Pro Edge

[Rex Guinn]

Does anyone have the Pro Edge Sharpening System By Robert Sorby?
I just watched the video, and it looks great.
214348

[Nathan Hawkes]

I'd love to try it but the $ 500 price tag is to high for me. Between 3x wheels, balancing wheels, etc, I'm not looking to fix something that isn't broken.

[Roger Chandler]

Nate.........I have one of those CBN wheels from D-Way............a cut above the 3x ...........I am glad I went to it!

[David DeCristoforo]

Abrasive belt grinding systems are far more versatile than wheel based systems. But I do not think they are the "best" for turning tools. A simple bench grinder with CBN wheels and a Wolverine system would be better if all you are doing is sharpening lathe chisels. One big disadvantage of the Sorby rig is the lack of a large diameter wheel (8-10") which you need for hollow grinding.

[Jim Underwood]

David,
I've heard that you don't really need hollow grinding for turning... in fact many turners I know grind the heel off of their hollow ground gouges to prevent it bruising the wood. If it was a flat grind to begin with, you wouldn't need to grind off the heel.

[Alan Zenreich]

David,I'm not so sure turners 'need' hollow grinds. I am guessing that hollow grinds are in use mostly because that's what inexpensive grinders naturally produce. When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail, eh?

[Glenn Kramer]

I've had the Sorby Pro Edge for over a year. I am quite pleased with it for the following reasons:

1) Very well made, solid and accurate
2) Easily adjustable grinding.
3) Plenty of power.
4) I use all types of the Sorby belts including the Triac belts.
5) Excellent visibilty of cutting edge while grinding.

Although the machine and accssories are spendy, I consider it a lifetime machine. I like tha machine for woodturning tools but a grinder with CBN wheels is my go to machine for gouges.

Glenn

[David DeCristoforo]

I didn't say you needed hollow grinds for turning, only that you cannot produce them without a larger wheel than the Sorby is equipped with. There is always a possibility, albeit a far fetched one, that someone might want or need to grind something other than a turning tool from time to time...

[Harry Robinette]

Most of the English turning company's sharpen there tools on a belt sander and allot of their tuners also use belt sanders. The belt is cooler to use,but a flat bevel tends to slide on the wood.( at lest for me ) It's like the differences between a 6" or a 8" grinder,the 6" tends to dig in because of the arch in the hollow grind. The 8" grinder seams to work best for most people.I've been told by a couple turners that use the belt sander that once you get use to it it's the best thing they've done for their turning.
Just my $.02

[Eric Holmquist]

I won't delve into the merits of hollow ground vs flat ground and instead focus on what your turning habits are. I quite regularly visit shops of other turners in the area, or give demo's at shows to the general public. A grinding wheel system with Wolverine jigs is a much more common denominator than anything else in my neck of the woods. I bring my vari-grind jig and can easily touch up the edges of my gouges when turning away from home.

If you only turn at home then what ever you like as a sharpening system is fine. If you turn in various locations it's worth while staying compatible.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

[When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail, eh?[/QUOTE]
Alan,
I wouldn't have the slightest clue about whether the flat grind is better or worse than a hollow grind but this thread was worth reading just for your quote.
faust

[Reed Gray]

Now, this is a belt grinder!!!!

http://woodturning.org/tools/omnigrinder_web-2/

T (http://woodturning.org/tools/omnigrinder_web-2/)he Sorby system looks nice, and good for small things. I probably wouldn't buy it though. However, this one......... DROOL!!!!

I did check it out very closely at the Symposium. Very well done, and price wise is better than most similar grinders, mostly used as far as I know, by knife makers.

robo hippy

[Gregg Feldstone]

Reed, How much do they want for the Omnigrinder? They don't seem to be available yet, so how did you get a price?

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

For What it’s worth… There are three basic grind shapes: the traditional hollow (concave) grind, the flat grind, and the convex grind. As with most turners, when I first got started, I used a jig and an 8” grinder to produce a concave grind and I turned for many years with this style of gouge shape. Four or five years ago I started freehand grinding my gouge and over time started rounding the heel of the gouge. At some point I discussed grinds with JoHannes Michelsen and based upon his recommendation, I started not only rounding the heel, but I started grinding a very slight convex shape behind the cutting edge. The convex shape requires freehand grinding (at least I don’t know of any such jig). If you are a believer in “rub the bevel” you might question this. The reality is, you still rub the bevel except instead of the bevel being a ¼” or more from the cutting edge, it’s now immediately behind the edge. It’s worked for me. A couple of years ago, I demo’d at the Irish symposium and there was a Sorby belt-style sharpening tool in my demo room. I’ve been using the Sorby Pro Edge ever since. As I stated, for what it’s worth.

[Reed Gray]

Gregg,
Some how I lost this thread. When I talked to Stuart at the 2011 Symposium, he said the single platform model would be about $1200, and the double platform one would be around $1800. Considering that most knife grinder set ups are in the $3000 range, that is a great deal. Not sure what the final prices will be though.

robo hippy