What do you fellas use for a base if you didn't order one?

I've seen pics of guys with anything from junk plywood to custom painted. I think anything would work, but Clay mentioned heavier works better. I think it depends on how much room you've got and how hard you press when sharpening. I'm sure you'll get a definitive answer here though, this group has tried a BUNCH of tune ups.

FredHermann wrote:

+1 to that Fred! We are nothing if not imaginative! I used 2 thicknesses of 3/4" MDF left over from cutting speaker rings, so I have a nice round base with a little step in it. If I make another I would like a little more weight to it but this one does keep me reminded to stay light on the pressure!

Take a look at the vacuum base idea, I think it's a good one.

www.makeitsharp.com/blog/?p=76

I happen to have a base like that, how well does it work for those who have adopted this type of base?

You should be able to a granite base made for around $40. Most granite yard will give you a 12" x 12" scrap for free, they normally charge about $10 per linear foot to cut and finish the edge.

Since I have a vacuum base I wondered if anyone out there had tried that setup. Looks pretty slick from the pictures.

Fairly heavy cutting board from the Ross Store; the thinner one was nice because it had rubber feet, but wasn't heavy enough.

BillSutherland wrote:


I followed those instructions exactly and now that's all I use! I absolutely love it.... I especially love being able to tilt my knife toward me while I'm working on it

cbwx34 wrote:


Curtis.. Have you used this method? Razoredgeknives.. Sounds like you have and do use it.

What do you use as a reference for the angle cube to set the arm angles properly?

If you change the tilt during a session and have to reset the angles for a different set of stones.. doesn't that screw things up.. at least when trying to get to a tenth of a degree (or limit of the cube's accuracy)?
I have found that changing the cube's orientation in any axis tends to give me inaccuracies. Clay even talked about using a square to keep the cube perpindicular to the base to avoid this kind of thing.
Just curious.

Phil