Larry Williams on Sharpening

[David Peterson]

​I've been watching Larry Williams' DVD on sharpening moulding plane irons. Terrific info and I'd like to put his suggestions to use with my collection of hollows and rounds. He uses a flex shaft grinder in his methods with a few abrasive bits and I'm wondering where to source them. Any good suggestions for a grinder with a 1/4" collet? I'm also wondering where to source the conical abrasive attachments he demonstrates; he describes one as a "rubberized abrasive" bit which I can't seem to find anywhere.

Any help appreciated, as always. (And I just realized that this might be a power tool suggestion - but the end result will be sharp Neander tools).

[Jim Koepke]

My Dremel came with a flexible shaft though it is more like 1/8". A lot of abrasive bits are available for it.

jtk

[george wilson]

Rio Grande and Gesswein sell all kinds of abrasive bits.

[David Weaver]

mcmaster carr also has abrasive cones. Some cheap expendable pink alundum and silicon carbide cones can be found in harbor freight 1/8th and 1/4th drive kits.

[Adam Maxwell]

mcmaster carr also has abrasive cones. Some cheap expendable pink alundum and silicon carbide cones can be found in harbor freight 1/8th and 1/4th drive kits.

Yeah, I've also gotten the latter at the local auto parts store. Mine are poor quality, but serviceable for rough work, if you follow up with slips. I don't use my moulding planes enough to grind them, but use the cones semi-regularly with incannel gouges (and I use them in a drill, because I'm too cheap to get a flex shaft grinder).

The first hit on this google search should give you the specs on Larry's setup, and tells you where to get the cones he uses.

http://www.google.com/search?q=larry+williams+flex+shaft+tool+woodcentra l

[David Peterson]

Great info - thanks all. I have a very old Dremel that I bought in,,, let's see,,, 1975? That was back in my youthful, wood airplane model days. Perhaps a flexible shaft could be fitted to my existing but I thought this would be a good time to modernize. Not that I have to do exactly as Mr. Williams does but the attachments he uses in the DVD seemed more robust than anything I'd seen in the Dremel line-up.

Adam - the link was very useful. Info right from the source.