Soaking ceramic water stones (Stu's special set)

[Charlie Stanford]

This is new!!

Here's a picture of my crappy set up. The green box holds a Norton hard black Arky, the blue box a No. 1 Washita (both just made from a piece of SYP 2x10 sitting around the shop). My almost 4 year old daughter loves to paint and I needed to box both of those stones. Medium and fine Norton synthetic stones round out the collection and they are a nice sliding fit on the lumberyard pine tray; I don't use them that close to each other.

[Chris Griggs]

Here's a picture of my crappy set up. The green box holds a Norton hard black Arky, the blue box a No. 1 Washita. My almost 4 year old daughter loves to paint and I needed to box both of those stones. Medium and fine Norton synthetic stones round out the collection and they are a nice sliding fit on lumberyard pine tray; I don't use them that close together to each other.

Looks like a great setup! The painted boxes are pretty neat. I have an oil stone setup I use as an alternative to my waterstones when its cold in the shop or if my waterstones are put away and I don't feel like getting them out. Pretty much the same thing...norton medium india, Pike no. 1 Washita (thanks to Mr. Weaver), Halls black arky, and my palm. I have a cheap plastic ($10) diamond plate I used to refresh the surface of the washita which keeps it cutting fast enough that I rarely used use my medium. Coupled with my 6 inch bench grinder it makes for a very space efficient and effective system. The 3 stones sit in their cases on a cinder block (that gets used for heavy flattening of oilstones when needed) at the foot of my bench so they're always close at hand and very convenient.

[Charlie Stanford]

Thanks. I have an old 6" Craftsman grinder not in the photo. It's on its last leg - bearings are howling like a banshee.

[Chris Griggs]

Thanks. I have an old 6" Craftsman grinder not in the photo. It's on its last leg - bearings are howling like a banshee.

I don't know how I ever got buy without my 6" bench grinder. I have the little 6" Porter cable that lowes sells. At $80 its not the least expensive grinder out there but mine runs pretty smoothly and the tool rests that come on it are good enough that I haven't bothered to buy or build an alternative. If I already had home-made or after market rests I probably would have gone even cheaper and just gotten the whatever $30-$40 grinder lowes or HD is selling these day. I find inexpensive 6" grinders to be endlessly valuable.

[Charlie Stanford]

I actually have my eye on that same grinder or the Skil they also carry for a little less money. I certainly won't get anything more elaborate than the P-C model you have. I just need something that will spin a wheel, you know what I mean?

Maybe I need to buy a $300 dial gauge to measure the runout on the thing.

[Chris Griggs]

I actually have my eye on that same grinder or the Skil they also carry for a little less money. I certainly won't get anything more elaborate than the P-C model you have. I just need something that will spin a wheel, you know what I mean?

Maybe I need to buy a $300 dial gauge to measure the runout on the thing.

LOL. The P-C is great. The rests are flimsey but they work. I filed the teeth of mine so that I can adjust it any way I want. I've also heard of putting a washer in the rest adjuster as an alternative to filing off the teeth. The variable speed I used for I think the first week I had it, but its been on full speed ever since and I'm still using the 46 grit gray wheel that came on it...the 60 grit is in a box somewhere. If space is a premium the little water container on the front is actually kind of handy as is the little clip on the back that holds the dresser that comes with it. Mines pretty stripped down at the moment. I don't even have anything on the second spindle. If you already have rests, a dresser and don't desire variable speed I bet the Skil is just as good. The stupid cheap little features on the P-C were handy for me as it was my first grinder, but at the end of the day its still a cheap BORG grinder and I bet the guts aren't any better than those on the Skil (Of course, I don't have the Skil so I could be mistakin). I will say that the $80 I spent on the P-C is some of the best money I've spent on woodworking stuff.

[Charlie Stanford]

LOL. The P-C is great. The rests are flimsey but they work. I filed the teeth of mine so that I can adjust it any way I want. I've also heard of putting a washer in the rest adjuster as an alternative to filing off the teeth. The variable speed I used for I think the first week I had it, but its been on full speed ever since and I'm still using the 46 grit gray wheel that came on it...the 60 grit is in a box somewhere. If space is a premium the little water container on the front is actually kind of handy as is the little clip on the back that holds the dresser that comes with it. Mines pretty stripped down at the moment. I don't even have anything on the second spindle. If you already have rests, a dresser and don't desire variable speed I bet the Skil is just as good. The stupid cheap little features on the P-C were handy for me as it was my first grinder, but at the end of the day its still a cheap BORG grinder and I bet the guts aren't any better than those on the Skil (Of course, I don't have the skill so I could be mistakin). I will say that the $80 I spent on the P-C is some of the best money I've spent on woodworking stuff.

I think you've sold me on the Porter Cable...

[Chris Griggs]

I think you've sold me on the Porter Cable...

Oh man, that's a lot of pressure. I hope you like it...otherwise I'll never hear the end of it!

[Charlie Stanford]

Oh man, that's a lot of pressure. I hope you like it...otherwise I'll never hear the end of it!

Absolutely no worries on that.... it'll work fine I'm sure. I'll let you know when I pull the trigger. Could be today. I'm about to go out and use the Sears grinder in just a few minutes. It surely can't have much life left.

[Chris Griggs]

Absolutely no worries on that.... it'll work fine I'm sure. I'll let you know when I pull the trigger. Could be today. I'm about to go out and use the Sears grinder in just a few minutes. It surely can't have much life left.

Yeh, pretty sure you'll like it...its definitely exceeded my initial expectations of it. Let us know how it goes...

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I've got the same P/C grinder Chris mentions, and I'd probably say pretty much everything he says about it. Only issue I've had is that the softer aluminum used in the tool rests can easily get grit embedded in it, which can be annoying sometimes.

[Chris Griggs]

Here's a picture of my crappy set up. The green box holds a Norton hard black Arky, the blue box a No. 1 Washita (both just made from a piece of SYP 2x10 sitting around the shop). My almost 4 year old daughter loves to paint and I needed to box both of those stones. Medium and fine Norton synthetic stones round out the collection and they are a nice sliding fit on the lumberyard pine tray; I don't use them that close to each other.

Hey Charlie!!!!!!....??????????????????????

Is that the Wood Is Good Synthetic Strop I see in your sharpening set up with their AlOx powder. If so how do you like it? Been curious about both the strop and the powder. If not, what is it... sure doesn't look like leather (or maybe it is and its just light in color). I can't tell from the photo.

[Charlie Stanford]

Hey Charlie!!!!!!....??????????????????????

Is that the Wood Is Good Synthetic Strop I see in your sharpening set up with their AlOx powder. If so how do you like it? Been curious about both the strop and the powder. If not, what is it... sure doesn't look like leather (or maybe it is and its just light in color). I can't tell from the photo.

It is indeed the Wood is Good composition strop with AlOx powder. Seems to work fine. I clamp the strop to the bench with a baby C clamp and give it hell. You don't need much of the powder; it'll put a nice shine on the steel and lays waste to any rag left over from honing. I don't like that waxy crap. The little bit of powder wipes or blows right off. I clean the strop with Windex and it doesn't seem the worse for it. I think I'm going to buy another one and stick it in a drawer.

[Chris Griggs]

It is indeed the Wood is Good composition strop with AlOx powder. Seems to work fine. I clamp the strop to the bench with a baby C clamp and give it hell. You don't need much of the powder; it'll put a nice shine on the steel and lays waste to any rag left over from honing.

Cool! Good to know that its a good product. Been wondering about it for a while. Thanks for the input.

[Charlie Stanford]

Sure, they aren't expensive. You ought to give it a try. The corners can be used on certain sweeps and shapes of carving tools too.