Anyone have experience with the LV grinder rest?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I was thinking of buying or making a new tool rest for my grinder - the one on it is decent enough to be workable, but having a grinder, more and more starts to look like something I could use a grinder for, and I use it more, and the rest that was okay when I fussed for 15 minutes and then didn't touch it again for months is frustrating when I want to do different things with it.

Looking at the LV grinder, I find it's made of anodized aluminum - one of the annoying things with the rests on my grinder is that they're aluminum, and loose grit from the wheels gets embedded in there on occasion, and it's a pain to keep them clean. Not a huge deal with normal tool grinding (although a lot of my chisels have these weird rub mark patterns on the bevel side now, and anything that had text printed on it no longer does) but it's a pain at other times. I have heard steel, rather than aluminum grinding rests recommended for just this reason (I believe by Larry Williams in his sharpening video)

Does the anodizing on the aluminum lend a hard surface to help resist this picking-up-grit issue when using the LV tool rests? Not something that couldn't be worked around, just curious what others experience might be.

[James Taglienti]

Joshua, i have been using the lee valley rest for a few months now. It is nice. It locks down tight but there is still a little bit of flex to it. It doesnt flex too much in use. Not enough for me to care anyway ... The aluminum hasnt picked up any crud that couldnt be wiped off. I did flex it into the spinning wheel once, creating a bit of a burr that had to be filed off. It only lost about 1/32. That was my fault.
Adjusting the grinding angle usually requires loosening both handles. Not a big deal.
Overall its pretty nice, and a huge upgrade from the factory rest, which was useless stamped steel.
I dont have any of the accessories for it. I never understood how someone could use the straight grinding jig without burning a tool.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Joshua:

I have the LV rest and like it a lot - it is mounted on my hand crank grinder -

The local WW school I have taken a couple of classes has the same setup ( x 2 ) and the instructor has added a thin - 1/8'' thick or so - veneer of some oily exotic to the platform - that works real well, I just haven't added that to mine at home as of yet. I has a somewhat slicker feel, but in a good way.

BTW, I never use the clamp and guide slot - difficult to get good results - freehand is better!

Dave B

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Oh, I'll be going freehand for sure. More just looking for something that's a little more stable, more square across it's width, and easier to setup. 50 bucks seems worth my time over cobbling something together myself. I suppose if grit getting embedded in it becomes and issue, I could mount a steel slip to it.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Oh, I'll be going freehand for sure. More just looking for something that's a little more stable, more square across it's width, and easier to setup. 50 bucks seems worth my time over cobbling something together myself. I suppose if grit getting embedded in it becomes and issue, I could mount a steel slip to it.

Joshua:
My setup with the original aluminum ' platter ' gets gritty from time to time and I give it a wipe - the one at the school with the wood on it, that is used many times a day, seems to not get the same gritty feel - FWIW

Dave B