Worksharp 3000 discs.

[MickCheese]

Whilst on the WorkSharp 3000 - Has anyone tried the diamond impregnated discs?

Mick

 

[wcndave]

Horses for courses...

I use a cheap (£20 from axminster visit) grinder for reshape / re-angle.
Then use the WS3000 for all my blades where i want a fixed preset angle that it supports (about 95% of my sharpening needs)
Then I use a quick scary sharp with honing guide for any cambers. These only tend to take a few mins anyway. However you could use oil / water stones just as well.

so I only need a grinder when I get a new tools / iron = 2% of my grinding/sharpening time
I need a very quick and foolproof method to "get back to work" 90% of the time
I need to camber plane irons about 8% of the time and prefer by hand.

Therefore I have in my case spent the most money where i spend 90% of my time.

If I bought a Tormek / Scheppach Tiger, I would have spent 50% of my cash on 2% of my needs.

If you do a lot of handplaning, and need to camber sharpen all the time, then your needs will be totally different.

For example, I am getting more in to turning, and although the WS3000 has slotted discs for under cutting, I find maintaining a fixed angle difficult there, and the discs are a pain to swap grits on, so I am looking at a Scheppach water grinder, however _only_ because I am changing where I spend my time, and what my needs are.

Hence we all need different systems.

For anyone with a WS system, who uses fixed angle chisels and plane irons, and needs to quickly re-sharpen often, it's unbeatable. I would not recommend it for turners.

I have tried 3 types of discs, automotive, WS branded, and cheaper oxide.

I would say the ones you get with it are best, any Norton ones you can buy online cheaply will be more cost effective and almost as good, cheap ones are not great, and you have to change so often, probably a false economy.

With the kit I think you get a coarse, fine, very fine, honing disc. Wait util it's on sale with the leather wheel included for free.
Out of the box, it's really missing a medium grit, so from coarse to fine can take a while, grinding back old chisels on the coarse grit I found to be fast enough.

 

[MickCheese]

Dave

You have hit the nail on the head with that.

I don't use it all of the time for everything but for just touching up a chisel or plane blade as you go it is great.

Mick

 

[chippy1970]

I'm thinking of getting a ws3000 has anyone thought of importing one they are only $199 stateside I know you might get caught for vat etc but still a lot cheaper. Anyone gone that route ?

 

[wcndave]

They are on sale now at Rutlands with free knife kit... About 199 I think.

 

[chippy1970]

They are on sale now at Rutlands with free knife kit... About 199 I think.

£219 I think but $199 (£125) in the US I suppose you would pay 20% Vat on that and maybe import duty not too sure. Wish I had got one now when I was out in Disney in 2010 but the thought never crossed my mind.

About £150-160 I suppose I depends on how much the knife bit is worth as the US one is on its own no knife jig.

 

[cutting42]

I'm thinking of getting a ws3000 has anyone thought of importing one they are only $199 stateside I know you might get caught for vat etc but still a lot cheaper. Anyone gone that route ?

Don't forget it will be 110v so you would need a transformer.

I get the abrasives from Amazon .com delivered free to my US work address. I am sure I could arrange a group purchase of stuff if anyone is interested.

 

[JakeS]

£219 I think but $199 (£125) in the US I suppose you would pay 20% Vat on that and maybe import duty not too sure.

I've bought a few things from the US before, and whilst it may have changed in the last few years: presuming that the item itself is over the personal import allowance (which it is), I believe VAT will be charged on the price including postage and packaging costs, then you'll be looking at import duty (average ~7%, depends on code; no idea what it is for a powered tool-sharpener) on top of that. Amazon.com has it for $200, they'd charge $40 to ship it (based on the postage on a speculative checkout!), meaning you're looking at something like:

$240 -> £150 + 20% VAT = £180 + 7% import duty = £192

Then whichever helpful friendly courier delivers it to you will cheerfully charge you a £20 'admin fee' for having put up the VAT and import duty on your behalf, meaning that even leaving aside the knife kit, it's probably not actually that much cheaper to order from the US than it is to get it from Rutlands this weekend, and probably slower.

Normally I'd add "and of course, if there's anything wrong with it you'll probably find it a lot easier to send it back and get a replacement from a UK supplier", but given the horror stories I've read about Rutlands, maybe not?

 

[wcndave]

+1 for "it's not going to workout any cheaper" and rutlands nit that bad, offer ends today

 

[chippy1970]

Cheers guys yeah I know your right I ve looked at many things over the years and thought wow thats cheap in the States but its just not worth the bother.

I just looked at Rutlands and it is still showing even though it says this weekend only maybe theyve just not taken it down yet.

 

[wcndave]

buy it quick... if you have to wait for the next Rutlands sale, you might not get it until day _after_ tomorrow....

 

[chippy1970]

buy it quick... if you have to wait for the next Rutlands sale, you might not get it until day _after_ tomorrow....

I know what you mean they must have 2 a week :lol:

 

[wcndave]

There should be a new email from them...

"Amazing once in a lifetime event, never seen before in our history.... The opportunity to buy everything at full price for one day only! You won't see this again this decade so hurry whilst stocks last!"

 

[wcndave]

PS: sort of like your QR code, expect it means i have to use mobile, then send it to myself, then open email and click on the link... as you have no other link in your sig...

 

[chippy1970]

PS: sort of like your QR code, expect it means i have to use mobile, then send it to myself, then open email and click on the link... as you have no other link in your sig...

If you have a QR ap on your phone it will open a link to my website, I use QR PAL.

 

[wcndave]

Oh I do, otherwise could not open at all. I was just sitting at my PC and had to then scan with mobile and send via email to open on PC.maybe there is a way to right click on image and open as qr code however I don't have that installed

 

[HRRLutherie]

My WS3000 should be arriving soon, I can't wait! As a complete beginner in sharpening and woodworking, this looked like the perfect solution for me.

I was thinking about buying some cheapo MDF, cutting it into 150mm discs and sticking on some PSA 3M lapping film from Workshop Heaven. Wouldn't have to pay for more glass discs or the >£20 abrasive packs.

Any thoughts on the idea, since I've never even touched one... Yet...

 

[chippy1970]

I got mine today wow its good. Had a quick play with it tonight and did two 1" chisels and they look great, very simple and easy. Its a little bit embarrassing to say it but in 20 + years as a chippy i've never had a chisel looking this polished and sharp . I normally just give them a quick swipe on my DMT stone freehand and thats it but this machine is going to change that :lol: :lol: :lol: