Sharpening Stone Bench Hook

Ulma Doctor

Infinitely Curious
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Feb 2, 2013
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Hey guys,
just thought i'd write up a very simple project that i did a couple months ago.

for the uninitiated, a bench hook is a simple Z-like shaped device, constructed form scrap wood.
you put 2 substantial cleats on opposing sides of a board, on the ends.
as implied, the bench hook sits on top of a bench.
the work is oriented so as to be planed, chiseled,sanded,filed, etc, with the forces being directed away from the hobbyist
the distal cleat is used to provide a stop for the work
the proximal cleat is used to provide a stop for the bench hook, on the bench/surface on which it is supported.
it is a very effective means of passively holding many odd or normal shaped projects, and can be made in dimensions to suit any condition or necessity
thanks to the venerable Roy Underhill, i discovered the bench hook-




I never had an effective means of holding my small Arkansas sharpening stones, other than employing the bench hook.
the method worked fine until i got a new set of stones from ebay
the stones were beautiful, on 5 sides
the problem is there are 6 sides to be accounted for :mad:
being natural stones, and inexpensive, the trade off was the large faces were not parallel or even close.

it was apparent that i had to come up with a method of holding them, that i had complete confidence in.
i know from practical experience that the bench hook is beyond reproach in its stability and usefulness.
i decided to form a hybrid of the bench hook and sharpening stone holder, dirt cheap.
i acquired a kitchen table from the 50's, that was being thrown out by a neighbor.
it was made from hard maple, i couldn't see the table get thrown away so i thought i'd recycle it into different projects,
this is one of those times....

the stones are 1-1/2"x 4" x 1/2" nominal dimensions
i marked location on a piece of maple approximately 6" x 10" x 1"
i chiseled out a well for both stones approximately 1/8" to 3/16" deep as the contour of the stones changed
that was a workout, maple works nice but you gotta have sharp tools and apply some force when working it.
i applied clear, 5 minute epoxy (from harbor freight -very cheap) to the wells in the hard maple
and nestled the stones, with the off angled sides in the well, into the base
i inverted the assembly and clamped it to the bench to achieve a relative flat plane on both stones in relation to the base.
i allowed overnight to cure , just for good measure.
i found an old wheelbarrow handle that had been broken into 2 pieces.
i cut up one of the handle pieces to use as the proximal cleat.
i secured it to the base through the holes that were already present in the base from when it was a table support member
and Baddabing, the hybrid!

286880


works great and hangs on the wall when not needed!

as always,
thanks for reading! :grin:
 
Good one Doc! I don't work in wood for the most part but I do love to steal their ideas. Bench hooks, bench dogs etc. My supply of scrap hard rock maple has come from old futon frames. See them a lot in yard sales & freebie CL curb alerts. A neighbor was going toss one and I snagged it and took it apart. Been using pieces of it for testing for spring back of metal forms. They hold up pretty good but when I get the correct radii I redo in UHMW. Which my dad snagged from the butcher dept in the Village Store in Yosemite 30yrs ago. Most of it went make a work bench top, but the rest I've been whittling away on for all these years and am down the last chunks. Love to see stuff saved from the dump & recyclers.
 
Thanks for the info. I went out to the shop before the snow melted and built a set of bench hooks. They really work. Thanks Doc for the idea.
 
Good one Doc! I don't work in wood for the most part but I do love to steal their ideas. Bench hooks, bench dogs etc. My supply of scrap hard rock maple has come from old futon frames. See them a lot in yard sales & freebie CL curb alerts. A neighbor was going toss one and I snagged it and took it apart. Been using pieces of it for testing for spring back of metal forms. They hold up pretty good but when I get the correct radii I redo in UHMW. Which my dad snagged from the butcher dept in the Village Store in Yosemite 30yrs ago. Most of it went make a work bench top, but the rest I've been whittling away on for all these years and am down the last chunks. Love to see stuff saved from the dump & recyclers.
I'm a complete wood working hack ! but i love a good idea!!! lol
:grin:
I did something similar for a coarse and a fine file. I like the idea of having that setup for stones, too.
i have not thought to use a file like that, but now i have an excuse!
Using words like that you definetely are a doctor!

Seriously, nice elegant tool.
thank you for your kind words :)
Thanks for the info. I went out to the shop before the snow melted and built a set of bench hooks. They really work. Thanks Doc for the idea.
you are very welcome,
I'm happy that the idea was passed onto someone who can use it!

thanks everyone for reading and commenting! :grin:
 
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