Dressing a grinding wheel, what to use?

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I purchased a cheap slow speed grinder from Woodcraft some years back. It has two white wheels...

The paperwork says:
8" bench grinder, slow-speed 1725 RPM Model #150780

There is a 120 and a 60 grit wheel.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/2012/04/05/150780-bench-grinder-review

The wheels are cutting very slowly now, so I assume that I need to "dress" them. For the Tormek, I have the grading stone and a diamond dressing thing. What should I use on this generic grinder with unknown grinding wheels?

I am aware of the following products:

Norton Grinding Wheel Dressing Stick (See https://www.amazon.com/Norton-Abrasives-St-Gobain-Grinding/dp/B007O6VF52) or the diamond wheel Dressing Tool such as this: http://www.woodcraft.com/product/158522/diamond-wheel-dressing-tool-36grit.aspx

Woodcraft sells a 36 grit and a 120 grit diamond dressing tool. Rockler has the grinding wheel dressing stick. I have never used either. Thoughts?

[Kees Heiden]

I have such a T shaped diamond dresser like your last link but mine is from Norton. Works great. Much better then such a dressing stone.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I do not pretend to be any sort of an expert on grinders. I recently used one similar to the one in your Norton link, but I want to say I paid closer to $5. It worked fine on my "slow speed" (hand cranked) grinder that I retrofitted with one of the white wheels from Norton. But if I were looking at that one for $13 and the nicer one for $17, I would probably think about the nicer one too.

[Jim Belair]

I use the T shaped dresser on my softer white Norton wheel but the rattle wheel type on the hard grey wheel, both of which came on the grinder.

[john zulu]

I use a T shape diamond dresser. Works very well.

[Wayne Cannon]

The T-shaped dresser is the easier to create a flat, square surface without some extra-cost extra jig. I've been very happy with them. I did get one (out of maybe six over the years) with a wobbly joint between the head and the handle.

[Dan Barr]

I tend to use the Rattle wheel for coarse, T shaped (diamond dresser) for fine. i will occasionally put the rattle wheel dresser on the fine wheel to re-establish shape. I never put the T on rough. Have never needed to.

[Glen Canaday]

I've used several different types on different wheels. Dressing surface grinder wheels is much easier ;)

My dad uses a star wheel (the rattley tool) on his standard bench grinder and the tool that came with his Tormek on that. I've used both on his equipment since I don't own either anymore.

I have used a dressing stick on my hand crank grinder but haven't used the T tool. I'd like to give one a try as I've recently found a hand grinder that will take a 6" white wheel. What I have considered is making a small tabletop station for that grinder with a horizontally slotted rest so that I can use any type of dresser without losing square. But, I haven't done that yet. I've mostly been using a stick on it as it sits.