Sharpening Station

[Tom Bender]

I don't have a dedicated station and I use water stones, which can be messy. Here's my latest setup. It takes a few minutes to set up and take down but meets the need. This week I used it to sharpen chisels, planes and a bunch of animal clipper blades.

Coarse diamond plate

King 800 and 1200 waterstones

4000 finishing stone

Shelf saved from kitchen remodel

Watering can, spray bottle and a couple of rags plus a stick and a pair of clamps

It has been a long journey to get to this setup but it really works. The diamond plate was transformational. Without it I spent a lot of time trying to get there on the 800 which was just not cutting it.

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After a session I use the plate to flatten the stones. The King stones take a few days to dry.

[Jim Ritter]

You might look in the pet area of a store and find a mat/tray owners put food and water dishes on. I saw one the other day at Walmart and almost bought it for the same purpose. Raised lip around the edges.
Jim

[George Yetka]

I usually flatten at the beginning in case the drying has any effect(dont know if this is possible). I have a sharpening drawer and if im using hand tools the stuff comes out and gets set up on an adjacent to bench benchtop then is cleaned,left to dry, and put away.

[Ed Mitchell]

You might look in the pet area of a store and find a mat/tray owners put food and water dishes on. I saw one the other day at Walmart and almost bought it for the same purpose. Raised lip around the edges.
Jim

I got this one, works great https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHW10/

[Jim Ritter]

That would work if you had the room but what I am talking about is much smaller.
Jim

[john zulu]

I sharpen at the sink. Fast and easy.

[Tom Bender]

Ed that looks like an improvement. About the same size as what I'm using, stores against the wall. Might still need to keep things from sliding.

John
How do you sharpen at the sink; In the sink? I have a laundry sink with no flat spot adjacent.

[Mike Soaper]

There are food service trays (think cafeteria tray) with a 1/2"? lip around the perimeter to contain spills but also have a non slip surface to keep plates and glasses etc from sliding. I almost got one for my sharpening stones but on the one i had looked at on line had a couple of reviews saying the bottom wasn't flat. ymmv or it may not be a issue for you.

Here's a sample

Amazon.com | New Star Foodservice 24883 Restaurant Grade Non-Slip Tray, Plastic, Rubber Lined, Rectangular, 10" x 14" Inch, Brown: Serving Trays (https://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Foodservice-24883-Rectangular/dp/B00B1H3SAU/ref=pd_ybh_a_32?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CMW107Z09NX359S2CYQ5)


more later

[David Bassett]

Yoav Liberman suggested Munchkin Silicone Placemats for Kids (https://smile.amazon.com/Munchkin-Silicone-Placemats-Kids-Purple/dp/B07L4DHXTT/ref=as_li_ss_tl?&hvadid=312029729493&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8240170548339391110&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003597&hvtargid=pla-653324191802&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=activeinterest-pw-20&linkId=2b20ac0204b256695c1e13f9ef935d5c&language=en_US) in a Blog Post (https://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/inexpensive-liner-for-your-wet-sharpening-needs/) at PopWood's website. Advantage is they're cheap and can be rolled to store compactly. Disadvantage might be the size and possibly the durability (compared to some of the other suggestions.)

Another option is the WoodRiver Silicone Sharpening Mat at Woodcraft. It's in their May sale flyer for $10. I think it's well worth $10, though at it's regular $20 price I'd ponder alternatives. It's pretty good. Pretty good at containing the mess, though some of these with higher sides might be better. And it's pretty good at not slipping in normal use, though I bet you could get things to move if you really tried.

Sorta' slightly OT: Am I the only one that thinks sharpening bench when I see the Lee Valley Stainless-Steel Outdoor Wash Table (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/garden/planting/potting/75533-stainless-steel-outdoor-wash-table?item=XB206)? (It was on the front page as a new item and then as a trending item. It jumps out at me every time I visit their homepage.)

[Mike Soaper]

I also looked at the munchkin type and Woodriver, but wound up ordering a silicon kitchen dish drying pad, as it seems the lip might be a bit taller than those.

AmazonSmile: HOTPOP XXL (24"x18") Super Sturdy Silicone Dish Drying Mat and Trivet, Dishwasher Safe, Heat Resistant, Eco-Friendly (Grey): Kitchen & Dining (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08336ZHLB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1)

That said, I don't know if a solid or ribbed surface makes a difference. i.e keeping the bottom of the stones out of the water, or if one is better than the other for keeping the stones from sliding around.

[William Fretwell]

Don’t dry the stones just use a lidded plastic tub and make a stone pond, keep them immersed all the time, a big time saver. After trying several mats, drawer liners etc the smooth work well until they get really wet then slide all over. The ribbed can be a little better. The bigger the sheet the dryer the underside stays and works better.

If you have space build a dedicated small table. Marble and granite stores throw small off-cuts away as they see no use for them. You may have to ask them to save a piece 2’x2’ ahead of time, it will be minimal cost. The mass helps keep it all steady when sharpening. The surface is flat and looks good.

[Gary Focht]

I want to build Bob van Dyke’s sharpening station/box.

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2016/03/30/stow-and-go-sharpening-box

[john zulu]

Ed that looks like an improvement. About the same size as what I'm using, stores against the wall. Might still need to keep things from sliding.

John
How do you sharpen at the sink; In the sink? I have a laundry sink with no flat spot adjacent.


I don't have a picture right now. But it is a plank of wood wide enough to hold the stone in place and there are wood stops I fasten into the plank to secure the stone from moving. The length of the plank is size to the width of the sink bowl. It is very easy to make and well worth it. No need to be fancy but the plank needs to be flat with not twist or cups.

[William Fretwell]

Seems there is just too much water involved for a box like that. The lid will have some movement and the whole box is not that heavy. It looks good in a magazine.

[Gary Focht]

Seems there is just too much water involved for a box like that. The lid will have some movement and the whole box is not that heavy. It looks good in a magazine.

The lid has a lip like a bench hook and he puts some sand paper on the bottom edge to prevent sliding. I think the top could be modified to accommodate a more liberal application of water, but his stones just use a splash of water, as do mine.

[Jim Koepke]

You might be able to get something cheap or even free from a carpet dealer:

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A 2'X3' piece is about $10 on Amazon > rug pad grippy (https://www.amazon.com/DoubleCheck-Products-Runner-Hardwood-Padding/dp/B01HSEP8ES/ref=asc_df_B01LYJP2IG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=191995488160&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1505509537796901229&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033589&hvtargid=pla-302312853504&th=1)

Small pieces of this are great for hard to open jars. They also help hold work on the bench when sanding. A small piece is good for getting a grip on the work when using a shooting board. Great stuff.

For my water stones an automotive floor mat purchased at Target over a decade ago works fine.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

I use a silicone dog bowl tray similar to what Ed suggested and line it with a non-skid pad similar to what Jim shows above. My pad is a piece of shelf liner from the home center but it's the same thing. It all works very well and was pretty cheap. It's also easy to wash out when it gets dirty.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50988878701_f02602a1bb_b.jpg

[Winston Chang]

I had a flat-bottomed silicone mat, but I found that waterstones would slide around on it. Later I got an Oxo dish mat, which has ribs, and it works much better.
https://www.target.com/p/oxo-silicone-dish-drying-mat-gray-large/-/A-13291919

[Jeffrey Hood]

I built this a few months ago, and it is working great... fold down front with the brackets I used is more than strong enough, and with a couple of coats of marine varnish on the inside, and wiping up after I'm done, it contains the water and should last a long, long time... and it's nice having the sink nearby to wash off stones and the flattening plate... everything in one place and no more dragging boxes out every time I need to sharpen...

JH

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[Jim Koepke]

I built this a few months ago, and it is working great... fold down front with the brackets I used is more than strong enough, and with a couple of coats of marine varnish on the inside, and wiping up after I'm done, it contains the water and should last a long, long time... and it's nice having the sink nearby to wash off stones and the flattening plate... everything in one place and no more dragging boxes out every time I need to sharpen...

JH

457155457156457157

Great solution, especially if one doesn't have a lot of space.

jtk