!

---
Ken
Ken, you deserve a very large and generous THANK YOU. Since I am a DIY type, I will take care of this myself. I appreciate the offer, I really do. I may take you advice on the method.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by ken123 »

Ben,

I understand. Call me anytime 209 612 2790 if I can help.

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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by ken123 »

Ben,

Any followup on this ? Good or bad....


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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by Bensbites »

ken123 wrote: Sat May 12, 2018 11:26 pm Ben,

Any followup on this ? Good or bad....


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Ken

Thanks Ken, my plan is to lacquer the sides and bottom and epoxy to a solid surface. I finally picked up lacquer Friday, I put one coat on, however the house stunk from VOC fumes. The next several coats will be outdoor fun. Yesterday was raining and I had a stomach bug of some sort. Today being mother’s day...I only get an hour or two a night for my shop projects and I am working on clearing out my backlog.

I am still debating what surface to use. Wood is not the mist dimensionally stable, but is the standard. Plywood would be a better choice, but ugly. A float plate as Ken suggested is probably a good idea, it may or may not happen. I have plenty of walnut, maple, and cherry lumber, that would be the simple solution. I also have a bunch of rosewood scraps that with a little work could be laminated into something nice.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by ken123 »

Sounds good! Please take a few pics. Thanks for the response.

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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by Bensbites »

I am 5 coats in on the lacquer and it now feels like a thicker coating of plastic. I will let this fully dry overnight; I still have to figure out the wooden base. Plywood, hardwood lumber, or laminated rosewood? I am open to suggestions from the hive.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by old onion »

Maybe you or Ken can give some insight to my question also. Like you Ben,I lacquered the bottom of my stone too.Will epoxy still adhere to it ?
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by Bensbites »

old onion wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 5:49 am Maybe you or Ken can give some insight to my question also. Like you Ben,I lacquered the bottom of my stone too.Will epoxy still adhere to it ?
I think it will work. All the advice I have received here and on instagram was to lacquer and epoxy to a solid surface.

One of the reasons i was advised to lacquer first was because aizu can be chalky stones and epoxy might be less effective without the lacquer. I think this stone would have taken epoxy just fine, but there are only a few people as experienced as Ken and this was one of the other guys.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by old onion »

Thanks Ben for the information. I don't have the base I want yet but I did run across some hardwood scraps in the shop yesterday from when I made my cutting board. I might laminate the strips together for a base.It just takes to long though glueing a few pieces at a time,clamping and letting set.I get to anxious.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by Bensbites »

old onion wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 6:10 am Thanks Ben for the information. I don't have the base I want yet but I did run across some hardwood scraps in the shop yesterday from when I made my cutting board. I might laminate the strips together for a base.It just takes to long though glueing a few pieces at a time,clamping and letting set.I get to anxious.
I used my stone the first night it arrived to finish everything on the knife bar. I liked the edge it left, and will keep using this as my finisher. I am sure other stones could refine my edge slightly more, but that is a separate conversation. Now that I have the sides lacquered, I feel like that is a layer of protection. I might use it again in the next week or two before the stone is mounted to a base. I have a bamboo cutting board that is in the scrap wood/burn pile. There is something very appropriate about using the bamboo scrap cuttingboard as a base.
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Re: My first Jnat has a crack, now what?

Post by old onion »

You just nailed it Ben.I think Bamboo is the way to go. I have an old bamboo board also but it is really to thin to use but I sure like your idea.
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