New Togi Dai day.

[Carlos Lara]

Not sure how many here have made their own Togi Dai (Japanese sharpening/polishing station), but thought that it would be appreciated. I started a few months ago, but only just got to have all the pieces together today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do a lot of sharpening with water stones, which up to now typically meant a mess on a wobbly table. I made the frame from Cedar posts, and the top boards from reinforced cedar fence boards. Everything else is cut/sanded from Cedar posts. Everything's held together with epoxy (though the top boards can be lifted off). I did some carving so the top boards are held in place, so the to-dai-makura (the small block that is held in the largest block) would stay in place, and some drip catchers for the sides of the gutter I haven't glued in yet (the bucket I bought for the water underneath doesn't quite go from edge to edge). I have pretty long legs, so for now I'm just sitting on the end on an adjustable piano stool, but I plan to build a typical stool as well once I wrap my head around how big to build it and how I should sit on it.

 

I was inspired by the following posts I found:

 

J.L. Snezny:

 

 

Dave at Island Blacksmith:

 

https://islandblacksmith.ca/2020/02/building-a-togi-dai-for-polishing/

 

It's interesting how all of us made the same thing, but we all had a different process and outcome. I used power tools for cutting/planing/sanding, but also some hand carving, hand cutting and sanding. The designs are different, all made of different materials, but they all have the same functionality. A lot of the other designs make use of cypress, which I do have, but it's a bit more expensive than cedar here, so I decided to hold onto it for other projects (Bronze age sword handles). Now to get onto forging wrought iron tsuba blanks!

[Dick Sexstone]

That is a nice piece..... have you stained it with use yet? Love the sound of a sharp blade...... Thanks....

[Carlos Lara]

Thanks! Hasn't been used yet, but plan to soon!

[Carlos Lara]

Here it is dusted up. It actually really ups your sharpening/polishing game, because you have the weight of your whole body on the knife or chisel as you're sharpening it, and the stone stays pretty rock solid on the blocks. You also don't have to worry about the puddle of water that's forming, so you spend more time sharpening and less time wiping up water! It was pretty comfortable for my legs on the piano bench, but I think I do need to make the stool, I feel a bit far away from the stone. I'll post the two knives I'm working on sharpening/polishing in the show and tell section.

 

 

[Al Massey]

If I ever make one it's going to be comfortable seated level. After several knee surgeries in the service of Her Majesty and a new knee that sets off security alarms, I ain't kneeling for anything bar Sofia Vergara.

 

[Carlos Lara]

That's fair! I made a small bench for this, but I'm too stiff and my legs are too long! So I'm back to the piano stool. It works well enough that way, and I'm pretty confortable! I can also keep my foot on the fumaegi (the part that holds the stone) comfortably. There's a reputable Togisho published in Setsuo Takaiwa's book that made a bench height togi dai, and held the stones in place with wires, and sits on a bench at the side. I think it's a sort of rite of passage, like building your wood working bench! Everyone makes their own, and it's made to suit them.

 

I've encountered some unexpected leaking, so I'm going to make some modifications to channel water better! All part of the game!

Edited July 18 by Carlos Lara

[Carlos Lara]

For those interested, I posted a review of the Japanese water stones I use on the Sword buyer's guide forum:

 

https://sbg-sword-forum.forums.net/thread/71674/review-namikawa-heibei-sharpening-stone

[Carlos Lara]

Here's some updated pictures after a few modifications. The water was pooling on the side of one of the top boards and leaking through the edge onto the mat below, so I carved some grooves into the top board, and carved a channel into the groove where it was leaking to try to direct water into the bucket. I had carved some square spouts/drains before, then decided not to use them, but finally I ended up installing them anyway. But now, all the water runs neatly along the grooves in the top board and drips directly into the bucket, so the carved drains aren't needed! Well, at least it works! It's all giving me lots of experience with wood carving, which I'm sure will come in handy with knife handles. 

 

Here's under the hood with the carved drains. You can see the new bench at the bottom, which I use now mostly for drying stones!

 

Here's the complete setup with how I currently use it. I just needed to bring the stone closer and put my left foot between the togi dai and the piano bench. I'm a bit bent over, but not too bad.