Jim Becker
01-15-2006, 9:53 PM
I recently acquired (finally!) the Oneway grinding wheel balancing system as well as a couple Norton 3X wheels to upgrade my sharpening system. The balancing kit is one of the best $60 investments I've made relative to sharpening...no more vibration of any kind and that means a better edge on the tools. The only downside...takes forever for my grinder to stop spinning and I can't tell by sound when it's done! (Necessary to readjust the Wolverine system for a different tool) It's really easy to use and only takes a few minutes to balance two wheels from start to finish. (Not including the time I took to level my bench)
One of the major benefits of the balancing system is not just a balanced wheel...it's the machined collar that replace the stamped flanges/washers on your grinder as well as the plastic bushings that come in the wheels. (You must order the setup that matches your grinder's shaft diameter...5/8" in the case of my 8" grinder) I normally buy this kind of thing directly from Oneway, but took advantage of the Woodcraft free shipping over the holidays to get this item plus a heavy square scraper I needed.
As to the wheels, the 3X are some of Norton's premium line. They are AO, but have a pale green color. The 60 grit wheel required only an extremely slight balance adjustment and the 100 grit wheel (what I use the most) was out only a little more. BIG difference from the white wheels I had been using. (One I just plain threw out 'cause I couldn't balance it with three screws...sheesh!) These wheels were also nearly true out of the box...a few quick swipes with the Oneway truing system and they were good to go. These were sourced from Hartville Tools and the service was quick. Cost...about $50 each with shipping. That's more than the standard white wheels, but these cut fast and cool.
After getting everything put back together at the grinder, I spent a few minutes putting fresh edges on some tooling...and am very pleased with the setup. 'Just the ticket for grinding HHS, including powdered metal versions.
Pics below are "stock"...I'll add a photo of my grinder setup tomorrow or the next day...I didn't have the camera in the shop this afternoon and it was too darn cold and windy to run back out there tonight. Burrrr!
One of the major benefits of the balancing system is not just a balanced wheel...it's the machined collar that replace the stamped flanges/washers on your grinder as well as the plastic bushings that come in the wheels. (You must order the setup that matches your grinder's shaft diameter...5/8" in the case of my 8" grinder) I normally buy this kind of thing directly from Oneway, but took advantage of the Woodcraft free shipping over the holidays to get this item plus a heavy square scraper I needed.
As to the wheels, the 3X are some of Norton's premium line. They are AO, but have a pale green color. The 60 grit wheel required only an extremely slight balance adjustment and the 100 grit wheel (what I use the most) was out only a little more. BIG difference from the white wheels I had been using. (One I just plain threw out 'cause I couldn't balance it with three screws...sheesh!) These wheels were also nearly true out of the box...a few quick swipes with the Oneway truing system and they were good to go. These were sourced from Hartville Tools and the service was quick. Cost...about $50 each with shipping. That's more than the standard white wheels, but these cut fast and cool.
After getting everything put back together at the grinder, I spent a few minutes putting fresh edges on some tooling...and am very pleased with the setup. 'Just the ticket for grinding HHS, including powdered metal versions.
Pics below are "stock"...I'll add a photo of my grinder setup tomorrow or the next day...I didn't have the camera in the shop this afternoon and it was too darn cold and windy to run back out there tonight. Burrrr!