Sigh. Sharpening woes.

[BearTricks]

Any recommendations for a well built sharpening system that wont vibrate everything off the shelves in my rubbish timber shed?

I originally wrote a long post, but I was waffling and the main thing is that my screwfix Titan jobby is making too much noise and taking too long to stop. I've tried everything I can to make the thing and anything it's bolted to more stable, but it's beyond me. I figure that if my girlfriend can afford to pay someone else to paint her nails every few weeks, I can afford to spend a bit more on a decent sharpening system.

I think a slow speed grinder might be better, but I might be wrong.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Sounds like your wheels are out of balance. Your Titan taking too long to stop? Don't buy a Creusen.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

The solution to lack of vibration could be a water stone based system like a Tormek or it's cheaper clones but for turning I would recommend the Sorby ProEdge as the near perfect all rounder

 

[CHJ]

A bench grinder can't take too long to stop, the longer the rundown the better the motor-bearing performance.

Sounds like you need the wheels balancing, a simple process in itself as long as you know how to go about it, in extreme easier if you have the appropriate clamping flanges with moveable weights fitted, but trueing up the wheels periphery and sides should get you very close.

If yours has pressed steel wheel clamping flanges (often distorted) changing them out for fully machined versions can make a big difference.

Do you by any chance have a wide wheel fitted with a counter-bored centre to aid mounting? sometimes this is a cause of balance problems as it's not true to the periphery due to mounting errors and needs dressing.

As Bob says, Pro edge solves the problems you are referring to but at a premium in expenditure both in the procurement and consumables.

 

[Sheptonphil]

+1 for pro edge, been down the route of high speed, low speed and slow wet systems and would never go back to any of them after using the pro edge.

Predominately for turning, but gets used for chisels, knives, axes and lawn mower blades as well.

Phil

 

[BearTricks]

Looks like a pro-edge might take it. Might have to pile some stuff on eBay to raise the funds.

 

[Apache_sim]

I use a mix of the Pro-edge and a 6" Grinder (which is Creusen) with CBN on one side, in this instance you do get what you pay for.
As said above a balance issue would make your grinder go walkabouts with resulting additional noise. I have also read somewhere recently that some grinders may use nylon or plastic washers and inserts to fix the grindstone onto the spindle. The result being that they quickly become oversize and allow additional movement of the grindstone about the spindle, which in turn equals a dancing grinder and if secured to the bench an very noisy grinder. Replace any Plastic bits with metal inserts and give your stone a good dressing!!

 

[JimB]

Like Apache I use CBN but on both wheels of a grinder. the difference in smoothness is amazing, and of course there is no overheating problems if you are grinding carbon steel tools.
My grinder is a cheap generic bought about thirty years ago.
I also have a scheppach water-cooled but hardly use it these days.

 

[Jacob]

A cheapo grind wheel dresser might be enough to balance the wheel. It'll certainly improve the cut.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-30479-G ... B0001K9S5M

Also perhaps bolt your machine permanently on to a short joist off-cut or similar. If not heavy enough itself it makes it easier to clamp to a bench

 

[bugbear]

A bench grinder can't take too long to stop, the longer the rundown the better the motor-bearing performance.

Agreed - but I wonder if anyone has fitted electro-magnetic braking to a grinder as a safety feature.

it''s a fairly cheap thing to do, you just connect the motor (now running as a generator) through a resistive load that can dissipate the heat, just like a gym machine.

BugBear

 

[CHJ]

[
Agreed - but I wonder if anyone has fitted electro-magnetic braking to a grinder as a safety feature.

I doubt very much if that would ever be considered for a conventional bench grinder, too great a risk of the wheels/securing nuts self relaxing.

Large 'tyred' grinders have braking systems but even that is strictly engineered to prevent the mass inertia breaking the stone loose.

 

[bugbear]

[
Agreed - but I wonder if anyone has fitted electro-magnetic braking to a grinder as a safety feature.

I doubt very much if that would ever be considered for a conventional bench grinder, too great a risk of the wheels/securing nuts self relaxing.

Fair point, but surely that (merely) means you can't add electro braking without also adding lock nuts, which isn't a "no" it's a "yes. but do it properly".

BugBear

 

[KimG]

I bought an 8" record grinder with a big white wheel, it comes with rubber shock absorbers of course, but at first I mistakenly used the bolt down function to attach it to the work surface by clamping it right down, it shook like crazy out of the box, I contacted record and they sent another, it was the same. Then I discovered, the thing should not be clamped right down, it defeats the work of the shock absorbing rubber feet, so now I use the bolts to locate and hold the grinder in position, but the shocks are free to work properly. It does shake on start up and run down, but is rock steady during main spin and use.