Sharpening Bench

[Shannon Brantley]

Going to build a designated sharpening bench and wanted some advice from those that have them. What's a good size? I was thinking of a thick glass top over the wood. Bad idea? Also, thinking a couple of drawers. Any other extras I should include?

[David Weaver]

I'd want something with more grip on the top than glass, but I guess you could put a rubber mat on it. If it's a sharpening-only bench, it doesn't matter so much if it gets dirty or nicked up. I'd rather make a cheap replaceable top than use something super hard like glass, but glass does have its virtues if you feel like you'll have loose grit flying around.

The last owner of my house left a heavy machinst bench behind for me, it's about 4 feet wide and two feet deep, and though that might seem kind of large, it's nice to have.

[Terry Beadle]

I'm not sure putting glass over the top is a good idea. The stones that you will drop ( and you will ) will break it and you may want a granite surface ( ie. and even heavier stone )
on it for dead flat use.

My sharpening bench is 4 foot by 30 inches. I sit to sharpen so the height is desk level.

The most useful thing on my bench is a circular light with a magnifying glass. Used with additional magnifying tools, you can easily see the burr when produced and of course
see the chips, nicks, and dull areas of the cutting edge.

I also have a 50 X self lighted magnifying glass that's a cheapo at $12 but I only use that rarely as the desk top magnifying light does meet most needs.

Be sure to get a garbage can for paper towel and sand paper waste.

An improvement to my bench would be a small shelf with boxed areas for separate stone storeage in Tupperware containers.

I also have a slow speed water wheel unit that comes in handy when I have a really damaged surface.

I also made a plywood bench dog that has a wedge clamp on it so that the stone being used won't slip around. It has both a straight and angled
stone head that allows the stone to be angled for hand sharpening. The straight stone head clamping surface is good for use with jigs.

David Charlesworth has a video on sharpening chisels and another one or two on plane blades. In those videos he has specific angles that he clamps
the blades in and does it by having a small bit of wood that's set for the correct distance to get the angle desired by placing the blade in one of those
inexpensive sharpening jigs. I think he sharpens at 25 primary, 30~32 secondary and 35 micro edge. With the small bits of wood placed at the right
distance from the edge of the bench dog, you can set the blade in the jig in seconds.

I hope this helps. Enjoy the shavings !!

[Jim Koepke]

My thought would be to use plexiglass instead of glass. Also make it so it can be removed. Otherwise something laminated with a material that is easy to clean like a counter top.

In my shop there are actually two small benches and space on another for sharpening.

One is about 2' square. It uses an automotive floor mat to keep the water contained. It also has a tub of water, spray bottle, large water bottle and my water stones. Next to it is a slightly smaller bench to hold my Power Sharpening System. The smaller bench has a drawer to hold supplies and equipment.

Across the room is a space where my oil stones are laying about on a small sheet of plywood. Mixing the water sharpening and oil sharpening in one place can be problematic.

The main question is what equipment or system do you have or plan to acquire?

Just remembered there is another station that is used in blade preparation. It is a 4' hunk of granite with PSA backed sanding medium stuck to it.

Your needs are likely different than mine or anyone else's.

Are you buying old tools to rehab or mostly maintaining new tools?

Do you need to work with tools other than woodworking tools? My gardening tools also come into the shop for sharpening.

A lot of variables to consider.

jtk

[Dave Anderson NH]

My sharpening bench is 24" x 48" and about waist high. It is made from Doug Fir 4x4s with 2x4 stretchers and a bottom shelf about 8" off the floor. The top is 2 layers of 3/4" CDX plywood glued together with a hard maple rim which is 1/4" higher that the top. In one corner of the plywood I drilled a 1" hole all the way through the 1.5" thickness. A cheapo 2X4 foot piece of 1/4" thick hardboard from Lowes fills in the 1/4" recess made by the rim. When it gets really really really nasty looking from oil, water, swarf, and general crud I just flip it over and use the other side. At about $6 it's cheap and easy to replace by poking a finger up through the 1" hole and putting a new hardboard in place. It is sturdy enough to hold the 3" thick 12" x 18" granite surface plate I sometimes use.

[Dan Hulbert]

I captured a granite sink cutout with edge trim for my sharpening station. Left the granite a little proud of the trim. I use the scary sharp method for my edge tools. The top of the granite is at my standard 36" height for benches and tables. Works fine for me, the sink cutout was a feebie and the rest was cutoffs and leftovers.

[Shannon Brantley]

Thanks for the feedback. Scratching the glass idea. My thinking on that was easy cleanup and flat surface for sticking sandpaper, not to mention I have a buddy in the glass business.

As far as what I'm using and what I'm using it for, I'll be upgrading from a double sided water stone and some cheap oil stones to Stu's 3 stone set very soon, which is what has got me fired up to build the bench. I sharpen mostly working planes and chisels but I do want to be able to rehab old tools.

[David Weaver]

I don't know if you're planning or not planning storage under the bench, but the entire bottom of my machinst bench is storage, four huge drawers and two door openings with shelves inside. It's super handy for anything you want to keep at the sharpening bench, but keep clean at the same time. You're otherwise never going to do anything under a sharpening bench, so there's not a great reason to leave it open unless you're going to leave a specific piece of equipment under it.

[paul cottingham]

My own humble system has a 18"x24" small bench that has my Veritas MkII power sharpener and an 8" grinder on it. There is a shelf in the middle that holds a piece of plate glass (for flattening stones) a leather strop and a maple strop. The bottom shelf holds a couple of sealed tubs with my water stones in them. I also have a Viel belt grinder that I use occasionally, but am beginning to use more than my 8" one. At least belts don't get out of balance and vibrate.

i do almost all my sharpening (honing and polishing really, I guess) on a small board (about 12"x18") ala Thomas lie-nielsen that holds my 8000 stone and has blocks fastened to it at lenths that yield 25 and 30 degrees for both my eclipse guide and my Veritas grinder. It's removable, and stored under my bench. I use it on my bench itself. I guess the point of all this unnecessary verbiage is that the small board is made of scrap, and is easily replaced, yet it is the "heart" of my setup.

The system is simple, compact, and effective.

[Andrew Hughes]

My sharpening station has several pieces of float glass, at first things did slip around but after while the swarf from the stone dries and it gits grippy.Since it's on the outside of my shop I can use a water hose to keep everthing clean.The glass doesn't get warped like wooden ones I've had.
Heres what it looks like. it's not in use right now but gets a good work out when I build.

[Joe A Faulkner]

I have a 24" x 60" Granite top, with a granite backsplash and a sink. The only problem is that it is located away from my shop in what my wife refers to as the kitchen.

[Matthew N. Masail]

I would think about the following:


1. enough space for having stones side by side with enough clearance for the blade when working the back on the fine stones.
2. easy cleanup
3. easy access to soak stones if you do that. taking them in and out of the water should be quick without any bending over and such. a separate tub for washing them off keeps the soaking water clean. it requires more room and thus I am now converting to no-soak (well, ones that work that way at least) stones.
4. shelves above the station for you diamond plate and other accessories. and I second the recommendation for storage underneath.


This is way I used to work with when I had room, I later took the round tub out and put a long rectangular one against to wall in front of me, that gave me much more room for the stones. now unfortunately I cannot afford such a deep table.

P3190306 (1280x960).jpg

[Mark Kornell]

Matthew,

What were the clamps on the grinder wheel guards for?

[Paul Incognito]

Here's my sharpening bench.
SharpeningBench.jpg
It's about 6' long x 22" deep. Yellow pine top sealed with polyuethane. It's a couple years old and is holding up ok.
I store nails, screws and hardware in the drawers.
Paul

[Jim Matthews]

[QUOTE=Dan Hulbert;2260966]I captured a granite sink cutout with edge trim for my sharpening station. Left the granite a little proud of the trim. I use the scary sharp method for my edge tools./QUOTE]

+1 on the sink cut out. For coarse grinding of plane blades, or cast iron plane bodies - this is an excellent and workable choice.

They're commonly available from countertop makers. I got mine for the price of a six-pack.

Tempered float glass would also work, but I'm too clumsy to keep something like that in my shop.
I cleaned up a broken shower door made of tempered glass once.

There were little glass nuggets everywhere, for months.