My revised sharpening station

This so called shop project has been on and off for a few years now.  Since then, I built an interim sharpening board to set up anywhere flat (yeah good luck, it's probably occupied by crapolla ).  So I re-purposed a small bedside cabinet I build previously years ago, and dedicated it for sharpening.

Yes, that works fine, but a tad low for long period of work

and gets covered easily with stuff

Having a dedicated place to put it, helped a lot, I could go to it and sharpened, touch up my edges as I go etc.  BUT...

I have so many vintage chisels and plane irons , alone, to be quickly overwhelmed, so power to the rescue.

I have settled (?) on a 6 inch grinder and the Worksharp 3000 to do the heavy lifting.  I may add a Tormek clone and a shaped carver wheel to handle everything else I have around.

Had in mind something like this, but how big does it needs to be?? 

Having some sort of vise is very handy on a sharpening bench.

Pic from Renaissance woodworker

So need to figured out how much room I need to accommodate that stuff, and it does not all to fit inside same area, will be split in two separate shops.  So got the tape out and rounded up the usual suspects.

Mounted on top of my temporary sharpening station, it is too low for me.

But I have easy access all around.

Mounted on top of my bench is a more comfortable height, 

but I will never used it on top, way too messy.

See that pile of fine metallic shavings?

Highly flammable with a spark.

Must stop and clean often, but what do you used?

Not your shopvac used for wood dust, could be a recipe for smoldering fires.

On your work bench, that metallic swarf's will caused havoc on your wood pieces 

and kill those sharp edges we just made :-(

That tell you that such a sharpening bench must be separated from your wood working area when using power grinding equipment, including hand crank grinders.  They are messy.

Dedicated one area in the shop for it, away from woodworking bench.  But... if its not handy from where you work, you won't stop and used it often as you work.

This is where understandings your requirements well pays off. 

YES you need something close to your work area to stop and touch up your edges often as you work.

NO, you do not have to reach for your grinding machines often, they can be in a separate room.

They are needed to establish the initial grind bevels and back flattening, or to restore a worn edge in need of re-establishing or changing its bevel angle.

What you really need, is a few stones and strop by your bench, the remainders can be located further away.

Obvious solution is to incorporate such a platform for a couple stones (1.2k, 4k) and strop mounted underneath or besides the bench a la Paul Sellers or Rob Cosman fashion.

You will noticed that in both cases, they set their platform rather low.

Why?  In order to utilized their core muscle, they are applying down pressure on the stones using not just their arms which would becomes quickly tired.   There is no magic one size fit all, proper height would vary by individual.  Experiment.

Back to my monstrosity of a sharpening station gargantuan sizes requirements :-)

I like the height on my WS 3000  on top of my workbench, so...

Tried similarly the grinder on my bench, left some space

 for the spare disks on the side of the WS 3000.

A bit crowded and I need space around the WS 3000. 

So lined them up again, but on the other bench in the room.

The Oscillating Spindle Sander, will move, hand grinder stays, 

metal vice may be relocated?  As for the machines, a bit high except for the grinder

It quickly brought home the realization that I could easily cover that bench with sharpening gear and still be crowded, with no or limited access in the back.

It was at this point that Jean walked in and after I explained my problem to her says: Why don't you put your grinder on a stand?

Hah, did not thought of that, was going to built this great big station that would barely fit inside my shop instead :-)

Got me thinking some more.  The WS 3000 to be used fully required access from the back, for the slot wheel and probably for the Tormek bar to be installed, somewhere, somehow.

So one of my brighter ideas earlier was to mounted the grinders on some sort of rotating platforms in order to access the back.  Think honing versus grinding and the see thru disk on the WS 3000

or... I could simply mounted my machines on a grinder stand :-)

So, that is how, while staying inside my budget for her hand held Hoover vacuum, I got my stand for free... Well, almost :-)

All that matter is that she is happy with her vacuum, I'm happy with my grinder stand, win win :-)

Tried on the WS 3000.

In the stand I got room for my spare disks and accessories

even a water bowl.  And more importantly I have a good height.

 

With the two other lugs lined up with the slots, 

the two others are way off

No Biggy, will built a station a la Stumpy for it

and secured that with those holes patterns.

Similarly the grinder fits well, and is at a good height.

Will easily hold my 8 inch paper wheels.

But I may have to raise the grinder off the top platter to clear the wheel.

Mastercraft is a trade Mark of Canadian Tire, Maximum is their brand for "ahem", more quality tools.

Overall, I'm impressed with the stand construction.  solidly built.

Looks like I got some grease on the 120 grit disk, Oups.

So that work great and solve a problem with storage.  Having these two machines mounted on each their own pedestal, they won't take much room, and also give me all around access.  One problem solved.  Put on wheels?  NO, I'd rather drag it in and out and keep a sure footing on the ground.

Next, I'll need to build a modified Stumpy station to mount my WS3000 and bolt the whole thing on the stand.  Off to the drawing board armed with some key measurements.

Something else I will need is some sort of custom covers to keep the dust off the spare wheels.

Now we await that stand to go on sale at CTC to buy my next one.  Regular $79.99 on sale $49.99.

And while I'm building dedicated stations, I need to built one for my miter saws.  

Using a sewing machine cabinet for now and not ideal height.

Built another, gasp, plane till and figured out If I can salvaged that twisty post in my shop to mount the Post Drill.

Oh and some gauge's storage of some sort.  A marking gage till?? :-)

Add a shaving horse and a stump and I should be done.

Unless....Squirrels!!

Oh and a quick distraction:

I figured out my new China tool gismo AKA kerfmaker, works like a charm.

Used a micrometer to mike the actual saw kerf 

on the Nobex mitre saw. Then used it to set my gauge.

After adjusting the gauge for the thickness of the piece to be half lapped, I put the gauge against a fixed stop block.

Like so.  Put piece to be cut . Make your first cut.

Leave stop block alone. Flip gauge over.

Make second cut.

A few seconds with a sharp chisel (But which one?  So many to pick from :-)

to excavate between the cuts.  Did not bothered to make a flat bottom, just want to see the fit.

Nice hand tight fit on first try

Yeah, works great.

Almost too easy and almost fool proof :-) 

Bob, who cannot believed how long it as been with his shop reorganization.

Should be done soon :-).