Which cbn wheels to buy?

[ABall]

Hi folks, so I am thinking of buying a couple of cbn wheels but which ones... I was thinking on the 160 and a 1000 but I've read that's too much of a stretch. I dont really want to buy 3 so can I get away with a 400 and a 1000?

[BradGE]

Hi ABall,

I think 160 to 1000 is too big of a jump and you'll wear out the latter.  If it were me I'd probably go 160 and 400 and use the composite wheel or leather wheel for the finer work... 400 and 1000 would also be a compatible pair but then you wouldn't have anything for the more intensive reshaping like the 160 can do for you (other than presumably your SG250?)....

 

[ABall]

Hi ABall,

I think 160 to 1000 is too big of a jump and you'll wear out the latter.  If it were me I'd probably go 160 and 400 and use the composite wheel or leather wheel for the finer work... 400 and 1000 would also be a compatible pair but then you wouldn't have anything for the more intensive reshaping like the 160 can do for you (other than presumably your SG250?)....

Thanks BradGE, I do have the SG 250 and I also have the Japanese  Waterstone but I'm getting tired of trueing  stones. My SG is down to about 237mm.

[Ken S]

As a member, I like Brad's suggestion of 160 and 400 grit. Diamond and CBN wheels cut differently than conventional wheels.Those two will give you a good range. You have several options for finer grit, including the SG graded fine, the leather honing wheel or the composite wheel(CW-220).

As forum moderator, I have no problem discussing CBN grits; however, I want to keep discussion of brands off forum.

Ken

[Ken S]

ABall,

I am curious about your wheel wear. Reaching a wheel diameter of 237mm may be normal or it may be excessive depending upon the kind of steel, kind of tool, volume of sharpening, and the truing technique.
More background information will yield better answers.

Ken

[ABall]

ABall,

I am curious about your wheel wear. Reaching a wheel diameter of 237mm may be normal or it may be excessive depending upon the kind of steel, kind of tool, volume of sharpening, and the truing technique.
More background information will yield better answers.

Ken

Hi Ken, I havnt had the T8 very long but a few things have caused premature wear, one is me liking the speed of steel removal when creating new bevels on all my chisels so I true more often to get that courness. I've also been a bit heavy handed at times with the trueing tool and I've gone way further than needed, mostly just my impatience then. I think I will go for the 160 and 400. I've managed to keep the Japanese waterstone in good condition using a little white block sent to me for reviewing a whetstone i purchased on Amazon so I am very happy about that.

[BradGE]

As a member, I like Brad's suggestion of 160 and 400 grit. Diamond and CBN wheels cut differently than conventional wheels.Those two will give you a good range. You have several options for finer grit, including the SG graded fine, the leather honing wheel or the composite wheel(CW-220).

As forum moderator, I have no problem discussing CBN grits; however, I want to keep discussion of brands off forum.

Ken

Hi Ken - I could understand why discussions of alternative sharpening systems might not be allowed.  But shouldn't the mention of brand names for accessories for Tormeks be permitted?  After all, in those cases Tormek remains central and integral. 

[Ken S]

Hi, ABall.

I have often compared grinding wheels with brake linings of vehicles; both are long term consumables. The  comparison between the two goes further. Just as the first set of brake linings on a young driver's car may not last as long as my senior citizen brake linings, I suspect most first Tormek grinding wheels are worn out more quickly than subsequent wheels.

Whether or not you decide to invest in CBN wheels is certainly your decision, however, the SG is specifically designed for high carbon tool steel, the steel of tools like chisels and plane blades. If you move to entirely CBN without really mastering the SG (including truing), you will leave a hole in your sharpening education. Whether or not you include CBN at this time, I would encourage you to master the SG.

Keep us posted.

Ken

[ABall]

Thanks Ken, and I would echo what BradGE says.... 
Are you saying the CBN wheels aren't the right tool for my chisels and plane blades? The courser grits seem to be the right call in my eyes due to my favour of a trued wheel for beveling. I've also made a right mess of the grading stone switching grades, the smooth side has worn very unevenly, I just think cbn will take away a lot of the faf that I know is a part of this system but it doesn't have to be does it? I spend more time than I feel I should in my workshop just playing with the T8, I think I just want to make the process as simple and speedy as possible, at the same time I want to make sure I'm buying the right tools for the job at hand.
Alan.

[Ken S]

Good point, Brad.

In the past, there have been many posts comparing CBN wheels. I have personally had entirely satisfactory purchases from all of the major CBN vendors, and will not disparage any of them. However, there are hard feelings between some of the vendors which I do not want to spill over onto the forum.

There is plenty of information about CBN wheels, both on this forum and elsewhere. This is readily available with online searching. Anyone wanting more information should certainly pursue it, just not on new posts on this forum.

Ken

[RichColvin]

Good point, Brad.

In the past, there have been many posts comparing CBN wheels. I have personally had entirely satisfactory purchases from all of the major CBN vendors, and will not disparage any of them. However, there are hard feelings between some of the vendors which I do not want to spill over onto the forum.

There is plenty of information about CBN wheels, both on this forum and elsewhere. This is readily available with online searching. Anyone wanting more information should certainly pursue it, just not on new posts on this forum.

Ken

Ken,


Thank you.  I appreciate you keeping us on topic.


Rich

[ABall]

Ken,


Thank you.  I appreciate you keeping us on topic.


Rich


Did I miss a few posts about vendors that were deleted? I dont see any mention here of who sells what or where to buy,  where did we go off topic? I was asking about grit choices..... Is Tormek worried about this sort of thing? I cant even buy CBN from Australia since we had this Brexit crap, I must read the rules again to see what's permitted I guess.... so dont mention CBN..... but diamond stones are ok because Tormek sell them. Does Tormek have a voice here or do they leave it to the mods to decide what can and cant be spoken?
Alan.

[ABall]

I just want to make a note that I have spent close to a thousand pounds on the T8, the Japanese Waterstone and a set of extra jigs so I am well and truly invested in Tormek...... oh and I only sharpen my own stuff, it's not like I am making money from this system. Let's get some perspective here, Tormek can hopefully make a living while Vadim and Hanns can sell products for this amazing system.

[Ken S]

I would like to clear up some things:

Tormek has not been involved in this. I am the only forum moderator. I try to keep the moderator work fair and minimal. I do not remember posts related to CBN wheels being deleted, certainly not on a wholesale basis.
I have always tried to discuss both Tormek and non Tormek products on a level playing field. No Tormek product gets a free pass because it is Tormek. For the record, I have purchased four CBN wheels.

Since this forum began in 2003, we have had an informal non commercial policy for non Tormek products. This has been enforced very lightly. We started discussing CBN wheels long before Tormek started selling diamond wheels. As Tormek had no similar products, I saw no conflict of interest for the forum. Within reasonable limits of not promoting non Tormek products, I have always tried to have the forum be an information source for anything which benefits Tormek users.

I do not want to discourage questions; I just want to keep the forum non commercial.

Ken

[ABall]

Totally understand  Ken, I was realy replying to the post by Rich, it kinda wond me up a little as I didnt feel it was warranted on this occasion,  this is a great resource and I would like to keep within the ethos of the forum, thanks for clearing things up.

Alan.