Columbia Gorge Stoneworks Resin Bond Diamond Stones

FlaMtnBkr said:
I tried emailing the company a few days ago asking about this but haven't received a reply yet so thought I'd ask here.

Do they not offer 1"x6" stones to work with the Edge Pro or are they just out of stock? I read where the OP/manufacturer uses 1x6 with a guided system so figured this would be an option?

I've been wanting to get a full set of diamond plates for the EP for a while and when I saw this thread I went straight to the website to place an order but didn't find the 1x6. Even 4" of diamond on 6" plate would be OK (I think) though I'd prefer the full 6" so don't have to worry much about pulling the plate past the knife edge. Or are people finding another way to use 1x4" on an Edge Pro?

Is anyone using these with an EP and having success?
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What you are looking for are Edge Pro Diamond Matrix stones. You can find them from various vendors.
 
Diemaker said:
EP has been my customer for 28 years now so I can't compete with them, hence I don't sell any guided sharpening items on my website, only to EP. I would be disappointed trying to use a 4" stone on a guided sharpener, especially if it could use a 6" stone. You have almost double the working length with a 6" stone IMO.
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So you're saying that the diamond matrix stones that EP sells are your stones?

I don't know what your contract is with EP, but they must be treating you very well for you to not sell your product, that you designed/tested and manufacture, for use with any and all guided systems... And in doing so, cutting yourself out of the likely largest section of the market that would use your product.

Considering the EP prices are getting close to double the prices on the CGSW site, it looks like my EP will continue to live in a box. Do to health problems I can't spend lots of money on hobbies, but I guess I'm also cheap and can't make myself spend almost twice what they would cost (guess-timating) from the maker.

Thanks for the info regardless.
 
Yes, I make the EP Matrix stones. They are an offshoot of something I started making around 2003. Yes, they do treat me well but also there is the simple fact that if you start to compete with your customers you won't have them very long, plus that is just bad on every level. I think EP's prices are about 50% higher but the Matrix stones are sold dressed and you get EP's customer service. My bench stones typically are not dressed when shipped and my customer service is more limited since I never charged extra for either.

On a personal note, I wish we could all buy directly from the manufacturer and skip all the markups for the distributors and retailers, but that generally isn't reality. I did try that with my last big product and about starved. I finally raised my prices so I could offer wholesale. The funny thing is when I did sales increased on my own website, go figure. Keep in mind that the markups for sharpening gear are pretty tight so don't feel bad about them.
 
eKretz said:
Actually I was thinking of trying to strip and replate my own electroplated wheels for a drill grinder I use for resharpening and splitting points on dull drills. Might be cheaper to just get the wheels stripped and replated at a place that does it regularly by the sound of it. They generally charge about $135-$150 for a ~6" wheel with grit on the OD and face.
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Plating with diamond is rather difficult, you can do it yourself? If you want I can sell you whatever you want, just let me know. Who would you use to have it done and what process do they use? I used to make my own bodies and have them plated to machine stone so I am very familiar with it.
 
I have read a library of patents and done some experimentation with it. I have made a couple little practice plates (nickel plating to secure CBN grit) but have not tried a full sized wheel yet. There are powders sold that are basically grit particles pre-plated or tinned with something that helps them adhere better to the nickel plating, those are a little expensive though. I have tried electroless nickel followed by electroplating in a gently turbulent bath and that seems to work pretty good.

Continental Diamond Tool is who I've used in the past. Norton also has a strip and replate service.
 
Just a quick review: these CGS resin-bond diamond stones are excellent (thanks Diemaker).
If you're still researching, you can stop-- get a set of these, they work great on PM steels.
(photo is Spyderco Endela K390 freehand on 40, 20, 10m stones, then 6m gunny juice leather strop - edge came up screaming sharp again.)
temp-Image-Vx-CV6-V.jpg
 
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Hello David,
So far I only own the 950, 1700 and 4K but thinking of getting a couple coarser grits as well.

A couple questions:
1) Have you ever used your stones on steel like Aogami Super and/or Blue1&2? If so how did you like the results?
2) What is the diamond concentration in your stones?

Thanks in advance for letting me borrow some of your valuable time.

Greetings from the far north
Hauke
 
Hi Hauke,

I am sorry to take so long to respond but I figured I needed to renew my subscription first. Yes, my diamond stones work great on hard carbon steels, the harder the better. I have never used them on those steels but have used them on HAP 40 which is probably fairly close.

I don't want to say what my exact concentration is but I have done a bunch of testing to determine what is the best compromise between the speed of cut and the longevity of the stone. If I put more diamonds in them they don't cut much better but the wear rate increases more than the added speed of cut.

For the coarser stones keep in mind I use a "softer" bond so they don't hog like a harder bond such as plated or even phenolic bonds. But the faster you remove metal the deeper the scratches you leave and the more damage is done to the underlying steel so there is no free lunch here. This is a bigger issue the coarser the stone so if you are looking for the fastest rougher then my 80 grit/160 micron stone is not it. For something like this plated is impossible to beat, but the 80 grit/160 micron would be a good choice as the next step, or possibly the 250 grit/80 micron.

Here is a photo of an 80 grit/160 micron stone showing how much diamond is in one.

80-Grit-stone.jpg


And here is a 250 grit/80 micron stone. The 250 and finer stones have the same amount of diamond by weight, the 80 has a little more, so take all those crystals and divide them up to get an idea of the finer stones. The magnification is the same for the two photos.

250-Grit-stone.jpg
 
Diemaker said:
Hi Hauke,

I am sorry to take so long to respond but I figured I needed to renew my subscription first. Yes, my diamond stones work great on hard carbon steels, the harder the better. I have never used them on those steels but have used them on HAP 40 which is probably fairly close.

I don't want to say what my exact concentration is but I have done a bunch of testing to determine what is the best compromise between the speed of cut and the longevity of the stone. If I put more diamonds in them they don't cut much better but the wear rate increases more than the added speed of cut.

For the coarser stones keep in mind I use a "softer" bond so they don't hog like a harder bond such as plated or even phenolic bonds. But the faster you remove metal the deeper the scratches you leave and the more damage is done to the underlying steel so there is no free lunch here. This is a bigger issue the coarser the stone so if you are looking for the fastest rougher then my 80 grit/160 micron stone is not it. For something like this plated is impossible to beat, but the 80 grit/160 micron would be a good choice as the next step, or possibly the 250 grit/80 micron.

Here is a photo of an 80 grit/160 micron stone showing how much diamond is in one.

View attachment 2471586


And here is a 250 grit/80 micron stone. The 250 and finer stones have the same amount of diamond by weight, the 80 has a little more, so take all those crystals and divide them up to get an idea of the finer stones. The magnification is the same for the two photos.

View attachment 2471588
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Thanks a lot for the reply. That cleared a bunch of stuff up for me. Those are some great pictures btw!

The more I use your stones then more I love like them. Speed isn’t everything. For now, I still enjoy sharpening a lot. That said, it’s always nice when I don’t have to spend an excessive amount of time when re-profiling a knife to either change the angle or fix a blade with a damaged edge.

I will do as you suggested and will go with a metallic, or maybe even galvanic bond for a couple rough grits and then move over to your diamond matrix stones.

Thanks again for your help
Hauke
 
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