Thread: Mounting hones on a base, how I do it.

Today I received two new hones in the mail, both with no bases. I mount synthetics on bases to limit the amount of bend of the hone as it wets and dries, so I decided to make a short how-to as I go.

First the choice of wood is important. Since the stones will be wet a lot the wood of choice for the base has to be water resistant and/or sealed well with varnish of some kind. I like to use Cedar for bases, as it has fiber structure that does not allow for much water to absorb, it is light wood, and it is very easy to cut with no tools. I got a 36"x 8"x1" Cedar board from eBay, measured the dimensions of the hones and cut with hand saw two pieces for bases.

Second the way the wood is cut is important, the pictures show the correct orientation of the grain to produce strong base that will not warp with time.





I sealed the bases with Shellac, it is cheap, and readily available and seals great. I have bases made 3 years ago sealed with Shellac that have not shown any sign of wear due to water exposure.



Gorilla glue works great for the purpose, it is water proof, and so far has not disappointed me, I have mounted quite a few hones with it.



I also scratched the hones surface to be glued to the base, probably not needed, but just in case.

Then I applied the glue as directed and clamped.







Some of the glue will spill out as it sets, no big deal for me. I just clean it up with a knife.

Finally the Kitayama, had two chipped corners, so I sealed the sides with Cashew lacquer, to prevent further erosion








After 2 hours including the glue set time, the two hones were ready to use.


This is one way to mount your hones on a base.


I also have mounted a hone on the back of DMT plate with double sided carpet tape, it's been holding for ~3 years as well.


Hope this will be useful for those folks that want to mount their hones.

Great tutorial!
Thanks!

Very nice work. I mounted a few on granite as shown. I measured the stone, had a piece cut by a local granite guy here (got 4 cut for $20) marine epoxy, stick on, let dry and I use clear silicone to seal the sides to the granite. Then poly to seal the sides of the stone. The weight may be an issue if you hone with the stone in your hand, which I never do.