A Three-Stone Sharpener

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Once the shaft is positioned in the frame, cut your aluminum stock into three equal pieces and arrange the blocks so the middle one is lined up with the hole in the axle and the end sections are centered about 6" apart. Tap the expansion pin into the cross-bored socket, then turn the other two blocks so the flats are in line. Set an aluminum strip on one row of narrow flats and drill 3/32" pilot holes through the metal and into the wood. Enlarge the openings in the strip, insert the aluminum screws, then repeat this procedure on the other two rows.

To fasten the stones in place, simply lay them on the broad flats and tighten the strips so their edges catch the lower shoulders of each stone. (You may need another pair of hands to accomplish this.) If you plan on using stones larger or smaller than the ones we chose, you'll have to adjust the size of your hardwood triangles accordingly, and perhaps that of the strips as well . . . but the method of securing the abrasives will remain the same.

At this point, you can attach the pulley to the exposed end of the arbor shaft and mark the location of the three 7/32" holes that hold the horseshoe clamp. These should be drilled equidistant from one another so that any pair will be even with the top of the pan as the pulley is rotated into position. Cut an 8" piece from the 3/16" X 13" steel rod and bend it into a U shape with a spread to match the holes, taper the rod's tips, then reorient the pulley on the shaft so the clamp and one of the stones are on the same plane. You can make a simple grip by bending the leftover section of rod into an arc and using it to join the ends of the rubber hose to form a loop around the pulley groove.

The sharpening guide ramp is assembled with basic butt joints. First cut your 4-1/4"wide 3/4" board into 1-5/8", 3-1/4", and 8-1/2" lengths, then use a coping saw to make 1/2"-wide slots in the center of the legs . . . 1" deep in the shorter piece, and 3" deep in the longer one. (You can terminate the cuts by predrilling a 1/2" hole at the top of each slot.) Attach the platform to the legs with No. 6 X 1-1/4" flathead wood screws, fill the holes, and check to make sure the surface is flush and even with the stones when the ramp is in place. With that assured, coat the tool's wooden parts with varnish or polyurethane to provide a working finish.

Perhaps one of the nicest features of this bench tool is that when it's filled with an inch or so of oil or water lubricant, it's heavy enough to stay put without being clamped . . . and its reservoir keeps the stones moist for instant use when needed. But its primary value is that it provides a convenient method of maintaining a variety of cutting edges, a workshop chore that's all too often neglected.

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