Work Sharp 2000

[whiskywill]

Sorry to bring this up again. I know it has been discussed before, with very mixed reviews, but are there any updated opinions? http://www.rutlands.co.uk/pp+woodworkin ... =WS2000KIT

 

[Nippychippy]

Hi wiskywill I would like to jump on this tread I am interested in the near one I think it has more features

 

[RogerS]

Get the Worksharp 3000.

 

[chippy1970]

Get the Worksharp 3000.

+1

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Depending in it's intended use it may be prudent to consider a Tormek or similar wet stone grinder

Regards Mick

 

[RogerS]

I had the Scheppach Tiger which is broadly similar to the Tormek. Couldn't get on with it and sold it. I hate having water sloshing around in my workshop and the footprint needed to take this into consideration was way way too big. The WorkSharp on the other hand just sits quietly in the corner ...ready for action at a moments notice. So so easy just to touch up the edge in seconds.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

I've no experience of the Scheppach, but the Tormek certainly does not 'slosh' water in use

Regards Mick

 

[nicguthrie]

I have the WS3000 and it's fantastic, as long as you don't expect it to be what it's not.

What it is, is a fantastically easy to use, very very quick way of sharpening, retuning or simply honing bench chisels and other blades up to about 2 inches across. It's also great for freehand sharpening etc of shaped blades like carving chisels and gouges when you use the slotted wheel that allows you to see through the grinding surface, to watch the edge of your tool being shaped (a black marker makes this beautifully easy and accurate). Freehand sharpening of other blades on the normal abrasive disks is great, if you are into freehand, but I find personally I need the optional rest and a jig.

What it's not is a perfect solution straight out the box for every type of sharpening. If you have enormously wide plane blades, you'd struggle without a jig, if even that was possible. Knives come up with a gorgeous edge, but that's only using the optional belt drive for knives and long blades (if you have one, let me know if you want a cheap source of micromesh belts for it - I found them at less than £2 each)

The tool rest that is an optional add on takes it to the next level, it's "expensive" at £35, and last time I looked Rutlands managed to miss it from their online catalogue, but it's comprehensively compatible with the Tormek, Jet or (I think) Record Power jigs, and these make it a great solution for turning tools too. Without the rest and jigs, I found it hard to freehand turning tools, especially since you usually work down onto the flat sharpening surface, or else have a small upward undersurface to work on.

I bought the Tormek set, and even though I'm a turning rookie, with some patience, plenty Tea and bright lighting in the workshop, I managed to take my first bowl gouge from a horrible to use stock grind, to a beautifully even and shiny sharp Irish grind inside about an hour. Yes, that's an age and a half, but considering I was doing it the very first time, and got a damn near perfect result, while shortening my gouge by less than 1mm, I think it was a great result

A note though, it's worth buying an extra glass disk with it, as you never seem to have enough of those to go with the grits, and you really, really don't want to be peeling off abrasive that's not thoroughly worn out, as you won't get it back on again. I bought two extra glass disks, and spray mounted leather onto one side of one, to use with flexcut gold wax as a strop. It saves me heaps on buying the expensive 6000 grit micromesh adhesive disks.

I know this is pretty glowing and fanboyish about the system, but I really do think it's underrated. Most criticism of it that I've seen comes from those who didn't want to change the way they worked to a different system, or got fixated on the things that it doesn't do well (all the things I found it needed the jigs for, or wide plane blades).

If you're thinking of getting one, take these things into account first, and if you want to use it for the things that it *is* good at, you'll love it.

Nic.

 

[whiskywill]

(if you have one, let me know if you want a cheap source of micromesh belts for it - I found them at less than £2 each)

I have just ordered a WS3000 on one of their extra 10% off plus free delivery weekend offers. I would like to know the source of cheaper consumables.

 

[nicguthrie]

OK, Sylmasta does the belts at http://www.sylmasta.com/acatalog/Micro-Mesh-Belts.html Best source of all things Micromesh that I've ever found. Tho, if you are only after sheets, there's a guy on Ebay that cuts sheets from industrial rolls and sells packs for a very cheap price.

I believe the 1 inch by 18 inch belts are the ones that the WS3000 knife sharpener takes - it's easy checked on the packaging or the back of the belt tho, I think.

I found a good source for high quality normal use disks too, but it's USA - $11.95 for 25 disks and $16 for postage or something - comes to about £29 total for 25 disks, cheaper still for 50. I'm about to order some soon, unless anyone knows a better alternative. That's from http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/sd06199/ If nobody knows of a better price locally for the PSA 6 inch disks, I could order bulk if anyone fancied sharing shipping I can split the saving with them that way.

 

[whiskywill]

Excellent. Thanks for the information.

I have also just ordered a couple of extra glass plates at just £11.64 each, delivered free to my son who lives in California, and is coming home for Christmas. :lol:

 

[nicguthrie]

Now I'm jealous

Actually, thinking about it, in that case, if there's time and you fancy, I could paypal you the money in $ for two packs of the PSA adhesive disks and a share of postage costs, and you could get him to bring a few packs of the Klingspor stuff with him too? Just a thought.

I've not seen them at a better price here, did a short search earlier, and mixed sets of good 6 inch disks still seem to be far more pricy here, than there.

I just went out and checked in the shed, the Micromesh belt that comes with the worksharp knife kit is a lilac coloured 1"x18" belt, so those are indeed only £1.50 odds each from sylmasta. I'd not noticed before, but they also do individual adhesive backed micromesh 6" disks in all the grits, at about £1.50 each too. If you don't fancy using a leather strop, or just fancy micromesh in general.

Nic.

 

[nicguthrie]

I just read a little further about the MX grade micromesh (the stuff they make specifically for metal finishing)

Apparently the grading is very different from normal abrasives, the 80MX grit is roughly equivalent to P240 grit of "normal" stuff, and at the other end, the 1200MX is equivalent to 3Micron lapping paper

Just FYI.

Here's a chart I found - http://www.thesandpaperman.com.au/abrasive-conversion-chart.html

 

[whiskywill]

Now I'm jealous
Actually, thinking about it, in that case, if there's time and you fancy, I could paypal you the money in $ for two packs of the PSA adhesive disks and a share of postage costs, and you could get him to bring a few packs of the Klingspor stuff with him too? Just a thought.

The glass discs were on eBay, from a company called hardware sales, with free postage within the U.S. They have coarse and fine abrasive disc kits for £8.52 each. Let me know what you want, and as long as we don't overload him, he should be O.K. On his last two home visits he has only brought cabin luggage.

 

[nicguthrie]

I checked ebay and the guys store that you mentioned doesn't seem to have anything for sale this week. No worries, I'll give the klingspor brand ones a try some time, I like the idea of a 25 pack going as fine as 1000 grit. The postage they were asking for was not extortion, and if I were to save up and order several packs, I could probably make the cash back by selling the extras on Ebay myself.

Thanks anyway, I hope you enjoy your new sharpener. I'd stand by my recommendation of the tool bar / rest optional extra to be able to use Tormek compatible jigs on, it really made my tools a lot easier to handle.

Nic.