CBN Grinding Wheel Alternative

[James Combs]

I was just reading the current post on CBN wheels, 80g vs 180g. I am contemplating buying one(or 2) myself to go with my recently acquired Oneway grinding system(stealth gloat). I ran across this diamond wheel (http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2021136/25960/WoodRiver-Diamond-Grinding-Wheel-8-120grit.aspx) on sale at Woodcraft recently and I was wondering how diamond compares to CBN. I realize that diamond is generally used for carbide tools and the CBN is design for HSS but if the diamond will cut carbide it will cut HSS. The price was really good on the diamond wheel, a good $50 less then the CBN.

A couple of cons I know:
- The Diamond wheel is only 1" wide vs the CBN at 1.5"
- Not sure of the performance/quality vs the known(as repeatedly stated in posts here on SMC) performance of the CBN
- Limited to 120g

Some Pros:
- The diamond wheel has a 5/8" arbor hole, no adapter needed.
- I have a metal lathe and a mill with carbide tooling that could be sharpened.

If some of you could add to the Pros & Cons list between the two types of wheels it would be helpful though it is not necessary to rehash the comments made in the recent CBN thread.

Edit: Just saw Dan Hintz comments on the possibility of the diamond clogging, perhaps I need to consider one of each, hmmm.

[Dan Hintz]

I'm going to take a wild guess here and say diamond might be problematic if the HSS begins to clog it... carbide would likely "fracture" and not clog, but I'd have to think more on this before giving my definitive opinion.

[John Keeton]

No need for Dan to think about it - he is right. CBN is made specifically for HSS and similar metals. The diamond will have a much shorter life given the modern materials being used in gouges, etc.

[Jamie Donaldson]

James, there is a diamond wheel on the class room grinder at the Lexington Woodcraft, so test it out on your next visit. It works well for "renewing" an edge when I have used it during demos, but would not be willing to buy one for my personal use.

[Brian McInturff]

I think John is right about this. I remember reading that the diamond wheels just can't handle all the exotic metals being used in today's tooling and that the CBN wheels are the best for our purpose.

[Reed Gray]

Cindy Drozda is the only person I know of who uses that wheel. Until she came up with her oil bath method of lubricating the wheel, she said it tended to load up and burn the tools. Woodcraft was little help with solving the problem.

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

In my search for the ultimate grinding wheel some years back, I researched diamond grinding wheels, and was told by those who made them that diamond was for carbide, and CBN was for steel. Bill Nedow did an article in an AAW magazine a couple of months back and came to the same conclusion. I do know that Andre Martel in Canada has an electroplated diamond wheel that he has been using and selling for a long time. I guess it does work. I talked to him, and he said that the harder powder metals are less of a problem than the softer HSS, or carbon steel. I have also heard that very slow speeds are better as well. Don't know for sure as I have never tried them out. Probably will have to wear out my CBN wheels first, and I expect them to outlast me.

robo hippy