Thread: Building a bench hone

Several members seem to have made their own bench hones, but I can't find a good how-to thread. I'm hoping to flush out some of that info here.

I have some 4" wide honey brown leather from Tony that I'd like to make into a nice bench hone for some CRO2. I went to Home Depot and bought a granite tile, which they cut for me into three 4" x 8" pieces.

So here are my questions so far:
-How do I prep the leather? I soaked it for a couple of hours in water and I'm now drying it under a stack of books. Beyond that, any suggestions?
-Is there an easy way to smooth the cut edges of the tile somewhat?
-What should I use to glue the leather to the tile?
-Should I bevel the edges of the leather, and if so, how?
-Should I worry about making the leather go all the way to the edge of the stone, or would it be OK to have the leather slightly smaller than the piece of tile?
-Any pitfalls you wish you knew about before making yours?
-Do I need to dress the strop after it dries before applying the CRO2?
-Any suggestions for making a balsa wood version of this strop?

I don't have any CRO2 yet, so I'm hoping someone who has a quantity would be willing to share for the right price.

Thanks,
Josh

Josh, I can help you with a few of these...
-I gave it zero prep, just glued it to the tile.
-For that I used contact cement
-If the stone is SLIGHTLY wider than the leather, it's not a huge issue, but God save you from slipups if you make it too wide
-I just mixed the abrasive powder with strop dressing so it didn't need to be pre-dressed
-You can bevel the edges with both the 600 (make sure you clean it off the leather aftewards or by pressing down with a hard object and going around.
-As for the powder, I believe I'll have a bit extra after I take care of Jason and myself. Probably 100 grams or so, which should be enough for A LOT of razors.

My leather is almost dry, so I'll probably try cutting it tonight.

I'm making my bench hones out of a granite floor tile, so I was looking for something to use on the bottom of them to keep them from scratching stuff. Wal-Mart sells 1/8 inch thick foam rubber sheets with adhesive backing. They're called Foamies, and they're in the craft section. (I've also used them to make light seals for vintage cameras.) I just cut the Foamie to size and stick it on the bottom of the tile. It makes a nice cushion.

Ilija, when will you know if you'll have some powder left over? I'm eager to try this stuff. (Some drug enforcement agency is no doubt monitoring this thread intently, waiting for details as to how we'll exchange the "powder," and how many grams you're going to sell me...)

Thanks,
Josh

Josh, that's a great idea even though a paper towel will also do the job in a pinch. However, matching Keith's rates would not even cover my expenses in obtaining the stuff. If you want I can send you a small amount (enough for you to do the initial double-application and a couple of reapplications) gratis. Just PM me with your shipping address.

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

Ilija, when will you know if you'll have some powder left over? I'm eager to try this stuff. (Some drug enforcement agency is no doubt monitoring this thread intently, waiting for details as to how we'll exchange the "powder," and how many grams you're going to sell me...)

You're all chrome oxide junkies.

MP, you're at least as bad as we are

I'm not a junkie yet, but Ilija is offering to let me try some of the good stuff for free...

Josh

I assume the granite tile you bought was the typical flooring tile that's roughly 3/8" thick (~10mm). If I were making the hone you're describing...

• I'd mount (ie, glue) the tile to a wood block... for two reasons: first, the tile isn't very thick so it would raise the hone's surface off the table further (allows more variation in how the razor is gripped while honing) and second, the tile is easily broken if dropped, so the wood will add extra support... just make sure you use wood that doesn't warp easily. If the wood base is slightly larger than the tile it would protect it even better.
• After I glued the tile to the wood base I'd make sure the surface of the tile is flat... it doesn't need to be as perfect as a stone hone, but it should be close... if not, fix it just like you would a stone hone. Once you glue the leather to it you won't be able to correct the situation.

Speaking of the glue... my experience with the commonly available (eg, hardware store) variety of contact cement is that it works well for some materials/situations, but not all. If you live in a dry climate (which you don't) or the materials are porous (which leather is) you may have problems after a while.

I can tell you from experience that once the leather starts to release it's virtually impossible to fix... re-gluing the loose part leaves a 'bump" due to the additional thickness of the glue and trying to remove the leather causes tears from the glue that hasn't released yet. All that said, contact cement is what I'd use if I lived where you do.

Here in Arizona (where the humidity get down to a low as 4%) it wasn't long before one I built started to lift around the edges... when that happened, I bought one from Keith. He, of course, has access to glues that we won't find in our local hardware/craft stores.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

MP, you're at least as bad as we are

Only for some razors. I'm also fond of Boron Carbide.

And unlike you guys, I can stop any time, I swear.

Joe,

The wood block is a good idea--I'm going to think about that. Any suggestions on glue?

I think my tile is closer to 1/2 inch thick, but it could benefit from some height. At minimum I think I'll make some kind of wooden base to rest the strops in.

I'm also thinking I could smooth the cut edges of the tile with my brand new Dremel 400. I'm going to lay awake at night thinking of uses for this thing...

Josh