Bench for sharpening/setting

[Nealm66]

I'm getting pretty close to clearing out a spot to build a bench for the bms250 and the cooks dual setter. Man these things are heavy. Was thinking I could build a bench about 2' x 10' a couple feet away from an exterior wall for standing room and have the blades out into free space of the shop when sharpening/setting. Then when nothing is being sharpened I can take the outriggers off and gain the free space back. Still planning on building a proper sharpening shed but will be a couple months. Curious if anyone has better plans. Floor isn't good enough for roll around bench 

[terrifictimbersllc]

For a while i had my WM shop series cbn grinder suspended from the ceiling. Oak board sliding track arrangement mounted in rafters allowed lowering and raising unit with a come-along, worked well.  

Presently bms 250 and bmt 250 on craftsman professional  40" high tool carts on smooth concrete, but seldom move them. Stuff ends up productively stored on floor under the "outriggers".

Yes have to have smooth rolling or oil will slosh out.

[barbender]

Sharpening and setting equipment is a huge space hog. I have my sharpener and setter both mounted on a small rolling cart I slapped together, they can't really he used at the same time but it saves space. 

 I don't care at all for the Cooks blade supports om the sharpener, and intend to modify it. The way mine is set up, you need about 3' of space behind the machine for the support. Plus they are nasty spears in your shop space. My new supports won't extend past the footprint of the cart. 

[Nealm66]

Ya, this won't be permanent but when I build the new shed I'm thinking a roll around bench would help. Aren't the arms easily attached and removed? Looked like they just screwed in. Haven't really had time to check them out to be honest 

[MattM]

I never have enough space so I have my bms250 on a small homemade table with two casters and two straight wheels, that is just big enough to fit the machine and the electrical box. When I'm not using it I unscrew the arms and slide them under the machine. 
My cooks dual setter is mounted to a 7 foot work bench that has my sharpener for doing carbide circular saw blade and a few other small machines. That table has two caster and two straight wheels to keep it out of the way when not needed. The setter is right over the casters and on that side I have threaded rod feet that I can screw down to the floor to stop the table from moving as I set blades. I don't remove my setter arms I just hinge them to the side when not in use.

Its not the most ideal setup but it does work and everything can be rolled against a wall when not in use.
I'm thinking about building a small insulated building next summer just for sharpening and blade storage so I can free up space in the barn. Sure would be nice to have heat when sharpening  8)

[Nealm66]

I'm definitely going to insulate when I build the new shed. Actually a pretty slick idea to have the ability to raise and lower out of the way but I'm doing storage above so won't be very high ceiling. 13'6 wide x 28 is what I have room for. Been keeping an eye on Craigslist for security doors of some type before I start framing. Crappy time of the year for construction so might wait till summer and focus on getting everything sawn and stored. I'll use screws to assemble the bench so I can  move it to the new shed if it works good. Curious if anyone builds bench at a height for a stool of some sort 

[MattM]

The bench my setter is on is about 40inchs which is a comfortable height for me to use the tools on it. 

For the sharpener I made it extra tall. Tall enough that I don't have to bend down to see the blade for adjustments. I don't sit down and watch the bms250. Once its set up for the blade that's being sharpened I go do something else.... For the 90seconds it takes  ;D

That's what works for me, you really have to find what's comfortable for you.

[terrifictimbersllc]

No reason to be sitting in front of either machine. Maybe a chair somewhere in the area yes.

[Nealm66]

I would think it wouldn't suck to have it at stool height just going off my reloading bench experience. Maybe in the new shed. I can see myself in front of both longer than average until I get it dialed in 

[SawyerTed]

Just my .02, when I'm sharpening there isn't time to sit down.  Where reloading can be done sitting down start to finish (I reload a couple times per month), I need to be standing to load and unload blades on the machines, to retrieve blades to be sharpened and to pack sharpened blades.

Sharpen one, transfer it to the setter, start the setter, start the next blade on the sharpener.  By the time I have the second blade started, the setter is waiting on me. By the time I put the first blade in the sharp flat pack, the second blade is ready and so on.  It's 10 minutes or so per blade sometimes 6-7 per blade.  

After half a dozen I might sit down. Were I to sit between blades, the up and down would be more tiring than standing.  A couple of good anti-fatigue mats are more beneficial to me than a stool. 

My setter is on a cabinet not much larger than the footprint of the machine.   My sharpener is on a 48"x60" table.   The table collects "stuff" because it's a large horizontal surface.  >:(  I suppose it's a weakness in my character  :D

[Nealm66]

If you had it to do all over, would you copy what you have now? Considering my new shed dimensions?

[KenMac]

I built tables about 30" square or as appropriate for the piece of equipment and installed 3" casters on both. It makes them much easier to work around. I would do something very similar if had it to do over again. My shop does have concrete floor.

[Nealm66]

Man, these things seem heavy for 30" squares on castors? 

[Andries]

A couple pictures might equal a bunch of words.

[Crossroads]

I use moving dollies from harbor freight for my bases. I don't remember the dimensions, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 19x24. I used 1x4's to frame up a base from the dollies. Each having a shelf in the middle to store tools and spare cbn wheels. In the case of the setter, the center shelf holds the control box. I was a bit nervous about that much weight being too high, but so far they seem stable. This works well for me with the concrete floor and limited space. When not in use, I can pull the blade supports and roll them out of the way. I do keep a chair handy as I can set 2 blades in the time it takes to sharpen 1, so I run the setter continuously while keeping the grinder fed. After all the blades are set I have plenty of time to sit between sharpening cycles. 

[Nealm66]

I can definitely see the advantages of these smaller roll around benches. I'm kinda thinking about building a large permanent island in the old temporary shed. I currently have large benches on both sides that take up most of its 16' walls but with a large island I could make shallow shelves on the outside walls for better access. I wasn't planning on concrete floors in the new shed, although my neighbors a union concrete guy and would help at no charge, I was thinking about insulating a raised, wood floor with 3/4 plywood which I think would still be ok  for castors. Dang, you guys are really throwing some things out I hadn't considered. Thank you 

[Andries]

Besides the cart/bench, Managing the oil mist that the sharpener throws up is another important thing to consider. 
Many vent the oil mist to outside via a bathroom fart fan, and others have worked up some clever separator ideas. You Tube 'logs to lumber'. 

[Nealm66]

I hadn't considered the oil mist. Hmmm

[Andries]

I sharpened my first band last week as the sun was shining through a Venetian blind. The air looked like a movie set for a bunch of guys smoking cigars around a poker table.
Wikipedia says that breathing food grade mineral oil in air suspension can lead to pneumonia. 
Living on the Canadian Prairies, heating is a thang. I don't want to pump warm air out of the shop just to carry baby oil out of the shop. I'm working on a air/oil separator - we may have to strike a bright guys design team. 😉😎😂

[Ljohnsaw]

I'm working on a air/oil separator - we may have to strike a bright guys design team.

Have a fan blow the mist over an open flame!  Then you will get some free heat out of it :D

[MattM]

I was thinking of trying a ptrap for a separator. Fill the trip with oil and drill and tap a hole just above the oil level for a drain back to the reservoir. Then have one of those duct fans on the other end of the ptrap.

[Andries]

I like the concept Matt. So, the oil drops would get trapped by the bath as the air went around the trap. What size of pipe would you pick for that . . . in the three to four inch range?
.
Back in the day, there were oil bath air cleaners on car and truck motors.
The air was sucked in the air cleaner and any dust or debris, being heavier than air, would get stuck in the oil. The cleaned air would carry on down to the carburetor and motor. My fil's old Chevy five ton dump truck has one. Building or buying one that reverses that flow would have the oil separated from the air, right? 
Same principle as your idea.

[Andries]

I'm working on a air/oil separator - we may have to strike a bright guys design team.

Have a fan blow the mist over an open flame!  Then you will get some free heat out of it :D

A fuel injector-afterburner for the woodstove, whoa, out of the box thinking! Can't deny the allure of MORE HEAT. 😁

[MattM]

@Andries  I'm probably going to use 4inch because I have a bunch of 4inch abs fittings and pipe and a 4inch duct fan. I'm sure 3inch would probably let enough  air flow to keep all the oil vapour in the system as well.
For now though I just open the door of the barn and roll my sharpener over by the door.

The old engine air cleaners are actually what put the idea in my head. My only modification to the design would be the drain line so that the old wouldn't get too high in the trap and I think I would add some steel wool at the beginning of the pipe to catch alot of the oil before it gets to the trap.

Edit: just had another idea which wouldn't be so costly because you'd only need a length of straight pipe and it would be lower profile. I might try this first.

A half foot of 4inch pipe with a funnel shaped piece of plastic or metal inside with holes drilled around the top edge of the funnel and maybe a 1inch hole at the bottom center. Then have steel wool on top of the funnel. 
The funnel and the wool should catch most if not all of the oil and let it drip back in.....maybe  :

[Stephen1]

I have a sharpening room. 8x16, The sharpener and setter sit on benches the same size as their foot print. I have a nice wall unit, 2' x 8' with 4 shelves  behind that hold most of my spare parts and hand tool equipment is stored on. I have hooks all around the wall and an open divider between the sharpener and setter. Because I sharpen blades for others I have the hooks full of 10 packs of blades. Name tags move with the blades. Sharpen all of one customer, then set all , then flat pack, using the metal c clip and 4 zip ties.  Some customers are good, they have plywood boxes with piano hinges for their blades. I only accept clean unrusted blades.