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Dave Lehnert
03-30-2006, 11:48 PM
Is woodcraft slow speed grinder (8") any good???
Ken Fitzgerald
03-30-2006, 11:57 PM
Dave........I got mine last month. Works fine for my turning tools!
Hoa Dinh
03-31-2006, 12:07 AM
Works fine for me. If mine stops working tomorrow, I'll buy another one (may wait for a sale, however).

But the tool rests, as in many other inexpensive grinders, are throw-away items. Plan to make or buy (One Way comes to mine) decent ones.
Dan Forman
03-31-2006, 2:17 AM
Won't have to wait long, they go on sale Saturday, no foolin!

Dan
Brad Townsend
03-31-2006, 9:03 AM
I got one on sale about a year ago. I got the jointer/planer knife jig with it and use it for these. It's butt ugly, but it works. (Just find someplace out of sight to store it when you're not using it. Even a cardboard box would work.:D) Like Hoa Dinh said, you will probably end up making your own tool rest. I'm sure I can make a planer knife jig much better than the one they sell for it.
Keith Barkhau
03-31-2006, 10:24 AM
Ditto pretty much what everyone else has said. I've had mine for about 6 years now and its worked great for me. I did make two modifications right off the bat--replaced the tool rests with a Wolverine jig and replaced the abrasive wheels with Norton's.
Mark Pruitt
03-31-2006, 10:31 AM
HERE (http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=136&p=835) is a 1" belt sander that Lowe's has for $99. The table feels pretty solid and there is a miterguage included which would do a good job a holding a chisel at a fixed angle.

I've never used this as a sharpening tool. How does it stack up against a grinder for sharpening lathe chisels?

Mark
Mark Patoka
03-31-2006, 10:56 AM
I use it with the Wolverine jig and works great for me.
Steve Hayes
03-31-2006, 2:11 PM
Ditto: Woodcraft slow speed and Wolverine work great together.
John Gregory
03-31-2006, 2:17 PM
Is this the one (http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4866)everyone is talking about? I have it with the planer/jointer jig. I have rarely used it. I send my jointer blades out and use a wolverine jig to turning tools. Maybe I should sell it in the classifieds. Just taking up room now.
Hoa Dinh
03-31-2006, 2:21 PM
Is this the one (http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4866)everyone is talking about? I have it with the planer/jointer jig. I have rarely used it. I send my jointer blades out and use a wolverine jig to turning tools. Maybe I should sell it in the classifieds. Just taking up room now.
Nope. Not that one. It is this one (http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4605).

http://woodcraft.com/images/Family/web4605.jpg

I myself stay away from horizontal wheel grinder/sharpener. The wheel's a bear to keep flat.

Also, I'm not sure why Keith Barkhau replaced the wheels. I feel the white wheels that come with the grinder are pretty good. I replaced the coarse wheel (60-grit I think) with a hard felt wheel for honing but still keep the other (120 grit) for grinding.
Ken Fitzgerald
03-31-2006, 2:21 PM
John I believe this is the one most folks are using in conjunction with the Wolverine jig........That's what I'm using for my turning tools.
John Gregory
03-31-2006, 2:27 PM
I have a 6" Delta variable speed grinder I use with my Wolverine Jig. Thanks
Keith Barkhau
03-31-2006, 2:56 PM
Hoa,

Actually I did initially keep the white one, but replaced the gray one with a pink aluminum oxide wheel because I found even at the slow speed my tools were heating up too quickly on the coarse gray wheel (probably was also due to my lack of skill). Currently I have a pink 120 and a felt wheel set up on mine. Also I should note I use it primarily for turning tools and occasionally putting a hollow grind on my chisels (usually only once).
Brad Townsend
03-31-2006, 4:03 PM
http://woodcraft.com/images/Family/web4605.jpg
If this is the one in question, disregard my previous post. I assumed it was the ugly green one.
Charlie Kocourek
03-31-2006, 4:13 PM
A 1" belt sander is supposed to be great for carving tools. Lee Valley even sells special 1" belts for sharpening tools, but you really want the belt to turn away from the tool, which is backwards for most belt sanders. I do not know how well (or safe) it would be to use a regular belt sander. It might be just great!
Mark Pruitt
03-31-2006, 7:42 PM
A 1" belt sander is supposed to be great for carving tools. Lee Valley even sells special 1" belts for sharpening tools, but you really want the belt to turn away from the tool, which is backwards for most belt sanders. I do not know how well (or safe) it would be to use a regular belt sander. It might be just great!

Charlie,

That's kinda what I was thinking--that the belt should travel away from the tool; still, I recall seeing someone use one of the 1" belt sanders to sharpen lathe chisels. It was one of the high profile guys, maybe Scott Phillips on one of his shows.

Mark
John Strait
03-31-2006, 8:06 PM
Charlie,

That's kinda what I was thinking--that the belt should travel away from the tool; still, I recall seeing someone use one of the 1" belt sanders to sharpen lathe chisels. It was one of the high profile guys, maybe Scott Phillips on one of his shows.

Mark

I watched the new Woodworking channel on my pc one night this week. The dude (don't recall his name) on there was demonstrating lathe tool sharpening with the 1" belt sander and then on a slow speed grinder with a wolverine jig. He got the same results with both.

john
Bruce Wrenn
03-31-2006, 11:51 PM
An eight inch grinder (1725 RPM) turns at 2/3 the speed of a standard 6"- 3450 RPM grinder, when measured at outer edge of wheel. Personally, I would go to Big Lots and buy one of their $19.99- 3450 RPM grinders and replace the wheels with some more friable (soft) wheels. I like the Big Lots version as it has CI end bells. Add a better tool rest. See Ian Irby's book - "Sharpening With Water Stones" for a really good tool rest made from ordinary round steel stock. Keep your wheels sharp by regularly dressing them. Take a break, and let tool rest during grinding process.