New sharpening station inputs and pics requested

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goatgolfer

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I am about to establish my work station away from the kitchen sink. My starting concepts are 0. card table size 1. readily available stuff 2. Water is portable 3. capturing swarf in a basin can be discarded and doesn't plug the drain 4. seated with overhead lighting is preferred.

Basics I have: Water, a bucket, lots of kitchen towel/rags, 2x4s, The JKS beginner kit (Atoma 140 Diamond Plate, Beston 500,Bester 1200,Suehiro Rika 5k,Felt Strop with Diamond Spray), a knife, desire, reasonable dexterity, AND a B&D workmate. Desk lamp and O/H fluorescent for lighting.

I located used 1/3 size - 6" deep, stainless hotel pan, a 12x20x2.5 cambro hotel pan, a sterlite tub to keep the stones wet perpetually.

Technique inputs from Martell DVDs, Jon/Carter/Kramer/YT videos and lots of KFF forum discussions (and making a mess on my own near the sink thus the migration)

Now, this is where you guys come in.

Observations: Carter uses a grey tote about the size of a cambro and works the long way. Jon uses the identical cambro in some videos.
As a bridge, a 2x4 longer than the length with notches cut at 20" to keep it from forward/back motion
Kitchen towels/non-slip shelf liner for under the stone
A secondary, handy water source (1/3 hotel pan for me)

Setup: Try non-slip shelf liner on the flat of the B&D, or open the jaws of the workmate just wide enough for the cambro to fit between the lugs the long way. This probably means stops at both ends so I dont have to crank down on the jaws. If that doesn't work make a "holder" for the cambro that blocks fore/aft (or a better idea from you guys).

Make a mess...

Inputs, ideas and PICS of your setup and what you like and would do differently are really appreciated. No pictures yet from me because all my stuff is off the shelf. But, I promise to post the prototype.
 
This is my set-up. 1/4 shallow hotel pan with Jon's stone bridge under a Suehiro deluxe stone holder holding a JKI stone holder. In this case its holding the JKI 6000 Diamond stone. Soaking is the Suehiro 5K and 1000 bester. I love this setup although I've since gone with only splash and go stones. Rock solid and can be packed up and put in my kit for storage when I'm finished sharpeing.


ImageUploadedByKitchen Knife Forum1440448602.582928.jpg
 
I found a plastic basin and fashioned a plank of wood to bridge across it. There's no water in it, just a gold mine of stone dust. There is however a plastic fish tub right next to it which houses my stones.

Here's my station in action.

[video=youtube;bMW5vJ4krPE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMW5vJ4krPE[/video]
 
So Far too cool. Thanks for the pic and video. The swarf in ThEoRy is just a myth, or is it a hypothesis? We'll have to test it to find out.

- A Math joke for those that like them.
 
This is the setup I was trying to copy on my sharpening station. In my original post I said the long way of the cambro but it's clear the short was is Jon's setup.
In the video: Non-slip shelf liner under cambro, bridge and stone holder short side (2X4 & non-slip again for me) and water.

[video=youtube;I-POg4dG784]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-POg4dG784[/video]
 
If you use a 9" cambro you can sous vide dinner while sharpening :angel2:

Actually I use pretty much the same setup when away from home. Though I have a 1/3 pan to keep stones and flattener in.
 
Daveb: Your post alludes to a home/away setup. Do you have a pic of your home setup?
 
Pretty simple. Yard sale poly board (won't warp) cut to fit sink. Suehiro stone holder at incline. Stone. 1/3 pan to hold stones not in use. Slurry goes down the drain - not ideal but...

Sharpening%20Station.jpg
 
Interesting. I have a bridge and an adjustable rubber stone holder, neither of which I use. I dampen a blue J cloth (not sure what they are called in the US) and lay it over my prep board (which is very large and thick, and will not move). Stone on the damp cloth so it doesn't move. Small stainless steel watering can to wet the stones (which I will have already run under the tap or soaked as necessary. Quick and easy.
 
Interesting. I have a bridge and an adjustable rubber stone holder, neither of which I use. I dampen a blue J cloth (not sure what they are called in the US) and lay it over my prep board (which is very large and thick, and will not move). Stone on the damp cloth so it doesn't move. Small stainless steel watering can to wet the stones (which I will have already run under the tap or soaked as necessary. Quick and easy.

It appears that J cloth are Handi-wipes in the US. Do you just wipe off the swarf from the board or does the J cloth serve two purposes: non-slip and swarf catcher?
012587335000.jpg
 
This is my set-up. 1/4 shallow hotel pan with Jon's stone bridge under a Suehiro deluxe stone holder holding a JKI stone holder. In this case its holding the JKI 6000 Diamond stone. Soaking is the Suehiro 5K and 1000 bester. I love this setup although I've since gone with only splash and go stones. Rock solid and can be packed up and put in my kit for storage when I'm finished sharpeing.


View attachment 28782

Is the double stone holder setup to get extra height? Or some other reason?
 
Poly boards don't warp? Since when...

American poly doesn't warp. Can't speak to Canadian poly. :cool2: Of course this is poly relative to wood - the most frequent alternative for sharpening bases - and providing you don't put it in the dishwasher. The pic is at least two years old and I still use the same setup. Everything is a little gray now but fits like it was made for it.
 
+1 on the Mucho Bocho/JKI setup.
It's what I use at the restaurant with Gesshin soakers. Always ready and
takes up very little space.
 
ive gone from sink bridge, to the hotel pan rig, and now a minimum of just a suehiro water catcher and free standing blocks, cheap and effective. use tupperware full of water beside it. work setup is 2 chosera stones with base built in used with a rag underneath. back 2 basics. still using jnats at home though, can't seem to give up the superior feedback.
 
Here's my setup ,since the Wife kicked me out of the kitchen...

Me, I've never really been in the kitchen. I'm not sure why so many people stand when they sharpen anyway. In a pro kitchen, sure okay, necessity. But you can make things more comfortable at home.

Anyway, my main issue was solved recently by making more room for my stuff. Here's a shot. I don't stand and sharpen there, though. Much better to sit with things near chest-level I think, so I tend to sit at a table (including my desk) or even on the floor.

Set%20up%20Aug%202015_zpsysgakzvo.jpg


Because I usually use naturals, I don't need to have stones soaking around me. I'll just get a small bowl of water, a stone or two, and a Suehiro tray or non-slip mat (or holder for thin stones) and a towel. If I were to do things at a sink, I'd much rather make my own typical wooden bridge and use a non-slip mat on it. The produced sink bridges always seemed unnecessary, a bit expensive, and not as good as just using a wood bridge. (All that adjusting; that open bit in the middle between adjustable ends.)
 
Here's my setup ,since the Wife kicked me out of the kitchen

DSC_0004.JPG


next up is stone selection
DSC_0001.JPG

DS: Does your wood bridge have a shark fin on the bottom? Does it touch the cambro or is it above the plastic? Do you put water in the bottom of the cambro to make swarf cleaning easier or just wipe it out afterwards? Is Craftsman TB + 6" cambro + wood bridge + stone = elbows parallel to the floor for you standing?
 
For those of you that can't post a pic will you at least comment about Sit/Stand -- flat/angled stone -- if inclined: is the high end towards you or away from you?:O
 
I prefer to stand and I have my stones set up at a negative angle (further end lower) ever since Jon suggested it to me.
 
DS: Does your wood bridge have a shark fin on the bottom? Does it touch the cambro or is it above the plastic? Do you put water in the bottom of the cambro to make swarf cleaning easier or just wipe it out afterwards? Is Craftsman TB + 6" cambro + wood bridge + stone = elbows parallel to the floor for you standing?

The Bridge has a wood cleat on each end, It is just pushed over the lip of the Cambro /W a rag or hunk of mat to take up any slop.

I usually put a couple of Qts. of water in the tub to pre soak the next stone in progression & to splash the mounted stone.

The setup is a bit Hi for Optimal use, but I'm not sharpening all day , & at 6' 5" my elbows are a bit higher off the ground
 
I basically copied Jon's approach. It works very well.





After sharpening I allow the mudy water to clear, slowly pour away the water and collect the mud with paper napkin as I do not want to risk clogging the pipes.
 
I stand. Prefer the stone level. Swap hands. Tend to sharpen several knives in one go, so they all get a run through each stone (if they need it), swap to next stone, some go on to finer polishing stones, then strop. I tend to have a polishing stone and stop to hand pretty often as I like to keep the edge fine - nothing is allowed to get that far away from properly sharp.
 
whats that gesshin stone matus?

I suppose you mean the one mounted on the base and reinforced on sides with origami paper - it is Gesshin 6000. I was miss-treating it (soaking and drying too often) and it developed light cracks along the edges. Not too bad (the stone was not falling apart yet), but I wanted to be on the safe side. I should have read the description on JKI webpage properly - this stone can be permasoaked or used as splash-and-go, but it should not be soaked and dried with every sharpening session.
 
Here's my setup ,since the Wife kicked me out of the kitchen

DSC_0004.JPG


next up is stone selection


How do you like your Coote? I couldn't say enough good things about mine. Yeah it's simple but very sturdy and reliable, runs super smooth too.
 
I sit when I sharpen. My set up is a very expensive adjustable height dog grooming table with a dedicated true daylight lamp/magnifier. I have a half height cinder block sitting on the table to give me the correct height and table clearance. This table has been through the ringer over the years and it's still holding strong. I like this a lot because it's mobile and VERY sturdy - no wobble at all - unlike every other table I've ever used.
 
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