Worksharp or something else

B

bgentry

Joined
Aug 3, 2009
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I've gotten to the point that I'm getting enough really rough blades that I want to be able to remove metal much faster. I don't want to sharpen everything on a powered system, but I want to use it when it's appropriate. Like on Chinese kitchen knives that have been abused for years without ever seeing a stone. Like putting a new edge on a bowie knife that's been used for digging, batoning, etc.

The WorkSharp seems like a great solution since it's small, portable, inexpensive, uses very inexpensive belts, and seems like it can take off plenty of metal. I'm actually worried that it might be too fast. I'm going to practice on cheap knives I don't care about, so I should be able to get the hang of it without hurting any good blades. :)

I'm envisioning using the WorkSharp like a regular belt grinder: That is, sharpening using the part of the belt that moves downward, with that belt facing me. Moving the blade, edge down, right to sharpen one side. The flipping the blade over, edge down, to sharpen the other side. The only thing is, the belt is angled and not straight up and down, which I think is going to make estimating an edge angle more difficult. Does this sound like a decent plan or have I got it all wrong for this machine?

Should I wait on the Ken Onion edition? It's most appealing feature to me is the variable speed, which I'm thinking could limit the grinding rate, making it longer to grind off metal, and therefor safer for the blade. I don't know much about power grinding metal; I'm just making educated guesses.

Is there something else I should consider? I don't have a dedicated shop area, so this will have to be packed away and then brought out and set up to be used. Even if I did have a dedicated shop, I don't think I'd want the cheap Harbor Freight 1x30, as it seems too sloppy and I'm not really up for doing DIY mods to make it "good".

Thanks for any help and wisdom.

Brian.
 
Brian, the belt at an angle is not a problem. You can use the supplied guide or as I do, freehand the blade. I work near the top where the belt comes off the small roller as there is less give in the belt there. It just takes a little practice to get it working right for you. Just watch your bevel and adjust as needed. Keep the blade moving so it does not overheat and don't drag the tip off the belt. Lift the tip as it gets to the half way point on the belt to avoid rounding the tip. That takes some practice as the belt is only 1/2 inch wide.

You might wait on the new one coming out as it has lots of new features and the belt is wider. If I didn't already have the original, I would wait for the new model. I use mine to re-profile blades that need a lot of grinding for a re-profile and then finish them up on my paper wheels. The Work Sharp will give you razor sharp edges by itself if used properly. I originally bought mine to sharpen my kitchen knives, and kept it in a cabinet in the kitchen ready to use when needed. Great little belt grinder for the price and the portability. I have sharpened some axes for some customers with it, and a few pair of garden shears and clippers.

Blessings,

Omar
 
Hey bgentry,

I use my WorkSharp exactly like that. I pretty much never use the green belts except on lawnmower blades and large tools.

On the other hand, I consistently use the red and grey belts just like a regular belt grinder. Now, I will say, even with the red 400 grit belts, don't expect them to take as much metal off as a true 400 grit belt. They do take metal off fairly slowly. At the same time, don't let that fool you. You can ruin an edge pretty darn quickly on anything but the grey/purple belt.

Anyhow, I just take the guide cover off. I prefer to have the edge facing up when I'm working on an edge. So I adjust the belt to a comfortable position and go for it. No different that working on my grinder, except that you do have to be careful. There is not a lot of tension on the belt, so if you're not trying to get much of a convex curve, you have to work on areas of the belt closer to the pulley.

Good luck.

Wilks
 
Thanks guys.

Is the WorkSharp enough of a grinder to do common repairs? I'm wondering if the belt width or speed would impact it's ability to do some tasks. I hoping it will be fine; these are the things I envision doing with it:

1. Flattening the edge of a blade that has a pronounced recurve in it. I get these all the time from people using pull through sharpeners, or just from extreme use. I'd like to be able to put the blade on the grinder and grind out the recurve. This is going to leave an extremely flat and blunt edge. I'll then need to form a new edge and blend it into the rest of the blade.
2. Reforming a tip that's broken off. I see broken tips of various widths and I can grind in new ones by hand on a stone, but it's time consuming.
3. Grinding off bend portions of blades, damaged areas, bolsters that are too high, things like that.

I'm relatively certain a 1x30 or 1x42 grinder can do all of the above and more. What about the humble, portable, inexpensive WorkSharp? :)

If the answer is yes, I'm going to have a hard time waiting until October 1st when the Ken Onion edition is released. I confirmed that date today with WorkSharp. Cabellas and Amazon are taking pre-orders now at $149 for the base model.

Brian.
 
There is only Worksharp. The answer to all life's questions is Worksharp. Worksharp does all, sees all, knows all, sharpens all...

I like Worksharp. I drank the Koolaid, and I LIKE IT!
 
Not sure about the cool aid thing, but yes, the Work Sharp will do all of the things you mentioned above, just slower than a full size belt grinder. I have in fact, done all the above with mine and with good results. Take your time and watch for overheating the blade, especially with the 6000 grit polishing belt. Use light pressure and let the grit on the belt do the work.

Blessings,

Omar
 
Well, I'm almost settled then on the Ken Onion WSKTS. I don't really want to wait a month, but that's not so long. Thanks for all the input.

Brian.
 
I've had great success with the Worksharp, love it to bits. I would recommend it to anyone.
 
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