Sharpening Station Setups?

[Tony Wilkins]

I know I need to get a better location/setup for my sharpening so I actually do it before it becomes an all afternoon chore. Show me what works for you in how you set up your sharpening.

[Scott Winners]

My sharpening station gets bigger every time I re-organize the shop, at least so far. Pic is a nominal 24x48 bench top with 6" bench grinder, diamond stones at the front left and a Norton 3 stone oil system left rear. I took this picture leaning against the chop of my leg vise, the sharpening area is literally one step away from my work area.

The bench from the home store has three drawers. The upper left drawer has sharpening jigs in it. The wide bottom drawer and the upper right drawer are dedicated to sporting goods maintenance. The lower shelf is where I keep all my chemicals, and the shelf above the bench top has stuff I have to root around in right regular.

Lately, for the first time EVER, I have been paying (even more) better attention to my plane irons and have been able to leave the 8k diamond stone mounted up for quick touch ups on the go. I find the more accessible my sharpening gear is, the more frequently I sharpen - and I spend less time sharpening during each event.

The setup I have is good for straight edges, and I can freehand kitchen knives on the oil stones. If you hand me something dull with a curve on it, like a gouge or a framing slick I will have to clear off my bench top, lay on the sacrificial top and get some other jigs out. If you hand me a lathe/turning tool with some femininity to it I will need a step ladder to get my Kalamazoo 1x42 belt sander down from a high shelf. Someday when I have a bigger shop I will have a lathe again, and a bigger sharpening station with the Kalamazoo bolted down.

I really like the 40grit Norton white stone I have, but it is mounted to a 6 inch grinder that I despise. I have a couple pieces from Lee Valley that can be bolted down to a bench in front of a grinder that is also bolted down. Those will make dealing with skew edges much easier, but I am very likely to upgrade my grinder before I permanently install the LV bits. In the middle is a bottle of jojoba oil and a rag well and truly saturated with same.

The spray bottle is more or less 50:50 clean water: Simple Green for raising swarf off my diamond stones. The plywood/2x2 thingy has marks on the other side so I can just throw stuff in a jig and dial in 25 degrees, 30 degrees and so on.

[steven c newman]

K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Solution?

I have a shop rag I lay down on my workbench...keeps the bench clean. And that is about it. Other than setting the 6" grinder into the end vise, to run the Unicorn Wheel..

Really do not have the room to set up a "Dedicated Sharpening Bench" in my shop.
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There IS a corner though...that has the "other" 6" grinder...and a Sanding center ( 6" Disc + 4" x 36" Belt) with a spot light overhead....that I use for more than just sharpening...

YMMV..

[Kevin Adams]

Scott, you reminded me how much I miss my Norton 3 stone system, such a great set up. I had a soft ark, hard, and surgical black when you could get those stones in those sizes. Wish I had never gotten rid of it. Your little diamond stone “caddy” is nice, too.

Kevin

[Tom M King]

In the process of building a new cabinet under it, and a backsplash around the back, but I needed to use it, so using it like this for now.

Pictures are in the process It gets used for other things besides sharpening too. Sink is off CL. Until I get the new woodworking shop built, it will live in the mechanic shop. I doubt many people park a tractor beside their sharpening sink. When I was working on old houses, it was one of the first things we set up on site.

No need for soaking when you use a steady stream of water. No such thing as wasting water here, and no need for a trap since no sewer gasses are involved. It just empties outside the wall. No mess. No recycled dirty water.

[Richard Hutchings]

If I ever get around to it, I plan on using the Cosman setup under the end of the bench with 2 stones. Only difference is my finest grit is 8000 Shapton. Once I get that set up, I think I'll sell my Veritas training wheels and go back to free hand. 30 seconds to sharp sounds pretty good to me.

[Derek Cohen]

https://i.postimg.cc/XJmwpCDD/Sharpening-bench.jpg
Improved sharpening holder ...





https://i.postimg.cc/dVwGkv4v/Spyderco-Medium-Extra-Fine.jpg

Grinder and buffer ..

https://i.postimg.cc/DZJpcBGM/3.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ben Ellenberger]

I really should clean mine up.509227

[Maurice Mcmurry]

If I am at home I use my little Grizzly Tormek copy. I have it plumed with ice maker tubing and it sits on a tray that drains to the sink. If I am out on a job I use a two sided carborundum stone with oil, water or spit. If I am in a pinch and the stakes are not too high I can often make decent improvement to a dull tool with a brick, smooth concrete or a carefully selected rock. I rarely think of using anything high speed for wood working tools.

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[Cameron Wood]

In the adjacent powder room, which has been abandoned to solely my use.

Shelf over the toilet, which is made to slide forward, but in practice I leave in place. Rarely use a bench grinder, but have a Makita sharpener that I set up outside for tool restorations and jointer & planer knives. It goes on a utility table with a bucket on the shelf below to catch the water.

Having a permanent set up is great, away from the dust is good, zero steps to the sink, and the height- no bending over, is a big bonus.
The stones are used on a plastic tub with glass plate lid- sold to hold water stones I believe. The tub is filled with water as ballast, a lip catches the drips, and it raises the tool above other things on the shelf. Being able to orient the stones to a natural motion for the tool being sharpened is also an overlooked benefit.


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[Scott Winners]

little diamond stone “caddy” is nice, too.

Thanks Kevin.

I mostly use the Norton system for kitchen knives and hunting knives and fishing knives, but it is a useful thing for sure. I think my oil stones are 80, 220 and 400 grit. I inherited the thing from my grandpa, but once I got it into working order the only original piece still in use is the old lid that doesn't fit the new oil tray very well.

I am kinda shocked the caddy is still in service. It was my first attempt at 'sizing' the end grain with TBII. I have done it a few times with epoxy. Anyroad the stones came in, I opened all the packaging to check for shipping damage, and I didn't have a place to put away the diamond stones.

I found some scrap plywood laying around that was a little thicker than the diamond plates and just clamped up a multilayer sandwich - divider /ply blank/ divider/ etcetera; and then glued pieces onto the clamped up midsection. The stock is white oak. I had had about a foot of flat sawn white oak laying around for months and finally resawed that into 1/4 inch x 8/4 x 12 inch QSWO knowing I would use that for something someday.

I have mostly done end grain sizing with West 105 resin and 207 clear hardener. TBII seemed to work the same, glob some on the end grain, watch it soak in and start to gel, then more glue and responsible (not very much) clamping pressure.

When I had all the pieces glued on and was waiting for the glue to dry I was hoping the caddy would last two weeks, but it is still doing fine 3-5 years later.

Couple pics.

[Rob Luter]

Mine is pretty basic. It's just a melamine top on a metal stand. I use a simple three stone setup plus a strop. The small surface plate is for sandpaper or abrasive film. My stones are Shapton so I don't need much water. The silicone tray keeps what little mess there is contained. I wash it out every couple of months. I keep a sharpening jig and other odds and ends in the oak box.



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

[Scott Winners]

I just went and took a pic of my guide plate. You saw the back of it a bit ago on page one this thread. It is a fairly expensive piece of veneered plywood I got as a free scrap. On the back side, previously pictured, is just a piece of Joe 2x2 so I can clamp the underside into any old vise and have both hands free.

If I was a pro working full time in my shop space I would indeed attach wee guide blocks so I could load whatever iron into my sharpening jig, advance the iron to touching the guide block, with the jig on the edge of the plywood and get after it, with the realization every time an iron hit the guide block I would be digging a bit of a hole in the guide block. If I were a pro, which I am not, I would be watching for the divot cutting into the guide block to cause an ever increasing angle on whatever bevel I was hoping to set.

Having a bit of chip cut out of the guide block will cause the iron in the sharpening jig to stick out of the jig a little further and a little further ending up with a higher and higher resultant angle on the iron. Someday the 30 degree angle I think I am set for will be 32 or 34 degrees and eventually I will experience tearout that could have been prevented.

Were I a full time pro I think I could see this coming, spin the reference block 180 degrees on the reference surface in anticipation of future tearout and keep going. However, I am merely a moderately serious amateur. Instead of guide blocks, I have elected knife marks in the reference surface. A bit slower for each episode, but I will never have to rotate (or replace) the guide blocks on my reference face because I am not using guide blocks on the reference face.

It is fairly late here, but I suspect the "30 degree LN 1 inch MJS" mark refers to my 1" LN bench chisel having been sharpened so many times that I need to use the Mortise Jaw Set (MJS) for that chisel now as it doesn't fit in the ordinary (bench chisel and bench plane) jaw set anymore.

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[Patrick Baney]

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Cabinet was there when I moved in. My grinder is set up as Derek Cohen describes on his site. The platform my stones sit on is baltic birch veneered with torrified maple. The little stone holder blocks are placed such that I can use them to set the common angles I use for a honing guide, in the event I'm using it. I mostly use shapton pro - I felt like the glass stones wore too quickly. The stone on the far right is used exclusively for the ruler trick. I recently added a sink, just out of frame. This has been a luxury.

[glenn bradley]

The overhead cabinet was scrounged from a laundry room remodel.
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The Harbor Freight tool cabinet was on some holiday sale for about twice what the drawer slides and casters would have cost so I just bought it. Stones, pads, and guides are in the top drawer. Less often used items and a Worksharp 3000 are in the other drawers. There was more than enough room for what I use to hand sharpen so the balance of anything I use to sharpen anything got relocated and is now near the sink for easy clean up.

[Christopher Charles]

I have a slow speed grinder on the other side of the shop and this set up on a short cabinet that's ~24"x24".

The sharpening station is next to my workbench and while cramped, it gets the job done. I picked the shapton pros because they are spritz and go, important because I don't have running water and the shop would freeze annually (and could still should we have a really cold snap).

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[Jimmy Harris]

Ease of use and space is one reason I switched to a sandpaper on glass setup. I just have an 18x24 piece of plate glass on which I spray glue (3M Super 77) some sandpaper strips to. Then squirt them down with a bottle of water and go. I sometimes have a leather strop out as well. I like to have 5 grits on my glass, 240, 400, 800, 1500, 3000. It allows me to quickly and easily progress through each grit, which saves a lot of time. I just lay it on top of the workbench and put a benchdog at the top to keep it from sliding. I'll put the strop in a vise if I have it out.

This way I don't have to have my sharpening setup out, taking up valuable space. But, if I do need to sharpen something, all I have to do is clear out a patch on my workbench, and pull out 2, maybe 3 items (depending on if I want the strop), and immediately get to it. Then, for tear down put the glass and bottle back on a shelf. I don't even worry about cleaning the sandpaper when done because it's replaceable. Even switching out sandpaper is easy with some mineral spirits and spray glue. And really, you don't have to do that as often as you'd think. Sure, the sandpaper becomes less effective pretty quickly, but it keeps working with a few extra passes for quite a while.

[Cameron Wood]

Ease of use and space is one reason I switched to a sandpaper on glass setup. I just have an 18x24 piece of plate glass on which I spray glue (3M Super 77) some sandpaper strips to. Then squirt them down with a bottle of water and go. I sometimes have a leather strop out as well. I like to have 5 grits on my glass, 240, 400, 800, 1500, 3000. It allows me to quickly and easily progress through each grit, which saves a lot of time. I just lay it on top of the workbench and put a benchdog at the top to keep it from sliding. I'll put the strop in a vise if I have it out.

This way I don't have to have my sharpening setup out, taking up valuable space. But, if I do need to sharpen something, all I have to do is clear out a patch on my workbench, and pull out 2, maybe 3 items (depending on if I want the strop), and immediately get to it. Then, for tear down put the glass and bottle back on a shelf. I don't even worry about cleaning the sandpaper when done because it's replaceable. Even switching out sandpaper is easy with some mineral spirits and spray glue. And really, you don't have to do that as often as you'd think. Sure, the sandpaper becomes less effective pretty quickly, but it keeps working with a few extra passes for quite a while.


How do you deal with the backs of the tools?

[Tony Wilkins]

I didn’t want this to devolve into a which is best sharpening system debate (which is hasn’t). However, I picked up a lapping film kit with a Lee Valley order a while back. With the mess my current stones made on my bench, I’m wondering about the films to make setting up a cleaner (in more ways than one) operation.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

When using the Tormek copy I use the leather strop wheel to roll the burr off. If I am using a stone or brick I drag the burr off by pulling the tool backwards on its backside. This technique is only for flat things like chisels and plane irons

[kenneth hatch]

I agree with Rob Luter, "Sharp solves all manner of problems". Your sharpening station may be the most important "tool" in your shop. Mine is just off the end of my work benches and covers the whole wall. On the left is the "stone" area, slightly to the right is the Tormek setup and saw vise with high speed grinder and metal vise at the right end of the bench. Works for me and is a good use of limited space.

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As always click it to big it.

ken

[Jimmy Harris]

How do you deal with the backs of the tools?
I have the edge of the glass plate aligned with the edge of my workbench. And I glue each sheet of sandpaper near the edge of glass plate. For plane irons, it's no big deal. But for chisels, I use the bottom half of the sandpaper so the handle can hang over and below the edge if need be. That way I can get that 3° angle to attack the burr or whatever. Most of the time, if I'm sharpening the bevel of the blade, I'll start near the center and work my way towards the top to even out the wear so I'm not replacing sandpaper too often and leave the bottom third or so for the backs of chisels and whatever.

It's only really a problem when I'm trying to flatten the back of a new chisel or some other rare occurrence. For that, I'll go ahead and use a traditional whetstone. I still own a bunch of whetstones for things like scissors, kitchen and pocketknives, drawknives, and other weirdly shaped blades. It doesn't completely replace the need for whetstones. But 98% of the time, I find I can do what I need in the shop with just the plate glass and water bottle.

[Dan Kraakenes]

Since I am still building my little shop, it consits of a kitchen counter top made out of stone, looks like marble with a sink installed.

Its 2.4m or 95’’ long.
Our kitchen installer ordered plate with wrong sink, so we got to keep the plate.

I will find some IKEA cabinets to place it on, with plenty of drawers for storage sake. Or I will try to build some myself, depending on how quickly I want to have it up and running.

A grinder, a Tormek and some Diamond plates will be placed on top.

[Richard Hutchings]

What's the point of all those things? I thought the Tormek was a one stop deal, at least replaces the grinder.

[Tom M King]

The slow speed wet grinders serve a useful purpose if they fit what you want to do, and how to do it. They're slow so they don't sling water all over everything. The slow rpm makes them very slow to remove metal regardless of the wheel you have on it. The dry grinders remove metal WAY faster, but make another kind of mess, and it is possible to burn an edge with any of them. It depends entirely on what you want to accomplish, and how fast you want to do it.

If one needs the bevel changed, from damage or any other reason, I remove most of the metal with a dry grinder, and finish the bevel to the edge with the wet grinder. The wet grinder alone will never get edges as sharp as I want them by itself. Without damage to the edge other than simply getting dull, mine never visit a grinder.

[Tom M King]

Dan, that length sounds about right to me. Mine is 92" long. I had a shorter one for a while with a drainboard on one side of the sink, but 48" total was just not big enough for what I wanted. It looks too big in my first pictures here, but I have a larger granite surface plate to go on the end that I'm waiting until I have enough time to finish the cabinet under it to support the 85 pounds. I use it for sandpaper sharpening of jointer knives and things larger than the stones.

The stoneholder sink bridge came off Amazon. They have several different sizes. At first I thought it might be too flimsy, but works fine.

[mike stenson]

Yea, to be honest I don't use my tormek for anything other than turning tools. It's just too slow. So I use a high-speed grinder, my fingers and a cup of water. Then move to water stones. Since I have a couple benches I just pull them out and place them in a boot bin on the bench I use less. While they tend to live there for a while, they get packed up and put away.

[kenneth hatch]

BTW, the JNATS are in the cabinet with the "Bear Crossing" sign.

[George Yetka]

Dont tell my wife its not normal but i do all my stone work on the kitchen counter. I do my kitchen knives every time I break out the stones. Easy cleanup on kitchen counter. I just make sure I thoroughly rinse the SS sink. Otherwise it all sits in a drawer. The 1 time every other year I run the wolverine jig for the lathe tools I setup the grinder.

[steven c newman]

Ok...Dungeon Woodshop. The ONLY water being used (besides when the clothes washer is running) is in a tall, plastic glass, sitting beside the grinder...I use oil stones, I use a very worn sanding disc of my sanding machine, I use wet-or-dry Sandpaper with oil...sitting on an oil stone I just got done using, then set up and use a cloth wheel grinder, and some Green stick..
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Wider one..left a hair-free patch on my left forearm, about 1-3/4" wide..

[Maurice Mcmurry]

A hair free patch on my arm is the only requirement I have for a sharpening station. I don't think it matters much what the abrasive is as long as it removes material and goes down (up?) to very fine. Heat needs to be avoided. A strop is very helpful. Wet or dry sandpaper on a pice of glass is part of my Kit too. My little Grizzly was bought on a whim. A $99.00 buy one get one free Christmas gift sale at Grizzlys online store. I am slowly making various tool holders for it. Scissors remain a weak point in my sharpening ability. I can get a dull pair to work with a tiny carborundum scissors stone. If I try to use the Grizzly on scissors I can not make any improvement. The scissors tool holder is one that I plan to buy.
I would love to get a peak inside Bob's Sharpening Service shop in NH. He did a batch of antique saws for us. The list of all the items he sharpens is the biggest I have seen.

Bob's Sharp All (https://www.bobssharpall.net/)

[Christopher Charles]

If only Bob could sharpen minds.

[Scott Winners]

Ease of use and space is one reason I switched to a sandpaper on glass setup.

I used sandpaper on glass for quite a while, but the price of sandpaper eventually made it cost effective for me to move on. I am confident you have really good edges, I did too; but keep an eye on your $ going out the door for sandpaper.

[Richard Hutchings]

Well, after reading all this and seeing how much time and money gets thrown at this, I decided to put most of it aside and try the Cosman 30 seconds to sharp. I don't own a 16000 grit stone so I added the strop step to my process. Another 20 seconds. Still not bad. If I keep this setup on it's own bench, then I may not hesitate to sharpen before a cut.

I decide to test it on the only 5 1/2 I own, the one given to me by Steven Newman, can you believe that!! Anyway, I found I needed to do a lot of work on the back of the blade and spent quite a bit of effort on this along with flattening the chip breaker. I started from scratch on the blade bringing to my high speed grey wheel bench grinder. I free handed the angle, barely generating any heat and I didn't even need to cool it. How about that!

I spent a short time on the 400 grit diamond stone which I shouldn't have to do again for a while. With that done, I'm ready for the Cosman sharpening. Slight lift on the 1200 diamond stone followed by a little more lift on the 8000 grit Shapton and then, just because I don't have a 16000 grit like he does, I added some time on the stop.

I took this to some hard maple, oiled the sole ala Paul and went to town. Once I dialed in the plane, I got a glass smooth surface on the edge of the board. It felt like it was waxed. At this point, I'm pretty much sold but I think I can do better yet with this plane.

2 things needed, check the sole for flatness because I couldn't quite get down to the level of ease I see when Rob does it so I think I need to flatten the sole a little. I also want to square up the side for shooting, only the left side needs to be done, I'm a lefty. I'm not sure what that's going to entail, we'll see when I get there, probably next year in retirement.

If, and that's a big if, I can get this 5 1/2 to do all my smoothing and shooting, I may be selling my Veritas BU at a bargain price to one of our members. I could use the money for wood. Or, I may do a tool swap with someone.

[Nathan Johnson]

Just a tray with shelf liner and stones. Grinder is out in the garage.509469

[Phil Gaudio]

My super fancy sharpening setup. Granite tile scraps epoxied to plywood: note the French cleat at the top (hangs on wall when not in use).
3m micro finishing film: post it notes help avoid cross contamination when honing guide is moved from grit to grit. I use a spritz of CMT Bit/Blade cleaner on the film: works great. Also note black bar mat in back: great surface to store various wet sharpening paraphernalia. I should mention I also have a Tormek on another table in the shop.

https://i.postimg.cc/Jn6815Hw/IMG-3994.jpg (https://postimg.cc/S2M3d8GV)

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[steven c newman]

Happen to have another Stanley No. 5-1/2c..
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Except, this one was in use, today....top of the bench needed a bit of flattening...
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A couple knots were acting up, causing speed bumps...all flat, now..

[Richard Hutchings]

Happen to have another Stanley No. 5-1/2c..
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Except, this one was in use, today....top of the bench needed a bit of flattening...
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A couple knots were acting up, causing speed bumps...all flat, now..

Here's the one you gave me in action this morning. Not really doing any work but creating shavings in hard maple.

[steven c newman]

Glad you liked it!

[Maurice Mcmurry]

a carefully selected rock.

This rock is a dandy. The area in the circle is a sharpening station. The handyman plane was sharpened on this rock. Pine is not a big challenge. The plane would not cut pine at all before I sharpened it the on the rock.

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[Tom M King]

My Mother used to sharpen her kitchen knives on a brick in the steps into the kitchen. In an 1828 house I worked on, beside the Winter cooking fireplace in the basement, there is one Schist stone laid about chest high in all the other Gneiss stones. There is a lot of wear from sharpening knives on it.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

My Mother used to sharpen her kitchen knives on a brick in the steps into the kitchen. In an 1828 house I worked on, beside the Winter cooking fireplace in the basement, there is one Schist stone laid about chest high in all the other Gneiss stones. There is a lot of wear from sharpening knives on it.

Neat-O!
I get to drive past Whetstone Creek C.A. today. I hope I have time to stop.
Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | Missouri Department of Conservation (https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/whetstone-creek-conservation-area)

[Cameron Wood]

My super fancy sharpening setup. Granite tile scraps epoxied to plywood: note the French cleat at the top (hangs on wall when not in use).
3m micro finishing film: post it notes help avoid cross contamination when honing guide is moved from grit to grit. I use a spritz of CMT Bit/Blade cleaner on the film: works great. Also note black bar mat in back: great surface to store various wet sharpening paraphernalia. I should mention I also have a Tormek on another table in the shop.

https://i.postimg.cc/Jn6815Hw/IMG-3994.jpg (https://postimg.cc/S2M3d8GV)

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I used a 12" black granite tile like that for years for flattening plane soles, etc.. When I got a precision straight edge and went around checking things,
it turned out that it was not flat at all, but had a dish to the middle.

[Phil Gaudio]

I used a 12" black granite tile like that for years for flattening plane soles, etc.. When I got a precision straight edge and went around checking things,
it turned out that it was not flat at all, but had a dish to the middle.

You know, my scraps might not be flat: I have never even thought to measure them. But as long as I can get sharpening results that let me do this, I really don't care;)

https://i.postimg.cc/bwQQGZV2/IMG-3527.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3kxyVxTK)

[Rob Luter]

My super fancy sharpening setup. Granite tile scraps epoxied to plywood: note the French cleat at the top (hangs on wall when not in use).
3m micro finishing film: post it notes help avoid cross contamination when honing guide is moved from grit to grit. I use a spritz of CMT Bit/Blade cleaner on the film: works great. Also note black bar mat in back: great surface to store various wet sharpening paraphernalia. I should mention I also have a Tormek on another table in the shop.

https://i.postimg.cc/Jn6815Hw/IMG-3994.jpg (https://postimg.cc/S2M3d8GV)

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I used this process for years. For me it was 1/4" Plate Glass glued to 3/4" veneered MDF blocks. It worked pretty well for touch ups but the films wore down rather quickly. The film also had trouble with the A2 blade material. Great idea using the post it notes!

I simplified a couple years back and went to the "Cosman" system. It was a good move. It's quicker and takes up less space.

[Joel Gelman]

I am about to make a sharpening station. Part of it will include the NanoHone 3 stone "pond". I will place it on a shelf with a hole cut out in the bottom to correspond to where the drainage opening is (you can remove a screw to drain) and place a bucket underneath. I do not have a sink in the shop.

For those who do not have sharpening stations near a sink where there is a suitable stainless steel or other surrounding counter surface, I see many use a station made from wood to store or set their stones. Others mention something like granite tile scraps, but those are in certain fixed sizes.

I am thinking for the station, I will paint the wood to protect from water (I suppose marine varnish is another option) but was wondering for counter and other surfaces, anyone identified a certain rubber or other product that can be cut to size that is useful? What I am trying to avoid it making a sharpening station that will not hold up due to water damage from the water stone use.

Thanks!

[Phil Gaudio]

Formica laminate

[Jim Koepke]

I have used a floor mat from an auto supply section of a department store, purchased about 15 years ago. It has a ridge all around to hold any excess water.

My stones soak in a plastic, shoe box size container. I keep water in an old milk/juice jug and a spray bottle.

Trying to find one brought up this > Pet Feeding Mat (click me) (https://www.amazon.com/Hoki-Found-Silicone-Food-Mats/dp/B01N8TH7JY/ref=sr_1_13_sspa) <

It might actually be better than my mat.

jtk

[Cameron Wood]

My set up uses laminate counter salvaged when I redid the kitchen in my '50s home. The substrate is nice old plywood like you can't get anymore, & the laminate even has paisleys!

[Joel Gelman]

"My stones soak in a plastic, shoe box size container."

Interesting. Once upon a time, I was under the impression that waterstones are to be stored wet in a container with water. That is how I stored stones, and it was not conducive to use. When I see pictures of sharpening stations, it seems like what I generally see is the waterstones set out and ready to go at all times vs stored in some wood box with partitions.

I was not planning to store the Nanohone (and 1 Shapton) wasterstones soaked in a plastic container as I want them out. Does anyone think that is a mistake? I understand that when I apply water it initially sinks into the stone, but I am not thinking there is any other downside to outweigh the advantage of being able to walk over to the stones in the pond, spray with water, and sharpen

[Jim Koepke]

…
Interesting. Once upon a time, I was under the impression that waterstones are to be stored wet in a container with water. That is how I stored stones, and it was not conducive to use. When I see pictures of sharpening stations, it seems like what I generally see is the waterstones set out and ready to go at all times vs stored in some wood box with partitions.

Various stones have different requirements. Some should be soaked for a few minutes before use. Some can be stored underwater to be ready at all times. Some are "splash & go," others have a binder that will crumble if left in the water too long.

For me, keeping them constantly soaking on top of the area where they will be used is very conducive to their use. Just pull them out and line them up. Though mostly now days my oil stones in a different area are used more often.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Ok, may get yelled at again for using "that" name, but..

In a couple of the Ishitani build videos....it shows his "Japanese Way" of a sharpening "bench"

He has a Utility Sink...there is a 2 rod clamping device, that both hold the stone used, and also clamps to the sink....his way of "spraying water" onto the stone in use, is just a wet handful of water from the sink's faucet, onto the stone, as he is working on a plane's iron. Along the back of that sink, are several other stones, waiting their turn...

Yes Derek..he does USE hand tools where needful...and..he keeps them very sharp....

[Tom M King]

Under a small stream of water, it doesn't matter if it's a stone that requires soaking or just a splash. It works fine for either and washes the mess away. Your requirements may vary for various reasons, but I really like it like that here. I never worry about remembering which requires what. None stay in water. None have ever cracked. Never in dirty water. Sink bridge from Amazon.

[Jim Koepke]

Under a small stream of water, it doesn't matter if it's a stone that requires soaking or just a splash. It works fine for either and washes the mess away. Your requirements may vary for various reasons, but I really like it like that here.

Under a stream of water is great, if there is running water and a drain available.

Many shops do not have running water.

jtk

[Cameron Wood]

And with finishing stones, one does not want to wash the slurry away.

[Tom M King]

Yes, I don’t bother with stones that require building a slurry. This just drains out on top of the ground. No trap needed.

[William Fretwell]

513022
Granite top for weight, supported at 3 points for stability. Legs substantial. It does not move!
Pond for stones and sink right behind where you stand. Drawer contains band aids. Have added a saw sharpening jig after this was taken at back right.

I do love the cleanliness of the set up. I have replaced the rubber mat with small open rubber mats. The main benefit is being able to have the stone right at the edge of the granite for access and no worries about water.

[Jimmy Harris]

I used sandpaper on glass for quite a while, but the price of sandpaper eventually made it cost effective for me to move on. I am confident you have really good edges, I did too; but keep an eye on your $ going out the door for sandpaper.
Yeah. It's not really an issue. I've noticed the sandpaper quits cutting with high efficiency pretty quickly, but it'll still cut for a LONG time after that, it just might take a couple of extra swipes. It won't feel as gritty, but it still works. Plus I'll work the whole sheet, so plane irons get worked on the center and chisels get worked on the edges.

A single sheet of sandpaper, cut into four strips, will last me about six months. So it takes years before I make it through a whole pack, if I don't dig into it for something else.

I still have several whet stones. But I keep them in the kitchen and only use them for kitchen knives where elevation above the work surface is important.

[Derek Cohen]

For those with water, here are recent-ish photos of my sharpening centre.

https://i.postimg.cc/QMNyscvH/1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Two 8" half-speed bench grinders. One is the original with 180- and 80 grit CBN wheels and a Tormek BGM-100 platform for the Tormek blade holders. Very versatile for bench and lathe chisels, and plane blades. Also used freehand. The 180 grit wheel is for everyday hollow refreshening, and the 80 grit for re-grinding.

The second machine has one hard cloth wheel for buffing and a soft wheel for Unicorn profiling.

https://i.postimg.cc/Jz529p6f/2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I mostly use a Shapton Pro 1000 and Sigma 6000 and 13000, but have been playing around with some old, set aside stones for curiosity. These are Shapton Pro 12000 and a few Chinese waterstones.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZR27r2nd/3.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

The waterstone holder is a layer of rubber on sealed hardwood.

https://i.postimg.cc/x8msg5NF/5.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

A simple UHMW bracket and clamp ...

https://i.postimg.cc/GpMSpH1z/4.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

This is hinged for cleaning, plus it anchors the board to prevent movement ...

https://i.postimg.cc/mDtp1BL4/6.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Almost all honing is freehand. Guides are only used for bevel up plane blades.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[steven c newman]

Shopping Trip, today...NEW bottle of 3in1 Oil...and 1,500 grit, 2,000 grit, and 3000 grit Wet or Dry sandpaper....

Usual routine: Use a coarse oil stone. then the 600 grit Medium India....wipe the India off, and add clean oil...lay the first grit of sandpaper into the puddle of oil...sandpaper stays put. then work up through the grits....then finish up with the Green Compound of the cloth wheel....done...

Retouch of an edge while I am using it? Pants leg of my work Blue Jeans...both bevel and the back....back to work...

[Warren Mickley]

Shopping Trip, today...NEW bottle of 3in1 Oil...and 1,500 grit, 2,000 grit, and 3000 grit Wet or Dry sandpaper....

Usual routine: Use a coarse oil stone. then the 600 grit Medium India....wipe the India off, and add clean oil...lay the first grit of sandpaper into the puddle of oil...sandpaper stays put. then work up through the grits....then finish up with the Green Compound of the cloth wheel....done...

Retouch of an edge while I am using it? Pants leg of my work Blue Jeans...both bevel and the back....back to work...

How long does it take you to sharpen a plane iron?

[steven c newman]

10 minutes....and back to work...

[Tony Wilkins]

Had a bolt together bench we’d gotten off the hog river site a while back for something else that never materialized. Put it together a couple of weekends ago and today rearranged things to have a place for it. Now I;ve got a stable, permanent place for my sharpening gear.
517362517363

[Derek Cohen]

10 minutes....and back to work...

Steven, seriously, that is far too long! My patience is fine for productive tasks, but would be sorely tested if I needed to spend 10 minutes every time a blade needed to be sharpened. I rather doubt that it takes me more than 1 minute to hone a dull blade. I think that it is time to re-assess your method.

Regards from Perth

Derek