What size grinder for turning tools 6" or 8"

[Chris Pasko]

I am ready to buy a grinder/wolverine jig and think i need an 8" grinder, but just want to make sure. Is there anything else I should pic up to aid me in sharpening turning tools, ellsworth grinding jig perhaps?

Thanks!

[Jim Becker]

I recommend an 8" grinder...you get less of a hollow bevel. A 1725 RPM unit with white, blue or pink AO wheels would be my choice. Woodcraft has a nice unit with the white wheels available for just under a hundred dollars.

[Terry Hatfield]

I recommend an 8" grinder...you get less of a hollow bevel. A 1725 RPM unit with white, blue or pink AO wheels would be my choice. Woodcraft has a nice unit with the white wheels available for just under a hundred dollars.


Agree with Jim....

I bought the Woodcraft 8" slow speed ginder a few months ago. I don't have a grind jig yet, but I gotta get one soon. The grinder is very smooth. The wheels are nice and you certainly can't beat the price.

Terry

[Kent Cori]

I have a 6" VS Delta that I like but if I had to do it all over again I would get either the 8" VS Delta (wasn't available when I bought mine) or the 8" Woodcraft that Jim noted.

[John Miliunas]

Chris, 'nuther vote for the 8" Woodcraft w/Wolverine jig. "Visits" to the grinder while turning are quite painless now! :cool:

[Dale Thompson]

Chris,
I would go with the 8" grinder. I also like the Delta VS unit. Just remember that the name is somewhat misleading. The VS STARTS at 1725 RPM and goes to 3450 RPM. It's still a nice grinder and I would buy it again!!. The 8" diameter gives you less of a concave radius which allows you to pick up your bevel easier on a shaving or other cut requiring a degree of accuracy. Some folks even use a belt sander to put a CONCAVE shape on their tools. That makes bevel "pickup" even easier but makes sharpening, in my opinion, somewhat more difficult and time consuming.

The Wolverine jig is GREAT for the "fingernail" grinding of your gouges. In my opinion, the skew grinding jig is a waste of money. They are easy to sharpen on the flat jig which comes with the Wolverine. I grind my skews with a radius on the bevel (the Raffan thing). That too is very easy with the flat jig on the Wolverine. :)

Good Luck with your purchase and I hope that this helps. Sooner or later, I WILL help SOMEONE!! ;)

Dale T.

[Chris Pasko]

Thanks guys, the 8"er it is. I was checking out that woodcraft grinder, but I have heard that some guys have had excessive vibration with that unit. The here that have it do you like it? It seems that you usually get what you pay for, should I get this instead of a baldor or delta?

[Wolf Kiessling]

[
I agree with everyone, get the 8" for the bevel reason. When I first got my lathe, I got an 8" grinder from an aquaintance on loan and kept it for about a year. When I had to return it, I was given a 6" grinder by another aquaintance. I'm not about to turn down a free Dayton 6" grinder so I am happily using it but if I would have had to buy one, would have gone with the 8".

[Terry Hatfield]

Thanks guys, the 8"er it is. I was checking out that woodcraft grinder, but I have heard that some guys have had excessive vibration with that unit. The here that have it do you like it? It seems that you usually get what you pay for, should I get this instead of a baldor or delta?

Chris,

My WC 8" is very smooth. No hint of any vibration here, BUT if you buy one and it's a piece of crap, dont blame me. :D

Terry

[Steven Wilson]

Thanks guys, the 8"er it is. I was checking out that woodcraft grinder, but I have heard that some guys have had excessive vibration with that unit. The here that have it do you like it? It seems that you usually get what you pay for, should I get this instead of a baldor or delta?

I'm on my third Woodcraft 8"; the motor died on the first one, two much vibration on the second one, and the third is OK. As for slow or fast speed, it doesn't really mater much as long as you have the correct wheels. For size, I wouldn't use a 6" grinder, the Baldor 7" grinder would be the minimum. A Baldor 8", high speed grider would be my choice for an ultimate grinder setup but the Woodcraft is serviceable and the price is right.

[Ken Salisbury]

I have the 8" Delta VS and I love it. I removed the 30 grit black wheel, put the provided (80 grit?) white wheel on the left side and bought a 120 grit white wheel for the right side. With the Wolverine/Vari Grind jigs it is the ultimate lathe tool grinding set-up. -- Just my 2¢ worth.

[Chris Pasko]

Thanks Ken and fellows for the help, I will be pickin an 8"er up, now to decide on the brand!

[Arvin Brown]

I have an 8" Woodcraft grinder also that maybe about 6-8 months old. It has developed a bad vibration. Think it's a bad motor or what???

[Carl Eyman]

I just got my Wolverine set up this weekend with the Woodcraft 8". Have sharpened i turning gouge and it looks good. No Vibration, But I was concerned in reading Wolverine's instructions! They recommend a 3450 rpm grinder. Flat out say the surface speet at 1750 is too slow. I don't know why they say that. Does anyone? The tool stayed cool; so that was good. I'm going to see how it cuts today. The rough bevel as contrasted to a honed and polished one bothers me, but I'll see.

[Scott Coffelt]

Question for those with the WC model and the Wolverine, how do you mount the Wolverine? From what I have see it is designed to work with vertical, not horizontal.

I am in the market for a slow grind and was also looking at the WC unit. No budget for the big boy.

[Stan Thigpen]

If you remove both wheels and still have a vibration, the problem is the grinder. If not, one or both of the wheels are out of balance. By the way, do you dress your wheels to keep them true?

[Carl Eyman]

I cut a piece of wood just slightly larger (maybe 1/2" each direction) larger than the footprint of the grinder. Then I removed rubber feet. When the grinder sat on the 3/4" thick block it was the recommended center height above the table (6 1/4 to 6 1/2" if I remember) I then mounted the machine to the block with carriage bolts and screwed the block to a piece of 3/4" plywood maybe 14" x 16". The bases get screwed to this with the channels that accept the attacments centered under the grinding wheels.