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Moving into a new shop is never a painless experience. My best shop thus far was what I call shop #4 - I am on shop #6. I had that shop for five years and built many projects in it. It was really developing a lived in look when I left it, but more than that, there was a place for everything as the saying goes.
Your average recreational woodworker is not a fine furniture purist. Yes I try to make nice things, but you tend to get a lot of Joe Handyman jobs on your 'honey-do' list. Those things cut into your time spent on projects and shop storage is one of the things that always seem to be left until last. Half of the shops I have moved into have had some sort of storage or work built in before I got there. This really cuts down on the mess from the start, even if you plan to revamp or replace it. The shop I am in now had nothing.
A place to sharpen tools always seems to be carved out of a counter or cabinet top, which means its foundation is usually some sort of storage unit. If you have none, you have no place to anchor a grinder or lay out your stones. Is this the problem you are experiencing? If so, join the club. Anyway, here is the way I handled the situation.
Needing to sharpen my chisels desperately, I looked around for the only horizontal surface in my shop or, in this case, potential horizontal surface. That would be my old Black & Decker Workmate. Usually leaned up against the wall in a folded state, it was the only thing I had to make a horizontal surface out of that was even close to bench height. I thought of stacking saw horses or using them in some way but was unsatisfied with my alternatives. I found an out of the way space of wall and set up the Workmate, step toward the wall so it didn’t interfere with my feet.
I use my Workmate, not all the time, but for a few things, so I didn't want to bolt my grinder to the top of it. That introduced a problem. What could I bolt the grinder to? I have some half inch mahogany plywood I bought for a project a few years ago. At the time it was the only mahogany plywood I could find and it turned out to be so crappy I never used it. However, for a watery job like sharpening, mahogany is a good wood to use and I have been just dragging this garbage around anyway so I decided to put some of it to good use. I cut a square that was oversized, then bolted the grinder to it.
When placed on the top of the Workmate and held in place with a couple of C-clamps, it makes a serviceable platform. Because of its height I usually use it from a seated position. That usually allows me to see what I am doing more clearly. I use water stones to hone my blades and I keep them beside the grinder in a Rubbermaid container. When I hone I simply place the stone right on the plywood and go at it. A small plastic tray I made in grade 8 Industrial Arts out of vacuum formed plastic allows me to keep some water handy for cooling while I grind, and also holds my green Lee Valley honing compound.
That is all there is to it. If I need to use the Workmate for something else, or need the station out of the way, I simply pack up the few items on it, unclamp the board, and lean it - with grinder - up against the wall. I have had to do this in order to use the Workmate for another applications or when adding electrical circuits or cleaning. It doesn’t take very long to take apart or set up but I just leave it set up and ready to go most of the time.
I intend to replace it with a nice sturdy cabinet covered with butchers block, but that is a dream for the future at this point as we are already talking about the possibility of relocating again.
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