An easy to make sharpening system

Words and photos: Brian Shugarue 

For my day to day sharpening, I prefer to use synthetic Japanese ‘splash-and-go’ waterstones. These stones offer fantastic performance in a user-friendly lay-up. Unlike traditional Japanese waterstones that need soaking, the splash-and-go type just need a splash of water or a mist with a spray bottle and you can get to sharpening. They are also generally very hard wearing, so they stay flat longer. More importantly, these stones do not produce a lot of slurry or mess.

After testing nearly 40 stones, I have found that 98% of splash-and- go stones from quality brands will produce excellent results. The stone combination that you choose comes down to personal preference. In my opinion, the key to efficient and enjoyable sharpening is how you set up your sharpening kit.

The tray system

I make a simple tray system. I design the trays, so the stone holders slot and stay in place and I also adhere non-slip matting on the bottom of the trays, so nothing moves around. Otherwise, it can be very frustrating to have your waterstones shifting about when you are using them. The trays also help to keep your sharpening area clean, as they catch any excess water and slurry.

In photos above you can see how the trays keep stones organised and easily stored away. It’s very important to keep your stones clean and easy to access. Stones contaminated with dust and dirt will not perform, and you will sharpen more often and enjoy the process if your kit is organised and easy to access.

Like many woodworkers I do not have a sink in my workshop. Using this tray system with splash-and-go stones you do not require a sink. A spray bottle and a plastic container is all you need. During a sharpening session your stones can be cleaned by simply picking them up and spraying them off into the container. When you are finished, water on the trays can be tipped into the plastic container and emptied onto your garden bed.

This photo shows all the materials needed to fit-out the trays. All materials are easily available from your local hardware store or online. The trays are simply food serving trays and available from hospitality wholesalers. The materials required and their suppliers are:

• Trays: www. hospitalitywholesale.com.au
• Acrylic, non-slip mat, contact adhesives: Bunnings
• Soudal Fix All Adhesive: Mitre 10
• 3mm diameter brass rod – available from hobby shops.
• 8000 grit Shapton Kuromaku professional waterstone and 400 grit Atoma diamond plate with glass: www.japanesetools.com.au
• 800 and 3000 grit Naniwa Gouken Arata waterstones: www. knivesandstones.com.au
• Shapton replacement boxes: www. sharpeningsupplies.com

I use the larger 450 x 350mm tray to hold my waterstones and a smaller 275 x 350mm tray to hold my 400 grit Atoma diamond plate. The diamond plate is for keeping my waterstones flat. I prefer to keep my diamond stone in place and bring the stones to it, for surface dressing. If you prefer to dress your waterstones in place with the diamond plate, then you won’t need the smaller tray. Here's how to fit out the trays.

Step 1: Glue non-slip matting to the tray bases

Use 80 grit sandpaper to rough up all surfaces for gluing. Cut the non-slip matting over-sized and then apply the contact adhesive spray to the underside of the trays and the non- slip matting. After a few minutes drying time, press the matting onto the trays. Just rubbing pressure with the palm of your hand and fingers is enough. Cut the excess matting with the utility knife. I also like to finish the edge off with a bead of the Soudal Fix All adhesive.

Step 2: Measure and cut the acrylic

For the larger tray, 2 or 3mm thick acrylic is cut to suit the length of the tray. The width measurement is more critical as this holds the waterstone cases/holders in place in this system, ensuring they do not move when sharpening. The width measurement for my system is 195mm and is cut specifically to hold the Shapton Kuromaku stone cases.

Measure the inside dimension between the feet on the stone case and cut the acrylic to suit. I like the fit to be as tight as possible. Fine tuning can be done with a sharp handplane. I also use Naniwa brand stones that happen to also fit in the Shapton cases (available as replacements). You may also alter the way the stones are held in place to suit your specific brand of stones.

Step 3: Prepare the trays and acrylic for gluing

Once again, rough-up the surface of the tray and acrylic with 80 grit sandpaper. Clean the surfaces and apply glue to the tray (photo 9). I like to use Soudal Fix All Hybrid Polymer adhesive. I prefer a flexible adhesive over something rigid like epoxy for this application. Press the acrylic down into place with the palms of your hands. Place a caul and some weight on it, and let the adhesive set overnight. I like to glue the acrylic a bit off centre. This way I can keep the stones closer to me while sharpening and there is a little more tray area behind the stones to catch overspray, when wetting the stones.

The photo above shows how the feet of the stone holders sit over the acrylic. Nothing moves around when sharpening but, your stones can still be lifted in and out for cleaning. This is more efficient than stone holders that clamp your waterstones into place.

Gluing the acrylic into the smaller tray is the same process as the larger tray. This tray holds the diamond plate used for flattening the waterstones. I use 400 grit Atoma diamond plate adhered to 10mm thick float-glass to ensure accurate flatness. Non-slip matting adhered to the bottom of the glass also helps it slip around less and protects the glass from damage.

Cut the acrylic a little bigger than the diamond plate as shown above. Thicker acrylic is needed for the smaller tray – generally thicknesses between 6 to 10mm thick will work well. It just needs to be thick enough to elevate your diamond plate so you don’t accidentally hit your waterstone on the lip of the tray when flattening.

The diamond plate is simply held in place with four brass pins. I have even used finishing nails, or you could get fancy and rout a recess to hold the plate. Carefully layout and drill the holes to secure the 3mm diameter brass rod. Having the brass pins on a slight angle makes it easier to lift the diamond plate in and out for cleaning. Light taps with a hammer can fine tune for a tight fit.

I hope that some of you will find this tray system useful and that it will help to make your sharpening more enjoyable.

Brian Shugarue is a Melbourne based custom infill plane maker. He also teaches one-on-one sharpening classes in his private shop. Instagram: @bjsplanes