Next CBN suggestion

[Richard Dooling]

I have a 180 grit CBN wheel and have decided to add a higher grit to the grinder. Can I jump all the way to 600 grit or will I be frustrated with refining the coarser 180 grit scratches?

Thanks,
Richard

[John Keeton]

That is my combination and it works well.

[JohnC Lucas]

I went from 180 to 350. I wish I had gone to 600.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I have been looking at CBN wheels and was thinking 220 and 600 would be a good setup.

[John K Jordan]

I have a 180 grit CBN wheel and have decided to add a higher grit to the grinder. Can I jump all the way to 600 grit or will I be frustrated with refining the coarser 180 grit scratches?

I find the 600 grit perfect for many tools incuding my skews, bowl gouges, and negative rake scrapers. I go directly from shaping with 80 grit CBN to sharpening with 600 grit. You will have no trouble removing 180 grit scratches.

Could probably go with an 800 or 1000 grit instead of the 600 and still be happy, although it would take a bit longer to sharpen larger bevels.

I also have a 1200 grit wheel on a Tormek I use to sharpen my spindle gouges. Sometimes I wish it was finer.

Remember that a 600 grit wheel will be more aggressive when new than after it is "broken in". It may act more like a coarser wheel for a bit.

JKJ

[Richard Dooling]

Thanks everyone.
600 grit it is!

[Randy Walker]

I purchased a 600 grit CBN wheel at the TAW symposium in January. I use it to sharpen my tools and it does an incredible job. The finish is so fine it's almost holographic and incredibly sharp. If I decide to re-grind one of my tools I will use the remaining white wheel, but that is a very event. I think you will like the 600 grit as much as I do. Don't forget to get the self aligning washers.

Randy Walker

[Richard Dooling]

Thanks Randy.

I ordered the wheel, machined flat washers and self aligning washers on Friday. Things are starting to warm up here and the trees are budding. Smells like shop weather.


I purchased a 600 grit CBN wheel at the TAW symposium in January. I use it to sharpen my tools and it does an incredible job. The finish is so fine it's almost holographic and incredibly sharp. If I decide to re-grind one of my tools I will use the remaining white wheel, but that is a very event. I think you will like the 600 grit as much as I do. Don't forget to get the self aligning washers.

Randy Walker

[John A Murray]

True story. I attended a one day demo with Mike Mahoney yesterday. The subject of CBN wheels came up.He said he uses a 36 grit stone wheel on one side and 46 on the other. He gave a good explanation of why which I will not attempt to repeat here. Funny how the pros can sometimes destroy everything we think we know about a subject. LOL 🤪

CBNs are still on my wish list though. 🙂

[Randy Walker]

Tennessee is COLD and WET. It is likely to be a week or more before I can get back to my lathe (arrrggg). After you get your wheel and have a chance to use it a few times please let us know what you think of it.
One of my favorite things about it is that it removes almost no material when sharpening a tool. Because of that I tend to sharpen at the first signs of my gouge loosing its edge. When I have to push the tool or see a little bit of torn wood I take the two steps to my grinder and make a quick touch-up. The tool is so sharp that its actually easy to tell when its loosing its edge.

[Steve Mathews]

Any good deals on a 600 grit CBN wheel?

[richard shelby]

Any good deals on a 600 grit CBN wheel?

https://woodturnerswonders.com/

[Randy Walker]

The best deals I've found are at the turning show's. I got mine at the TAW symposium in January. I'm sure they will be at the AAW symposium in Atlanta. Check the AAW web site to see any other symposiums locations and times.

[Eugene Dixon]

AAW in Raleigh? July 2019.

[Randy Walker]

AAW in Raleigh? July 2019.
Your are correct Eugene, the AAW symposium will be in Raleigh, North Carolina this year. My apologies.

[Eugene Dixon]

Randy,
Say hello when you are there. I'll be at the NCWW Forum booth.

[Richard Dooling]

I purchased Ken Rizza's 600 grit. aluminum-body spartan wheel and it is a great value. I also have his 4-in-1 180 grit wheel. It's 1.25" wide and presents a bit more of a mounting challenge if you want to retain the wheel guards. The spartan is 1" wide. I've decided to keep the inner guard and do without the outer guard but lots of people remove the entire guard assembly. I like that the inner guard traps the sparks. I highly recommend the spherical washer set as a solution to wobble. His site has good info on all this.

I installed the 600 grit wheel a couple of days ago. Took a bit of fiddling to get out the side-to-side wobble but it's running nice and true now. The improvement in the scratch pattern is obvious even though this is a brand new wheel and I expect it to get even better with use. I agree that the material removed is minimal. There is no issue with the 600 wheel cleaning up the coarser scratch pattern from the 180 grit wheel.


Tennessee is COLD and WET. It is likely to be a week or more before I can get back to my lathe (arrrggg). After you get your wheel and have a chance to use it a few times please let us know what you think of it.
One of my favorite things about it is that it removes almost no material when sharpening a tool. Because of that I tend to sharpen at the first signs of my gouge loosing its edge. When I have to push the tool or see a little bit of torn wood I take the two steps to my grinder and make a quick touch-up. The tool is so sharp that its actually easy to tell when its loosing its edge.

[Randy Walker]

I wish I could stop by but unfortunatly I will not be able to attend the symposium this year. I am already making plans to attend the Louisville KY event. Maybe Ill see you there.
If you make it to the TAW symposium in January, here in Nashville look me up. Just ask anyone in the maroon shirt with the symposium logo to point me out. I will have one of the shirts on too.

Randy Walker