Sorby ProEdge

[RobC]

Just wanted real peoples opinion on these, ease of use, etc. Seen them on show with demonstrators, they make it look as easy as but they're demonstrators at the end of the day, what are real peoples experience of them ?

Thanks in Advance.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Its without doubt the best innovation on the market for woodturning tool sharpening because the setup time is so quick. It has foibles which can be helped/overcome with home built kludges (which Chas is as of last weekend the current master by the way).

But in a nutshell, they're great and I have both a regular bench grinder and a Tormek to compare mine with.

The two main areas of advantage against competing grinding technologies are:

1) tedious setup time is minimised due to the manufactured detent angle settings in the platform adjustment
2) Both shaping and sharpening can be equally well accommodated by judicious choice of grit granularity of the available belts.

Because wood turning tools have such an enormous range of geometries and surface areas, no one tool has until now been a decent enough compromise in the "jack of all trades" department. The Proedge really pulls that feat off with flying colours giving you not just the versatility needed to meet those varied demands but the speed to get there too. it means you save space and get more time turning. Job done

 

[Rhossydd]

The SPE has been regularly discussed in the turning section here, so a search should give you plenty of answers.

I think the general consensus amongst owners is that they are great machines that are as easy and fast to use as promised.

A couple of people have minor niggles with them; One is the problem putting very fine angles on some turning tools, but that can worked round if it's a problem with an addition to the tool rest.
The belt protection on one side could be easier to remove, but in a home workshop could be left off anyway.

I've had mine for almost a year and think it's one of the most useful bits of kit I've bought.
Not cheap, but you get what you pay for they're very well made and versatile.

 

[Lons]

As said, plenty of opinions if you search.

I wouldn't part with mine and like Bob I have a Tormek T7 and a couple of bench grinders as well as a belt & disk sander and all the usual hand sharpening stuff so lots to compare against.

A substantial investment but worth having IMHO and they seem to retain value as well. You might be able to pick up a s'h one but they are a bit thin on the ground.

Bob

 

[custard]

It's a pretty impressive piece of kit. Heavily built, fast belt changes, versatile, superb range of jig accessories, very accurate...and if you wear Union Jack underpants it's nice to know there are some quality items that are still British made!

From a user perspective it's in that sweet spot between power grind stones (fast but risk of bluing) and a Tormek (mind numbingly slow but no risk of bluing), plus it has an advantage over both of them that you don't have to true the wheels.

Some people might prefer a hollow edge, and fair enough if you're in that camp then the Sorby isn't for you, plus I find there's quite a gap between the tool rest and the abrasive (although a little ingenuity with a secondary rest will sort that out). But on balance, and having spent many years with a grinding wheel and a Tormek, it's now my preferred tool for grinding. In fact with a trizact belt it's also my preferred tool for plenty of honing tasks too.

 

[PAC1]

if it is for sharpening turning tools I can see why the SPE wins, but if it is for joinery tools only then you might also want to contrast the Workshop 3000 with some DMT diamond discs.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

+1 for trizact, very nice for a really polished edge. I use the 120 grit belts for regular turning tools as they have such a hard life there's little point in messing about finessing. But for an amazing finishing cut when it really counts, a last pass on the trizact A30 (800 grit) doesn't half get you a decent finish.

I also use it on my plane irons and bench chisels for obvious reasons.

 

[paulm]

+1 for trizact, very nice for a really polished edge. I use the 120 grit belts for regular turning tools as they have such a hard life there's little point in messing about finessing. But for an amazing finishing cut when it really counts, a last pass on the trizact A30 (800 grit) doesn't half get you a decent finish.

I also use it on my plane irons and bench chisels for obvious reasons.

Likewise, find the pro-edge excellent for turning tools, all sorts of other grinding and sharpening tasks, and with the right choice of belts it's very good for plane irons and chisels too, although with them I do the final micro bevel honing by hand still just for personal preference.

Every workshop should have one

Cheers, Paul

 

[Jamie Copeland]

I bought one on 2014 when I took up woodturning as a hobby. For me as a novice the ProEdge is excellent and I can highly recommend it. Pay the little extra for the Sorby ProEdge Deluxe as it comes with more kit which may save you money in the long run. As someone mentioned, it does have its foibles but these can be easily overcome.

I've heard experienced turners say that a good quality grinding wheel (Tormek, for example) gives them more control when sharpening, but personally I wouldn't take my tools near a grinding wheel until I really know what I'm doing.

 

[TFrench]

I bought one a few weeks ago as a woodturning newbie and I love it. I'd rather be turning wood than messing around trying to sharpen tools with a bench grinder and I get a spot on result every time with it. I've used it on a couple of badly dinged chisels and plane irons as well and had great results. I do the fine honing by hand though, just because I find it satisfying!

 

[DiscoStu]

Been keen on getting one of these for a while. I have a grinder and it, and more importantly I, don't do a very good job. I found that when trying to hollow I constantly get catches and I think it's down to lack of sharpness.

My Father in Law has a Pro edge and whilst with him recently I noticed how sharp his tools were. He said its down to the pro edge.

My FIL is blind so for him to see angles etc is impossible but the pro edge removes the issue and obviously he can feel when the tools are sharp.

It was great to hear that they are British made, makes me want one even more.

I will buy plenty of foreign things but if there is a good British option I do try and buy British.

I've got two British cars. Its a shame we can't buy a lot more British things and support our local manufacturing more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jacob]

Cheaper linishers are available.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

By the way when I was in John Davis woodturning yesterday I confirmed that his technique is indeed using the PE freehand with it "upside down" so the belt is running away from the edge. I asked why bother to go to all the expense of a PE when he could do that on any old bench belt sander or even a hand held mounted upside down in a vice. He said don't be nosy and punched me in the face! Which I thought was uncalled for! But then he said he liked how easy it was to change belts and to have all the different grit choices available and when he's teaching it can be used in normal mode for his students. Naturally, my response was to "flying drop kick" him in the solar plexus to even up the score and we parted good friends as usual.

 

[Jacob]

..... I asked why bother to go to all the expense of a PE when he could do that on any old bench belt sander or even a hand held mounted upside down in a vice. ....

Belts dead easy to change on my Bosch belt sander, and it sits flat upside down on the bench so no need to fix it in the vice. It's ideal for sharpening except for one detail - the sparks can cause a fire if there's any sawdust lodged inside so you have to give it a blow job at regular intervals. Sparks still impact on the plastic casing but come to think a bit of ingenuity with a thin sheet of metal (baked bean tin opened out?) could fix that.
Good freehand or you could use the tilting fence which comes with it.
The big plus is of course - its also a very good sander.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

I must admit, I've never understood why Sorby make the belt motion towards the tool and not away. If I ever buy one I think a change of direction would be the first thing I'd consider.

Regards Mick

 

[Jacob]

Runs cooler if away. If towards the edge the sparks are at their hottest as they get to the thinnest part of the blade and could over-heat it

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's a good question. If my experience of the Tormek's USB in either position is anything to go by then it's probably because with the belt coming towards the tools edge, it pushes it into the platform, helping to keep it steady. In the opposite direction, particularly for more perpendicular grinds like scrapers, the user might be fighting with the tool a bit more due its desire to lift up with the belt direction. On the Tormek, that tendency to "lift" can be a bit of a pain. So my guess is it's to do with control of the tool being held.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Just out of interest, does anyone know what grit ranges the Makita belt sander Jacob posted has available? I have one but only ever use it as a rough "1st grade" tool to remove saw marks etc or the odd lip if a glue up hasn't gone quite flush. I always finish with finer grit papers on a random orbital and/or plane/scrape so I'm pretty sure I've only ever bought 60 grit for my Makita. Cant imagine there's a Trizact type finessing belt for a monster like that is there?

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Yes - I'm aware that the tool edge temperature will be slightly affected but in the case of high speed steel, it's not really a consideration, (and probably not so in carbon steel either).

My issue with the belt direction is more driven by the potential to catch or, dare I suggest, form convex bevels

Regards Mick

 

[Jacob]

Hi

Yes - I'm aware that the tool edge temperature will be slightly affected but in the case of high speed steel, it's not really a consideration, (and probably not so in carbon steel either).

My issue with the belt direction is more driven by the potential to catch or, dare I suggest, form convex bevels

Regards Mick

Same either way. In fact a convex bevel is a good idea when grinding as you are spreading the work over the surface and reduce local hot spots. You can then apply a honed flat mini bevel if the convexity confuses you (assuming you haven't over done it!)