Your Choice for Grinding Wheels

[sequoia]

I bought a relatively inexpensive slow speed grinder. It came with really bad wheels with no bushings. I tried to balance the wheels, but I think most of the issues are with the lack of bushings and chips and unevenness in the arbor holes.

I verified that I have about 1/1000th of runout or less on the arbors so I am confident that the issues are with the wheels.

Having said that, I'd like your opinion on a pretty rock solid setup. What's your choice of wheels (as I will need two) and bushings?

Has anyone tried the Raptor bushings Link here:
https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/97/6196/Raptor-R3X-Grinding-Wheel-Bushing-2-Piece-Set

Thanks everyone for participating in my survey

 

[TurtleTom]

I bought a relatively inexpensive slow speed grinder. It came with really bad wheels with no bushings. I tried to balance the wheels, but I think most of the issues are with the lack of bushings and chips and unevenness in the arbor holes.

I verified that I have about 1/1000th of runout or less on the arbors so I am confident that the issues are with the wheels.

Having said that, I'd like your opinion on a pretty rock solid setup. What's your choice of wheels (as I will need two) and bushings?

Has anyone tried the Raptor bushings Link here:
https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/97/6196/Raptor-R3X-Grinding-Wheel-Bushing-2-Piece-Set

Thanks everyone for participating in my survey

Thanks for the link to the Raptors, I'll have some please.
I had trouble with my slow speed grinding wheel running off center too. No amount of contacting Norton would get any results. I finally made some oak bushings which worked just fine and are still on the grinder.

 

[Skie_M]

I went and got a diamond faced grinding disc from Harbor Freight .... it was very thin and somewhat flimsy, but decently priced. It came in the kit meant to be used with their electric chain saw sharpener.

After I got it in hand, I went ahead and grabbed some scrap oak and glued some small sections together .... Drilled a center hole and dropped in a 3/4 x 16 nut. I left enough of the metal showing that it would easily register against the shoulder of my headstock to ensure it will run true, and epoxied it in place. Next step was turning the wooden faceplate round and true up the face.

Finally, I drilled 4 small holes in the metal disc, and screwed it to the front of the faceplate .... I toss it on my lathe when I want a diamond grinding wheel with variable speed control. I only get 1 choice in grits, but it works great for me.

 

[moke]

I built a "sharpening station" about a year ago with two slow speed grinders. I have three norton wheels and a CBN. I tried balancing the wheels with several types of bushings. The raptor bushings were the best by far.....I even had a terrible experience with the "bushings" in the balancing kit of the one way set. As soon as I got the raptor set, I had NO issues and they both balanced like a dream.
Mike

 

[KenV]

Cubic boron nitride wheel. About 180 to 220 rating for sharpening.

 

[mg_dreyer]

I have a Tormek, a few months ago I bought a Rikon slow speed grinder and two CBN wheels. I wish I would have done this years ago. I will never use the Tormek again. While not a joy, sharpening is so much easier and I do it way more now.

 

[mecompco]

Pretty quickly gave up on my 6" bench grinder. My Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder works so much better. A couple seconds on a 120 grit belt give a nice edge. One day I'll mod it to a variable speed, but even with the fast speed, it works. I have a HF 1x30 that I keep a leather belt on--it strops tools to a great edge.

Regards,
Michael

 

[SkookumPens]

I recently purchased a set of CBN wheels for my grinder and am very impressed with them. I noticed an improvement in grinding immediately. I bought them from Woodturners Wonder. He has a great price and they are guarranted for life. He now has a wheel for the
Tormek.
Craig Chatterton
Puyallup, WA

 

[Skie_M]

Pretty quickly gave up on my 6" bench grinder. My Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder works so much better. A couple seconds on a 120 grit belt give a nice edge. One day I'll mod it to a variable speed, but even with the fast speed, it works. I have a HF 1x30 that I keep a leather belt on--it strops tools to a great edge.

Regards,
Michael

I use a 1 x 30 as well, with a 5 inch disc that I modded out for a buffing wheel. That makes for a very nice polished bevel too!

 

[Rockytime]

Pretty quickly gave up on my 6" bench grinder. My Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder works so much better. A couple seconds on a 120 grit belt give a nice edge. One day I'll mod it to a variable speed, but even with the fast speed, it works. I have a HF 1x30 that I keep a leather belt on--it strops tools to a great edge.

Regards,
Michael[/quote

I also use a Craftsman 4" belt sander along with a sharpening jig made from Cap'n Eddies plans. I also sharpen my metal cutting lathe tools on a belt sander. I've given up sharpening on a grinder long ago.

 

[wyone]

I use my Rikon slow speed grinder with wolverine jig and like it a lot. I do think it would be better if I came up with a leather strop to finish things off though

 

[Skie_M]

I use my Rikon slow speed grinder with wolverine jig and like it a lot. I do think it would be better if I came up with a leather strop to finish things off though

Grab an older faceplate that you don't use anymore, or make a special-purpose one just for this.


Take some 1" MDF and attach it to your faceplate. If you don't have 1" MDF, don't panic ... you can attach multiple pieces to make something wide enough for our purpose. Scrap wood will do nicely, of course.

You'll want something that is fairly large diameter, but not so much that it would scrape the lathe bed ... I have an 8" lathe, so I would make a 6" or 7" wheel. Size yours accordingly.

Once you've turned it nice and round, take an old genuine leather belt you don't need anymore and scrape the polish off of the leather. Do both sides, since you want it to stick very well ... cut one end at an angle (where it's nice and flat along the sides), and begin attaching it to the wheel you've made with epoxy.

Once you've got it all the way round, cut the other end to match as closely as you can, with the same angle as before, so that you have as flat a gap as possible. Take some spare rope and wind it around the wheel to keep the leather in place as the epoxy cures...

When cured, turn at medium speed starting with 220 sandpaper and working your way up to 1000 grit. You want a perfectly even surface and you want it fairly smooth in order to strop your blade edge.

You can use honing oil, just don't overdo it ... getting oil all over the place doesn't help you get a fine edge on your tools.

Make sure you always use the bottom of the wheel, where the leather is running away from you, and hold your tool upside-down to get that edge honed.

 

[wyone]

so you just use epoxy to glue the leather on? I was worried it would not be flexible enough and the leather movement would cause the epoxy to fail.

 

[Skie_M]

The reason epoxy is preferred by many for gluing acrylic tubes is that it flexes more than CA.

Gorilla glue may also be a decent choice, but the old-fashioned choice would have been rubber cement.

While honing, there shouldn't be much movement in the leather ... it should just be a light touch and gentle passes on the edge of the blade. You aren't removing metal, you're polishing the edge.

The polished edge doesn't have as many jagged metal fragments sticking out of it, so it's stronger and will last longer.

 

[TonyL]

8" CBN 180 or 220 for sharpening

 

[Roland Street]

Grinding wheels

I use Cubic boron nitride or CBN wheels. With the oneway jig system I can sharpen a roughing gouge in about a minute. These wheels aren't cheap, but they are well worth the money. I would recommend these wheels if you want to have sharp tools fast.

Thank You,

Roland Street

 

[Roland Street]

I use the wolverine system with CBN wheels on a Rikon grinder. I use an old leather belt as a strop. I am very pleased with the system and can sharpen a roughing gouge in exactly 5 seconds. I would recommend this to anyone. In my opinion it is one of the best sharpening systems. The Robert Sorby system is much better, but it is expensive.

 

[flyitfast]

I use 8" CBN wheels - 180 grit for grinding and 400 grit for sharpening/honing. I use the Craft Supply Raptor bushings (above) and the wheels are as true as can be (spin forever too!). I use the Wolverine system and it works well with the CBN wheels
I do have a Tormek also that I use mainly for spindle and bowl gouges.
Gordon

 

[its_virgil]

I bought a pair of CBN wheels from Ken at CBN Wheels – Wood Turners Wonders and I can say it was one of the best purchases I've made re: woodturning. With these wheels and my Carter and Son tools I am a happy turner. No affiliation with either. Just a very happy customer.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Pat Keefe]

Another one for the CBN set up. Woodcut Truegrind #80 and #180 for grinding on the Abbott & Ashby 6" high speed grinder and #280 for the Tormek T-7.

I have no issues with the Tormek since I got the Woodcut Truegrind CBN for it. I reshape on the A&A and get the final edge on the Tormek.