tdevries

My sharpening consists of a plastic container with a small hollow on the top that I bought at the Salvation Army thrift store for like a buck! Aw c'mon, that wasn't nice. Lol. Seriously, I tried sharprning on tables and got the sludge everywhere. I tried on the counter, not much better, but at least there wasn't any ink from the newspaper left behind. It is able to keep my honing jig that I use mostly for my low angle block plane and shoulder plane irons. (Those I kind of want pretty accurate.) It will keep the lapping grit, my combination stone, and 8k stone in there. It even has room for a dirty little oil stone I used to keep in my mechanical toolbox. I know it isn't really pretty, but I'm on a student budget. The best part of it is that it is plastic and with the hollow area on top, it lets the slurry drip down into it without the slurry going anywhere.

I was really amazed by your work. I'm not presently in a workshop where there are lots of tools, what with trying to get all the technical training done this year. As a result, I'm confined to a laminate floored living room, so I totally relate to using **mostly** hand tools. I agree, it is good for the soul. I've decided I'm going to build a replica. I don't presume it will turn out as well, but I think I know a place I can get a free chunk of granite. I probably won't start it for some time. I should've been in bed a while ago, (tomorrow's the first day of 4th year), but I hope you'll understand why I would spend the time reading your whole post. I'd like to know what the 'scary sharp' method is that some people had mentioned.

Tim