Paper polishing / grinding wheels

Yosemite Sam

Yosemite Sam

Joined
Dec 17, 2001
Messages
1,055
Couldn't decide to put this here or in Shop Talk. If you think it's more appropriate there please feel free to move it.

Years ago a British friend of mine was extolling the virtues of paper grinding/polishing wheels used on a bench grinder for getting the ultimate edge quickly. I did a search here and found nothing on the subject. Using Google I found one item of interest (this one) but not much else. Please note, this isn't a shill; I have no connection with this vendor.

Has anyone heard of or used such a thing? Good, bad, ugly?

Thanks in advance,

-- Sam
 
Though I've never used these wheels, I am guessing from the looks of it that you can accidentally remove quite a bit of metal if you're not careful; a wheel covered with silicon carbide spinning at 3450 rpm or faster could really distort a thinly ground blade. I'd recommend that you get a Tormek sharpener if you're wanting a safer wheel system. I love mine.
 
I use the paper wheels. They put a really nice push cutting edge on a knife. If you keep the knife moving and don't push down on the wheel they do very well. When I get done with the wheel I lightly use a fairly coarse diamond hone then strop if I want a toothier slice cutting edge.
 
G'day,
A paper wheel is just a wheel made of "craftwood"--that stuff which is like layers of brownish paper. How fast you spin it and the fineness of the grinding/polishing compound you use on it determines whether it 'cuts' or 'polishes'. I've got one that I mount on my variable speed drill and use with a very fine polishing compound--Simichrome works well. Then one or two strops a side on a loaded leather strop. I get the best edges I've ever had.
The edges polish up to almost a mirror shine and will easily push cut a page from a telephone book. (Fold up the edge of a page to a right angle, about 1/4 inch or so, and then push the knife edge down against the upright part of the fold. If it cuts without flattening the paper--it's sharp.) These edges will shave arm hair without touching the skin.
I'm even using the paper wheel on my kitchen knives and a brief strop will keep them sharp for days.
Greg
 
I was under the impression that paper wheels are really old tech.

Didn't they use them for burnishing and sharpening back at the turn of the century (1900) to very good affect?
 
Paper and wood wheels have been used for a long time. Yes, they are "low-tech" but they still work well. It doesn't have to be new to be good. People used to know how to sharpen a knife (gasp!) without fixtures, too!
These wheels are available from most of the knifemaker's supply houses: jantzsupply, texasknife, k&g, kovalknives.
Bill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top