Jason Ritchie
03-24-2014, 2:36 PM
I finally saved up enough cash for a new sharpening system and just in time as my crappy old Harbor Freight slow speed grinder's bearings are going out. I went with the Rikon 8" slow speed grinder that I purchased from Klingspor here in NC and also purchased a 180 grit CBN wheel from D-Way Tools. I cannot believe what a difference this has made in my turning! I knew I had issues with grind angles and getting the tools really sharp but I had no idea it would make this much difference! I have been able to get the proper grind angles on my tools and make them so much sharper. I have kind of been at a plateau with my turning for the past year and a half dealing with frustration from tear out and getting good clean cuts in my projects and even failures trying to turn square platters and such. Just a few days spent re-vamping my sharpening setup and seeing what a difference properly sharp tools makes has got me excited again. I turned a bowl last night and was able to start with 120 grit paper instead of the 60 grit that I usually have to start with. I also bought a set of curved tool rests and this has made a big difference as well. Thanks to all who posted their comments and experience on sharpening here on the forum as this gave me the information I needed to make my purchase decisions. And thanks to Robohippy for that awesome video on youtube about sharpening setups. I picked up a few good tips there as well.
A few notes:
The Rikon grinder came well packed and even came with a diamond dresser which was a nice touch. My grinder did have badly rusted shafts and corroded washers as others noted. I ran the grinder with some sand paper held against the shaft while avoiding the shoulder and it cleaned up fine. The washers on the left side didn't matter as I have a CBN wheel so I tossed them aside, but the right side still has the 60 grit wheel which had some wobble. I had to take the washers and sand them flat to get the wobble out. They should really do something about that. It's a nice grinder otherwise.
The 180 grit CBN wheel from D-Way Tools: I ordered from the website and it came within a few days packed very well. The insert was machined perfectly and fit in the wheel with zero play. The wheel fit on the Rikon grinder perfectly and runs very true. I'm very pleased with the product and will order from Dave again for sure. The Rikon grinder does need a little more time to get up to speed but it seems to have plenty of power for sharpening once its running.
A few notes:
The Rikon grinder came well packed and even came with a diamond dresser which was a nice touch. My grinder did have badly rusted shafts and corroded washers as others noted. I ran the grinder with some sand paper held against the shaft while avoiding the shoulder and it cleaned up fine. The washers on the left side didn't matter as I have a CBN wheel so I tossed them aside, but the right side still has the 60 grit wheel which had some wobble. I had to take the washers and sand them flat to get the wobble out. They should really do something about that. It's a nice grinder otherwise.
The 180 grit CBN wheel from D-Way Tools: I ordered from the website and it came within a few days packed very well. The insert was machined perfectly and fit in the wheel with zero play. The wheel fit on the Rikon grinder perfectly and runs very true. I'm very pleased with the product and will order from Dave again for sure. The Rikon grinder does need a little more time to get up to speed but it seems to have plenty of power for sharpening once its running.