# Best grinder for tools



## ajmw89 (23 Sep 2014)

Afternoon,

I've been struggling along on a piddly bench grinder/sanding belt for sharpening my chisels. have only used the sanding belt for sharpening as the grinding wheel has been ruined by my father.

Now, I've been looking at various different systems for sharpening and wanted to know what you all use?

Cheers,

Adam


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## CHJ (23 Sep 2014)

This is all I've ever used since 2005.





The odd change to the gouge jig over the years (now compatible with the Tormek system) but the grinder and wheels are virtually original (left hand wheel changed to blue ceramic).


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## Paul Hannaby (23 Sep 2014)

If you are going for a grinder, one with the white aluminium oxide wheels would be better than the standard grey carborundum wheels. If you want to spend more you can go for the ruby or blue ceramic wheels or if you want to spend lots more! the cubic boron nitride wheels. I prefer an 8 inch wheel because it gives a slightly flatter bevel but many use 6 inch wheels so whatever works for you on wheel size.
If you get a grinder, get yourself a diamond matrix for cleaning / flattening it when it needs it (but don't ever dress a CBN wheel or there will be nothing left!).

For belt sanding, pretty much any belt sander should work with something like a 120 - 180 grit belt. If you want something with the ability to attach jigs off the shelf, perhaps the Sorby pro-edge would be an option but if you can rig up your own jigs you can save yourself some money.

I sharpen a lot of my tools (scrapers, ring tools and skews) with a diamond hone, they rarely see the grinder.


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## woodyturner (23 Sep 2014)

I now use the pro edge after 50 years of using grinders freehand and I must admit the pro edge is by far the easiest system I have ever used I wish I had done it years ago I sharpen everything on it from chisels to pen knife


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## deema (23 Sep 2014)

Hi Adam,

Poor old Dad!
Virtually any grinding wheel can be made good if it's still attached to the spindle and is not cracked. There is a lot of guff IMO about different types of wheel. In truth, apart from exotic steels, any wheel will do a decent job of sharpening. There are two key things you need to do.

1. Get a wheel dresser, the simple T shaped ones with diamond pad are the simplistic to use. Use one to re-dress the wheel and make it round and flat across. Plenty of uTube videos on how to do it. You must however start with a round, flag wheel. Dress the wheel regularly as any glazing will cause the tools to burn / over heat.
2. When sharpening tools, only very lightly touch the wheel with the tool, just use the tools weight and guide. Do not force. Quench very regularly. If your wheel is dressed and you do not press you will find that the grinding is quick, and the tool will not blue. When you get close to creating the edge, the weight of the tool may be too much and you need to quench more often. The metal becomes very thin and it's very easy to burn it. 

Practice with a 10p car boot chisel. Once you have mastered it your be set for life.

If you want the best grinder IMO buy a Crussen. It has grey Alu Oxide wheels and is simply brilliant. I bought mine of eBay from Axi as a return for £50. Best grinder I've ever had. Get the 8" wheels if possible. They often come up on eBay for resonable prices.


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## JimB (24 Sep 2014)

I'm with Deema but don't quench high speed steel, it can lead to cracks.


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## ajmw89 (24 Sep 2014)

Cheers for the advice guys. Have seen this record grinder. Anyone rate these? Seen them on a couple of specialist turners websites, so assume they must be decent? This place is local to me, so was going to pay a visit when I've next got a day off

http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/products/t ... ch-grinder


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## J-G (24 Sep 2014)

JimB":2qdgpoty said:


> I'm with Deema but don't quench high speed steel, it can lead to cracks.


That is too bold a statement to leave unchallenged!

I'll agree that there is a tendency for very thin sections of HSS tooling which are taken to bright red heat and then quenched in water to 'microcraze' but doing things sensibly - ie. following the advice given by Deema - there is little likelyhood of any damage being done.

I regularly sharpen my engineering HSS tools (which don't have the benefit of a wooden handle) and if the tool is too hot to handle I quench.


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## Phil Pascoe (24 Sep 2014)

I nearly posted that, but thought I'd wait to see what someone else said. I know you can look at at the spark colour and so on to identify the steel, but I find it easier just to quench when it's too hot for the fingers - which isn't very hot at all, so is cooling rather than quenching.


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## JimB (24 Sep 2014)

It's one of those things where I'm repeating advice not that I've experienced cracking. I just let hss air cool rather than take the risk.


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## CHJ (24 Sep 2014)

JimB":1m5cadrv said:


> It's one of those things where I'm repeating advice not that I've experienced cracking. I just let hss air cool rather than take the risk.


Better safe than sorry, although the tool shank may be hand hot, if taken rapidly from wheel to water then the fine (thin) cutting edge on most wood turning gouges may be considerably hotter.


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## keithkarl2007 (24 Sep 2014)

I've been using the Axminster slow speed grinder with CBN wheels and can't fault it. The standard wheels worked perfectly but when I got Oneway's Wolverine sharpening jig I changed to the CBN wheels so the jig itself would always be the same distance from the wheel. They never need truing. The platform and v-arm can be quickly changed from the fine to coarse wheel.


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## deema (24 Sep 2014)

The question about Record grinders, I looked at them when I bought my Crussen, they have a good write up and I have seen them recommended on numerous occasions. When I was looking c1 year ago, all I could find were machines on which the stones did not run true and wobbled from side to side. This is not something you can correct by trimming the sides of the wheel, or the stone is likely to burst - extremely dangerous- . I checked twenty machines, the entire stock of three stockists and all were the same. They were the 8" unit. It appeared there was a problem with the bearings / spindle alignment. It may have been a batch, but check before you buy. 

You want a machine where the wheels run true. Price is not always the determining factor. I have a very cheap Clark machine that is 6" that runs perfectly, I use it for sharpening up my gardening tools (yuck - hate gardening!) to avoid any soil etc contamination getting onto be 'proper' tools.


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## J-G (24 Sep 2014)

deema":18fql9wu said:


> The question about Record grinders,
> You want a machine where the wheels run true. Price is not always the determining factor.


That is a double edged sword ! - - - High price does not necessarily mean better quality,

Whilst Record Power are respected suppliers of wood-turning lathes I think it very unlikely that they manufacture the bench grinder 'in house', the market dictates that they buy in and re-brand. Looking at the description on the S.L.Hardwoods site I'm very warey - it says nothing concrete, just 'sales-speak' - 

_"The RSBG8 has a long and established reputation for robustness, solidity and long lasting performance, making it an ideal choice for the home workshop."_
_"It features adjustable spark guards and tool rests." _ 
They all do

_"The cast body reduces vibration and gives the smooth operation that is essential for successful, accurate sharpening."_
I've never seen a grinder that has anything but a cast body.

_"Rubber feet also dampen vibration whilst ensuring the grinder does not move during use."_
Bench grinders should always be screwed down and again I've never seen one that doesn't have rubber feet.

_"The build quality and reliability of this grinder is significantly higher than some of the more common and cheaper machines, which generally have lower powered motors and are substantially lighter." _
Totally subjective with no mention of the power this unit has.

_"Record Power grinders are designed to give many years of service and replacement stones are readily available should the original ones become worn out, a sure sign of the robustness of these machines."_
Of course replacement stones are available!! They are made by the likes of Norton. How does this indicate that the unit is 'robust'?

I hate sales waffle !! :evil: 

(did you guess?)


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## Phil Pascoe (24 Sep 2014)

So the machine is designed to last longer than the wheel? Remarkable!


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## Rhossydd (24 Sep 2014)

J-G":2jdv4izn said:


> Totally subjective with no mention of the power this unit has.


The smart person looks at Record's own site for the tool where you get your answers:-
http://www.recordpower.co.uk/product/8- ... CMMxBbl_d4

Then have a look at Amazon's site and see if there are many user reviews:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Record-Power-RP ... inder+8%22
Sounds like there may be some QC issues with these then.


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## J-G (24 Sep 2014)

Rhossydd":39wi9n9r said:


> J-G":39wi9n9r said:
> 
> 
> > Totally subjective with no mention of the power this unit has.
> ...


My point was simply that S.L.Hardwoods didn't bother to back up their assertion by providing proper evidence.
Had I any interest in buying a bench grinder of course I would have looked at the RP site.


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## ajmw89 (24 Oct 2014)

http://www.tool-net.co.uk/p-350779/clar ... ApoO8P8HAQ

This is the type of grinder I have at the moment. have been sharpening it freehand, but am in the process of sorting a jig out. Is there any particular place that's best to grind on the sanding belt?

I had been using near the toolrest at the bottom as that Is where I can support the tool. Would there be fine with a jig too?


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## JimB (24 Oct 2014)

I've had a CBN wheel for a week now and if I were paying myself I think it would already have covered the cost in time saved on carbon steel grinding.


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## BenB (2 Dec 2020)

Hi, I saw a comment somewhere on here that said 
"When you buy a grinder make sure it has stones suitable for sharpening HSS tools, not the standard grey stones" 
does that mean you cannot use the grey stones at all for HSS? 
I bought a £40 grinder from Toolstation last night in a hopeful mood, I don't want to get it out of the box if it's a waste of time


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## J-G (2 Dec 2020)

I use my 6" bench cheapo grinder with a grey wheel to sharpen HSS or Carbon Steel lathe tooling. I also have a 'Green' wheel on the other end for Carbide tooling but I also have another tool & cutter grinder with a diamond wheel which I use for HSS & Carbide.


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## Paul Hannaby (3 Dec 2020)

The grey carborundum wheels will sharpen your HSS tools but it's not the best type for the job. Also, the standard wheels might be coarser grit which will have a bearing on the edge you grind.


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## Blister (3 Dec 2020)

You need to decide if you want to sharpen or re shape the tool tip ( IE long grind - finger nail profile ) as a touch up to a allready established edge it may be ok but as said the cheap grey wheels will leave the tool tip scored and not that good / sharp finish , As allways you get what you pay for , Buy cheap buy twice


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## Lonsdale73 (3 Dec 2020)

ajmw89 said:


> Cheers for the advice guys. Have seen this record grinder. Anyone rate these? Seen them on a couple of specialist turners websites, so assume they must be decent? This place is local to me, so was going to pay a visit when I've next got a day off
> 
> http://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/products/t ... ch-grinder



I can't see the device you have linked to (perhaps so good they've sold out?) but I think choice of machine is secondary to the individual's ability and I say that as someone who struggles with sharpening.

Many years ago, long before I bought a lathe, even before I got 'serious' about wood-butchery, I bought a 'cheapo' bench grinder, possibly a Silverline or a B&Q special. I couldn't sharpen a thing with it. I managed to grind a chisel almost all the way down to the handle without getting an edge on it. Earlier this year, when I did buy a lathe and some second-hand tools, they were very kindly - and keenly - shaprened by someone using a grinder not much different to the one I had.

Not wanting to rely on this chaps kindness indefinitely, I bought one of the Record Power Wetstone systems. My lathe, bandsaw, dust extractor aew all RP and I've had other bits of their kit which I've subsequently regretted selling so I figured their grinder would serve me well. I wasn't aware of it at the time but it looks to be a clone of the Tormek versions. I watched a number of RP 'how-to' tutorials online and an even greater number of 'user' demos both before and after buying it and yes, I got better results from it than I had from one costing maybe 10% of the RP. Honestly, I think it wasn't so much the machine as its jigs that made the diference; certainly wasn't my ability as I'm still struggling to get consistent results.


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