Saw sharpening set up, is this a good idea or bad?

[Daniel Kratville]

I am a new sharpener and getting everything is a comfortable position has been a challenge for me. I got the Gramercy saw vise for Christmas :D and mounted it to a board. Then I put that board in my Moxon vise on my bench top. This gets the saw nice and high so I can sharpen while standing which I prefer so far. Here is a picture of the set up. I don't have much space so being able to setup the vise when I need it is very helpful. My concern is, are the filings from the saw going to mess up the work I will be holding in the vise for dovetailing etc? Any ideas or insight from all of you would be great!

Dan

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[Jim Koepke]

I set up my saw sharpening at my bench and so far just wiping off the filings seems to work.

Remember:

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jtk

[Chris Fournier]

I don't like to work metal at my woodworking bench but I do all the time. I am careful to brush and vacuum the metal filings afterwards, never had a problem but never will like it! You've got to do what you have to do, go for it.

[David Weaver]

What chris said, I vacuum mine. In the out of the ordinary situation where I get abrasive or metal dust on the surface of my bench accidentally, I keep a junk card scraper handy that I use just for cleaning off the bench surface.

"contamination" with just minimal cleaning really isn't an issue that i can recall. I would rather deal with it than take scorched earth precautions.

[Mike Allen1010]

Looks like a very nice set up; having the vice about chest high I I find ideal - much easier on my back. Good flexible light source there too. You might want to consider some magnification for the small teeth.

I don't have any trouble with us the filings from Saw sharpening collecting on the bench and damaging subsequent woodworking projects. Just brush them off and they haven't been an issue.


Good luck!


All the best, Mike:-)

[Hilton Ralphs]

Dan, whip the fitted sheet off your bed, cut a hole in the middle the same size as the end of the board that is fixed to the vise and drape it over the Moxon and bench before dropping in the vise.

[Charles Bjorgen]

Dan -- I have the same vise mounted in a Moxen vise the same as yours. I also stand while filing. I clean up with a shop vacuum and bench brush.

[Tony Shea]

I agree with Chris, I will never like working metal at my woodworking bench but I end up doing at the time. There just isn't another better place for me to set up at. I would love to have the space and set up to do my metal working somewhere else but is not possible at the moment with space limitations.

I am very meticulous about cleaning these filings up so as not to have contamination. It has worked fine so far.

[Judson Green]

I don't like working metal at the wood bench either but... To clean up the filings I use a magnet with a piece of paper between the it and the filings.

[Jim Koepke]

If bigger metal is being worked at the bench, like a plane, a sheet of cardboard over the top of the bench helps keep it clean.

jtk

[Eric Brown]

I like your setup. Like others I too do metalwork on my bench sometimes. I also do glue-ups. To protect my bench I use plastic sheeting that comes in a big roll. Polypropylene is cheap and dried glue falls right off. Sometimes I will use a large roll of paper which is also good for full sized drawings. Another idea, if you have a vacuum system is to catch the dirt as you make it. (If you can stand the noise!).

[David Wadstrup]

Hi Daniel,

I also use my Moxon as an anchor for my saw vise. But instead of using the vise to hold the vise and its mount, I made a second chop and attached the vises directly to it. The chop is the mount and I just switch out chops when I need to sharpen. I chose this set-up because I thought it would be the most convenient, but it turns out to have the unforeseen advantage of holding the vises forward of my bench just a few extra inches allowing the filings to simply drop to the floor. Additionally, there is no chance of filings getting caught up in the suede that lines my normal chop.

Like others said, a vacuum is the best way to clean them up. Maybe you could set the vise off from your mount a few inches? Pack it out forward in some way so when you file everything falls to the floor.

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[Jeff Heath]

I have the same vice, but it's mounted to a board that I mount to my metalworking bench. I do a lot of metal work, and don't like metal on my woodworking bench. Eventually, the filings work their way into the top, and if you keep scraping just that area, you will dish out a hollow.

I would suggest that if this is your only bench, make yourself a benchtop cover out of 1/8" hardboard from the home center. The filings will not work their way into it, and it will also protect your woodworking bench from future damage.

The only thing missing from your photo is the backlit magnifying lens, which I need now because of age......these eyes ain't what they use to be.