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!