paper sharpening wheels - when your time is important to you

I've done all my kitchen knives, and think i've got a handle on those. Not quite ready to try it out on my Strider though.
 
have you tried buffing the edge on it first? you would be suprised at how much of a difference it can make to a knife with a decent edge to start with.
 
An older one, this user custom Andrew Demko in CPM-M4 high speed steel from a Dutch forum member.

Before sharpening:







Reprofiled from +/- 30 degrees inclusive to 25 degrees inclusive on a standard Paper Wheel with 220 grit SiC, then refined with a second Paper Wheel coated with 15 micron diamond compound, and finally deburred with a third Paper Wheel coated with 1 micron diamond compound (experimental)
The new edge survives a few forceful test cuts into my laminated test block without any visible damage (seen through a loupe), after which it effortlessly treetops the hairs on the back of my hand and slices single-ply toilet paper.
After sharpening:










Specs:

Length open: 8.7 inch (22,2 cm)
Length closed: 5.3 inch (13,4 cm)
Blade length: 3.5 inch (8,9 cm)
Blade thickness: 4,57 mm
Steel: CPM-M4
Lock type: Tri-Ad lock
Handle material: Tan G-10 on titanium liners
Weight: 214 grams
Weight: 214 grams
 
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the edges look good. i know its an experiment and fun to see what you can do but i get the same results using the medium grit compound but on the knives i make. i get other knives as sharp as they can be but guys say the knives i make are sharper.

check out this one i made for a member that is a medic to cut seatbelts. it is made from 1075 with my heat treat.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-knife-from-Richard-J-pretty-impressive-stuff!
 
the flex-a-glue just came in. there looks to be enough to do quite a few wheels possibly. i'm not feeling too well today so it will be later this week before i coat my 10" wheel with it.
 
Hey Richard J, was wondering if you had a chance to mess around with the flex a glug yet...
hope things are going well.
jason
 
I see a little here and there about 10" paper wheels, not much though. I have a set of the 8"x. 75" but with my shaky hand, I'm thinking that the wider wheel might work a little better for me. It is no secret that I'm envious of the guy's who can produce those beautiful and functional results free hand, I wish I could. I thought I might ask around and see what the experience with the larger and wider wheel might be. Anyone tried the 10"x2" Magnum wheel? Any idea's where I could find 1/2" arbors that would accommodate the 2" wide wheel? Your thoughts and comments will be most appreciated. Rgds, Jeff
 
i use the 10" x 1 1/4" wheels and they work great. if you have long fixed blades they work better than the 3/4" wide wheels or even the 1" wide wheels. if you do woodworking and have wood chisels that are wider than 1" they work great on them to get a nice edge. at one time i thought of asking mike if he would special make me a 1 1/2" wide wheel.
 
Kwakster
Thanks for the great pic's of the Dutch Folder. I've been thinking about resurfacing my wheel to something a little finer than the standard 220 Sic. I suspect that the 15 micron Diamond Dust might be cost prohibitive, but one can dream. Maybe something like a 400 grit Sic might be worth a try. Anybody out there tried different grits and willing to share experiences? Where could I find an assortment of grits for sale? Rgds, Jeff
 
@ 303tango: Paper Wheels in the original configuration with SiC grit & aluminum oxide already work very well on most steels (i still use the SiC Wheel often), but i have found that especially on high (vanadium) carbide steels like S30V, S35VN, S60V, S90V, S110V, M390, CTS-204P, etc, using the Wheels with various diamond compounds provides for a sharper edge that also lasts longer. (based on customer feedback from guys who really use their knives)
It also gives me the possibility to taylor each edge more towards the specific use of my customers, as besides the SiC coated Wheel i currently use 15, 6, 3, 1, and 0.25 micron on dedicated Paper Wheels.
Originally i started using diamond compound on my Wheels to be able to sharpen ceramic knives, but when i discovered how well it worked on high carbide steels also i never looked back.
 
knifenut1013 said:
To say the paper wheels give you better results than anything else is a little arrogant. I'm sure they bring very good results but its not on the same level as a edge that has been worked through the grits. The way the edge is established and the way its finished will determine how sharp it is, finishing with white buffing compound will bring you sharp but finishing with 1 micron diamond compound after working up to that point will produce edges
on the level of a straight razor.

Paper wheels have their place, they are great for a person that has a lot of knives to sharpen or for a business but for every day maintenance its a bit excessive. Some of us like to take our time because we feel it is a art. I've seen a few knives ruined by the paper wheels in the hands of a beginner and more than enough bad grind jobs to realize suggesting them to a new sharpener is not a very good idea.

Calling those of us that use expensive stones and compounds fools is a bit out of line. I don't share my thoughts of the wheels or point out all the flaws in the edges I see produced by them out of respect for you but if you would like that can change.
Click to expand...

knifenut could you elaborate on the flaws in the edges??
 
Been lurking on this thread for a bit, talked with Richard J and kwackster, and am starting to get good results with wheels -- thanks to all!! The worst I did was rounded one tip of a Spyderco because I was careless but I fixed it and it is fine. All my knives are now hair splitting sharp with near polished edges.

So, I started sharpening my machetes... and I must say it's a learning experience - I think with long edges, there is much more learned from sharpening them. The problem is -- they heat up quickly, and also I have to put it at an angle to sharpen (due to length or the knife handle touches the other wheel), but because of the odd angle, I could not achieve the consistency. Maybe I'll just have to remove one of the wheel - I'm lazy as I didn't want to rebalance the wheel.

Anyway, just wanted to chime in and let everyone know this is a great sharpening method!
 
Hi Richard! Been a long time since I've posted on this forum. I got myself a set of wheels (the wrong ones, got 3/4 instead of 1 inch) to play with, been getting some good results. I still love hand sharpening, but for knives that I just need an edge on NOW they work great.

I had some questions for you though, wondered if we could speak on the phone again. Been a few years!

Hope everyone is well.
 
Just got some knives back from a buddy of Richard's, reprofiled to 30 degrees and sharpened on the paper wheels... I'm not bad at freehand sharpening and thought I knew what "sharp" meant, I see now I was wrong. These are scary.
Thanks!
 
Soooo, got a General variable speed 6 in grinder, and the wheels have arrived. Now to find some time to put it together and see what happens.
 
Well i did my first one. Cheap stamped kitchen knife. It was not in too bad shape.
Took a while to get a burr. I think i had too much wax on as i kept getting a wax build up like a thick burr. Eventually that stopped and the abrasive started working. Burr was consistent along the whole blade. Polished and all i can say is wow. First knife that ever cut newsprint. Thanks to all.

Question.
If you continue to strop will the edge continue to improve to a certain point.
How to tell if you have enough or too much rouge on the buffing wheel.
 
richard j said:
there is a difference between a motor and 3400 rpm buffer. i know the 1725 rpm 1/3 hp motor i had was not suited for running the wheels. i could stop the motor by grabbing the shaft with my hand.
Click to expand...

Motor manufacturers lie. Our concern is operating power. Manufacturers tend to list the power being consumed when the smoke is let out. An air compressor company lost a class action lawsuit for overstating horsepower. Anecdotal evidence indicates that old motors produce more power than new ones of the same rating.
 
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