Waterstone sharpening station ideas wanted

[TobyB]

I thought about spending a lot on diamond or waterstones - have a couple of cheap'n'cheerful diamonds which are useful - but tried out the basic scarey-sharp kit from Matthew as a low-level outlay ... and with a Veritas Mk II my planes and chisels have been fabulous ... if I was a full-time pro needing to use this every day (or more often) it might be a different picture ... as a hobbyist ... glass and paper is simple, clean, easy, tidy, cheap ... functional ...

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

if I was a full-time pro needing to use this every day (or more often) it might be a different picture

Everything is a compromise ...

Initial setting up cost vs ongoing expense - sandpaper systems tend to be costly to maintain, while waterstones are costly to set up but last a very long time if used correctly.

Cost vs convenience - sandpaper is cheap to buy a few sheets at a time, but it constantly needs to be renewed .. and often at the most inconvenient times.

Dry mess vs Wet mess - dust versus water or oil.

Cheap vs dear - those cheap diamond stones appear a bargain but they are not reliably flat and will tend to wear out faster than expected.

I am not advocating that everyone buy the best or spend more - just to be aware that the choices one makes are always a compromise somewhere.

Regards from Perth

Derek