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Thread: Waterstone Sharpening Station - Recirculating Water

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Fargo North Dakota
    Posts
    352

    Waterstone Sharpening Station - Recirculating Water

    I use Shapton waterstones to sharpen my blades and I flatten them with a diamond plate. For coarse work I have a grinder and other diamond plates. I don't have running water in the shop and flattening the stones is a pain because they have to be flattened under running water. I have been thinking about other options when I saw this on ebay. Minus the hand nozzle it would make a good sharpening station with running water.

    s-l1600.jpg

    Would recirculating water be a problem? Obviously I'd change it regularly and keep a few drops of bleach in it to keep it from getting stagnate.
    What do ya'll think?

    Thanks,
    Bryan
    My woodworking theory: Measure with a micrometer, Mark with chalk, Cut with an ax.

  2. #2
    Bryan,

    There is a good chance I'm dumb as a brick but I'll ask anyway....Why do you need running water to flatten your Shapton stones?

    ken

  3. #3
    I use Shaptons and do not flatten under running water. Flattening for me requires a little more space than a sink or that small sharpening station would afford. I prefer to dip into a tupperware full of water (both the stone and the plate, and do the actual flattening on a dish washing mat. I then wipe that dry with papertowels and throw away the slurry in the trash can.

  4. #4
    I use shapton glass stones (HR series) and use a trend diamond plate to flatten. I just spray a bit of water/hone-rite mix onto the stone/diamond plate and go at it for about 5 seconds...good as new...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
    Posts
    1,957
    Just asking a question out of ignorance - Do they have to be flattened under running water or do they just need the swarf washed off after flattening? I use Sigmas that have to be washed off (only) and, like you, I don't have running water. I keep a garden hose with a squirter on the end laying on the ground outside the entry door of the shop and the sharpening station is near the entry door. The red gizmo? I guess it would work but may take up some space, that IN MY SHOP, I would not like to give up. Do you think the red gizmo would be sturdy enough to flatten on? Or would it flex under the pressure as you rub one of the stones on the other?
    David

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Stone Mountain, GA
    Posts
    751
    Yeah, you don't need running water to flatten. They just need to be wet when you begin flattening and you need to rinse them afterwards (and rinse the diamond stone). My shop has no plumbing either, and I use oil stones mostly. But if I ever decide to switch to my Shaptons for daily use, my idea is to get a plastic tub and build a rack on top of the tub that the stones sit on. I would also have a water pail, and pour clean water from the pail over the stones to rinse off swarf and slurry. The dirty water would run off into the tub. You don't really need to use much water with Shaptons, so I think you could go for a while without having to refill the pail or empty the tub.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Tokyo, Japan
    Posts
    1,550
    A squirt bottle every few minutes is good enough.

    Bleach would be a big mistake.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Fargo North Dakota
    Posts
    352
    Thanks for all the replies already! I have the white glass backed stones and the instructions say if you’re not using their flattening plate to flatten them under running water. I’m using a DMT plate dedicated to flattening. I already do the tub squirt bottle thing so it looks like I’m just over thinking it and will keep on keeping on! Thanks everyone!
    My woodworking theory: Measure with a micrometer, Mark with chalk, Cut with an ax.

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