Geigers Wheel Truing & Dressing Solution

[frank bock]

This will be my first post but once in a while you run across a product that needs mentioning. Sharpening my turning tools have always been a challenge, not the actually process but the preparation of the wheel. I started my wheel dressing with an inexpensive Diamond Tip Dresser, worked OK, at least I thought so but always had rough faces on my tools, (grinding Marks). I than started having issues with my tool bouncing on the wheel, So I went and purchased a Wolverine Dressing system, once again cleaned the wheel nicely but didn't eliminate the bouncing or the grinding marks, next I tried the Diamond Jim Wheel Dresser, Same thing, cleaned the wheel nicely but didn't' eliminate the grinding marks or the bouncing. Needless to say I just lived with it until seeing the Geiger system at a recent show I attended. I decided I have tried every thing else, I will try this. Well I got it home, went to the shop dressed the wheel and sharpened my 1/2 inch gouge and couldn't believe the results, no jumping and grinding marks were virtually eliminated, looked like it came off a tormek system. I just couldn't believe it, I am glad I didn't spend all that money on the tormek system, not needed. I will just stick with my 8 inch grinder and the Geigers Wheel Dresser. I would highly recommend, well worth the investment, I wish some one would of mentioned before I spent all that money on others systems.

[David Walser]

This is not to discount the utility of the Geiger Wheel Truing & Dressing tool, but there is another option for those who have Woodcut's Tru-Grind system. The Tru-Grind base has two cups, one about three inches in front of the other. The Tru-Grind tool holder has two legs (which are normally screwed together to form just one leg). The owner of a Tru-Grind system can accurately dress and true the grinding wheel by placing a "T" diamond dresser into the Tru-Grind tool holder. By splitting the two legs, one forward about 3" of the other, and by placing each leg into the appropriate cup in the Tru-Grind base, the wheel can be trued flat across and perpendicular to the Tru-Grind base.

In normal use (when sharpening), only the cup farthermost from the wheel is used. But, when truing the wheel, both cups are used.

Hope that makes sense.

[Jim Slovik]

Frank,
Thanks for the review. I am experiencing the same problems you had. I may just pull the trigger for the Geiger.
Jim

[Dan Forman]

I had the same experience with the Wolverine dresser vs. Geiger's. I love my Geiger wheel dresser. It's rock solid, too much flexibility in the Wolverine dresser, though the rest of the Wolverine system is great.

Dan

[frank bock]

Jim, if you try it I don't think you will be disappointed, I know I wasn't, the first time your gouge touches the wheel after dressing you will look twice to see if it touching, it runs that smooth.

Dan, Agree the other parts of the Wolverine system work great, and love the saying at the end of your message about the dog, how true.

Frank

[David Hostetler]

I need to catch up on some bills, but once I am ahead, I am going to pull the trigger on the Geiger. It seems a bit spendy, but if it does what the reports say it does, then this is a huge time and effort saver...

[Wells Jacobson]

Frank,
I am a new turner and also struggled with bouncing tools. I simply post so this comes before inexperienced eyes another time. I was almost ready to pull the trigger on buying a wheel balancing set from Woolverine when I read (I think here but can't remember) that it made no sense to balance a wheel til you were sure it was true and fully circumferential about its axis and that if I trued up the wheel it was likely that it would not require balancing. The Geiger tool seemed elegant in its simplicity and easy to use so I ordered one---- and Don Geiger even answered the phone when I called and was happy to talk and offer advice. In minutes my tools were no longer bouncing and no need now for a balancing system. Sometimes very useful information, though abundant, seems to elude those who need it.

[Don Meyer]

I also recomend the Geiger dressing system but at his suggestion I replaced the plastic wheel bushings with drill bit bushings from McMaster Carr to fit my Norton wheels. It made sharpening my gouges a pleasure and put almost a mirror finish on my tools.

[Michael James]

+1 on Don's truing solution. My grinder is not even bolted on a table full of cans and jars. Nothing moves but the wheels.

[Dan Kralemann]

I also recomend the Geiger dressing system but at his suggestion I replaced the plastic wheel bushings with drill bit bushings from McMaster Carr to fit my Norton wheels. It made sharpening my gouges a pleasure and put almost a mirror finish on my tools.


Frank,
I am a new turner and also struggled with bouncing tools. I simply post so this comes before inexperienced eyes another time. I was almost ready to pull the trigger on buying a wheel balancing set from Woolverine when I read (I think here but can't remember) that it made no sense to balance a wheel til you were sure it was true and fully circumferential about its axis and that if I trued up the wheel it was likely that it would not require balancing. The Geiger tool seemed elegant in its simplicity and easy to use so I ordered one---- and Don Geiger even answered the phone when I called and was happy to talk and offer advice. In minutes my tools were no longer bouncing and no need now for a balancing system. Sometimes very useful information, though abundant, seems to elude those who need it.

My comments are not to discredit the Geiger tool but to make comment about having truly balanced grinding wheels, getting rid of the plastic bushing for Norton 3x wheels, and about special washers needed for some grinders.

I have the Norton 3x grinding wheels and when I turned on my Baldor slow speed grinder, I saw a ghost (shadow) to the right and left of my grinding wheels. Further, my grinder would vibrate when it was starting up and also slowing down. The wheels did not show the ghosts or the grinder did not vibrate when it was at full speed. I dressed the wheels with the ONEWAY dressing jig. My tools did not bounce on the grinding wheels. I got the ONEWAY balancing system because of comments others have made on this site about them, and believed that the ghosts and vibration would end if I balanced the wheels.

I dressed the wheels before balancing them. After balancing I reattached them to the grinder. There were no ghost from the wheels or vibration from the grinder when the grinder was starting up or slowing down. Both wheels were running "true". I re-dressed the wheels as recommended by ONEWAY, and was surprised that they needed to be dressed a lot. As recommended by ONEWAY, a re-balance should be done after dressing the first time balanced wheels. I re-balanced the wheels and attached them to the grinder. They are running "true" and have a perfect grinding surface.

There are special washers needed for the Baldor grinders (6", 7", and 8") and the Delta 8" Variable Speed grinder. If you want the ONEWAY balancing system, I suggest you get them directly from ONEWAY because their shipping cost is several dollars cheaper than CSU (Craft Supplies USA) and you will get the special washers free with the order. CSU does not carry these special washers and it would be two months and an extra charge for the parts and shipping if you order from them. Further, you order the balancing system (which is metal) for the spindle size of your grinder, which means you don't need the plastic bushing.

Relative to the Balance Fixture of the ONEWAY balancing system, ONEWAY suggests that, "If the wheel does not rotate freely on the Balance Fixture, you may wash out the bearings with mineral spirit or any solvent that dissolves grease ...". Even if your wheel seems to rotate freely on the Balance Fixture, I suggest that you let the bearings bathe in a solvent for about a day and then lubricate with a light oil. I found that the movement of the bearings were more sensitive after being cleaned. This means the bearings are more sensitive to the unbalanced grinding wheel.