Thanks Ken
I rather thought you might have had my shaping challenges in mind. But as you say, particularly with the 80 grit wheel, I can see me having another session with the planar blade jig because there is a hidden benefit. Not only is the cbn grit far more abrasive (and therefore more efficient at grinding into ultra hard steels like my planar blades) but because it doesn't lose it's shape my jig settings can be maintained. One of the problems I had when attempting the planar blades with the SB was the only means of getting it to cut the metal was to grade it with the diamond truing tool. You know how abrasive it becomes after a truing session as it exposes all the new rough surface like no other method. That procedure got it cutting for a short while before it glazed but in the process of re-truing it it would subtly reduce the wheel diameter which would, in turn, throw out the jig settings (which have to be quite fine for the planar jig). With a wheel that doesn't require dressing, that problem will never occur.
So you have given me hope my friend :-)
Of course we will conveniently forget to mention that the cost of a cbn wheel would probably pay for 4 or 5 professional sharpening services on my planar blades which may last me a lifetime!! But the saving justification is the shaping of HSS gouges....nice work fella....you've handled all my objections before I can even ask them :-)
I rather thought you might have had my shaping challenges in mind. But as you say, particularly with the 80 grit wheel, I can see me having another session with the planar blade jig because there is a hidden benefit. Not only is the cbn grit far more abrasive (and therefore more efficient at grinding into ultra hard steels like my planar blades) but because it doesn't lose it's shape my jig settings can be maintained. One of the problems I had when attempting the planar blades with the SB was the only means of getting it to cut the metal was to grade it with the diamond truing tool. You know how abrasive it becomes after a truing session as it exposes all the new rough surface like no other method. That procedure got it cutting for a short while before it glazed but in the process of re-truing it it would subtly reduce the wheel diameter which would, in turn, throw out the jig settings (which have to be quite fine for the planar jig). With a wheel that doesn't require dressing, that problem will never occur.
So you have given me hope my friend :-)
Of course we will conveniently forget to mention that the cost of a cbn wheel would probably pay for 4 or 5 professional sharpening services on my planar blades which may last me a lifetime!! But the saving justification is the shaping of HSS gouges....nice work fella....you've handled all my objections before I can even ask them :-)