Dedicated Hand Tool Sharpening Station, Can you share your thoughts, idea?

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
Looking to make a dedicated hand tool sharpening station, looking for idea and or plans, pics help for sure.

I have a drain, but I have no running water, this will be for water stones.

Thanks!
 
OK the Sheetgoods storage box is gone, and I've used some of the plywood from said box to build a new cabinet around the existing cabinet I had, I just don't have the time to spare to build a whole new cabinet, one day, I guess :rolleyes:

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I built a light for doing videos a while back, it is very good bright light, but I was having a bit of a problem storing it, well I found a great place to store it, right above my sharpening station!
on the right at some point I'll make some more drawers for the sharpening stuff, but for now this will be up and running soon.

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The wooden surround is just about an 1/8" off the top edge of the green plastic box I'm using as a pond, I have some of that white counter top stuff that is about 1/2" thick, I'm thinking I'll cut a piece to fit around this just like one of those undersink counter, that way I'll have a nice waterproof top for my sharpening station, I'll put some of that foam tape stuff on the top edge of the green box to seal the box to the bottom of the counter top stuff. Then I can add a pump of some kind. I have a plug just above to the right of the new cabinet, I'll get a GFI plug for it, just to be safe.

I hope to have this done, and then some more clean up and back to work.

Cheers!
 
But then you'll have to open up the space where the little pond is on the right and .. what will you put there ;)

Looking good, although I might be tempted to move the saws so the aren't right above the moisture producing area.... probably overly paranoid.. but..
 
But then you'll have to open up the space where the little pond is on the right and .. what will you put there ;)

Looking good, although I might be tempted to move the saws so the aren't right above the moisture producing area.... probably overly paranoid.. but..

This is what struck me when i watched Teds video and thought of a closed up basement shop and water. What i have done to get past having to wet the stones before i can use them was had Linda donate a low profile rectangular tupperware dish with a really good lid (hey tupperware quality) and put the stones in the water in the dish and then close it with the lid. Its not ideal and for some stones who knows.

I am yet to be convinced the stones are the way to go for sharpening. I guess its what works for each individual. My preference remains a good flat granite slab and sticking down water paper of different grades.

Only place i have altered is in carving tool sharpening Toni convinced me of the merit in the stones. But i have yet to buy the really useful ones to date.

I get a lot of mileage with self adhesive fine sandpaper from LV and forms that i have it adhere to.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=33004&cat=1,43072
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=64715&cat=1,42500


So from the looks of things Stu looks like you going to duplicate the video approach?
 
But then you'll have to open up the space where the little pond is on the right and .. what will you put there ;)

Looking good, although I might be tempted to move the saws so the aren't right above the moisture producing area.... probably overly paranoid.. but..

yeah, the saws, they should be OK there, not a lot of water, not spraying it around, but maybe I'll find another spot for them.

The wall behind the sharpening station, I'll put something there, not sure what yet, maybe a narrow cabinet, for...? or maybe just a shelf.

Cheers!
 
This is what struck me when i watched Teds video and thought of a closed up basement shop and water. What i have done to get past having to wet the stones before i can use them was had Linda donate a low profile rectangular tupperware dish with a really good lid (hey tupperware quality) and put the stones in the water in the dish and then close it with the lid. Its not ideal and for some stones who knows.

I am yet to be convinced the stones are the way to go for sharpening. I guess its what works for each individual. My preference remains a good flat granite slab and sticking down water paper of different grades.

Only place i have altered is in carving tool sharpening Toni convinced me of the merit in the stones. But i have yet to buy the really useful ones to date.

I get a lot of mileage with self adhesive fine sandpaper from LV and forms that i have it adhere to.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=33004&cat=1,43072
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=64715&cat=1,42500


So from the looks of things Stu looks like you going to duplicate the video approach?

Each to his own, I find the sandpaper never gets my tools really sharp, and sandpaper wears out too fast, for me, and sandpaper gets expensive!

I like the ceramic water stones, they don't need to be soaked for 10 min, you can just wet them and they are fine. I have no running water down here, the jug over the sink is filled during the summer from the aircon, but in the winter I have to fill it manually.

More to come!

Cheers!
 
We have walking water. Walk to water, fill 20 litre container, walk water to shop, lift water to mezzanine, pour into bucket. It's surprising how much flow you get with about 5' head. :)

I don't have that much head, but the flow is just fine :)

I am happy that I have a sump and pump, would not want to have to empty the bucket all the time. In the summer, that ac keeps that 18 litre jug full all the time.

Cheers!
 
The basic build is done....

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The pieces of counter top I have was not big enough to cover the whole thing with one piece, so I just cut strips and did it that way.

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I used weather stripping on the top edge of the pond, this will hopefully keep any water from getting into the box around the pond.

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Basically done, I need to make a carriage to hold the stones over the pond, and look into getting a pump maybe with a filter of some kind?

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I might bang out some drawers for that right side, I have a bunch of smaller scraps of plywood on hand, and they are going to get chucked if I don't use them....

Cheers!
 
Looking good. I don't see any easy way to change the water other than scoop and sponge. Did you consider a drain? Maybe rig something on the right side where you were going to put more drawers? Seems like the water would get funky after a while with stone dust and filings that would all settle to the bottom. A magnet might help collect metal, and a simple drain out to a bucket might make removing waste easier?
 
Looking good. I don't see any easy way to change the water other than scoop and sponge. Did you consider a drain? Maybe rig something on the right side where you were going to put more drawers? Seems like the water would get funky after a while with stone dust and filings that would all settle to the bottom. A magnet might help collect metal, and a simple drain out to a bucket might make removing waste easier?

Well the sink is right next to it, and under the sink is a drain, so a simple hose to syphon the water out would work.

I think a drain is a good idea, but putting a hole in my pond box, naw, just something to leak. I'm going to make some kind of grid or grill on the bottom, to keep the stone from sitting in the mud, and I'll put a pump in to give me water directly on the stone in use, I'm thinking a min pond pump, not right in the pond, but outside it, with a hose into the pond, possibly with a washable filter on it, it could pick up water near the surface so it's not down in the mud, and then some kind of spigot. To run the pump I have a GFI plug under the sink for the sump pump, then a simple switch on the wall and it should work fine.

I'm also going to put an aluminium edge on the two outside edges, to keep water in the pond and on the left side I'll put more of this counter top stuff as a back splash.

Cheers!
 
Well the sink is right next to it, and under the sink is a drain, so a simple hose to syphon the water out would work....

Problem solved. We have had good luck with a 'Drinkwell' pet water fountain. The little pump has an adjustable flow and is going on four years without problems. They are less than $20 at Amazon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NES1Hw5LuY
 
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I realize the shop is small, but I wouldn't completely fill that empty spot up with drawers. Since you have a sink, and don't need a drain there, I would leave a bit of a shelf there, for the planes, or chisels (when sharpening more then one), a rag, etc.
 
I realize the shop is small, but I wouldn't completely fill that empty spot up with drawers. Since you have a sink, and don't need a drain there, I would leave a bit of a shelf there, for the planes, or chisels (when sharpening more then one), a rag, etc.
Thanks for the input, I'll be building a shallow shelf on the wall behind the pond, and my shelf with all of my planes on it is just out of arms reach to the back right, the drawer with all my chisels in it is within arms reach to the left.

Cheers!
 
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I got an aquarium pump today and hooked it up, wired a switch in and used a piece of hose that I wrapped with some stiff wire and then some electrical tape to make a sort of adjustable spigot.
I also put the back splash in on the left side.

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I also built the drawers, really basic butt joints and staple, but they should work just fine.

The last things to do are to install the drawers, and make some fronts for them, as well as put the aluminium edge on the right side and the front, the make the bridge that will hold the stones, I'm thinking about that a bit, I guess I'll have to make a couple different sizes.

Cheers!
 
Nice idea on the adjustable hose setup.

the make the bridge that will hold the stones, I'm thinking about that a bit, I guess I'll have to make a couple different sizes.

I'm not sure why? I guess if you're planning on doing stone holders it might be necessary, but a lot of the ponds I'm seeing people are just using a non slip surface of some sort (rubber, neoprene, shelf liner, ??) and that seems a lot quicker. I don't believe the width should matter to much unless I'm missing a bet?
 
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