Possible can of worms

[Garno]

I am possibly opening a can of worms here but that honestly is not my intention.

Being new to woodturning my wonderful other half or formally known as Mrs G got me the book Woodturning: A Foundation Course (With DVD): Amazon.co.uk: Keith Rowley: 9781784940638: Books I am still reading through it and have noticed a common theme running through it, that is to buy the best you can afford (Chuck, chisels, etc etc) and to keep your chisels both clean and sharp. He basically says the difference between a semi blunt and a sharp chisel are like chalk and cheese, he does actually say that many a new comer has been put off turning due to the chisels not being sharp enough.

3 days ago both myself and Mrs G were given £200 each a total of £400 and we decided to get a sharpener that would not ruin the HSS chisels I have (I have it in my head that it is easy to overheat the ends of chisels). I have now started looking at the ProEdge machines but really do not know just what it is I should be looking for, I am getting very confused over what jigs I would need, for the money I would want the machine to sharpen kitchen knives, normal chisels, drill bits (not that I ever drill things) and most importantly all of the chisels for turning. So far I have come up with this Robert Sorby PED01A ProEdge Deluxe System PED01A – Poolewood

After my feeble woodwork attempts I know I cannot sharpen so much as a pencil by hand, it got to the stage where I would hit the chisels harder with my mallet to compensate for the bluntness, so I need a machine and jigs to take care of that sort of thing. Am I going about all this the wrong way and should save our money and go for something cheap? or should I fire the bullet and go for it? I will be buying at the beginning of January so in the meantime I will put up a wanted request to see if any of the forum members have one laying around.

Thank you for reading this all the way through
Gary

 

[Steliz]

I've heard a lot of positive feedback for the Pro edge but I've never used one. When I started I got a Tormek and I'm very happy with the results I get on it.

 

[Tris]

My understanding is that you'd be hard pushed to overheat hss to the point that you'd damage it. I've used a record 8" grinder with a Axminster woodturner sharpening system (cheaper versions on eBay now) for a many years on hss tools. I sharpened a bowl gouge this afternoon and it took less than a minute to be back at the lathe.
At the moment that set up would cost no more than £150
Hth
Tris

 

[marcros]

I have the proedge, but I have only used it for turning tools, the odd plane blade and bench chisels. Never for kitchen knives so I can't comment on the jigs for that. I have never sharpened a drill bit in my life so no comment there either.

I have had mine for several years now and I think that I bought the deluxe set. It comes with a v block which is used for the roughing gouge, and I use the side of it for bench chisels or anything flat needing a 90 degree end. You can get a special extra for this but I didn't. You also get a piece for doing spindle and bowl gouges. You can buy an extra for doing special grinds, I haven't bought that piece. That will get you going and will cover the tools that you have.

I bought a short skew (blade 4" long, badged as "micro" I think) from somewhere and the table on the proedge interfered with the ferrule. I did buy the shorter table to help with sharpening that. I don't think it was that expensive but I would probably make something now instead. I also bought the jig that converts angles to extensions for the bowl gouge jig. This is essential and should be included. It was unnecessarily made from sheet metal, and I can give you the measurements to make one yourself. You could either draw it on paper and use that, or glue/pin some stops on a piece of wood and use that. Either way a few mins work.

Edit: you also get a skew jig which I have used but I prefer an unskewed skew so tend not to. For normal skews it is good, oval section is a bit trickier but it works. In my opinion, you will need the 3 jigs from the deluxe package, you will struggle without them.

 

[marcros]

The proedge has no learning curve. You could sharpen a turning tool on it correctly from the first use. If I was buying again now, it would be on the short list. A CBN wheel on a grinder with the appropriate jigs also would be. I am not sure which side the seesaw would fall on.

 

[Inspector]

Over heating modern HSS tools is almost impossible. HSS was created for the machining industry before carbide came along and can hold its edge even when dull red hot. So even if you blue the edge you have not ruined it just don't plunge it in cold water to cool it. That will create microscopic fractures in the metal and the edge will dull more quickly. Set it aside and let it air cool and it will be fine. If you have old carbon steel tools (30+ years old or more) what I said does not apply.

I have always used bench grinders so that is what I would suggest. A "low speed", 1400rpm in the voltage hertz you use but a 2800rpm would be fine. A 1 hp would allow you to upgrade down the road to the heavier CBN wheels if and when you are ready. 8" diameter 1" or more wide, with a coarse wheel of 60 to 80 grit and a fine wheel of 120 grit, both aluminium oxide, usually white. For the jig a Oneway Wolverine or equivalent. Get a diamond wheel dresser to keep new grit exposed (sharp so it cuts cool and dress it when areas reflect light looking smooth). I have never use the ProEdge or Tormek so can't comment on whether they are as good or better or not.

Pete

 

[Tris]

I like the look of the pro edge, the jigs seem sensible and the fact that the sharpening surface is flat could be useful for knives etc. At the time I was looking I couldn't justify the cost.

 

[Sheptonphil]

I ditched the wet slow grinder in favour of the Proedge. I use it for all my turning tools and it will reshape, sharpen and hone to a superb edge just by changing the grade of belt.

Sorby sell a turners package that comes with the guides and jigs you will use to easily and repeatedly sharpen all gouges, skews, and chisels.

I also use it for plane irons and chisels and also as a general grinder where the wheeled grinder is just too fierce.

I would never go back to either a wet or dry wheel sharpening system.

The proedge is just a superb system, with one flaw in the design, the switch is a real pain to turn on and off. A standard two button switch would gave been so much nicer. I did look recently at the Axminster version, but I believe it works out a lot more expensive.

 

[flh801978]

Gary
If you wish and you ok with the social distance come and have a look at my proedge machine bring your blunt knifes and chisels and I’ll show you how it works ..i think i have all the jigs
Ian s7

 

[TRITON]

Definitely a way to go when it comes to sharpening to a fine edge, Axminster tools do something similar, and no doubt a few more. But I always look at the cost of the accessories, as with some it can add up to a considerable amount.

 

[sneggysteve]

+1 for the pro edge

 

[Garno]

Gary
If you wish and you ok with the social distance come and have a look at my proedge machine bring your blunt knifes and chisels and I’ll show you how it works ..i think i have all the jigs
Ian s7

PM sent Ian

 

[chunkymonkey]

Hi Gary!
I started woodturning A few months ago!
I bought a nova lathe with belt change for speed ,so no infinite speed control, I bought various chisels with the lathe.
I bought a sharpening jig and thought I had now created sharp chisels, as I wanted to turn big stuff ,with no experience I had mighty chunks of wood flying off the lathe and heading across the workshop!
I was getting catches because of lack of experience but mostly through blunt tools,I then bought an axminster wetstone with all the gigs similar in style to the Tormek unit .
Although this was a lovely bit of kit it was a slow process to get my tools sharp, I was then pointed to the Stuart Batty 40/40 grind videos and having watched them a number of times ,I decided to follow his ideas !
I have now sold my wetstone grinder and have bought a True-Grind CBN wheel for my bench grinder , Wow! what a revolution it is, I now have sharp tools that cut wood like butter and I need no jigs for my bowl gouges .
I now have a new evolution chuck ,Colossus jaws and nothing is flying around the workshop" at the moment "
I must say that Stuarts ideas have set me on a path where I can enjoy my turning ,I will never make a good turner but I can now enjoy having a go at it and turning some nice extremely large items ,which is what I wanted .

 

[karlpolly10]

1 for the pro edge, its simple to use

 

[Lons]

+1 for the Pro-edge, sharpening takes seconds , simple and great results, you can buy cheaper belts than originals as well. The motor can get in the way on some of the long tools and I have the end guard permanently removed so belt change is probably 20 seconds

 

[TFrench]

I've got a pro edge, love it. Coarse belt put my bench ginder into semi retirement and the trizact belts get you to very sharp on things like planes and chisels.

 

[planesleuth]

I have a Robert Sorby pro edge and I too would never go back to wet grindstones. Razor sharp very time and so quick. You do need to purchase the complete range of belts though especially the three trizac belts. Then finish the edge with leather strop and paste.

 

[clogs]

Garno
in the same boat...was looking at a new Tormek then the pro edge was metioned....both totally over priced....
and wont even look at AX stuff anymore.....
so I'll just buid my own with a vari speed motor control.....
Luckily I have the gear to do it and I will enjoy the fun in doing so....
If the pro edge was about 1/2 the price (and thats enough) as it should be I would buy it in a heat beat.....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You do need to purchase the complete range of belts though especially the three trizac belts. Then finish the edge with leather strop and paste.

I suspect you might be alone in that.

 

[Mick p]

I am possibly opening a can of worms here but that honestly is not my intention.

Being new to woodturning my wonderful other half or formally known as Mrs G got me the book Woodturning: A Foundation Course (With DVD): Amazon.co.uk: Keith Rowley: 9781784940638: Books I am still reading through it and have noticed a common theme running through it, that is to buy the best you can afford (Chuck, chisels, etc etc) and to keep your chisels both clean and sharp. He basically says the difference between a semi blunt and a sharp chisel are like chalk and cheese, he does actually say that many a new comer has been put off turning due to the chisels not being sharp enough.

3 days ago both myself and Mrs G were given £200 each a total of £400 and we decided to get a sharpener that would not ruin the HSS chisels I have (I have it in my head that it is easy to overheat the ends of chisels). I have now started looking at the ProEdge machines but really do not know just what it is I should be looking for, I am getting very confused over what jigs I would need, for the money I would want the machine to sharpen kitchen knives, normal chisels, drill bits (not that I ever drill things) and most importantly all of the chisels for turning. So far I have come up with this Robert Sorby PED01A ProEdge Deluxe System PED01A – Poolewood

After my feeble woodwork attempts I know I cannot sharpen so much as a pencil by hand, it got to the stage where I would hit the chisels harder with my mallet to compensate for the bluntness, so I need a machine and jigs to take care of that sort of thing. Am I going about all this the wrong way and should save our money and go for something cheap? or should I fire the bullet and go for it? I will be buying at the beginning of January so in the meantime I will put up a wanted request to see if any of the forum members have one laying around.

Thank you for reading this all the way through
Gary

In the 8 the years I’ve been turning I’ve spent far too much money on sharpening systems and jigs i now have the pro edge it’s the best money I’ve ever spent on my wood turning journey the repeatability cannot be beaten and done so quickly especially the not having to faff about with the water on the over priced tormek my only regret is didn’t buy the pro edge in the first place a saved a small fortune
just my opinion