8" Grinder/wheel for hollow grind

[David Ragan]

So, I would now like to start Hollow grinding my tools, and the Tormek takes lots of patience.

Turns out, have no slow 8" grinder.

So, anyone have either of these two? WC has a sale now. Is the little one on bottom good enough for infrequent use?

I don't have a boat, so don't need an anchor.

Follow-up question is-the stock white wheels are good enough if I take my time?

Or, if I can afford it, the Veritas tool rest and blue Norton wheels are best?

Thanks guys!




https://woodcraft-production-weblinc.netdna-ssl.com/product_images/rikon-8-1-hp-slow-speed-grinder-80-808/5845cf5169702d3a1e0002f8/large_thumb.jpg?c=1480970066 (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/rikon-8-1-hp-slow-speed-grinder-80-808)Quick View (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/rikon-8-1-hp-slow-speed-grinder-80-808)Rikon
80-808
8" 1 HP Slow Speed Grinder, 80-808 (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/rikon-8-1-hp-slow-speed-grinder-80-808)
$186.99
$219.99

3.5 out of 5 stars




https://woodcraft-production-weblinc.netdna-ssl.com/product_images/rikon-8in-slow-speed-grinder/5845758c69702d193800028d/large_thumb.jpg?c=1480947084 (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/rikon-8in-slow-speed-grinder)Quick View (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/rikon-8in-slow-speed-grinder)
Rikon
80-805
8in Slow Speed Grinder (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/rikon-8in-slow-speed-grinder)
$118.99
$139.99

4.04 out of 5 stars

[Frederick Skelly]

David,
I have had the 805 (small one) for about 6 months now. I put a cbn wheel on one side and left the stock (white) wheel on the other. It works just fine. I use it for plane irons, chisels and turning tools. Im glad I bought it.

I also bought an LV grinder tool rest for one side, and made a tool rest for the other side. (The stock tool rests are laughable, but I knew that when I bought it.)

The bigger model is nice because it has more power - like cars, more HP is "even better" in tools. But I have yet to see a case where I "need" it.

Fred

[John K Jordan]

David,

I have both of these and a few other grinders for comparison.

My opinion: either would work. The 1/2 HP feels a little under-powered to me. Some people have reported sluggish starts on 1/2 horse bench grinders when equipped with two steel CBN wheels.

I like the 1 horse Rikon much better. At that price, it might be a better investment for the long term.

The white wheels that come with both of these are cheap. One Rikon 1/2 horse we put in a kids turning shop had horrible vibration even after truing the wheel. We replaced one wheel with a CBN wheel and the problem went away. The 1/2 horse Rikon I bought ran smoothly out of the box so they are not all identical.

Sometimes a vibration can be tamed with some truing and balancing. From our good friend Josh Bowman who recently balanced one of these grinders: see the AAW Journal December 2016 on Page 24 Tuning Up a Bench Grinder or go to Don Geigers Website: http://www.geigerssolutions.com/Tuning-Up-a-Bench-Grinder.html

Unfortunately, some cheap conventional wheels are inherently unbalanced in the material. Better wheels can help but still, for perfect running on two of the blue Norton (3X?) I used the Oneway balancing kit.

You may eventually want to get a CBN wheel or two. All issues with balance are eliminated. CBN wheels never need to be dressed and don't get smaller with use. Once I went to CBN I don't want to go back to stone wheels, at least not for turning tools. Many people say the same thing.
There are several good CBN vendors - I personally buy from Ken Rizza at Woodturners Wonders.

JKJ

[James Cheever]

David -

Like others have mentioned, I have two of the smaller, 1/2 HP grinders. I have two CBN wheels on one of them.

It works fine. Never needs balancing or dressing. I got my wheels from Dave at D-Way.

JRC

[David Ragan]

So, I went to WC and got the Grinder-1HP, and LV tool rest. Of course, I am now broke.

I turned it on, and it had slight vibration. My wheel dresser is already used up-of course-I used it some more-still had some vibration.

So, I took the wheels off, and it still has a very slight vibration-it passed the nickel test (see picture below).

What can I use until I can get a wheel dresser?

This grinder is primarily to make the initial hollow for tool sharpening-I had the idea to follow up w Tormek

The way the LV, and (all?) tool rest(s) are configured, the grinding wheel turning into the tool is fine(?), because w hollow grinding, the edge of the tool will not be ground @ the wheel (i.e. for sharpening it's OK to have the wheel going into the edge?)

What you all think?

Thanks

356278

[John K Jordan]

This grinder is primarily to make the initial hollow for tool sharpening-I had the idea to follow up w Tormek

...it's OK to have the wheel going into the edge?

That's what I often do. To simplify things, years ago I bought a spare support rod and bracket and made a base so I could use the Tormek jigs on the bench grinder. (They sell this as a kit now)

356304

I use both the Wolverine and Tormak jigs on this grinder.

You still have to deal with the 10" vs 8" radius but getting the shape right is most of the battle. BTW, I now have a 600 grit CBN wheel on my Tormek. It does OK but does not give me as fine an edge as I got with the water wheel. I'm considering buying a 1000 or 1200 grit Tormek wheel but it would be an expensive experiment. I do use the Tormek leather honing/stropping wheel for almost every tool regardless of how I sharpen it.

If I understand your "edge" question, grinding with the wheel moving into the edge is fine.

JKJ

[David Ragan]

That's what I often do. To simplify things, years ago I bought a spare support rod and bracket and made a base so I could use the Tormek jigs on the bench grinder. (They sell this as a kit now)

356304

I use both the Wolverine and Tormak jigs on this grinder.

You still have to deal with the 10" vs 8" radius but getting the shape right is most of the battle. BTW, I now have a 600 grit CBN wheel on my Tormek. It does OK but does not give me as fine an edge as I got with the water wheel. I'm considering buying a 1000 or 1200 grit Tormek wheel but it would be an expensive experiment. I do use the Tormek leather honing/stropping wheel for almost every tool regardless of how I sharpen it.

If I understand your "edge" question, grinding with the wheel moving into the edge is fine.

JKJ

I kinda wish instead of the LV, I had got the Tormek jig as above. Oh well. We'll hook it up and see.

Just bought a whole new wheel dresser from True Value guy. Will have to find those replacement star wheels.

It would be great to have two Tormeks-how about getting a longer axle and putting on two more wheels?

[John K Jordan]

I kinda wish instead of the LV, I had got the Tormek jig as above. Oh well. We'll hook it up and see.

Just bought a whole new wheel dresser from True Value guy. Will have to find those replacement star wheels.

It would be great to have two Tormeks-how about getting a longer axle and putting on two more wheels?

Just wait, you can add one later to your second new grinder (as you fall further in to the bottomless pit of woodturning. :))

I have been looking for a second Tormek for some time, used since I can't bring myself to buy another new one. Two wheels would be nice except for the issues around the limited support bar length. I do know one gentleman who made an extended bar, supported differently IIRC.

I dislike the inexpensive diamond wheel dressers shaped like a "T with a thin layer of diamond grit on the surface. They often don't last long. Far better are the single-point diamonds guided by a jig across the wheel face at an angle. I also found a good diamond dresser on Amazon that has a thick bar loaded with diamonds - it will last a long time. I haven't used my star wheel dresser on my turning tool grinders.

JKJ