Waterstone Holders

I spend a lot of time using waterstones. The work is easier when the stones are securely anchored and the mess is contained. By making these holders for them, they are held firmly and the grit is mostly caught by the tub. I fill the tub with water, so it is heavy and stable. The dados on the holders are all tight press fits, so they don't wiggle. Nothing takes the bounce out of my bungee like a wiggling stone. 😔

One drawback is that the grit from the coarse stones settles down onto other finer stones soaking in the tub. I'll usually fill up two tubs, one for the stones below 1000 grit and one above. On the 'fine' tub, I make more of an effort to keep the water clean. If I am sharpening for myself, I don't worry about it nearly as much.

Below was the first stone holder I made of hickory, about six months ago. I coated it with mineral oil and beeswax. It got soaked and dried constantly for the whole six months, and it held up great!

I wiped it down with oil again. It looks even better than it did new!

11mm Brass Knobs

I will take custom orders for these knobs, see last paragraph in this post for details. From $5.50 to $8.50 per knob

I made 130 of these brass knobs for the wooden boxes and furniture my dad makes. They are 11mm diameter and 11mm tall, or 7/16" if dad measures them, or .435" if I measure them. The faces are lapped to a sharp, even finish. The backs are tapped as deep as I dare with 10-32 threads, finished with a bottoming tap. We secure them to the drawers with stainless button-head hex-drive screws.

I made a plate, held on the tailstock, to dress the faces of the knobs:

Info on ordering these-
Sizes: 1/4" diameter up to 3/4"
Materials: Brass, copper, stainless, open to others
Price: $5.50 ea for smaller brass/stainless knobs up to $8.50 ea for larger ones. Minimum order 12 knobs.
Mounting: Any thread that will fit. Fine pitch is better on small knobs.

Chain Keeper

The chain on my girlfriend's bike keeps falling off the inside of the chainring due to low quality shifters. The front derailleur is adjusted correctly, so I thought a positive mechanical guide for the chain would help. We spent some time in the shop and came up with this:

At the 8-o-clock position, the clamp is relieved to clear the down tube and weld. There is very little space between it and the derailleur clamp.

It is made of hickory--time will tell how it holds up.

I also started turning a bowl on the pole lathe-

If you live in NW Washington and know someone who would be interested in owning this lathe, let me know! I need to find a new home for it.