Sorby Pro-edge belts

[marcros]

I am going to order some proedge belts from www.http://bndabrasives.co.uk/ which are custome made to the size.

The only minor downside is that they need a minimum of 12 belts per grit.

Does anybody want to split a delivery- I was planning to get some 120 grit ceramic and 240 grit zirconium. PM if interested- this is not an official group buy or anything like that.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Mark, I strongly recommend you get a few 60 grit ceramics too. When a tool goes horribly out of wack, or you buy 2nd hand from a show, or you're given a tool or you just want to experiment with a different grind....those 60 grits remove steel really fast and come in very handy.

So, just to have a shaping capability is very very useful. What you've specified is really for sharpening.

 

[marcros]

a 60G AO comes with the machine. I will start with that, although I hear what you are saying. I may just buy a ceramic as a one off, because I think it would be rare that I need to do much shaping, certainly initially. I dont want endless stock of belts!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I got my PE in about April time and had 3 x 60g belts and they're all but done now. Mind you I have shaped the bejeebas out of various tools (including for visiting turners from my club)

 

[marcros]

based on that, i think that 1 will last me about 24 months

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Yeah, I was thinking that as I typed.....I'll shutup

 

[custard]

I'm with R.O.B., 60g is by far and away my most used belts. I use the Sorby for shaping, I use other methods for honing/sharpening.

 

[nicguthrie]

Out of curiosity, what's the dimensions for the pro edge belts?

I've been getting a little annoyed at the small working area and horizontal layout of my sharpener, and considering selling it for a sorby.

Wondering if it may be possible to get a Micromesh MX belt for it from Sylmasta. They're supposed to last well and cut very well.

Nic.

 

[marcros]

780 x 50mm

There are a few threads around that discuss the belts. I have just ordered some ceramic ones, some zirconium and some finer grit trizact belts. The latter are mainly for knives and woodworking chisels (rather than turning chisels) but are said to last very well. It is worth reading the reviews about them.

From the link above they are well priced (about half the sorby price), although you need to order a few at a time. At least they dont go off!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

will you do an update after you've had a go with the Trizact Mark please? I'd be interested to hear your views on their performance as I've also been teased by the blurb about them but not used one yet. They're the really expensive (brick bond type pattern) ones are they not? Meant to last ages?

 

[marcros]

I certainly will. I will do a review on the machine as a start- from somebody using it straight out of the box, ie a beginner to sharpening with it.

On the Trizact, BND will do 12 for £3.45 + VAT each, so I have asked for the 600 (A30) and 1200 (A16) grit equivalents. They will do 6 of each grit for this price, which is less than half of the Sorby price. I need to call back and pay when the chap has finished a meeting, so I am going to ask whether they will also do some in the 3000 grit (A6).

If you want some of these, let me know- onwards postage isnt going to amount to much on these, so you would still be quids in. Depending on how these perform, at that price it may be worth looking at trying some coarse grit trizact in the future for shaping and sharpening rather than polishing and honing.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I wouldn't mind trying a couple of the the lower grit one (A30) please Mark. I can cough using paypal gift if you're setup. Maybe pm me and we can have a call as I'm wondering if you want to offload any of the lower grits too like you mentioned before. I do like the 60g ceramic and the 120 though (if you haven't yet ordered hint hint

Share the cost n all that

Cheers mate

 

[nicguthrie]

2 inch by 30.7 inches? Odd size! Shame about that, Micromesh does a 27inch and a 34in but not a compatible size with that

I'd have loved to see how the 60MX compared to say the 240 grit paper (closest match in "normal" grain size)

Nic.

EDIT: I just looked at the actual micromesh site, and they do a 30.5 inch belt that might be intended for the Pro-Edge, it's $5.46 but I don't know about shipping etc. - Just in case anyone's interested.

http://micro-surface.com/index.php?..._id=91&zenid=f8e1fe9c4934b756b3bb4cbf9c8af03c

 

[nicguthrie]

I've been thinking, since there's several pro edge users here I'll just ask before I start a thread...

I've considered upgrading to the Sorby for a while, but I like my Tormek jigs. Is there a way to use them together?

Thanks.

Nic.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I've been thinking, since there's several pro edge users here I'll just ask before I start a thread...

I've considered upgrading to the Sorby for a while, but I like my Tormek jigs. Is there a way to use them together?

Thanks.

Nic.

More than just a way....Tormek licence Robert Sorby to re-use their elliptical grinding jig since they own the patent. So Sorby ships with that particular jig when you buy the turning stuff. For the rest of it you don't need the Tormek jigs, that's one of the appealing aspects of the PE....the setup time is much quicker than the Tormek because the bevel angles are all baked into an adjustable tool rest. Some very simple tool holders slip onto that tool rest to keep things like skews, non elliptical gouges and scrapers at the right angle with minimal setup time.

It's other considerable value is in the fast removal of steel when you're either restoring or reshaping a tool, including HSS. The Tormek, though safe from overheating, moves very slowly or the water would fly off the wheel. The downside is its useless at removing steel quickly. Very good at sharpening, very bad at shaping. The PE really solves that problem and yet seems to be better at keeping the edge cooler than a regular dry grinder. It does heat up but my experience is it heats up a lot less than dry grinders.

 

[nicguthrie]

You hit the nail on the head, that's precisely why I have been getting more and more tempted to change to the Sorby.

I have the Tormek jigs, but I never did like the actual Tormek grinder much, I bought the Worksharp 3000 and it's utterly fantastic for small carving tools and bench chisels of all kinds (what I originally bought it for before taking up turning), but it's very lightweight for heavy stock removal and I struggled for ages with trying to reshape my large bowl gouge on it, I eventually gave up when it wore out it's second 60 grit "Long-Life" paper without getting anywhere near sorted on the gouge. Either the HSS in this particular case is made with Kryptonite, or the small motor and the rather tiny working area just can't cope (it's only 6" sandpaper disks, and you're aimed at a single quadrant in use)

I'd originally been put off the Pro Edge due to it's slightly fiddly belt changing in comparison, but with some experience under my belt now, I realise how seldom I'd actually change between belts for the turning tools - I don't aim for a nice surgical gleam like I do for my fine bench chisels, just a 240 grit touch-up 90% of the time, and a coarser reshape when they wear down.

Finances are not as tight as they used to be either, so I'm tempted to save and just swap. If the Pro-Edge can do justice on the finer sharpening front for my bench chisels, I may even sell the Worksharp and keep the Pro-Edge as my only grinder/sharpener.

Thanks for the advice.

Nic.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

No probs

I have tickled my bench chisels and plane irons on the PE from time to time only because its just so dam quick. They're not scary sharp but for the vast majority of paring work they're good enough. I wouldn't be doing David Charlesworth dovetails but for your run of the mill bench joinery its just fine. Marcos is going to get me some of the Trizact belts to try out and they should come closer to a polished finish. But for the turning tools.....totally unnecessary...any fine edge you think you've ground is gone in a pico second once that piece of oak has wacked it 2000 rev's per minute! So my go to belts now are the 120 or 180 for pretty much all my turning tools and its great.

The 60g goes on when I want to positively shed steel. Its a great feeling knowing you can restore even the most dinged or badly butchered tool without having to have your fingers amputated for arthritis several hours after starting!

 

[dp341]

Another vote for the PE, it took me a while to learn to use a regular grinder for some turning tools and I was never very satisfied with the results. I bought a pro edge about two weeks ago and within a day all my turning tools were reprofiled and sharpenened better than they ever had been.

 

[nicguthrie]

Sold then.

I'll save my weekly tools, wood and other man stuff "allowance" for a few months and get me one of those.

Not certain I'd sell my Worksharp, it's very, very good at what it does, just wasn't designed for re-profiling 3/4" bowl gouges!

Is there a "best" place to buy the machine and parts? If it's "all much of a muchness" as they say around here, I'll get it from Stiles and Bates just cos I like them

Nic.

 

[marcros]

poolewood was marginally cheaper, but when the cost of shipping was added on, it was only about a tenner different.