Proedge also available in white!

[SVB]

Firstly, fair play to the family Styles for leading from the front (and getting through the whole thing without saying proedge!). Really nice quality video and great infomercial to help a mainly mailorder business.

Axminster Pro-Edge

What do pro-edge owners think re pros (sorry) and cons - is variable speed / fwd + Rev needed or beneficial in the ‘real world’ not just because you can.

What about the shoe shine attachment on the side?

I like the idea about being able to use ‘standard’ jigs so all the tormek / jet / etc etc jigs will carry across.

Thoughts?

 

[CHJ]

Looks like a considerable amount of time was taken up by the developers finding solutions to the little niggles that come with the Sorby proedge, the benefits of re-engineering as opposed to original innovation.
1. Simple things such as moving the switch block out of the way of the tool swing arc.
2. Adjusting the angles and setting distances with simpler clamping/unclamping and adjusting.
3. Improved quality and finesse of construction.
4. Worthwhile calibration/adjustment graduations/markings (made possible by 3.)
5. Superior tool holding jigs.
6. Superior auxiliary mop fixing method.
7. Belt direction and variable speed.
8. Dust extraction port
9. Far more accessories for those that are in the 'must have' camp.

The order as above being the improvements/priority as far as I'm concerned, all of course are a price premium.

If I was to have unlimited funds to choose for setting up a workshop then the variable speed version would be a no-brainer.
If looking to get a basic single speed linisheer for tool sharpening then that version would still justify any price premium over the proedge I have in my opinion.

 

[Sean Hellman]

Shame Sorby has not taken heed and put a speed control on the pro edge. I love the pro edge, British made and well solid. Again British tool companies not keeping up with the times and listening to what customers want. Also poo pooed when I suggested other jigs. I have a large 50 x 2000mm linisher with speed control, which goes down to 1 meter per second. I cannot live without it. Try using an Trizact A6 3000grit belt on a pro edge and you blue your tools within seconds. Without speed control what is the point. If you grind any amount of hardened metal to a sharp edge, only go for the variable speed one, only an extra £60. If I had the choice all those years ago the Axminster one would have won hands down.

 

[Honest John]

Strangely I’ve just watched Axminster video of this, this evening whilst waiting for a delivery. I imagine there must be occasions when a slower speed might be an advantage, but to be honest I have not found any 5hus far. My Proedge is mainly used for my turning tools, a task at which I find it excels. I get beautiful bevels with a very sharp edge with great ease, and I have noticed that because of simplicity and speed of use I sharpen more frequently rather than cop out and put up with a slightly less than perfect edge. With the exception of the switch box motor unit getting a bit in the way of some tools, I have not found anything I particularly disliked, to out weigh the things I did like. Like British manufacture for a nstance. Having watched the video, I was left thinking that it was a nice machine, probably even more expensive than the proedge and filled with all sorts of gismos and facilities that I didn’t know I needed until they told me that I did. Just my two pennorth. I won’t be buying one, but I would like to see one in the flesh perhaps at Harrogate.

 

[E-wan]

Do you think I would be likely to see one of these in the flesh at the Harrogate Show and the pro Edge for comparison?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[E-wan]

Just telephone axminster and apparently they are doing demonstrations of this at the harrogate show

However the price appears a little deceptive if you look on page 240 of the Axminster catalogue. In addition to spending £380 on the sharpening set up you need to spend an additional £50 on their compound jig and then another £25 on a sharpening table which fits onto the compound Jig. £455!



Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[SVB]

However the price appears a little deceptive if

Yes, I noticed they’ve used the BMW principle, “Oh, you want wheels and seats with that Sir, well that will be.........”

S

 

[Simon_M]

I have the original Robert Sorby ProEdge and also some some Axminster products. The Robert Sorby ProEdge Deluxe - as I bought it with some "free" but essential items are sufficient for all my woodturning sharpening needs...

As a strictly amateur woodturner, I can create perfect "professional" profiles using 60 grit and then sharpen and resharpen with 120 grit, ridiculously easily. I've yet to need to replace one of the sanding loops and I have some of the ceramic ones available when that's required. The 60 grit was only needed to get my tools in order (once) and the sanding loops create a perfectly flat profile (that's curved when using a grinding wheel) - one time operation to fix.

I did look at the Axminster equivalent after I had made my purchase. There is a speed control on one version - I've not found a need for this as the Robert Sorby just works as supplied. The cynic in me thinks that Axminster want the extra cash for a feature that's not really required (costs little) but you will probably spring for (but never use) - perhaps they set the speed of the cheaper version just a little too fast to create a demand for the dearer one that doesn't exist?

The two "free" essentials I have are the ProSet gauge, and the long grind jig, neither of which I could do without. It would be a little too "cheap" to make them yourself (of course).

The main essentials are however in the "deluxe" box - which is what a woodturner needs (requires).

The Axminster product doesn't include the essentials and so is really quite an expensive copy e.g. rip-off of a quite simply brilliant piece of kit. In my mind you can't put a price on having a sharp tool, that's easily resharpened on demand in seconds - it puts a smile on my face every time I use it - even the ProSet works well.

NB the two bolts holding the arm can be setup with the back bolt "tight" to prevent rocking and the front bolt "tight" with the wrench to set the angle - that's because the arm will (obviously) be covering the cover at some point. I put the arm "up" for most tools and "down" for skews etc. No problem with clearances and perfectly adjustable now with just one twist of the wrench (wrist).

I did phone Robert Sorby to ask about adjustments. 20 minute phone call with the guy who builds them and knows the machine inside out. Interesting facts: the belt swings on a 1 degree cam that causes the belt to track in and out. Once adjusted, it can cope with different belt lengths (variabilities) without adjustment. Also, Robert Sorby use an industrial version of the same product to sharpen their tools in the factory. So results at home match the factory.

My only "gripe" with the Robert Sorby, is the instructions and base (front) chart do not list how far out each tool should be set to achieve a factory profile - for this you need the ProSet. It wouldn't hurt for them to list this in the back of the instruction manual.

 

[woodbloke66]

I was tempted (briefly it has to be said) to get rid of my Tormek and buy one of these things; but having fitted a coarse diamond wheel to the T7 machine it overcomes all the faults that seemed to plague it and which made life a misery; continually re-truing (a thing of the past) glazing over at the drop of a hat (no more) and very slow steel removal with PMV-11 and A2 steel...no longer as the diamond wheel chews off any steel like it's going out of fashion - Rob