Stoning, and stones.

[Moderatemixed]

Hey everybody,

I am brand new to machining and am in the middle of refurbishing a second Atlas 10F. Last winter I did my first lathe and I am correcting any shortcomings in this second. I set the bed out to be reground and it has come back in beautiful condition. I see on YouTube a number of guys "stoning" lathe beds, milling tables, rotary tables etc. Would someone please give me the low down on stoning. I have a bunch of stones that came in my tool chest when I bought it but I don't know what "grit" they are and what "grit/coarseness" to use, or that I should use one at all, or why to use them. And should I now stone the ways of a beautifully ground lathe bed? Any guidance is appreciated.

 

[T Bredehoft]

And should I now stone the ways

No. Your logic is working. Slow and cautious is the way to go.

 

[f350ca]

When something gets dropped on a table or way, the resulting mark creates a low spot where the impact occurs. The metal flows from the low spot, to create a ridge. Careful stoning will remove the ridge, leaving the low spot below the original flat surface.
When scraping a surface you create a microscopic rough surface that can hold oil. After scraping careful stoning removes the high points.
On a ground surface there should be no high points, so no reason to touch it with a stone.

Greg