Shop Made Honing Machine

I was communicating in a project from dbhost about this honing machine so I thought I would share it here. I got this motor (1/2 hp 1750rpm) from Metal Mike, a nieghbor, same guy who traded a working drll press for a broken band saw. I took 2 peices of MDF and glued them together, roughed a circle, about 10” diameter, then mounted it on my lathe. I turned it into a perfect circle, lathes are good at that. I then purchased a work arbor from woodcraft, I think $14. Mounted the MDF circle to the arbor and then charged it with white buffing compound. The wheel turns up and away from me, which is opposite from a grinder, but this is good for honing. I don’t have a tool rest so I have to freehand the tools, seems to work pretty good anyway. I am showing a menards Tool Shop chisel in the picture. I simply turn it on and hold the edge up to it so that the back of the edge is also against the wheel. When the “black mud” starts to roll over the top of the edge, it is sharp, very sharp and has a mirror finish. I use this to hone my Chefs Knives ( I can drop a tomato on it and have 2 peices) turning tools, chisels, planes irons, you name it.

-- As the Saw Turns