my sharpening system is a Tormek, and Razor-Sharp paper wheels on a Delta grinder. I use 3.5 micron and 1 micron diamond pastes (Kent Supplies) on the paper wheels. Both paper wheels use a Tormek bar for accuracy. I've used this for about a decade. It works *really* well for knives, chisels, plane irons etc..
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm th-cam.com/users/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
I like how the big belt forms to the blade for a good convex ape (something stones cant do and the looseness in the belt seems to allow more forgiveness in exact angle) then the grinder is more for polishing ..probably the best overall way to do it. I see in videos the makers at Puma use a similar belt. Proper paper cut test goes straight into paper not across it so kudos there too.
It's interesting to see all the different methods people are using to sharpen their knives. I have been using the grizzly razor sharp paper wheels exclusively. I can't imagine needing or wanting a sharper knife than I get using the paper wheels. Only takes a minute too.
Sure thing. There are several benefits to the 1x42 vs a 1x30. The biggest is the speed on the 1x30 is way too fast. The 1x42 is half the speed of the 1x30. It also has much more power.
I have not used a scotch brite belt on the Kalamazoo but I have used a leather belt. The tool rest has to be adjusted to allow for the thicker belt but it does work. This is a guess regarding the scotch brite belt but I think it would fit too. Worst case scenario the yellow guard on the idler wheel can be removed as can the tool rest. That would allow for just about any thickness of belt. I have run a scotch brite belt on my 2x72 belt grinder and love the soft satin finish it makes.
If I am going for a convex edge I sharpen freehand. If I am going for a v edge I use an angle guide. I made them myself from some scrap wood around the shop. I made a 15, 17 and 20 degree guide.
Hi and thanks for sharing the video. I learned many things. I only have a few questions: Is not a very big jump from 400 grit to polishing discs? Would not it be better to take the knife to 800 and then to 1000 grit and finally to the polishing discs? Thank you.
The speed of the Kalamazoo 1SM roughly 1,800 rpm is too high to go above 400 grit without quickly overheating the tempered steel edge. I now have a variable speed grinder which I can reduce the speed and go up to higher grits on. If you have variable speed capability I would recommend dropping the speed to 850 rpm or even lower on higher grit belts above 400 grit.
Some good videos on our product! Thanks Derek Melton , Simple Little Life and FireAnt! RazorSharp Edgemaking Systems is s small company that employs only 4 people!!! Thanks for keeping us BUSY!!!
+Larry E. Quigley No, I did not make it. Search for Kalamazoo 1SM. Here is the amazon link: www.amazon.com/Kalamazoo-Sander-Motor-Contact-Wheel/dp/B000REJM3K
The paper wheels come with a container of abrasive "powder" or grit and a container of wax. You put a little wax on the wheel then press some of the abrasive into the wax. There are videos showing how to "dress" the wheel. You can get them on Amazon I think they are called Razor Sharp. I have sharpened M390 steel on these and they work great. This guy is free handing the angle and unless you really know what you are doing and can hold an extremely consistent angle across the entire edge, I would use a jig. The jig allows you to set a precise angle and hold it across the whole edge. The Tormek is a grinder that has a jig allowing you to set the angle, as an example of a sharpener that has a jig and is a wheel grinder. He is doing a lot of things right like not going past the center of the belt with the tip, if you do the probability you will round the tip off goes up considerably. What he is doing takes a lot of practice to get right. Another ingredient in sharpening is repeatability of the angle for successive sharpenings. Knowing the angle and being able to set it again is important unless you want to remove more material than necessary. Using his system you should only need to use the wheel with the slots in it to get the knife very sharp, once the knife has an edge.
+Robert Wilder The sharpie also functions as a visual aid to more easily see when all of the scratch marks from the previous grit belt vahe been removed.
+Robert Wilder The sharpie also functions as a visual aid to more easily see when all of the scratch marks from the previous grit belt vahe been removed.
+Robert Wilder The sharpie also functions as a visual aid to more easily see when all of the scratch marks from the previous grit belt vahe been removed.
Actually, it doesn't. It does confirm that you're getting the right angle at low speeds, like if you held the knife in a fixture and turned the wheel by hand or if you were working against a stone, but at higher speeds you'll take the sharpie off as long as you're close, and by the same principal you'll wipe the sharpie off the low spots in the previous grit's scratches before you get to the bottom of those scratches. That is ESPECIALLY the case when you use it on the paper wheel, where the wax in the compound will wipe the sharpie off without actually making perfect contact. You'll also find that different color sharpies work differently. You would think that black would work the best because it gives you the most contrast, but on metal it's actually harder to see than blue and red and green are the second best. Sharpie ink is also different thicknesses in different colors, as well as "flakes" off the surface differently (this is really obvious if you use it as a marking compound for machining), and black is thicker and popps off easier making it much less precise for marking something like this than the other colors. I hate to say it, but if you look carefully in your video, you can see that your pass to pass angle varies enough that your grind has different facets that you can see catching the light as you move the knife. Using a slack belt/a convex grind prevents that if you're angles are close, but you're not all that close. Your demonstration with the paper actually shows that you didn't get it all that sharp. That knife profile should go through even very thin paper like butter, but you have to hold it at an angle and even need some sawing action to get it to "push cut" with some fairly heavy paper. It's still sharper than what most people have in their knife drawer, but it's not really sharp and I suspect that it would take some work to shave hair with it. If you wanted to save what you've done somewhat, you could likely make it perform better by following this up with a hand strop with a decent soft knap to it, but honestly the best bet would be to learn to more precisely hold the angle or fixture the angle somehow.
Mark Pikas agreed, and personally I'd actually rather a flat sharpen, like off a flat stone. Or a convex sharpen, like on a chisel or plane blade. That way every time you want it sharp again off a little use. A nice flat strope(hone) will sharpen it right up. Please correct me if you think differently, always keen to learn something new. Cheers
You mentioned you do hollow grinds. How do you do that with your belt grinder - I don't see an exposed wheel ? Also does the motor get in the way when you grind to the left ?
Would the belt sander operation be easier if the belt was moving away from you (upward direction)? Can you grind from the other side of the unit? It looks open. Just a thought. Thanks!
Do you lose the convex edge when you move to the wheel? It seems like it would undo some of your work honing the edge on a wheel that leaves the blade concave.
+Elwood The wheel uses a white polishing compound which leaves a mirror polish. It is a very high grit and removes very little material. Due to slight variations with each pass on the wheel it keeps the convex edge.
+Elwood I use buffing wheels also. I use those to polish up the bevels after the sanding belts. For sharpening I would recommend the paper wheels. I have used them to put the final polished edge on hundreds of knives. I got mine from Grizzly tool supply.
id love something like that for axes or machetes but in my opinion putting a high end knife on power equipment in the garage is like fixing a rolls royce with duct tape.
I will admit that I would not start with an expensive knife using power tools. It take a lot of practice to make sure the edge is not being heated up and that you don't mess up the grind. This is also overkill for an edge that just needs to be touched up. I did however use this exact equipment to put a mirror polished edge on a Fiddleback Forge Recluse (value $250) just a few weeks ago. Here are a few pics of the finished edge: goo.gl/photos/sKJDSpuBGd7mUmc57 . For touch-ups I really like the Spyderco Sharpmaker.
Outside appoligies if i sounded harsh but if i could make a recomendation for touch ups and final sharpening in genearl. id say lapped balsa strops with 3 micron and another with 1 micron diamonds. it does take a bit longer but if you accidentally hold 10 or 20 degrees over bevel, balsa wood wont make a new micro bevel at the incorrect angle like ceramic will. i do 3, 1, 0.5 and 0.1 micron and ive gotten up to 5 shavings off a piece of hair in the same spot.
Jake A No worries. I know everyone has their own preferred sharpening methods. I enjoy trying new methods myself. I have been meaning to try balsam wood strops loaded with compound. All the best.
+ruben barrientos I sharpen into the edge using the belts and away from the edge on the wheel. The wheel has small gaps every inch. That gap could catch the edge and throw the knife of you sharpen into it. I sharpen into the edge on the belts. That is how they work best. That excludes leather, cork and scotch bright belts. Those will grab the edge or cut the belt.
my sharpening system is a Tormek, and Razor-Sharp paper wheels on a Delta grinder.
I use 3.5 micron and 1 micron diamond pastes (Kent Supplies) on the paper wheels.
Both paper wheels use a Tormek bar for accuracy. I've used this for about a decade.
It works *really* well for knives, chisels, plane irons etc..
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm th-cam.com/users/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
Thanks for the video. Baldor (sounds like BAL-dorr) is about half an hour from here. Great company that many of our locals work for.
I like how the big belt forms to the blade for a good convex ape (something stones cant do and the looseness in the belt seems to allow more forgiveness in exact angle) then the grinder is more for polishing ..probably the best overall way to do it. I see in videos the makers at Puma use a similar belt. Proper paper cut test goes straight into paper not across it so kudos there too.
It's interesting to see all the different methods people are using to sharpen their knives. I have been using the grizzly razor sharp paper wheels exclusively. I can't imagine needing or wanting a sharper knife than I get using the paper wheels. Only takes a minute too.
Thank you for your replies! I like your system better than the 1x30 systems.
Sure thing. There are several benefits to the 1x42 vs a 1x30. The biggest is the speed on the 1x30 is way too fast. The 1x42 is half the speed of the 1x30. It also has much more power.
Good job brother.
Is there enough clearance over the drive and idler wheels to accommodate Scotchbrite belts?
I have not used a scotch brite belt on the Kalamazoo but I have used a leather belt. The tool rest has to be adjusted to allow for the thicker belt but it does work. This is a guess regarding the scotch brite belt but I think it would fit too. Worst case scenario the yellow guard on the idler wheel can be removed as can the tool rest. That would allow for just about any thickness of belt. I have run a scotch brite belt on my 2x72 belt grinder and love the soft satin finish it makes.
Is there a razor harp wheel or some form of similar attachment that can be added to a regular electric angle grinder?
Is the Baldor belt sander you use available to purchase as a unit? If so, where? Thank you.
Do you use an angle gauge on the belt sander - or do you sharpen freehand?
If I am going for a convex edge I sharpen freehand. If I am going for a v edge I use an angle guide. I made them myself from some scrap wood around the shop. I made a 15, 17 and 20 degree guide.
Hi and thanks for sharing the video. I learned many things. I only have a few questions: Is not a very big jump from 400 grit to polishing discs? Would not it be better to take the knife to 800 and then to 1000 grit and finally to the polishing discs? Thank you.
The speed of the Kalamazoo 1SM roughly 1,800 rpm is too high to go above 400 grit without quickly overheating the tempered steel edge. I now have a variable speed grinder which I can reduce the speed and go up to higher grits on. If you have variable speed capability I would recommend dropping the speed to 850 rpm or even lower on higher grit belts above 400 grit.
Got the same two Grissley wheels on a HF 6 inch buffer. I reversed the buffer backward.
Some good videos on our product! Thanks Derek Melton , Simple Little Life and FireAnt! RazorSharp Edgemaking Systems is s small company that employs only 4 people!!! Thanks for keeping us BUSY!!!
Thumbs up! Thanks. If you wouldn't mind could you tell me the details on the mask/respirator you are using.
+Bruce B sure. It is the 3M 6000 series full face respirator.
Thank you my friend.
How often do you clean the stropping wheel?
I apply fresh compound with each knife. I just hold the polishing compound against the wheel as it is turning.
Did you make this yourself? If so are you planning to sell a copy of the plans? If not where did you buy it from?
+Larry E. Quigley No, I did not make it. Search for Kalamazoo 1SM. Here is the amazon link: www.amazon.com/Kalamazoo-Sander-Motor-Contact-Wheel/dp/B000REJM3K
Could you tell me what you dress your paper wheels with?
The paper wheels come with a container of abrasive "powder" or grit and a container of wax. You put a little wax on the wheel then press some of the abrasive into the wax. There are videos showing how to "dress" the wheel. You can get them on Amazon I think they are called Razor Sharp. I have sharpened M390 steel on these and they work great. This guy is free handing the angle and unless you really know what you are doing and can hold an extremely consistent angle across the entire edge, I would use a jig. The jig allows you to set a precise angle and hold it across the whole edge. The Tormek is a grinder that has a jig allowing you to set the angle, as an example of a sharpener that has a jig and is a wheel grinder. He is doing a lot of things right like not going past the center of the belt with the tip, if you do the probability you will round the tip off goes up considerably. What he is doing takes a lot of practice to get right. Another ingredient in sharpening is repeatability of the angle for successive sharpenings. Knowing the angle and being able to set it again is important unless you want to remove more material than necessary. Using his system you should only need to use the wheel with the slots in it to get the knife very sharp, once the knife has an edge.
If you make an angle jig to consistently do the same angle you wont need to do the sharpie every time.
+Robert Wilder The sharpie also functions as a visual aid to more easily see when all of the scratch marks from the previous grit belt vahe been removed.
+Robert Wilder The sharpie also functions as a visual aid to more easily see when all of the scratch marks from the previous grit belt vahe been removed.
+Robert Wilder The sharpie also functions as a visual aid to more easily see when all of the scratch marks from the previous grit belt vahe been removed.
Actually, it doesn't.
It does confirm that you're getting the right angle at low speeds, like if you held the knife in a fixture and turned the wheel by hand or if you were working against a stone, but at higher speeds you'll take the sharpie off as long as you're close, and by the same principal you'll wipe the sharpie off the low spots in the previous grit's scratches before you get to the bottom of those scratches.
That is ESPECIALLY the case when you use it on the paper wheel, where the wax in the compound will wipe the sharpie off without actually making perfect contact.
You'll also find that different color sharpies work differently. You would think that black would work the best because it gives you the most contrast, but on metal it's actually harder to see than blue and red and green are the second best. Sharpie ink is also different thicknesses in different colors, as well as "flakes" off the surface differently (this is really obvious if you use it as a marking compound for machining), and black is thicker and popps off easier making it much less precise for marking something like this than the other colors.
I hate to say it, but if you look carefully in your video, you can see that your pass to pass angle varies enough that your grind has different facets that you can see catching the light as you move the knife. Using a slack belt/a convex grind prevents that if you're angles are close, but you're not all that close.
Your demonstration with the paper actually shows that you didn't get it all that sharp. That knife profile should go through even very thin paper like butter, but you have to hold it at an angle and even need some sawing action to get it to "push cut" with some fairly heavy paper.
It's still sharper than what most people have in their knife drawer, but it's not really sharp and I suspect that it would take some work to shave hair with it. If you wanted to save what you've done somewhat, you could likely make it perform better by following this up with a hand strop with a decent soft knap to it, but honestly the best bet would be to learn to more precisely hold the angle or fixture the angle somehow.
Mark Pikas agreed, and personally I'd actually rather a flat sharpen, like off a flat stone. Or a convex sharpen, like on a chisel or plane blade. That way every time you want it sharp again off a little use. A nice flat strope(hone) will sharpen it right up. Please correct me if you think differently, always keen to learn something new.
Cheers
You mentioned you do hollow grinds. How do you do that with your belt grinder - I don't see an exposed wheel ? Also does the motor get in the way when you grind to the left ?
Would the belt sander operation be easier if the belt was moving away from you (upward direction)? Can you grind from the other side of the unit? It looks open. Just a thought. Thanks!
Do you lose the convex edge when you move to the wheel? It seems like it would undo some of your work honing the edge on a wheel that leaves the blade concave.
+Elwood The wheel uses a white polishing compound which leaves a mirror polish. It is a very high grit and removes very little material. Due to slight variations with each pass on the wheel it keeps the convex edge.
Thanks for the response. I'm trying to decide if I want to get one of these wheels or a felt buffing wheel.
+Elwood I use buffing wheels also. I use those to polish up the bevels after the sanding belts. For sharpening I would recommend the paper wheels. I have used them to put the final polished edge on hundreds of knives. I got mine from Grizzly tool supply.
I bet one of the secrets to using a wood based wheel is it does have a bit of give to it to retain that convex shape
Make your own from MDF (medium density fiber board). They work as good as the paper.
DONDE LO PUEDO COMPRAR
id love something like that for axes or machetes but in my opinion putting a high end knife on power equipment in the garage is like fixing a rolls royce with duct tape.
I will admit that I would not start with an expensive knife using power tools. It take a lot of practice to make sure the edge is not being heated up and that you don't mess up the grind. This is also overkill for an edge that just needs to be touched up. I did however use this exact equipment to put a mirror polished edge on a Fiddleback Forge Recluse (value $250) just a few weeks ago. Here are a few pics of the finished edge: goo.gl/photos/sKJDSpuBGd7mUmc57 .
For touch-ups I really like the Spyderco Sharpmaker.
Outside appoligies if i sounded harsh but if i could make a recomendation for touch ups and final sharpening in genearl. id say lapped balsa strops with 3 micron and another with 1 micron diamonds. it does take a bit longer but if you accidentally hold 10 or 20 degrees over bevel, balsa wood wont make a new micro bevel at the incorrect angle like ceramic will. i do 3, 1, 0.5 and 0.1 micron and ive gotten up to 5 shavings off a piece of hair in the same spot.
kinda makes me mad because i can get my pocket knife sharper than my straight razor lol
Jake A No worries. I know everyone has their own preferred sharpening methods. I enjoy trying new methods myself. I have been meaning to try balsam wood strops loaded with compound. All the best.
Nymeria Gloves agreed! Also, such a waste of metal off your blade. You wouldnt catch me putting one of my knives to be sharpened that way.
212- 220 what ever
Classic! We still quote that to show our ignorance and insecurities.
why do some sharpen against the grain and some with the grain
+ruben barrientos I sharpen into the edge using the belts and away from the edge on the wheel. The wheel has small gaps every inch. That gap could catch the edge and throw the knife of you sharpen into it. I sharpen into the edge on the belts. That is how they work best. That excludes leather, cork and scotch bright belts. Those will grab the edge or cut the belt.