Aftermarket grinder tool rests - something other than Veritas or Oneway?

[Dave Mount]

I was asked by a young friend who is just gearing up his toolkit about sharpening equipment. For grinding, the only two aftermarket tool rests I have owned are the Veritas and the Oneway. I can explain what each of those have to offer, but are there other options out there that should be considered? He does everything from furniture work to log home construction, so everything from cabinetry chisels and hand plane blades up to large drawknives. And he needs the ability to do both heavy reshaping and edge prep for stationary stones. Right now, my recommendation is to put the Veritas rest on the fine grit wheel side and the Oneway platform on the coarse. I like the "miter slot", the fine adjustability, and the tool clamp/carriage of the Veritas, but I also like the robustness and simplicity of the Oneway platform. Another thing I like about the Oneway is that the bar clamping system for the base allows one to fabricate special purpose inserts pretty easily.

Other thoughts?

Best,

Dave

[Jim Becker]

I like the weight/heft of the OneWay setup, personally, and it locks up very nicely so any grinding operation is very steady and without deflection. You are correct about the bar setup for flexibility and customization, too.

[Dick Mahany]

I agree the Oneway rest is robust and simple. Another option is the "Robo-Rest" by Reed Gray if there may be a need to sharpen different angles repeatably. I have an older version that has worked wonders for lathe tool and chisel sharpening. There is a stand alone version, but also a version that mounts directly to the Oneway mount.

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[Steve Mathews]

Stuart Batty has or had one that was well made and could be fitted to the OneWay base. I think the Oneway is the go to rest for most of the woodworking community though.

[Tom Bussey]

I also have a tormek so I like the use their accessories also. An example is reshaping a blade from a flea market plane. A bench grinder it much faster at removing metal.

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[Mike Kees]

Start with the Oneway and work from there. I have not gone any further.:D

[Shawn Siegrist]

Oneway platform with the Robo Rest made by Reed Gray.

[Jeff Clode]

Another vote for the Robo Rest - love the easy repeatability of the platform angle

[Andy D Jones]

I also have a tormek so I like the use their accessories also. An example is reshaping a blade from a flea market plane. A bench grinder it much faster at removing metal.

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Doesn't Tormek make an accessory for using their guides with other grinders?

No experience here, but I am looking at either the Tormek grinder, or that accessory with a different grinder.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Ben Grefe]

I’m going to put in a vote for the Robo Rest. I don’t own one, but I’ve been thinking about buying one ever since I saw it. I have the wolverine system now and getting a known angle on the rest is impossible. I find I get angle drift after a few sharpenings.

[Eugene Dixon]

You might suggest that your young friend watch a Rob Cosman video on sharpening.

[Kevin Jenness]

Here's an article showing the use of Tormek guides with cbn wheels on a bench grinder. The general approach to sharpening is straightforward and refreshing. http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/UltimateGrindingSharpeningSetUp.html

I have the Oneway and Veritas rests, both good in their own way. The Oneway is too wide for tools like butt chisels without modification, but much more stout.

The best improvement I have made in my grinding setup is a 180# cbn wheel, well worth the investment.

[Dave Mount]

Thanks all. I narrowed my question to the tool rest, I probably should have framed the question in the larger picture. My friend put a budget of $300 on the request. My suggestion was:

1/2 hp Rikon half speed 8" grinder - $110
Veritas tool rest and grinding guide (one side) - $69
Oneway base/platform (one side) - $59
Two Norton white wheels - $68
Wheel dresser - $12

Came close -- total is $318. Tormek types of solutions weren't really in the budget, especially because he'd still need a regular grinder for reshaping tools, heavy grinding to take out nicks or rehabilitate abused tools. The Robo-Rest is something he could consider later since he'll have the one-way base, but it's not really in the original budget. Same for CBN wheels.

I'm not surprised at the love for the Oneway, but I am surprised how few people liked the Veritas. I think it's a thoughtfully designed and versatile rest. Having a "miter slot" in the rest is a nice feather IMHO. Not as hunky as the Oneway, but I think the combo of the two is nice.

Best,

Dave

[Prashun Patel]

Doesn't the Rikon come with white wheels already?

I do not like the Veritas rest. I gave mine away. I found it too fidgety; I prefer the Oneway-clone system; the adjustments are more intuitive to me. And as a turner, the 'system' swaps seamlessly with other sharpening attachments.

Powertec makes the clone. I have no issues with it.

If I had $318 to put into this, I'd prob get the Powertec clone, the grinder and a 180 grit CBN wheel.

[Dave Mount]

Wow -- you are right about the white wheels -- bonus! I was so used to grinders coming with gray wheels I didn't even think to look!

[John Gornall]

I find the Oneway Mini Platform - a smaller platform on arm to fit the Wolverine useful for smaller tools

[glenn bradley]

Dad has a Jet Tormek clone with mostly Tormek accessories; they are interchangeable. We rigged a Tormek station similar to Tom Bussey's at one of his grinders and the Veritas at the other.

[Thomas McCurnin]

I’ve only used the Veritas rest and joining guide. The miter gauge slot and clamp for chisels and plane irons (90% of what I sharpen) is brilliant and I love it. Then again, there aren’t many Veritas products which I don’t like. They are all well thought out.

Because the Veritas rest adjusts 4 directions (both in and out and up and down) using two dials, it takes two hands to get it dialed in. Derek from down under posted a photo of a clever fixture he made with a curved finger which makes adjusting to a specific angle super easy. I made a couple of these with a bar which fits in the miter gauge which makes adjusting the tool rest idiot proof. Thank you Derek!

The Rikon grinder should be mounted on its own platform, and the holes in the bottom casting were surprisingly off center by 1/8th inch, so my advice is to make a template before drilling any holes.

[tom lucas]

I have oneway and robo-rest, both for wolverine setup. While the robo-rest is easy to set the angle, it just has too much play in it for me. So I use the oneway almost exclusively and set the angle with a wixi.

[David M Peters]

A newer entry to the aftermarket grinder platform market is from Woodturners Wonders, the Kodiak system (https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/kodiak-sharpening-system). They just released a standalone platform (https://woodturnerswonders.com/products/stand-alone-tool-rest?_pos=1&_sid=015ac4af8&_ss=r), too.

[Derek Cohen]

I was asked by a young friend who is just gearing up his toolkit about sharpening equipment. For grinding, the only two aftermarket tool rests I have owned are the Veritas and the Oneway. I can explain what each of those have to offer, but are there other options out there that should be considered? He does everything from furniture work to log home construction, so everything from cabinetry chisels and hand plane blades up to large drawknives. And he needs the ability to do both heavy reshaping and edge prep for stationary stones. Right now, my recommendation is to put the Veritas rest on the fine grit wheel side and the Oneway platform on the coarse. I like the "miter slot", the fine adjustability, and the tool clamp/carriage of the Veritas, but I also like the robustness and simplicity of the Oneway platform. Another thing I like about the Oneway is that the bar clamping system for the base allows one to fabricate special purpose inserts pretty easily.

Other thoughts?

Best,

Dave

The Tormek BGM-100 and a 180 grit CBN wheel should be the heart of the system. The CBN wheel will cut all steels and not wear out (never change shape).

Dave, here is the best system for $300 (your budget).

6" bench grinder (this will be close in surface speed to a half-speed 8" grinder)
6" 180 grit CBN wheel ($99) - link: https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/sharpening/wheels-and-wheel-dressers/76621-cbn-grinding-wheels
Tormek BGM-100 tool rest ($69) - link: https://www.amazon.com/Tormek-BGM100-Bench-Grinder-Sharpening/dp/B002O4A2NU
Tormek SE-77 blade holder (I prefer the SE-76) ($70) - link: https://www.rockler.com/tormek-se-77-square-edge-jig

or

Rikon 8" half-speed ($120) https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Power-Tools-80-805-Anti-Vibration/dp/B00H2B78YG/ref=zg_bs_552814_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FK6CFX2HSXXG7GQ5Z8T8

8" CBN wheel (180 grit - $169): https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Power-Tools-80-805-Anti-Vibration/dp/B00H2B78YG/ref=zg_bs_552814_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FK6CFX2HSXXG7GQ5Z8T8

Plus accessories above.

Regards from Perth

Derek