Best Sharpening System?

[mr.alan.]

Hello all, I need help in choosing the best sharpening system for my tools.
Firstly it has to be got grom Axminister ( I have lots of birthday vouchers to spend their)

My tools I will be sharpening are - the likes of plane irons , chisels AND woodturning chisels- gouges and skews etc. Having said that - some one did say forget about your woodturning chisels - and slowly build up a collection of carbide tipped tools?

I was thinking between a Tormek T8 or Axminister Ultimate edge. which is a hard decision in itself, I believe the ultimate edge is a lot faster - but Tormek i was told is a much better machine. Then thrown into the mix is a decent bench grinder with a CBN wheel - If you had around £400 - £600 to spend at Axminster which in your opinion would the the one to go for . Thanks in advance .

 

[Droogs]

Really depends on the type of tools you will be most commonly sharpening. Is it general bench tools, turning or carving and metal type ie carbon steel or PMV11 or something else? Some machines are better suited to each task than others

 

[mr.alan.]

General bench tools really- having said that - if I just need an edge putting back on them iI use my - mixture of Ceramic, Waterstones and diamond stones. Its when I need more than a edge putting on them. As for woodturning as you probably know - you have to regularly sharpen them - as you are using them . I know the CBN wheel would be faster for this - it would be great to be le to choose a good bench grinder with a fine and medium CBN wheel plus say a Tormek - but id need more funds.

 

[mr.alan.]

I’ve updated the title of this post hoping I may get more input. At the moment I am swaying towards the Tormek T8 -
But would love to hear your opinions .
Thanks

 

[Blackswanwood]

I do not do any woodturning so my experience is limited to chisels and plane irons and have the Tormek. I do not use any other grinders and use water stones or diamond stones for maintaining the edge as the mood takes me.

The Tormek can be a bit of a faff and a messy to use but for what I need it does a good job. There are other posts on here where people have done comparisons and from my recollection there is no clear cut winner.

 

[That would work]

A fine grade India stone. Look up videos on using an oilstone. Trust me you will save yourself lots of money and time. And you'll have sharp tools.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The OP is talking of machine grinding, not honing.

 

[That would work]

sharpening

 

[Phil Pascoe]

"I was thinking between a Tormek T8 or Axminister Ultimate edge. which is a hard decision in itself, I believe the ultimate edge is a lot faster - but Tormek I was told is a much better machine. Then thrown into the mix is a decent bench grinder with a CBN wheel - If you had around £400 - £600 to spend at Axminster which in your opinion would the the one to go for ."

No mention of an oilstone.

 

[nev]

sharpening

.... if I just need an edge putting back on them iI use my - mixture of Ceramic, Waterstones and diamond stones. Its when I need more than a edge putting on them. As for woodturning as you probably know - you have to regularly sharpen them - as you are using them....

 

[D_W]

hey, where's mikeG - I know more about this stuff than anyone on here

haha.

Though that's actually true (won't go into why), I don't know that it's critical that you get anything specific.

I've never seen a sharpening system that won't make something sharp, but I'd avoid gadgets above and beyond something like an eclipse style guide and some method to grind. Don't get caught up in the idea that price absolutely gets you anything, your goal at this point is to find out what part of your tools you're sharpening, how and why.

Get something reasonable to start (I've had two tormeks in the past, but have none now - unless you have lots of extra money - I do - and an absolute prohibition on dust in your shop - i don't - I wouldn't go that direction) and then come back with specific questions.

 

[nev]

axminster-ultimate-edge-t115252.html

 

[Trevanion]

I've got a Scheppach bench grinder set up with a Tormek conversion kit which is great and gives you the best of both worlds.

I haven't got time to spend sitting at a proper Tormek waiting for things to eventually get sharp.

 

[D_W]

Also, you may find something like one of the $11 hand held scopes useful as you'll think you can see all kinds of things going on, but you can't. a good loupe is fine, too, but a scope will let you once a week or so take a look at an edge in 5 minutes and see what you have and save a picture.

People send me planes to fix from time to time. They're sharpened, but I've not seen one yet that was particularly sharp - they usually have a whole bunch of work done to parts of the iron that's not going to be touching wood, and the edge is left unfinished. It's backwards.

 

[Doug B]

Unless you are going for the diamond wheel on a Tormek I’d go for the linisher if you are sharpening turning tools. The standard stone on the Tormek is quiet soft & will need regular dressing if you are grinding edges other than flat blades.
Personally I use a linisher for turning tools & general grinding & a Tormek for chisels, plane blades etc, if I could only have one it would be the linisher

 

[D_W]

Ditto on the tormek - and the reason I no longer have them. The machine is soft and slow, and I'd suspect that 95% of the wheel wear isn't from grinding, but rather from running the surface off of the wheel with the truing tool. If one is to go further and buy a CBN wheel, it goes back to whether or not there is a prohibition of dust. If not, the tormek is a tool for people to avoid in most cases. Both types of high speed tools (belt and wheel grinder) are better and likely to get far more use.

I tried waterstone wheels and the black silicone carbide wheel with a t2000 when I had one, and there really was no relief in terms of speed, and then you're left with more issues to figure out if you have any irregular shaped tools. It just creates problem and eats shop time, but they are very good at marketing them. I think a glass cabinet shelf with a honing guide and PSA paper roll is far faster at grinding if flying dust is absolutely disallowed. Costs about a 20th as much to start, too.

 

[mr.alan.]

Thank you all for all the advice and help. I am still not sure now which to go for - I may to be honest to go for a bench grinder with a CBN wheel- - I suppose for the woodturning gouges really. As I already have the Veritas Honing system with Ceramic , Diamond and water stones-. I did a long time ago have a Tormek ( very old one using your drill for the motor!) and I did use it when I needed too and I found it great- but slow . Decisions Decisions - thanks again folks.

 

[Doug B]

The only draw back of a CBN wheel is it only gives you one grit, the professional turners who use them that I’ve talked to have recommended having two CBN wheels a course & a medium grit which is why I’ve stuck with my set up as it’s rather a large investment when you add a grinder to the equation.
That said from what I’ve seen they are excellent pieces of kit.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hello all, I need help in choosing the best sharpening system for my tools.
Firstly it has to be got grom Axminister ( I have lots of birthday vouchers to spend their)

My tools I will be sharpening are - the likes of plane irons , chisels AND woodturning chisels- gouges and skews etc. Having said that - some one did say forget about your woodturning chisels - and slowly build up a collection of carbide tipped tools?

I was thinking between a Tormek T8 or Axminister Ultimate edge. which is a hard decision in itself, I believe the ultimate edge is a lot faster - but Tormek i was told is a much better machine. Then thrown into the mix is a decent bench grinder with a CBN wheel - If you had around £400 - £600 to spend at Axminster which in your opinion would the the one to go for . Thanks in advance .

You are asking about a grinding system, not a sharpening system.

Go with half-speed 8” bench grinder with a 180 grit and 600 grit CBN wheels. The first is for plane and bench chisels. The second is for lathe chisels. Use the bench grinder with the Tormek BGM-100 tool rests.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTe ... SetUp.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Lazurus]

Any waterstone system is way too slow for turning tools, I have a Creusen slow grinder with white wheels and the sorby fingernail jig, been great for the past 20 years. A few seconds then back to the lathe, fast repeatable grinds on all turning tools.