Questions for those using cambros/hotel pans

With a growth in both my knife collection and demand of touching up family knives, I'm looking to upgrade my sharpening setup. I currently use a 2x4 laying across the sink and wanted something that won't slip when nudged or when applying extra force. Considering I rent an apt, a sink bridge that works for this kitchen might not fit the next sink I move in; so I was thinking of something more universal like a cambro setup.

1) If you soak your stones in the same container that you sharpen over, any concern of different grit stones sitting in the swarf runoff? I assume if the pan is big enough/sharpening performed is small, the swarf is diluted enough that, for lack of a better term, grit contamination would not be an issue.

2) You ever have issues with the sides of the pan getting in the way of your hands of knife (stones level or angled away)? I've got a 270mm gyuto that I'm a little concerned about banging the tip into the sides.

Sink bridges are pretty universal, made to fit most sinks. Of course the more universal they are the more expensive they are.

To have a portable solution with cambro food storage box I use the bridge from JKI.

Cambro: Full size, 6" or 9" deep

http://www.wasserstrom.com/restaurant-supplies-equipment/Product_109000CM

Bridge:

http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/sharpening-supplies/sharpening-accessories/stone-bridge.html

And a regular stone holder.

Stones in the box, water in the box. It's probably superfluous but as I finish with a stone I rinse it and put it in a 1/3 pan for transport. When finished sharpening all the stones are in the 1/3 pan. I dump the water and swarf from the full size, get it back where it's going and fill with clean water and the perma soak stones.

(1) No concerns about swarf from different stones being in the water while sharpening.

(2) The bridge holds the stone higher than the walls so no concern about bumping it during sharpening. I don't dunk the knife while sharpening, do keep a small towel in the water for wiping blade down.

In the apartment, I found that sink bridge works the best. I had "cambro" like setup and once I made the sink bridge I never looked back. Since mine is so simple, there is no problem to adjust it or redo it if needed. It does not take space, makes the minimal mess and easy to clean.

(it was used quite a bit)

Thanks for the responses.

Dave, that was the bridge I was thinking of getting too, good to know banging around against the plan won't be an issue.

Ruso, what was the issue you had with the cambro, was it just extra space? If I were to go with the bridge-over-the-sink route, I would probably make my own too considering they can get pricey for the bigger sinks (saw the group buy for ~$170).

Since I do not have an empty room for all my things, setting the tray, filling it up with water, and then doing the reveres was quite waste of time IMHO.
In addition, I always ended up sharpening on the kitchen counter. The dinner table is out of question and any folding or ikea like tables are not stable enough to eliminate the wobble. Plus, my wife always complained about the mess left by this setup.
With the sink bridge, all this issues went away, and easy access to running water makes everything so much easier.

If I had a house with basement for all my toys and projects, I would probably move to the tray setup and made it a permanent solution.

Soak my stones in a plastic tub from drugstore. If you have limited space a sink bridge is an option. Often you can look at your situation and custom fit your base so it will not move.

The more I think about it the more I lean towards making a bridge out of wood that can adjust to different angles and size of the sink.

Like Ruso, space is limited and the best way to preserve it (read keep my girlfriend happy) is to work with what I've got. Now I just need a break in this cold weather to do some minor woodworking outside!

Soak stones...use newsprint under the stone...let the mud splash on the paper, after it dries hard you can wrap it around a piece of flat board and use it as a strop...that's the way us peasants make use of our stones