My New Sharpening Station

**dai sensei** · 11th September 2008, 10:06 PM

My variable speed grinder (posted here) didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. Apart from the problem of having to remove any piece I was turning to sharpen my chisels

, the bearings kept moving out of alignment

(timber is not the best support for steel

).

Anyway, I bought one of those slow speed grinders from Carbetec, but as usual then didn't have the bench space to put it. I already had my grinder and my wet grinder behind it and had to swap them around every time I wanted to use them. I have seen fancy pivot systems before, that go underneath the bench but you need space underneath to do that, mine already has drawers. So I decided to build a turn-table type arrangement.

I started with a very large lazy-susan (from my local bearing shop for $25 that is from 3mm steel) with a 800mm diameter timber plate (from a secondhand 1200mm dia tabletop for $20 of ~40mm laminated mdf). The weight of the grinders caused a minor deflection, so I then added some bearing supports from Carbetec near the edge (the photo shows a distortion, but the lazy-susan is in the middle). The timber plate overhangs the bench top, as the bench is only 600 deep, but the drawer underneath extends fully and I can still easily access the stuff inside.

I still have to bolt the grinders and sharpening guides down, but I still have to add the buffing wheel to the GMC grinder and optimize the final grinder positionong. I also need to add small corner extensions to the plate to support the outside of the sharpening guides, but it all fits within the available rotation spaceI have. I also have to add the pin that locks the turn-table for each grinder, but you get the idea.

Cheers

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 11th September 2008, 10:10 PM

Oooer! I want one!

Gonna put a triangular box/shelf unit in the middle to carry spare wheels, dresser, jig bits, etc?

And those bearing supports... are they sprung? If they are it might be an idea to use a spade bit on the underside to make shallow recesses that act like detentes on the bearings instead of using a locking pin?

**Cliff Rogers** · 11th September 2008, 10:26 PM

**munruben** · 11th September 2008, 11:29 PM

Neat

**dai sensei** · 12th September 2008, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Gonna put a triangular box/shelf unit in the middle to carry spare wheels, dresser, jig bits, etc?

Great idea Skew

I already have a small shelf behind the unit on the wall, but another one in the middle allows more storage.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

And those bearing supports... are they sprung? If they are it might be an idea to use a spade bit on the underside to make shallow recesses that act like detentes on the bearings instead of using a locking pin?

They aren't sprung, just a big ball rotating on lots of little balls, in a steel housing. I did think of hollows to drop into as the timber does deflect, but it got all too hard as the front bearing is out of alignment and getting the timber plate on/off isn't easy (or at least back on).

**Bob38S** · 12th September 2008, 11:54 AM

An excellent result to your problem of space.

I have also thought of doing the same type of unit for a little while but had not thought of using the lazy susan type of bearing - my initial thoughts were to use a small wheel I had seen with like roller bearings inside and have this mounted on an axle which was bolted to a plate and attached to the bench top. As the wheel I was looking at was approx 6-8" in diameter it was only a guess whether it would rotate without support out towards the circumference. You appear to have solved the problem in a cheaper and easier way.

Thanks and regards,
Bob

**pugwash** · 12th September 2008, 12:03 PM

Looks great!
How are you dealing with the power cables for the machines?

**switt775** · 12th September 2008, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by pugwash

Looks great!
How are you dealing with the power cables for the machines?

Was just thinking the same thing. Maybe a stop that doesn't allow the unit to turn more than 360 degrees, so you are forced to turn it backwards, rather than twisting the cords into some imitation of a phone cord.

But overall a very good idea, and one I definately plan to steal.

**dai sensei** · 12th September 2008, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by switt775

Was just thinking the same thing. Maybe a stop that doesn't allow the unit to turn more than 360 degrees, so you are forced to turn it backwards, rather than twisting the cords into some imitation of a phone cord.

Yep. Also, multiboard comes down directly from above from overhead shelving.

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 13th September 2008, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by dai sensei

I did think of hollows to drop into as the timber does deflect, but it got all too hard as the front bearing is out of alignment and getting the timber plate on/off isn't easy (or at least back on).

I was sort of wondering about that, as I couldn't see the usual screw access hole. I imagine it was a nightmare to put on!

You could drill an access hole in the top and cover it with the centre box/shelf but it's pretty pointless now that you've already bolted it together. (But if I were you I'd keep it in mind in case it's ever pulled apart again, to make re-assembly easier.

)

**dai sensei** · 13th September 2008, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

You could drill an access hole in the top ...

Now why didn't I think of that. If I do have to remove it, I will drill new access holes for putting it back.

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