I think its time to level up

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Doc_Holidaze

Joined
Mar 14, 2013
Messages
76
So ive put in some time with my Dmt Stone and can get quality edges. Ive got the bald spots on my legs and arms to prove it. Now I want to be able to do the same thing, but with paper wheels. So far my list of equipment to get is: 6 inch benchgrinder, these are the specs.





Powerful 5/8 hp induction motor for heavy-duty grinding operations
Industrial cast iron base and motor housing provide durability and prolong life
Motor runs at 3,450 rpm for high speed material removal
Precision-machined aluminum tool rests allow the user to accurately position work
Rear exhaust ports in wheel guards for smoother operation; 12-1/2-inch distance between wheels for longer and larger grinding applications


and a speed controller,
and Razor Sharp Edgmaking System paper wheels
all in all this will cost me about 200 bucks.

My question to guys is, is this all I need? Or do I need other equipment? And is there a cheaper way to do this and still get good results. Any other advice or tips would be much appreciated, thanks BF
 
To get good results with paper wheels you need two things:

1) A bench grinder

2) A set of paper wheels

Really, that's it! No jigs required at all to make the magic happen. Check out the paper wheels thread for more details; it hepled me a lot when I was getting started with my set of wheels.

Safety Glasses are number one (although I forget mine sometimes...) :foot:

I only run 1 wheel a time and swap em from grit to polish wheel on the same side spindle as I use a smaller grinder. Previously, I ended up grinding my opposite hand/wrist/elbow too many times. :foot::foot: running both wheels (one on each spindle)

Slower is better, there's no need for high speed and my grinder has variable so it's speed is cranked way down. closer to 2k rpm probably instead of 3750...

Have some good lights around the grinder too that way you can see the edge as you're grinding. I have the wheels rotating towards me and I sharpen with the edge at approx 10/11 o'clock on the back of the wheel so there's no way it'll ever catch the edge unless I'm careless.

Just don't turn the edge into the wheel as it's spinning or it will launch it at you!

Stay safe and happy sharpening.

Czech


ZT 0561 done on the wheels, it's still a pretty thick edge but is thinner than the factory one!

IMAG0228_zps56a20e5c.jpg
 
I bought and have used a Harbour Freight 6 inch buffer for almost 2 years with out a hitch. It runs at 3500 rpm which is fast, but in line with what the Mfg of the paper wheels recommends. I paid $39 for it and it has no guards to remove and is wide from wheel to wheel. I get excellent results with mine, but there is a small learning curve. I bought about 8 or 9 thrift store kitchen knives for $1 each to practice on and learn how to operate the wheels. The recommendation for the H F buffer came from Steve Bottoff who is an authorized seller of the wheels. I bought mine from Grizzly for about $40 more or less. Less than $100 and I was set up and running.

I can get edge profiles on the knives I sharpen that will compare with what you could get on an Edge Pro or other guided systems for 1/4 the price. Makes me happy, and my customers too.

Blessings,
Omar
 
wait, is it standard to have the wheel spin towards you? That seems unsafe, can you sharpen having the wheel go away from you? I ask cause ive have never done this, and have limited experience with bench grinders all together.

also what is a jig?
 
cool, the bench grinder i was looking at is 100 and a dewault, I will happily get a harbor freight if it will save some dough. Im assuming I can hook up the speed controller to it, right?

I was looking at he paper wheels from Razor sharp, and they seem like the "best" in the industry, have you had experience with there paper wheels and been able to compare them to the cheaper ones? It seems if there is a difference in quality, if im saving money on a bench grinder I might as well go for the expensive paper wheels, But I dont want to get the expensive ones if there is no noticeable difference. I save money any way I can. Speaking of which is the speed controller necessary or is it just nice to have?
 
Doc_Holidaze said:
wait, is it standard to have the wheel spin towards you? That seems unsafe, can you sharpen having the wheel go away from you? I ask cause ive have never done this, and have limited experience with bench grinders all together.

also what is a jig?
Click to expand...

Everyone has different set-ups in pics I've seen, I'll try to get a pic of mine for ya just for reference. Jig = tool rest Freehand is the way to go!

Doc_Holidaze said:
cool, the bench grinder i was looking at is 100 and a dewault, I will happily get a harbor freight if it will save some dough. Im assuming I can hook up the speed controller to it, right?

I was looking at he paper wheels from Razor sharp, and they seem like the "best" in the industry, have you had experience with there paper wheels and been able to compare them to the cheaper ones? It seems if there is a difference in quality, if im saving money on a bench grinder I might as well go for the expensive paper wheels, But I dont want to get the expensive ones if there is no noticeable difference. I save money any way I can. Speaking of which is the speed controller necessary or is it just nice to have?
Click to expand...

I have an inexpensive grinder with the speed control built in and it's lasted 3 years so far of varied use... It's sharpened hundreds of knives with my set of wheels that I got last June. I'd buy the real deal too...
 
Doc_Holidaze said:
what are the benefits of variable speed?
Click to expand...

you can control your temps and how fast you remove material. Faster speeds = faster heat & material removal. Easier to make mistakes, easier to get hurt, but if you are just trying to get something done, faster is better.

I burnt myself on a piece of rebar I ground on a bench grinder (I was pounding it through wood, so I put a rounded point on the end to make it go through easier), using stone wheels, but the principle is the same.

Faster = less fine control & mistakes are more common and worse than slower speeds. Heat generation is also much more rapid.
 
Yes you can sharpen with the wheels going away from you. That's what Steve Bottoroff recommends (and what I do). It just takes some practice. I have sharpened with the wheels coming towards me, but find that I'm more comfortable with them going away.
 
Doc_Holidaze said:
cool, the bench grinder i was looking at is 100 and a dewault, I will happily get a harbor freight if it will save some dough. Im assuming I can hook up the speed controller to it, right?
Click to expand...

Be careful with the speed controller, as it is not compatible for all types of motors, and could burn up your buffer. I have had zero problems with heat build up on my set up. The wax imbedded into the grit wheel is there to keep the heat down. I barely get any sparks on mine when grinding. Just use very light pressure and let the wheel do the work. On major re-profiling if a lot of metal needs to be ground away I use my WSKTS (mini belt sander/sharpener) to do most of the major grinding, and then finish up on the wheels. However, most of my work is sharpening existing grinds, and therefore I use the wheels only. You can overheat a blade on them, but you have to almost be trying to do so by over grinding or using too much pressure. Go to this site and read about re-gritting the wheel and applying the wax into the wheel. Good information on his site.

http://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/paperinst.htm

Lots of luck and enjoy your wheels.

Blessings,

Omar
 
cool man thank you for the insight, I dont mind going at a slower pace since i am learning and im sure it will still be faster than my diamond stone, thumbs up brother:)
 
wvdavidr said:
Yes you can sharpen with the wheels going away from you. That's what Steve Bottoroff recommends (and what I do). It just takes some practice. I have sharpened with the wheels coming towards me, but find that I'm more comfortable with them going away.
Click to expand...

is there any advantage to having the wheel go towards you?
 
Thank you for your guidance on this matter i appreciate it:) I do already have that link bookmarked I was thinking of ordering my stuff from there, but now im thinking I should just go the cheap route.
 
Doc_Holidaze said:
Thank you for your guidance on this matter i appreciate it:) I do already have that link bookmarked I was thinking of ordering my stuff from there, but now im thinking I should just go the cheap route.
Click to expand...


You could make your own wheels if you're really interested in doing it on the cheap... ;)
 
Doc_Holidaze said:
and how do I make my own wheels?
Click to expand...

Not something I would want to risk with a spinning wheel at 3600 rpm. You can buy cheaper wheels that are poorly made compared to the Razor Sharp wheels, but why not get the best for not much more up front. They will last you for several years. Not something I would want to try to save $5 on. Just my opinion!

Blessings,

Omar
 
Doc_Holidaze said:
and how do I make my own wheels?
Click to expand...

OHALLUM said:
Not something I would want to risk with a spinning wheel at 3600 rpm. You can buy cheaper wheels that are poorly made compared to the Razor Sharp wheels, but why not get the best for not much more up front. They will last you for several years. Not something I would want to try to save $5 on. Just my opinion!

Blessings,

Omar
Click to expand...

I was thinking a circle jig to cut out from a chunk of plywood/mdf (1/4" width X 8" diameter roughly) with a strip of sandpaper glued around the circumfrence. I run mine at much lower speeds so have less hesitation to build my own... ;)
 
Czechmate said:
I was thinking a circle jig to cut out from a chunk of plywood/mdf (1/4" width X 8" diameter roughly) with a strip of sandpaper glued around the circumfrence. I run mine at much lower speeds so have less hesitation to build my own... ;)
Click to expand...

Now that might work if you can get the sandpaper to stay on. Make several with different grits on them. However if only 1/4 inch width, you would need some good glue on them. Perhaps some 3/4 or 1 inch would be easier. Lots of flywheel effect once you got them puppies spinning:) Especially if 1 inch was used. Not for me, but good thinking outside the box there Czechmate!

Blessings,

Omar
 
I hope I'm not messing up this thread but I am interested in getting and using a grinder now. I'm disappointed in the performance of the Wicked Edge field model due to the un even bevel and the Edge Pro due to the blade platform. Both have inconsistencies to work around.
 
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