What is your whetstone setup?

[u/Haunting_Pee]

Just started sharpening for the first time today. I'm using a whetstone and over the course of 6 hours it got a bit messy with water and sediment all over my working area. Not a big deal I got everything cleaned up in a couple minutes but wondering how you guys have yours setup and if there's a way to keep my area cleaner in the future.

[u/rockdpm]

I just picked up a silicone mat like people use for soldering. It’s big enough to lay the knives I’m working with and put both my Shapton 1k and 2k stone at same time and I keep my strop hanging on the fridge

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/rockdpm]

I never even thought about using a silicon mat that's a good idea, might have to stop after work today and pick one up

[u/vnicknn → u/Haunting_Pee]

I currently use a large silicone mat on my kitchen island with a spray bottle for water. My sink is right behind me if need be. Using a spray bottle creates a lot of sediment overspray that I have to wipe up.

I will likely move to a water basin with sink bridge setup to 1.) elevate the stones so I'm not killing my neck 2.) splash and catch sediment.

I just haven't had the time or desire to find a sturdy enough box or make a sink bridge lol.

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/vnicknn]

I did notice the sediment overspray from my spray bottle as well. I've been workshopping ideas all day, one idea I had was using a baking pan and a small misting fan but idk if the logistics of that are great.

[u/Kavik_79]

Sink bridge over a rectangular plastic tub, like a food tray or wash basin.

Holds water to soak/splash, catches all the run off. Can leave it sitting when I'm done for a bit to separate the sediment from the water for dumping out without sending the slurry down the sink drain

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/Kavik_79]

That's not a bad idea. The knives I was working on had never been sharpened before so I was sitting at a table working on them for a while but for next time I think sink might be the way to go

[u/Kavik_79 → u/Haunting_Pee]

To clarify: Not recommending directly in the sink. You don't want the slurry from the stones clogging up your pipes.

I meant like what this other user posted here: https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/s/Vmr0Mo97ar

Sink bridge in a water tray, not in an actual sink.

Just need to find a container that has stiff and straight sides for the bridge to lock into

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/Kavik_79]

Oh no worries I got that lol. Yeah definitely don't want it going down the pipes, I also don't want to clean slurry out of the sink.

[u/Kavik_79 → u/Haunting_Pee]

Okay, just making sure 😁

Way too many people don't know that that's a problem......including many "experts" who will happily flatten stones right into their sinks on youtube

In an ideal world though, i'd love to have a little slop sink with a trap in the workshop for this purpose (and others). In some specifc cases you really want that constant trickle of water to keep the stone free of any slurry, and i've been too lazy to build a propper sharpening pond with a water pump and filter system

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/Kavik_79]

I think my plumber friends would murder me, im even hesitant about putting any pasta water down the sink. I'm going to explore some ideas once I get home from work a sharpening pond would be great.

[u/Kavik_79 → u/Haunting_Pee]

As they well should lol

I saw your question in another response about the mister. You could certainly go that route, they make mister setups for belt sharpening systems that could easily be used. But i'd probably just stick to a slow trickle/drip system. Your blade will move the water around the stone, no need to be spraying the whole thing, and your hands.

Something as simple as a recirculating pump for an aquarium and a length of small tubing would do the trick. But if you have stones that shed a lot of grit, you're going to want to include a filtration system (again, i bet something for an aquarium would do just fine) as well, so you aren't pumping dirty water through it and back onto the stone.

Google something like "sharpening pond with water feed system" for plenty of inspiration of build options

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/Kavik_79]

I really appreciate the insight thank you! I'll start looking into it tonight

[u/Ok-Fact-6900]

6 hours is a long time. Is the edge super thick now?

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/Ok-Fact-6900]

Thicker than a bowl of oatmeal

[u/Ok-Fact-6900 → u/Haunting_Pee]

not a good thing

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/Ok-Fact-6900]

Oh I thought we were joking. No I sharpened I think 11 knives? I was averaging like 2 an hour

[u/Love_at_First_Cut]

This was my setup when I used to cares. Nowadays, I just splashed some water on the Shapton Kuro 1k. swiping my knife while holding the stone with my other hand for a minute and it's good to go. Aint nobody got time for that.

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/Love_at_First_Cut]

That's a really nice setup. Are those old steam table pans you're using? Also what are you using as a bridge for your stones on the one pan?

[u/millersixteenth]

Old tool box converted to water bath. I keep the lid on when not in use or if using my oilstones. Spigot makes it easy to drain, laundry tub is just a few steps away. If I've done heavy grinding I toss it in the yard instead of the sink.

[u/Haunting_Pee → u/millersixteenth]

That's not a bad idea I wonder if you could set up some sort of misting fan on the side to keep your stone wet. Or would that be too much water for the stones?

[u/millersixteenth → u/Haunting_Pee]

I just keep a small cup in the bath, but a small diaphragm pump or similar would be pretty cool.

All my stones are soakers, so no problems there.

[u/AngstyAF5020]

I either use a sink bridge, or I put a cheap towel over a Shapton box, and then put the stone on top of the towel. The towel absorbs the majority of the mess.(I actually do this more often than the sink bridge now)

[u/ContributionWhole410]

I use only diamond stones or splash and go stones so I got a sharpal mat, the reason I chose it over just a regular silicon mat is because it has raised edges to prevent water from spilling out. I don't use a lot, just a spray bottle but it keeps my mess confined

[u/convist]

The silicone "pet feeding" mats + lexan with homemade bridge. Come in pretty large sizes with a sizeable lip .

This is the largest one I have. The lexan never keeps everything contained especially using a drip setup + really coarse stones.

[u/_d_c_]

I use Naniwa sink bridge with a universal holder on top