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Thread: advice purchase CBN wheel

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    advice purchase CBN wheel

    I have a Creusen slow speed grinder (1700 rpm) The grinder currently has 2 aluminium oxide wheels 60 and 100 grit

    I plan to purchase a CBN wheel diameter 150mm width 40 mm

    My initial thoughts were to purchase a 180 grit wheel

    Can members please advice if this would be the best choice

    additionally which specific wheel to purchase

    regards Brian
    Last edited by Brian Deakin; 07-30-2018 at 6:34 PM.

  2. #2
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    It depends. I had a 180 CBN for last 5 years or so and really liked it. It's removes metal fast enough you can reshape an edge pretty quickly but it's fine enough to give a really good cutting edge. I have switched to a 350 grit now and do like it better for sharpening but it's to slow to completely reshape a tool. It does remove metal fast enough to change the edge a fair amount. If you have a course wheel to really shape tools then I would consider either the 180 or 350. I may go finer one of these days but only if I purchase a course wheel for reshaping.

  3. #3
    From the brand of your grinder I assume you are in the U.K. So, I guess it depends on availability not knowing the sourcing you have. I have had a 180 for years and earlier this year decided to upgrade grinders and acquire another CBN wheel so I would have two balanced wheels on the new grinder. Ken Rizza suggested his 600 grit Mega wheel and I love it. The 180 is there to regrind and the 600 produces a very polished edge. However, if I was going to have only one it would be the 180.

    Left click my name for homepage link.

  4. #4
    I have had good luck with this 180 grit wheel http://www.thewoodturningstore.com/h...1x-5-180-grit/. It's a huge upgrade from the white aluminum oxide wheels I had been using, cuts fast and cool and leaves a fine burr, runs smooth and needs no dressing. I am guessing a finer wheel would still cut fast enough for normal resharpening and give a finer edge.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Deakin View Post
    Can members please advice if this would be the best choice
    Best choice for what?

    I find the 180 or 220 fine for scrapers and bowl gouges for green wood.
    I prefer a 600 grit for skew chisels and negative rake scrapers.
    I use a 1200 grit for my spindle gouges. I also have a 1000 grit but it's too coarse for me for the spindle gouges.

    I mostly turn dry wood, many hard exotics, more smaller things than larger.

    JKJ

  6. #6
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    I have the 80 and 180 from Hurricane Turning Tools. Complete game changer compared to the white wheels.
    Don

  7. #7
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    Thank you to everyone for your posts

    Yes I do live in the UK

    I will be travelling to Toronto and New York in September for a family holiday

    At this moment in time I am trying to decide whether to make a purchase in the Uk or USA

    I have contacted a UK industrial supplier They are able to make a custom wheel with a 15mm bore for my Crusen grinder

    Unfortunately the price is prohibitive $500 (150mm X 40mm 180 grit)

    Interestingly the custom wheel could have 2 different thicknesses of CBN coating 3mm or 6mm The price quoted was for 6mm

    Can anyone please comment on the thickness of the CBN coating on wheels available in the USA

    regards Brian

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Deakin View Post
    Interestingly the custom wheel could have 2 different thicknesses of CBN coating 3mm or 6mm The price quoted was for 6mm
    Can anyone please comment on the thickness of the CBN coating on wheels available in the USA
    Although I have several specialized industrial diamond wheels with the diamond particles in a matrix compound perhaps 2-3mm thick, all the CBN wheels I've seen for woodturners were not made like that. Instead, they have a thin layer of CBN on the wheel surface bonded to the metal wheel, I believe, by electroplating a thin layer of nickel. (Diamond and CBN hones and flat plates are also made by electroplating.)

    The thick and softer matrix compound with diamond embedded is worn away in use and when gone the wheel is discarded. (This type of wheel was used for grinding ceramic - I have no idea how it would work on lathe tools.) For an electroplated wheel all that wears away are the very tips of the CBN grains. Until then the wheel is overly aggressive but after the initial "break in" period it settles down and sharpens consistently for years.

    This article by Reed Grey describes some reasons for using electroplated wheels.
    http://www.robohippy.net/featured-article/

    The $500 price you were quoted was probably for an industrial wheel. You can check US prices for electroplated wheels for woodturners here:
    Steel: http://d-waytools.com/cbn-grinding-wheels
    Aluminum (mostly): https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/cbn-wheels
    You can call either of these with questions on availability of wheels with the hole size you need.

    BTW, many people buy wheels with radiused edges. I far prefer wheels with square edges and some grit down the side of the wheel.

    JKJ
    Last edited by John K Jordan; 08-01-2018 at 7:22 PM.

  9. #9
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    John
    Thank you for post
    The $500 price tag is probably representative of a fair price for an industrial wheel in the Uk

    The wheels are made in the Black country approximately 2 miles away from where I was born

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Country

    regards Brian

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Deakin View Post
    The wheels are made in the Black country approximately 2 miles away from where I was born
    That's a place area in the UK I haven't visited or even drove through. (We sometimes visit points in the UK either as a starting or ending to points further east in Europe. Do you live elsewhere now?

    JKJ

  11. #11
    The electroplated wheels are better than the ones where a matrix with the CBN in is is bonded to a hub. Mostly because the matrix wears down and it will need to be 'dressed', which you generally can not do at home. No idea which wheels are available in the UK. Optigrind used to be available in Europe, but the owner passed away, and Cindy Drozda tool over. The 1 1;2 inch wide wheels are preferable too. Some are bored to specific sizes, most common is 5/8 inch. They can be bored bigger and come with an insert to match your specific grinder. Glenn Lucas commented that he 'finds good homes for his CBN wheels after about 1 year of use'. No idea where he gets his. I think his preference is for the new diamond wheels that Tormek is coming out with, the coarse grit is 600 which is fine for finish cuts, but not so good for heavy roughing.

    robo hippy

  12. #12
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    I live in Quorn Leicestershire

    Interesting things about the area

    King Richard 111 died and is buried in Leicestershire

    Charnley forest stone originates about 10 miles from Quorn

    David Stanley auctions are located in Coalville about 10 miles from Quorn

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Reed Gray View Post
    The electroplated wheels are better than the ones where a matrix with the CBN in is is bonded to a hub. Mostly because the matrix wears down and it will need to be 'dressed', which you generally can not do at home. No idea which wheels are available in the UK. Optigrind used to be available in Europe, but the owner passed away, and Cindy Drozda tool over. The 1 1;2 inch wide wheels are preferable too. Some are bored to specific sizes, most common is 5/8 inch. They can be bored bigger and come with an insert to match your specific grinder. Glenn Lucas commented that he 'finds good homes for his CBN wheels after about 1 year of use'. No idea where he gets his. I think his preference is for the new diamond wheels that Tormek is coming out with, the coarse grit is 600 which is fine for finish cuts, but not so good for heavy roughing.

    robo hippy
    I think you addressed my concern about the new nylon CBN wheel from Woodturning Wonders which I assume would have to be the matrix type.
    Last edited by Bill Boehme; 08-02-2018 at 8:19 PM.
    Bill

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Boehme View Post
    I think you addressed my concern about the new nylon CBN wheel from Woodturning Wonders which I assume would have to be the matrix type.
    Rizza's web site says the new Spartan wheels have the CBN electroplated onto steel with an aluminum center. He doesn't specifically describe the nylon wheels but a quick call would answer the question.

  15. #15
    The matrix type were the first ones I had. Woodcraft had a similar one made with diamond in the matrix. About 3/16 of matrix bonded to an aluminum hub. That one did not sell for them, and I had mine for several years before Dave Schweitzer came out with his, which as near as I could tell were the first on the market...I had problems with them loading up and wearing. I would think an oil bath would work to help keep the build up from happening. Cindy Drozda had a video up where she positioned a cheap paint brush on the wheel to keep it wet. She has since taken that one down.

    robo hippy

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