Reddit mentions: The best power bench grinders

A topic like this just came up, here's what I said then.

The Hurricane Tools are pretty decent. I've never tried carbide turning tools, but I feel that regular steel tools are just as good.

I primarily use the bowl gouge set, and then for everything else, I bought the cheap Benjamin's best 8-piece set.

For almost a year I sharpened them by hand because I really was unsure of grinding. I just have a cheap 6" grinder with stock wheels, that I always feel like it would eat up, and burn the tools. I was really tempted to buy the wolverine jig, so I tried to copy it out of wood. I replicated both of these jigs (though the one on the left is all you really need) and used some old rusty flat head screw drivers to practice the bevel. It worked surprisingly well on the screw drivers, I could even turn with them.

Sharpening the actual tools worked fantastically well, they finally "cut" for the first time, heh. Again, I thought I would burn them up, but light even pressure, and multiple passes made it super simple. It really only takes a few seconds to sharpen them, it actually takes me longer to adjust my custom jig. If you're using the same tool, and jig position, it's super easy though.

Next you'll be wanting info on chucks ;)

In my opinion the most efficient way to sharpen in terms of both cost and time is to use a bench grinder to hollow grind your edge then use diamond plates to hone it. The grinder will allow you to quickly remove any damage to the edge, reset the bevel and create a hollow grind. A hollow grind means that the bevel is slightly concave. This means that when you put the bevel flat on a stone to hone it material will only be removed from the outer edges making it faster because you don't have to remove much steel. It's also easier to sharpen without a honing guide because you don't have to use a micro bevel. This image demonstrates what I mean. Here's a good video on using a bench grinder. You only need to grind the bevel once the hollow becomes too small to efficiently hone the edge or you chip or dent the edge. A good bench grinder should cost $80-120. This Rikon is a pretty good deal because comes with the right type of wheels unlike most other grinders.

After grinding I like to use diamond stones to hone the edge. I like diamond stones because they're low maintenance and a bit cheaper when compared to waterstones. I personally have Eze-Lap Coarse/Medium and Fine/Superfine doublesided plates. Some people prefer the single sided plates in which case go for the Coarse, Fine and Superfine. I went for the double sided plates because you get an extra grit for the same price and I don't mind flipping them over. A few strokes on each grit will remove the grinding marks and bring the edge up to a near mirror polish. To give the edge a final polish I use a strop and charged with green honing compound. I made the strop out of some scrap leather and a piece of scrap hardwood for free.

To go from a chipped dull edge to razor sharp takes me less than 5 minutes. I usually only grind the bevel when the hollow starts to become to small. Most of the time I can just hone the edge on the diamond stones then polish it using the stop which takes me 30-60 seconds. I've tried out systems such as waterstones, ceramic stones and the worksharp but in my opinion this is the fastest and most efficient way to sharpen. The setup cost is about $250-$270 which I think is fairly reasonable and you don't have any ongoing cost like the scarp sharp system or the worksharp. A set of quality waterstones is $200-300 alone and the power sharpeners like the tormak are quite expensive and don't really save any time.

The 1.5 is pretty small, you may be able to use a small file to achieve the best results. If you are interested in a bench grinder, any big hardware store should have this. It makes a great addition to any shop, just like having a 4" vise. https://www.amazon.com/DELTA-GR150-6-Inch-Bench-Grinder/dp/B00006K003. Thanks!

Some ideas:

Slow speed grinder for sharpening tools


Wolverine jig to aid in sharpening But he needs a grinder also.

If he only has the starter set of tools, he probably doesn't have a bowl gouge Those are the very best. I think 3/8 or 1/2 V-shaped is a good choice. He'll need to make a handle, but that's a good starter project.

A chuck is another great choice, but more expensive and we'd need to know the type of lathe to help pick it out.

I recommend starting with the Ken Onion Work Sharp with the Blade Grinding Attachement

It has a variable speed motor that you can turn down super slow, which makes it impossible to burn your blades. This setup can handle all but the most extreme repairs and can even do some basic knifemaking. It’s very small and fits on any countertop. You don’t need some huge workshop or anything like that.

Once your become proficient on junk knives, move onto nicer ones!

And once you’ve outgrown the Work Sharp, move into real belt grinders!

The Wolverine jig and Vari-Grind accessory are one option, and probably by far the most popular, but there are also:

• Cheap^[1] knockoffs^[2]
  
• Less complex "one-grind-fits-all" jigs like the Ellsworth Jig
  
• Wet grinder systems like the Tormek (and^[1] many^[2], many^[3] knockoffs^[4] with compatible jigs
  
• A few styles of sander-based systems, like the Robert Sorby Pro-Edge
  
• Some professionally produced homebrew jigs/systems that have a small market amongst fellow turners (usually found on forums)
  
• And finally there are countless DIY options of varying quality and functionality (there's a couple links in the wiki).
  
  
  
  

They have all kinds of systems. Tormek has a whole business based on a rotary setup. It is VASTLY over-rated. https://www.amazon.com/Tormek-TBT401-Sharpening-System-Hand/dp/B00OXUPRKQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1542739742&sr=8-8&keywords=tormek+t3 And incredibly SLOOOOWWWW.


The large, trued, zeroed & rigid industrial systems work very well, but are super expensive. Anything less that those are generally beaten by hand sharpening on a cardboard wheel. I have a big incentive to invest in sharpening systems, and have yet to find something that beats this system, without spending $20,000. https://www.amazon.com/Razor-Sharp-Edgemaking-System-Sharpening/dp/B015PJF99C

Depending on your budget, a Tormek is arguably the best and most efficient system out there.

I can’t afford a Tormek but my friend has one and swears by it. I got the Grizzly knockoff and they really are worth the money.


https://www.amazon.com/Tormek-Cooled-Precision-Sharpening-System/dp/B01FHLUMSQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=Tormek&qid=1574913956&sr=8-3

I used the grinder below until I bought a 2x72. I got mine a bit cheaper as it was 4 years ago or so, but the same one with a different brand name. I also bought a steel platen and added it.. Worked pretty good to get me started on a budget.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Norse-BDSG2x6-9681119-Sander-Grinder/dp/B07FFKD4HH/ref=asc_df_B07FFKD4HH/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241955516116&hvpos=1o8&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16790348003686627987&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029357&hvtargid=pla-570400924991&psc=1

The grinder is a pretty standard hand cranked bench grinder. There's still some companies that make them today, so it would be hard to tell exactly when it's from.

The weights are probably for calibration use. Have you tried weighing them?

The vise looks like a Parker No. 32 based on some cursory google searching. There's some patent drawings here, and the one you have looks similar to the drawing from 1906. Does it have a patent number on it?

Grabbed this one, setup a homemade version of the wolverine jig and mounted it to a rolling stand. Slow speed grinder with finer wheels. Pretty happy with the results I get from it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015U2STNM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the advices! I found a cheaper bench grinder: POWERTEC 8" SlowSpeed Grinder. Is it good?

Currently on amazon you could purchase a delta 8 in variable speed identical to that porter cable for $79 with free shipping. For $10 more than that Mastercraft you can get lower speed to help reduce heat build up. And its a larger motor.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LHUWAFK?cache=a075059e674dc9b7791868ef37a7d03c&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1408847324&sr=8-5#ref=mp_s_a_1_5

When I was a kid I saw my father cleaning some transmission parts using the bench grinder. One of [these](http://www.amazon.com/577102-JBG-8A-8-Inch-Bench-Grinder/dp/B00004T9KW/ref=sr_1_7?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1323779100&sr=1-7 "Tooltip FTW!") things, except without any sort of guards or caution stickers.

Well, in my infinite wisdom I figured such a device could also cut my fingernails much faster than a traditional nail clipper. So I proceeded to stick my finger on the spinning grinding wheel.

Luckily my father noticed and as soon as my finger touched it one time (causing it to *jump* off the grinding wheel) he switched it off and began teaching me a lesson in wtf I could have done to myself by grinding away a half inch or so cut into a steel clutch plate.

Had my finger gotten stuck between the wheel and the body of the grinder, it probably would have been ripped off.

this grinder works well
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H2B78YG/ref=psdc_552814_t3_B015U2STNM

This is the same exact grinder as the rikon, same wheels too. $85 bucks

I bought one last year for 120 Canadian... 79.99 USD.
https://www.amazon.com/POWERTEC-BGSS801-Speed-Bench-Grinder/dp/B015U2STNM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=Slow+speed+grinder&qid=1569374143&sr=8-3

Get a variable speed bench grinder. I have a Delta that goes from 2000rpm to 3400. There are also slow speed bench grinders that are around 1700rpm

I've seen two:
Wen 10" sharpener for $120

or the
Grizzly for $170
Or should i just keep using the wet paper? The tormak is way out of my price range, any advice?

http://www.amazon.com/DELTA-GR450-ShopMaster-8-Inch-Grinder/dp/B0000B3AQQ variable-speed 1,725-3,450 rpm

No problem!

I am also looking at this grinder since it's about $40 cheaper and i will need to get new wheels anyways. And with amazon, i can ship it back for free if the arbor doesnt run true.

The Craftsman would be a big upgrade from the 1x30 simply because the two inch belts will help you get a more even flat grind. It's a solid little machine that can make a great knife if you're on a budget and can learn its quirks. Runs really fast though.

Edit: looks like the Craftsman isn't made anymore but this one looks identical

https://www.amazon.com/Norse-BDSG2x6-9681119-Sander-Grinder/dp/B07FFKD4HH/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=Norse+2x42&qid=1555990589&s=gateway&sr=8-4

The mods I did are remove all the dumb shrouds and hoods over the belt, jb weld a ceramic platen on, replace the work rest because the stock one has weird grooves in it.

An example to add to the other responses you've received:

They weigh almost 30,000 pounds and have less horsepower than this bench grinder: https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W50001-6-Inch-Grinder/dp/B000KL7DC2

Now, imagine how long it takes for that sort of boat to either start from a stop, or stop once underway.

Hint: it takes for freakin' ever. You can't just stop them whenever you want.

All the crappy farm tables and diy projects on r/woodworking a your post gets removed, wtf.

I have a rikon half speed 1850 rpm 8" grinder with a 80 grit CBN cubic boron nitride wheel and a veritas tool rest. Shapton ceramic 320, 1000, 5000, 12000 stones. A 36"x6" 3 cm thick piece of granite and use adhesive backed sandpaper rolls. I wax the granite to allow the paper to come off the granite easily.

grinder

cbn wheel


tool rest

stones

320 g

1000 g

5000 g

12000

sand paper

Well, of course the main thing (and really the only thing you need until you start getting fancy) is a (dry) bench grinder. Here's one that gets mentioned a lot, and here's the one I have.

8" is better than 6", and low speed (1750 RPM) is better than high (3500 RPM). but you could make do with a 6" high speed grinder if you had to. And since high speed 6" grinders are generally lots cheaper than 8" low speed grinders, you could get by with something more like this if you had to, but be prepared for more frustration and a steeper learning curve than you'll have with the bigger low speed grinders.

Why is that? You may hear some people say that a high speed grinder will get tools too hot and they'll lose their temper, and that is indeed a concern with the high carbon steels that bench chisels for flatwork are made out of. (Lathe chisels and gouges used to be made out of high carbon steel also). However, modern gouges for turning are almost all made of HSS - high speed steel, the same stuff you'll find on router bits and the like. It's designed to get hot and you would have to be consciously trying really hard to ruin its temper because the point at which HSS begins to lose its temper is around 1000 - 1100 degrees (F), well beyond the "blueing" of the steel that occurs around 600 degrees.

So, what's the problem with a high speed grinder then? Put simply, they just eat away steel that much faster and the compound shapes needed to properly put what we call a "fingernail profile" on a gouge are harder to learn when you have to move through what is at first an unnatural series of movements that much faster. Not impossible by any means, just a little more challenging!

The Tormek and Worksharp that /u/KiltedCajun mentions are totally unnecessary for sharpening woodturning tools imo. Would I use them if I had them? You bet! It's always fun to play with a new toy. However, I'd be willing to bet he had them for other things first and didn't buy them specifically with turning in mind.

One thing that most turners do wind up getting is the Wolverine sharpening jig- it's essentially a two-sided grinding jig that goes under both sides of you grinder and makes getting a repeatable grind shape so much easier. It's gotten to the point where it's damn near ubiquitous in the turning world. Take a turning class anywhere from Rockler to community college to the top art schools and you'll see a Wolverine jig. More about those- base unit and vari-grind gouge attachment. As you can see, these will add to as much, if not more than, the cost of your grinder, but they aren't essential if you've got the patience to learn how to freehand. That being said, I can freehand sharpen if I have to but I'm not giving up my Wolverine anytime soon.