This simple holder grips a combination waterstone firmly yet makes it easy to flip to the opposite side. I made it from 1-in.-thick acrylic I had on hand, but other thicknesses would work. The key is the soft rubber bumpers on the top and bottom that grab the stones and a benchtop or tabletop equally well. Cut the acrylic to the same width as your stones, but 1⁄2 in. longer. The “soft-stem bumpers” are from Rockler, and they hold tight in 3⁄16-in. holes. To get them to seat fully, drill a pinhole through the acrylic at the center of each bumper hole to allow air to escape. I placed the bottom bumpers at the far ends of the plate for stability and the upper ones a little inboard, under the corners of the stone. My waterstones are very stable in use, and the acrylic is easy to rinse off when it gets dirty.

—Dean M. Vande Griend, Story City, Iowa

Illustrations by Dan Thornton

From Fine Woodworking issue #270