thoughts on diamond wheels

[Ken S]

I recently watched two YouTubes on using CBN wheels dry and keeping them clean. (One was by  professional sharpener and one was by a vendor who sells dry only CBN wheels.)The cleaning procedure puzzled me. I always use diamond wheels wet with ACC. Before Tormek introduced diamond wheels, I used CBN wheels with Honerite Gold.I have never needed to use cleaning agents on either of these wheels. This makes me think that the need for cleaning comes from using the wheels dry rather than from the wheels themselves.

I have often seen diamond wheels criticized because they work best with "expensive" ACC and "messy" water". These critics never mentioned needing to clean CBN wheels when used dry with PB Blaster and Slick Stick. Nor did they particularly mention the metallic dust from dry grinding.

While dry grinding with CBN wheels works very well with higher speed grinding, in my opinion, dry grinding with a Tormek defeats one of the main advantages of the Tormek, namely dust free grinding.
Yes, CBN wheels do grind cooler than conventional grinding wheels; however, dry grinding still produces dust.

Food for thought.

Ken

[3D Anvil]

I saw the same video with the PB Blaster.  I think he may have made it in response to a comment I made in another of his videos about grinding dust. 

I use CBN wheels in water and never noticed a problem with them cutting slower due to metal build up.  But I was curious about the PB Blaster and so bought a can to check out.  It did in fact remove a surprising amount of metal from the wheels, which came out looking glorious.  I guess some build up is inevitable even if you use water, as with any other stone. 

That said, I didn't notice much, if any, difference in grinding speed after cleaning the wheels.  I suspect it would be noticeable eventually without cleaning -- especially if someone is grinding 8 hrs./day, 5-7 days a week.

Anyway, I much prefer not to have a lot of metal dust in my environment.

[darita]

So how is PB Blaster used on diamond and CBN wheels? 

[Ken S]

3D,

I agree with you about not wanting dust when using my Tormek. I tried using one of my first CBN wheels with plain water. Never again! The steel wheel immediately started to rust. A quick rescue with Scotch Brite and WD-40 prevented any damage. I switched to using a solution of Honerite Gold and water. End of rust problem.

I don't know the differences between Honerite Gold and Tormek ACC. I use HG with my CBN wheels and ACC with my diamond wheels. I would guess either might work with either wheels long term. I have no complaints with either solution.

I haven't tested enough to know if a solution prevents the need to clean either wheels. My gut thinks so. Between "expensive" solution and having to clean the wheel with purchased Blaster and Slick Stick, I prefer to use solution.

Ken

[BeSharp]

While dry grinding with CBN wheels works very well with higher speed grinding, in my opinion, dry grinding with a Tormek defeats one of the main advantages of the Tormek, namely dust free grinding.
Yes, CBN wheels do grind cooler than conventional grinding wheels; however, dry grinding still produces dust.

Food for thought.

Ken

Ken, I agree. I now have a dry CBN grinder (for speed) and dust is a concern. I'm using a Festool Midi vacuum as a dust collection system. Problem is, to maximize particle collection, I have to run the wheel away from me and towards the ABS plumbing intakes. However, the resultant burr seems to be harder to remove than if I run the wheels towards me (as on Tormeks). So at Farmers markets I run the wheels towards me, relying on any crosswind and my Trend Airshield Pro helmet. The last picture shows how much the Airshield has filtered in just two months.

Tormeks, with their water baths, is a simple, cheaper, and elegant solution to airborne particles. It is simply a very well thought out machine!

[3D Anvil]

Ken,

Corrosion was one of main reasons I went with the Schleiff Junkies' CBN wheels.  They can be run in plain water with no corrosion issues whatsoever.