Norton Grinding wheel wear

[Keith Harrell]

I have been using a white 8" Norton fine gringing wheel I finally pulled off today to replace it with a old gray wheel that the grinder came with. The norton wheel was being destroyed by my HSS/Thompson and power pro power tools. I would grind twice and then have to true up the wheeel to remove the dips. I use a light touch but the wheel was wearing fast. It was rated as fine grit
Are these norton sg blue worth the cost and will they last.

[Jamie Straw]

Keith, I'm a brand-newbie turner, but I may have some useful info for you. When I was researching different grinding wheels, I ran across an excerpt from Leonard Lee's Complete Book of Sharpening, page 121 in this link. (http://books.google.com/books?id=CtkWaJw5iXkC&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=%22skew+chisel%22+%22included+angle%22&source=bl&ots=TznJVEH6QA&sig=yVEs6zXXG3N3Wyp-ouhUDC0Haac&hl=en&ei=IED6SsS5II7StAP0vcjwAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=12&ved=0CCYQ6AEwCw#v=onepage&q=%22skew%20chisel%22%20%22included%20angle%22&f=false) Here's the most salient part, but it's a good read to go back:


"The seeded-gel process bonds small particles together to form larger ones.... In use, the constructed particles tend to fracture rather than break away, creating a stone that gives a finder grind than the grit size would indicate....
Norton recommends this seeded-gel stone for use only where sufficient grinding pressure will be used to ensure particle fracture; it is not for light cuts and is too hot for carbon steel. Used for grinding the basic shape on HSS tools, though, it is ideal." [Page 121, emphasis added]
Hope it's helpful info, because those blue wheels are expensive! Your experience with the white Norton seems unusual, from what I've heard from other users. Hope you find out what's happening.:confused:

[Rob Cunningham]

Keith, what hardness grade was the wheel? It should say on the paper blotter on the side of the wheel and will be a letter designation, H being soft and K being hard. Too soft of a wheel will wear quickly on hard tool steel.

[Doug Thompson]

Try the Norton 3X, 80 grit, "K" grade (Hartville tool sells them). This is a hard SG wheel that will leave a very nice edge for bowl or spindle gouges and the price is fair at $45. The high price SG wheels are soft but these will last a long time... how long??? I'm still on my first wheel.

[Bernie Weishapl]

+1 on the Norton wheels from Hartville that Doug recommended. I got the 3X in K hardness. I have been sharpening for 4 yrs now and still works good.

[Jarrod McGehee]

Get the wheel, I was at a demo that Stuart Batty gave and he swears by them and I've seen them advertised and gotten good ratings. When my wheel wears out I'm getting an SG wheel

[Dan Forman]

I've got the 3X wheels, but they do wear some, no avoiding a track in the middle forming if you are sharpening gouges, it's just par for the course. You can minimize the wear by utilizing the full width of the stone rather than just the center.

Dan

[Keith Harrell]

Thanks, I have ordered the 3X K 80 grit Norton wheel. The only info the old Norton wheel had was general purpose alundum grinding wheel
grit fine.