How do you hold your stones?

J

J. MacDonald

Joined
Jun 8, 2000
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3,140
When I'm not using my Sharpmaker, I usually clamp my sharpening stones between the peg things on the top of a bench top sized Workmate that I have. With the Workmate on my bench, it places the stones a little higher than I'd like, but keeps the stones from moving. I'd like to find a way to secure them to the bench top, but in an easy to use, non permanent format as I only have a 4' bench and there's a vise attached to one end. I thought about clamping the stones in the vise but am afraid I might fracture the stones that way. I learned long ago that I do a better job sharpening if the stones are not hand held. That way I have both hands to guide the blade and I'm not likely to cut myself.

What do you folks use to secure your hones?

jmx
 
I just place mine on a rubber mat (like a mouse pad) and it keeps them from sliding around.

A trick I read about on Don Fogg's site was to use a damp paper towel under the stone to keep it in place.
 
How do I hold my stones?

Used to use a bannana hamock, now boxers mostly.:p :D :rolleyes: Sorrry I had to.

I use the Sharpmakers base usually.
 
I use a small sheet of anti-slip rubber material (I think it's made by 3M or Dupont) which is used under hallway runners.
 
yit, frank, I thought about taking the low road and making a similar sophmoric comment, but I thought better of it.

If my stones don't have holders made of wood already I use the nonskid rubber matting they sell at Walmart.

But the question is, if the stone is moving, is it maybe, too small, are you using the proper grit stone for sharpening?

You shouldn't have to push that hard to remove metal, if your using the right grit.

Oh BTW I use a soft pair of hands to gently cradle mine
:D
 
There was a tongue in cheek twist to the phrasing of my question. But it was a serious question.

Yes I'm using the proper grit stones for the job. A Norton synthetic coarse for re-profiling. Generic natural washita for general sharpening and a hard Arkansas for finish edge polishing. The stones are all 2"x6".

I'm not pushing down too hard either, I'm just a little anal and like the stone held firmly in place while sharpening. I kinda like the look ot the base/pedesatal that DMT makes for their diamond hones. I guess the easy solution would be to buy some DMTs and that base, or s nice 8" set of Arkansas stones with the cool fitted boxes, but every time I get close to spending the cash, I find a knife I need more, or an RC car or something. you know how it goes.

The carpet runner stuff sounds interesting. Do you dind that the stones rock at all while you're using them?

jmx
 
terry towels work s for me, oils & all, keeping everything clean. sharp real sharp
 
Originally posted by jmxcpter
The carpet runner stuff sounds interesting. Do you dind that the stones rock at all while you're using them?
Click to expand...
They will rock a little bit if you press down very hard on the sides of the stone, since the material is a kind of soft rubber. But as T. Erdelyi mentioned above, I don't think that you will need to press down that hard on the stone while sharpening.
 
I just use a rag or towel. The stone does rock a bit. If you have a router, how about routing out a 1/2" area in a piece of plywood and then clamping the plywood to the vise or bench? That will keep the clamps free of your work area.
 
One trick I have seen with waterstones is a good idea. SOem guys will make a wooden "box" that holds the stone, just like how many stones come. But these "boxes" start out with thick bases, say 1" thick, and they chisel out 1/2" deep on both long sides of the 1" thick part, leaving a tongue 1/2" wide and 1/2" deep and the length of the box for your vice to grip. If that didn't make any sense, take a normal wooden bocx that a stone comes in and attach a piece 1/2" by 1/2" and as long as the box down the middle of the length of the base. Chiseling out material from a thick base is best, as the tongue will be nice and strong. A glued on tongue may cone unglued and then your stone will surely fall and break.

I myself use a Razor's Edge kit and a waterstone on occasion. Water stones I put on a big plastic cutting board and I sharpen over the sink. The stones seem to stay in place very well. The Razr's Edge kits come with a little rubber sheet the size of the stones. Those stones hardly move once they are on the rubber sheet and you are sharpening away.
 
Sharpening is a everyday thing in my house.My wife is a wood carver and I collect weapons.She has at least 50 or 60 different knives and tools she uses and some have some pretty challenging shapes and edges.We took a block of wood cut to the size needed and used the rotozip to cut out a depression deep enough and sized to fit the stone in tightly.Works well.My wife has a few of her smaller stones set into a caved driftwood shaped to fit in her hand perfectly. We have been using japanese waterstones and leatherstrops.We have tried just about every system some work better than others depending on what we are sharpening. 2 and 3mm v and u tools are the worst.I have a 10'x 2" whetstone that turns at 70 rpms and a couple of grinder,sanders,buffers but we always go back to handsharpening and stroping.I havent tried it yet but I just got a paper wheel system for the buffer.I have talked to a few people that swear nothing works better and judging from some of the scary sharp edges I have seen done on them I dont doubt it.I will find out today.........RB
 
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