Thread: WIP- Sharpening bench

Nice build so far.

Bunnings sell 1/4" thick rubber sheets. Get one to cover the top of the bench. This will privide a non-slip, waterproof protection. I will try and get a photo of mine today with in-built stone holder.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I think I know what you mean. I got the rubber mat for the tormek already, but my solution for the moment for the stones is a gardening tray which is a little bulky. I might look into other options.

This is the tray I got only a few weeks ago when I thought I’d just use this as a sharpening station. I attached rubber underneath for non slip. It’s effective but a little bulky, I’ll see how I go once I finished the bench.






And the tormek mat which is really nice. The wall behind it is where the new bench will go.

While this is a sharpening related build, this so the CBN wheel I recently got for my tormek. I weighed up diamond V CBN but decided on this. It’s specifically made for the tormek.

I found the standard tormek wheel a little slow when changing the bevel on a plane iron (but good for sharpening existing angles), so wanted something courser.

Anyone have experience with CBN on a wet grinder?

Can I ask where you got that tray for the stones from? I've been looking for something similar.

I also have a dedicated sharpening bench, but industrial metal frame with an IKEA laminated top. Bench is big enough to take grinder with CBN wheel (and Tormek blade holder gadget), granite surface plate, storage for stones and sharpening guides in metal drawers slung underneath. The challenge is keeping the "sharpening bench" free of other stuff !!

Cheers

Is there any benefit to using water with CBN on a slow speed machine like the Tormek? My CBN lives on a half speed Carbatec grinder, and it never gets that hot in use even at the higher speed.

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

Can I ask where you got that tray for the stones from? I've been looking for something similar.

I also have a dedicated sharpening bench, but industrial metal frame with an IKEA laminated top. Bench is big enough to take grinder with CBN wheel (and Tormek blade holder gadget), granite surface plate, storage for stones and sharpening guides in metal drawers slung underneath. The challenge is keeping the "sharpening bench" free of other stuff !!

Cheers

It’s from Bunnings - Just a moment...

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

Is there any benefit to using water with CBN on a slow speed machine like the Tormek? My CBN lives on a half speed Carbatec grinder, and it never gets that hot in use even at the higher speed.

I think the benefit of using it wet V dry is the metal particles are contained in the water as opposed to in the air.

I’m sure there are pros and cons for wet v dry but for me it works. A benefit of the CBN V diamond is I don’t need to use anti corrosion concentrate, it doesn’t rust with tap water.

Thanks - I'll have a look next time I'm at Bunnies.

Your CNB wheel is a different brand to mine, but the surfaces of my wheel that don't have CBN coating (like inside flange) do show slight signs of surface rust just from condensation in the air. Now I keep the grinder setup covered with an old pillow case when not in use to prevent this. I agree that the area around the ginder does get covered in removed metal particles very fast !

Took the pieces out of the clamps. Happy how the mortises turned out, definitely a time saver. Pictured here is the 4 x legs and 4 x front stretchers. I got the side stretchers in the clamps at the moment.

Just need to plane any unevenness and cut to length then they’re ready for tenons to be cut.

Looking great G. You're inspiring me (and quite a few others I'm sure).

fair go I am humbled, my Tormek sits on a 32mm thick chipboard covered with floor tiles and a cheap trolley. not showing pics after that lot we've seen

Very nice. Following with interest.
wish I had space for a dedicated station. I have a bench hook with waterstone holders built into it. Works nice, but I left it in my end vice overnight last week, and my workbench is a little swollen and out-of-flat from water seeping… not the end of the world and can be fixed, but certainly annoying.

Clever shortcut for the mortises. Nice work!

That's why I used a 32mm thick IKEA laminated benchtop for my sharpening bench.....water resistant !

Congratulations on the build and thanks for posting it in such detail.

It looks like the bench is going to be pretty high - 850mm? I find that when sharpening plane blades and chisels on stones I tend to unintentionally put some curvature on the blade if the setup is higher. It's got something to do with the interaction of elbows and shoulders. On the other hand if using a lower bench with the arms hanging from the shoulders I get a much better result. I know I'm not the only one this affects as I've noted quite a few 'expert' woodworkers using low benches for sharpening, Rob Cosman is the one who comes immediately to mind. I don't know what your experience is, but this is something that I would have front of mind if designing a sharpening station.

Silky Oak is a lovely timber, far too nice to be devoted to something as mundane as a sharpening station.