Sharpening Equipment

[Anthony Whitesell]

I've started to amass quite the collection of tools that require sharpening (chisels, hand planes, jointer/planer blades). I do a reasonable job with the scary sharp method, but wonder if some "assistance" would be useful. I an article in a WW magazine out currently, I noticed a comparison of 4 sharpening systems;Tormek, Jet, Grizzly, and one other. The Tormek got the best tool and the Grizzly got the best value. I don't know much about these systems and in looking around I also found the WoodRiver (WoodCraft house brand?) on clearance (see http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4866). It's not wuite the same but on the surface looks like it might be a good simple choice for a sharpening system, but I don't want to outgrow it either.

How would this compare to the Grizzly and Tormek systems? Would you recommend it or stay away from it? I don't have or plan to have a lathe so I don't forsee the lathe chisels and tools in my future.

[Sonny Edmonds]

I had a Delta Sharpening Center back in the 1990's. It did OK, but took forever on my Dewalt planer blades.
I like that it didn't hollow grind the steels. It was simular to that Woodcraft model.
Then I got interested in turning. So I got a Tormek system at the woodshow when it was in our area. (My wife suggested we go. :eek: )
Well, after dropping almost a grand at the show, we struggled out to the car with a bunch of shop goodies, including a pretty complete Tormek system for turning with a few extras like the sizzors jig, and a planer blade jig, and a long knife jig.
I gave the Delta System to a Friend, who used it for a while, but sold it.
It does a hollow grind on your steels, but they seem to hold up well anyway.
I haven't looked back in a long time about sharpening in my shop. :)

[Larry Edgerton]

After 30 years of being stubborn and rubbing steel on japanese waterstones for countless hours, I bought a Makita sharpener from someone on this forum. I'll play with it next week and see whats what. If I never get another charley horse in my hands again it will be well worth the price of admission.

[Wilbur Pan]

[The Tormek] does a hollow grind on your steels, but they seem to hold up well anyway.
I haven't looked back in a long time about sharpening in my shop. :)

I'm guessing you were talking about your Tormek in regards to the hollow grind. One reason that it may not be that much of an issue is that the Tormek wheel starts off at about 10", which leaves a more shallow hollow than a 8" or 6" grinder wheel.

I've got a Tormek as well, mainly for sharpening turning tools, and I just love it.

[Craig McCormick]

I love my Tormek for the shop and all around household use. I sharpend the kitchen knives last night.

Take care,

AZCRAIG

[Paul Demetropoulos]

Collectively in my house, we use kitchen knives way more than any tool I use in the shop. So any sharpening system I buy has to sharpen kitchen knives, doesn't make sense, to me, to buy anything that doesn't.

I've been using DMT diamond stones along with one waterstone for years, but I'm always on the lookout for a mechanized system. Been close a few times to springing for the Tormek, but I don't like how they whack you for all the add-ons. Maybe if I was a turner I go for that system.

At about $200 the Work Sharp looks attractive and great for chisels but I don't see in their ads that they have a jig for knife sharpening.

[Justin R Thomas]

I just received the new Grizzly catalog and they have a new sharpening machine that is very similar to the Tormek for $200.00 w/10" wheel they also have a 8" for $119.00

[Eddie Darby]

If you are happy with Scary Sharp, then stick with it.

The wheel sharpeners are very good at curved blade sharpening; like lathe tools, and carving gouges.

The Scary Sharp method is way better with flat edges, like those you listed.

Maybe one of these will help to tackle the larger blades.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=33002&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1

[Bill White]

After 30 years of being stubborn and rubbing steel on japanese waterstones for countless hours, I bought a Makita sharpener from someone on this forum. I'll play with it next week and see whats what. If I never get another charley horse in my hands again it will be well worth the price of admission.

Love my Mak.
Bill:D

[Ryan Baker]

In my opinion, life is too short, and I have too many tools, to sharpen on water/oil stones by hand. There's just too much I'd rather be working on than spend all day sharpening.

I have had a Tormek system for a number of years now, and you can't beat the results (once you get past the initial cost). It's pretty fast to use as well, as long as you aren't doing initial shaping. However, now that I am doing a lot more turning, I have decided to switch to a Wolverine jig setup for turning tools (except skews) instead. The Tormek is overkill for turning gouges and the Tormek wheel can wear away pretty fast if you are doing a lot of reshaping. I am sticking with the Tormek for chisels, plane irons, carving tools, etc.

The work sharp system initially looks promising, but I found that it quickly falls short once you go beyond bench chisels. YMMV. If you have a lot of tools -- and a lot of types of tools -- to sharpen, one of the water wheel systems really is a good investment.

[Anthony Whitesell]

If you are happy with Scary Sharp, then stick with it.

The wheel sharpeners are very good at curved blade sharpening; like lathe tools, and carving gouges.

The Scary Sharp method is way better with flat edges, like those you listed.

Maybe one of these will help to tackle the larger blades.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=33002&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1

I pretty happy with the results of the scary sharp method, but it's so darn slow to bring a used/neglicted/nicked iron back to life. Additionally, I have gotten a lot of used planes and chisels lately and getting them close to usable was taking so long, I have only two chisels (from a set of 6) and 2 1/2 planes (I saw a half because it could be sharper but I needed to use it and got tired of trying to get it razor sharp) and I have 4-5 more to go. In addition, my first set of planer blades is now in the "sharpening" pile.

What I was really trying to gauge is you guys think the WoodRiver/Woodcraft system was even worth the time or money at $60 or if I the money is better spent on the Grizzly or Tormek system, considering I won't be sharpening any gouges in the near future.

[Luther Oswalt]

I have the Tormek and it is both fast and gives a quality finish! You can take your worse chisel for example and in few minutes you can have a paper cutting/shaving edge on it .... I am very happy with it ...
Leo

[Ellen Benkin]

I have the Work Sharp and love it. I sharpen bench chisels and plane blades with it. It's basically a motorized scary sharp method with a built in jig for getting the angles right. When I got it I sharpened every blade I had including a couple of sets of beater chisels. I'll never go back to hand sharpening and, for $200, you can't beat the price. By the way, you don't have to buy the sandpaper from them if you can find it cheaper elsewhere.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Let me ask another more general question. What is the advantage to the Work Sharp type system versus the Tormek/Grizzly systems? (ie., horizontal wheel versus vertical wheel)

[Jim Kountz]

For me the Worksharp is a winner, I did a review on the 3000 about a month ago. There are some shortcoming like any of the other systems but the results are amazing. The ability to see through the wheel at the edge you're sharpening is very cool and lets you do your curved gouges and such. The biggest drawback I have found is the abrasives dont last as long as Id like. The coarse disc that came with the unit gave out after doing the backs an bevels on 6 chisels and a plane iron. The discs are cheap enough and maybe I should have started with something coarser, however once you get the back flat and the bevel ground to the angle you want the rest of the process goes very very fast. It will take you longer to change grits than to do the actual sharpening and honing. For $200 its a great buy.