Review of the WorkSharp WS3000

Looks like a handy accessory Wayne.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

dO YOU THINK IT’S POSSIBLE TO MODIFY IT TO TAKE A LARGER BLADE?

-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/

I agree it looks like pretty fast tool for sharpening small flat blades. How are you going to sharpen your jointer and planer blades. I would also like to know how you can sharpen your curved tools on this machine – that would be interesting.

The Tormek still wins hands down for me at the moment – but I am open to conversion

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

looks like a nice tool. been thinking of getting one but i too don’t like how it has the limitation in blade size. thanks for the post.

I keep seeing one of these at my local tool dealer…everytime I go in there it whispers…”buy me, buy me”. Great review…now I have some positive info on it, thanks Wayne.

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

Tony

I think Tormak or Jet wins hands down for long blades such as jointer/planer blades or kitchen knives for that matter. Curved tools can be done free hand from above using the guide or from below using the see through sharpener. But I think that the Tormak would be more flexable and controlled. Especially with all of the Jigs available.

I think the main benefit of this tool is for chisels, and plane blades that are below 2”. From a plane perspective this covers every thing except the wider bench planes 4 1/2, 5 1/2, 6, 7, 8.

I really like the ability of the tool to flatten the back of blades. Especially on wide blades (the 2” limit does not apply here) where it is much more efficient to do this on the Worksharp compared to sandpaper or on a stone. From my perspective this the most time consuming part of sharpening. Once you get the back flat and polished, grinding a bevel and honing is easy and quick with pretty much any method you would use.

Obi,

They are supposed to be coming out with a jig that can be used from above that will get past the 2” limitation. I bet they would sell a ton of them if they actually release them.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

great review. good info. its nice to read an objective review on this, as I’ve been looking at it for quite some time, but you can’t really judge it by all the fanboy advertisements this unit is getting lately.

it does look like an awesome easy to use dummy proof sharpener for smaller chisels and planes, but the size limitation keeps it at that boundary.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I don’t see blade size as a limitation. I easily sharpened my #7 blade on this by hand with no issue. Simply rest the blade on the bar and eyeball the angle. Once you have it in place you simple rock the blade up and down. You get the angle close enough and the blade is super sharp when done. I am getting see-through savings from my jointer plane after sharpening. Its a low cost, low risk investment. I wouldn’t say it is a replacement for the Tormek or the Jet. I believe those hit a different audience (people who use hand tools extensively and sharpen frequently). However, if you occasionally need to sharpen a chisel or hand plane this is a superb system. You could use this system with greater frequency but I believe you would burn through a lot of sandpaper (which isn’t cheap) and would ultimately work up to the cost of the JET and maybe the Tormek.

-- ...and remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses - Norm Abram

Had one for a while and think it is great. Yes wider blsdes can be done on the top and it works well. A good buy.

-- WOOD/DON (...one has the right to ones opinion but not the right to ones own facts...)

This is a nice review, Wayne. I have one of these and until I started using it could only get a marginally sharp edge on my chisels and plane irons. But now I can get an edge sharp enough to shave with. I consider it money well spent.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Wayne – thanks for the review. I just finished sharpening about 30 carving tools and chisels on a borrowed Worksharp and have recommended that our club buy one for use by members for a small fee. The reason for this recommendation was that once the tools are properly beveled and sharpened you can easily hone with a buffing wheel over a long period of time without going back to the Worksharp. I really liked the see-through disc for sharpening the gouges.

-- Phil in British Columbia

Wayne
Is that tool guide accesory something new? I wasn’t aware they had anything other than the wheels/paper yet for extras. Would it be possible to do 2+” blades on that with the guide mounted up top and the blade clamped on? I keep doing the wide ones the old-fashioned way on glass or a granite slab. I dont much like the idea of trying to free hand them up top and doing a consistent angle from grit to grit. It sure would be nice to speed the sharpening on those too.
Other than that little pecadillo, the machine is a great timesaver and works extremely well, especially considering the relatively low price.

-- Use the fence Luke

I have one like it alot,good luck with yours good review.

-- franklinalbert@sbcglobal.net

Great review, thanks!

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com

Excellent review , I found it very helpful . Please post back when you get to use the Guide for carving and lathe tools . I would be interested in reading what you think about it . Thanks again !

Will do. Not been doing much woodworking or playing on the site due to very high time commitements at work.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I just purchased a Worksharp 3000 after seeing Shannon Rogers using it on a Renaissance Woodworker podcast. I’ve been spending the afternoon sharpening chisels and turning tools. All I can say is … I love it. My tools have never been this sharp!

-- Jim Sollows --- Langley BC Canada --- www.sollows.ca

It is very tempting to want one of these due to the speed you can get through your tools. BUT I am always shocked at the lack of micro bevel honing. It seems like an integral part of sharpening any tool so how can it not be an integral part of this system?

-- Wipe the blood stains from your blade before coming in.

Even without the micro bevel it is a big time saver. Especially if your working with a new blade or restoring an old blade. If you want a micro bevel, you can use the worksharp to establish your primary angle and go with waterstones from there.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I picked up the wide blade accessory today. I will try to get to testing it this weekend. Hopefully this will overcome a key limitation.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I just got one of this at Sears, they had it on sale for $189.99 and I was able to recover all my old rusted out chisels complete with micro bevel and they cut something scary. But what impresses me is the amount of time I saved doing it. The longest time was needed to recover the flat base on the iron.
After honing the primary angle just make a small adjustment to the tool and do the micro bevel came up fantastic. And so easy my 13 years old son can do it.
I just ordered the 3600 and 6000 honing kit an additional Glass Disk, the Leather Disk.
Was quite tempted to buy the new Wide Blade Attachment, that allows to sharpen up to 3” wide blades
I am sure i will keep thing about that one.
Oh and by the way great review and nice photos.

Wayne mentioned a removable tool guide that can be mounted on the back or front to assist in the sharpening process. It seems that TS has eliminated this accessory from the available list. Does any one know what happened to this feature?

I realized that I wrote TS instead of WorkSharp. My apologies.

Hi jas

i have the baby workshop and i dont know how i lived without mine so i know how you feel about yours lol….....

-- cut it saw it scrap it

There is a tendency for every john, jack, or jimmy. to knock out sharpening machines of all sorts.I can see why , there’s a lot of money in these machines. They are for what they are very expensive in my opinion.At the end of the day a slow moving motor with a flat plate and a sandpaper disc made by yopurself , I feel could be fiddled and worked with within a short time to give an equally good result.I am saying sharpenning is not rocket science and the machines like this are hardly so sophisticated it could not be copied by an competent hand worker ,such as we woodworkers.These things are too expensive for what they are! And the companies are ripping people off because people are being made afraid of sharpening even with such a device unless you work out the basics this machine will be of little use to you make your own sorry for the rant but if this were say a hundred bucks I would say go for it but sorry not worth the money they are asking. my 2 cents now many will disagree I know and understand then sorry I don’t mean to offend anyone just my humble opinion.Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Alistair
i do agree with what your saying but in defence when i was working on site and using my chiesels all day every day the worksharp took the pain of sharping them at the end of each day so for convenience you can’t go wrong and they do pay for themselfs in time and labour

Andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

Yes of course that’s why they sell ! I bought a sixteen inch horizontal wheeled machine with jigs for all sorts of things,It works simply enough on the principal of an oil immersion pump, so as it turns the large wheel gets covered in oil .Wow what a finish this makes, however I would not have bought it new. I was lucky it was advertised at an auction as having no motor and no pump when I got it home it had both fitted well up inside the body of the cabinet I bought the whole thing for about seventy dollars or less.Now that’s a full cabinet machine I’m talking about .But all I’m saying is that the principal is simple.I see another famous company selling a small belt sander fleecing people for a lot of money, when any belt sander—linisher would do the same job. Why should their belt sharpener be worth ten times the cost of any other siimilar belt sander linisher? It doesn’t make sense, anyway It’s just my opinion could be I am wrong very possible. These things tend to anger me when I see decent woodworkers and fellow jock’s being made over the odds prices for a what is basically a very simple device sorry didn’t mean to upset anyone Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Alistair you could never upset anyone and as i said i do agree with your words and if i had to pay for mine i would had to think long and hard over the price and as you know we do tend to pay more here in the UK than in the states i’m just happy that i have a loving wife lol….... and as it is the only new toy in my workshop i think we all deserve something new dont we lol….......

Andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

Pommy my friend well said we certainly do I keep reminding myself I worked damned hard all my life so now it’s time to buy the goodies tolds ,tools ,tools ,tools, tools ,tools ,music to my ears LOL kindest regards Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Alistair you must look at RUTLANDS on line cat they have a 10% off at the moment just see what they charge now i got mine for £89 + in a sale so even when i get new toy i still look for the good price lol…....

Andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

Sorry Pommy what is it you got for £89+ ?I like rutlands have you ever tried Tilgear they are in the uk but don’t sell online I don’t think they have always good bargains.Kindest regards Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Pommy I looked up Rutlands they show it at £189 I can’t understand how you got it so cheap unless I am doing something wrong.Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease