Beginner paper wheel setup

N4SIR

N4SIR

Joined
Feb 22, 2008
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I was looking to get into paper wheel sharpening after watching richard j's video and seeing how good an edge you can get amazed me..
i just got a dmt aligner and did get very good edges hair shaving etc but im now sold on paper wheels and want to get into it... ( i might even return my aligner)

i was hoping to spent $100-150 total

im going to be sharpening folders usually 4in and under... i am completely new to paper sharpening and would love advice...

i know theres stickys on how to but not really what to buy and especially on a budget..
 
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Something im also interested in! So I hope all our fellow knife nuts hook us up with some info!!
 
whoa whoa whoa, 150 bucks? even 100 bucks??? your spending wayyyy wayyy wayyy too much! a set of wheels cost between 25-35bucks and a basic grinder should run between 40-60 bucks new (cheaper if its used, check craigslist, ive seen them at like 20 bucks. just make sure you can take off the side guards and your good to go! I noticed that lowes has cheaper prices then home depot most of the time). sure you can spend more money on a speed controller or a specalized grinder but you really don't need to. sure 3500rpm sounds fast but when you learn to use the wheel, its really not as fast as you might think and it doesn't make a knife's blade just dissapear like magic. even if you hold one part of the edge to the grit wheel and really press on it without it moving, if your using wax properly, its gonna take you a while just to make huge dent in the blade!


btw: idk if you noticed but the time it takes you to get a hair wittling edge from a paper wheel setup is pretty damn quick, espeically if your edge is semi/stock sharp with no huge dents/chips. they are freaken awesome and cheaper then most people think!
 
you can get a variable speed motor at lowes fairly cheap. running the wheels at a lower speed (1725 at least) is what i suggest even though the manufacturer suggests the 3400 rpm motor. a 1/2 hp motor minimum will work just fine. i tried a 1/3hp motor and it was too low powered. if anyone has questions send me an email with your number and i'll give you a ring. i can only call free to the states and canada.

here is a link to my paper wheel thread and a post by a member from australia that had me sharpen a knife for him. he was so impressed with the wheels that he bought a set. he compared my edge to one put on with diamonds.

i have some vids on my website too. check out all the links on the home page too. my sig line has a link to it.
 
i was looking at the razor sharp edgemaking system.. looks like that and a bench grinder with speed control is pretty much all i need... (and a steady hand ) :)
 
if you get that setup you'll be good to go. remember to practice on junk knives first and work on getting a nice even edge before going to the slotted wheel. i left you a visitors message too.
 
any suggestions for where to use my bench grinder? i dont have a garage so im looking at either laying it on a table or counter and or buying some sort of small table for it...i thought you might have some ideas..
 
I'm running mine on a HF 6" buffer. It doesn't have the variable speed like the bench grinder from Lowe's does, but the thing I like about it is that there is more space between the wheels than a grinder. I don't remember exactly how much I spent. I'm sure it was under $100 for both the buffer and the wheels though. If you're going to set it on a table make sure to put something underneath the slotted wheel since applying the compound makes a bit of a mess. A small portable workbench would work well also if you want to go that route.
 
a metal or plastic 55 gallon drum with some sand in the bottom for weight and a box or wood blocks on top for added height will work.
 
I have my Harbor Freight coupon ready and waiting, but I have a question. I live in an apartment, would it be idiotic for me to try to set this up indoors with all the metal and grit getting everywhere? I plan on doing the 6" buffer, then buying the wheels. Otherwise, I will stay with my Lansky for now, until I can have a shop / garage.
 
dannyp said:
I'm running mine on a HF 6" buffer. It doesn't have the variable speed like the bench grinder from Lowe's does, but the thing I like about it is that there is more space between the wheels than a grinder. I don't remember exactly how much I spent. I'm sure it was under $100 for both the buffer and the wheels though.
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I use the same buffer myself and I agree that the extra space between the wheels is a nice feature. The body of the buffer is also a little slimmer than most grinders providing even more clearance. I think my total was $98 and some change for the buffer from Harbor Frieght, the wheels from Grizzly, and shipping for everything.

With this unit (and maybe some grinders too) you can remove the base and turn it around so that the wheels spin away from you but the on/off switch is out front. A nice option.

PaperWheelsettup.jpg
 
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MrFoo said:
I have my Harbor Freight coupon ready and waiting, but I have a question. I live in an apartment, would it be idiotic for me to try to set this up indoors with all the metal and grit getting everywhere? I plan on doing the 6" buffer, then buying the wheels. Otherwise, I will stay with my Lansky for now, until I can have a shop / garage.
Click to expand...

Personally I would not recommend using them inside an apartment but I suppose you could put up some old blankets or something to keep the debris away from walls and furniture.

I use mine in my unfinished basement with concrete walls and floors. It's kind of dirty down there in the first place and in all honesty I don't even notice how much debris, if any, is flying off the wheels.
 
I know it shouldn't need to be said but make sure to always use your saftey glasses and perhaps a mask if your doing a lot of knifes in an enclosed space with no ventilation.
 
Yah, I'm getting interested and getting some machetes and longer blades and I'm looking at a paper wheel setup too. Most of what is easily available to you guys are not an option for me. I need to look at what's available here and making it work for me. The paper wheels and compound, I know I'll need to buy online. The bench grinder is something that I'll need to look for a bit more since most are higher speed here without variable speeds.
 
I've been thinking about trying this too. Is variable speed an important feature like on the Lowes grinder? I saw a cheaper one that had a single, 3700 rpm speed, but is that too much?
 
The slower speed would obviously be safer for the user and for the blade being sharpened.


The buffer that I use has a speed right around 3500rpm. I am at work right now and I cannot check the exact speed. I burned the tip on a practice knife when I first got my wheels but that has never happened since. I was not moving the blade fast enough across the wheel and I probably would have burnt the tip even at lower rpm's. Aside from that one incident, the higher speed has worked just fine for me in the 3 years that I've used the wheels.

As Richard mentioned above, the manufacturer of the wheels recommends 3400rpm. You just have to decide if you want the added safety of slower speed or not.
 
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