Cheap 6 inch CBN wheel

[point5clue]

Anyone tried the £30-35 six inch CBN wheels available on amazon ? I am a hopeless sharpener and often end up making a bevel worse rather than better even with a jig. I saw a video recently in praise of a hollow grind then putting the bevel 'flat' against the stone. The idea is that with the hollow grind you just sharpen the very edge plus a similar amount at the top of the bevel.

Seems like it might be worth a punt at these prices, but names like "MAHAL CBN Grinding Wheel, 6Inch Dia x 1Inch Wide, with 1/2Inch Arbor, Diamond Grinding Wheel for Sharpening HSS, 80 Grit" it might not even be CBN (certainly not diamond!).

Anyway - just thought I'd see if anyone has already taken the plunge?

 

[Sideways]

I'm not convinced that a hollow grind will be a magic bullet to solve your sharpening problems.
In any case, you can make a hollow grind with any wheel, you don't need a CBN one to do it.

CBN is good, in fact better than diamond, for sharpening hardened (HSS) steel but not softer steels.
80 grit CBN is a coarse wheel suited to substantial reshaping of blades / edges.
The price sounds too good to be true (as CBN wheels sell for closer to £100 each) so it probably is.

 

[Pabs]

If I were you I'd try to learn how to sharpen using bench stones with or without a guide as appropriate. It's a really useful skill and muscle memory will be good for woodwork (as I am finding). Using a guide makes it pretty easy but worth reading up on
-bevels primary and secondary (single and double too)
-grinds Pro and cons
- concept of apexing and edge
- grit progressions

You are prob already aware that using a grinder to sharpen has a good chance of ruining any heat treatment T the part that matters most and is the most susceptible - the edge.

Also anything for that price is unlikely going to be truly flat on the side (or truly round possibly!) Grit may be unpredictable with grit uniformity as well. Might also wear quickly.

If you want to mechanise the sharpening then maybe look at tormek or the cheaper alternatives. The point with these is they rotate slower, are generally more precise, and are cooled.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The OP is about turning tools so much of that is irrelevant.

 

[Sideways]

The OP is about turning tools

But it doesn't say so ...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes. I presumed. A fair point.

 

[point5clue]

Yes, I would love to be able to develop the skills and muscle memory to sharpen purely with stones, but I’ve come to realise that I’m never going to be able to spare enough time consistently to improve. The limited time I can spare I want to spend more of it using my plane and chisels. In the end I often reach for power tool to just get something done.

Similar (though stretching the analogy a bit) to using hard point saws.

I might have another think about the low end Tormek clones.

 

[Pabs]

at the end of the day it's about doing what you actually want/like with your time - and whatever gets you doing that the easiest!