Diamond Wheel?

[Joe Vincent 63]

Anyone use a diamond grinding wheel? I've seen a few good comments about the edge they leave and am thinking about upgrading my system. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Joe

[Paul Williams]

I have a diamond wheel system that I use for sharpening metal working carbide bits. I have used it a few times on my turning tools. My thoughts are that the diamond wheel with water running over it cuts faster than other wheels and therefore you could use a finer grit and get a finer surface with few very fine grinding marks on it. With access to the diamond wheel I still use a tormac system to sharpen my woodturnning tools.

[John Keeton]

I would recommend the CBN wheel from Dave Schweitzer vs. the diamond for turning tools of HSS and the higher end steels used by Doug and others.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I second John's recommendation of the CBN wheel from Dave Schweitzer! Been using mine since right after the St. Paul symposium and I love it! I picked up the 180 grit wheel and it removes metal extremely fast - so you use a very light touch with it!

[Reed Gray]

I talked to some local guys who make them for metal grinding, a division of Burton Saw. They told me diamond was for grinding carbide, and CBN is for grinding steel. Because the carbide is harder, it won't plug up the grit, which the softer steel will. My 15 year old DMT stones barely cut any more. It may not be as much of a problem with the newer powder metals, but I will stick with CBN. I have the wheels from Dave (D Way Tools) and like them a lot. The 80 grit wheel is very aggressive. I use it more for roughing, and the 180 grit wheel is more comparable to 120 grit.

robo hippy

[Dick Wilson]

I will be in the market for a new wheel system at Ohio Symposium. I am hesitant about asking too many of you fine turners because I probably won't get the same answer twice:confused:

PS - Cindy Drozda has a couple of excellent videos on YouTube regarding the grind she uses to turn those beautiful finials. She used a diamond wheel, slow speed grinder, and she clamps a cheap brush to the grinder so it brushes the wheel and drips chain saw oil onto the brush.

[Reed Gray]

My first set of CBN wheels are matrix style, like the diamond one Cindy has (Green River from Woodcraft). 3/16 to 1/4 inch of abrasive matrix bonded to an aluminum hub. My CBN wheels do develop some run out after heavy use. I have to take them back to the manufacturer to have them trued up. You can not do it with a diamond dresser as the CBN wheel will eat the dresser. The run out comes from a thousandth or so in the motor shaft, a thousandth or two run out in the bushing, a thousandth or two in the wheel, and eventually all of those, multiplied by millions of revolutions will get larger at the wheel. I haven't heard of run out in the Woodcraft wheels yet, but would expect it. Any one know about it???? How would you true up a diamond matrix wheel?

robo hippy

robo hippy

[Joe Vincent 63]

After viewing Cindy's video, ended up getting the diamond wheel from Woodcraft, and setting it up similar to Cindy's recommendations. While a little messy, produces a beautiful edge, with minimal effort at touch ups. Sharp enough that it had no problem easily shaving the hair on my arm!

All in all, very happy with the set up.

Joe

[Reed Gray]

Joe,
I would be interested in an update some months down the road. I want to know if the wheels develop any run out. My matrix CBN wheels do, and I have to take them back to the makers to have them re trued up.

robo hippy

[Joe Vincent 63]

Reed,

I'll post an update in a few months as requested ...

Joe

[Jamie Donaldson]

You mean you're actually considering dribbling water on a spinning grinding wheel on an electric motor that was designed to be run dry? Not a good plan I would say!

[Joe Vincent 63]

Jamie, no water, a few drops of oil. The oil does not fly off, it just lightly lubricates the diamond wheel.

Joe

[Reed Gray]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnvUraY7B78

T (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnvUraY7B78)hat is the link. I have seen several variations, using water, oil, WD40, and maybe another type or two of liquid. It isn't a bath method like the Tormek. Idea is to lubricate the wheel surface so it doesn't load up. Never tried it on my CBN matrix wheels though.

robo hippy

[Bill Neddow]

Go with the CBN wheels. They cost a little more, but you will probably save this money in not using up oil -- and, keep from having a spray of oil in the shop. A few drops are not going to help a lot. You have to flush the cut metal from the diamond.

None of the major grinding wheel manufacturers recommend using diamond wheels to sharpen tool steel. They recommend CBN -- for a reason. Their reputations are on the line. CBN is the industry standard for tool steel.

[Reed Gray]

Another advantage of the D Way wheels is they are 1 1/2 inches wide. A really nice feature.

robo hippy