work sharp opinions?

I have a Tormek so I can’t help you, but I’m sure you will get a lot of opinions and good advice here.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Steve:
I bought the 2000 year and am pleased with it. I would have bought the 3000 if it were available if only for the wider gate for my large plane irons.
I did build a jig to keep the correct angle for my blades and I have sourced a less expensive menthod for replacing the papers.
Lee Valley has decent offering” as well but it has a different price point.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I have one and like it. I wish it would open up to do 2 3/8 ” irons other wise it works like it’s supposed to.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

I have the 3000, and love it. I struggled with the glass & sandpaper method (by struggled, I mean, I got tired and bored), and decided to get the Work Sharp before trying stones. The thing is fast and accurate.

The only complaint I have is the “chisel and plane port” was not “out of the box” aligned parallel (though it was tangential) to the disk, so it caused the blade to form a slight (5 degrees or so) trapezoid. This caused some problems when I tried to align the iron in the plane body, before I realized what was wrong. Luckily the device has an adjustment screw, and a few turns fixed the problem.

It works great for sharpening my chisels and plane irons, and I’ve used it to sharpen my leathermans (is the plural of leatherman “leathermen”?) and kitchen knives as well. I don’t currently do any wood turning so I don’t need to sharpen gouges, but am comforted to know I have that covered as well with this one device.

-- 10 fingers, 2 eyes, and healthy lungs. for now. :P

Steve,
I recently purchased the wolverine sharpening system with jigs. It works great and may be an option to consider. “http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1998&mode=details#tabs”

-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

thanks for the info guys.

trifern: ive looked into alot of the add-on grinder sharpening systems and considered them.. just seems to be to much self involvement, set up etc for me.. the easier the better for me i think, set the angle / width of blade, plunge, and the entire width of the blade is sharp… you gain alot more options with a system like the wolverine, but also take on alot more responsibility and work.

the only difference i see b/n the 2000 and 3000 is the angles, is this right? arent most chisels 25deg and basic smoothing planes 25? i know about low angle block planes but havent bought 1 or even used 1 yet… just dont know if i should buy the 3000 for future tools or go with the 2000 for the 1’s i have… =/

-- Aint nothin to it but to do it!

I wonder if they have offered a retrofit for the 2000. That would be a welcome addition for us early adopters.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Hi Steve,

If you will look in the reviews section reviews on this tool have been posted. I have the 3000 and wouldn’t trade it for any other sharpener. I used a jig with stones and sandpaper and struggled to get an adequate edge on my chisels and plane irons. When the Worksharp became available I made up my mind to purchase one and have never regretted the decision. Out of the box I got a mirror finish on my chisels and got them razor sharp (enough to shave the hair off my arms).

For a comparison of the two systems go to Rockler’s web site:

http://www.rockler.com/tech/RTD10000430AA.pdf

By the way for only $100 more the 3000 appears to me to be the better buy.

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

I have the 3000, and I would gladly recommend it. Especially true if you are not skilled at honing on a stone.

-- Maplewood, MN

thanks so much guys for all the info, im pretty sure this is the tool that im looking for. i think i am going to purchase the 3000 for the added angles. even tho its double the price, im sure as i get more planes and chisels it will be a decision i will be happy i made.

i know for myself it makes all the difference in the world when a tool is tuned up… almost makes me excited lol. i just bought a new 1/4 chisel for small dovetail cleanup, the edge was razor sharp and i havent used a chisel that sharp in a loooong time… i ended up doing 3x the work… i actually enjoyed it because of the quality and ease of work due to the tool.

there’s alot of times i go to a hand plane even tho i can just run a board through the jointer/planer just for the satisfaction it gives me of knowing ive surfaced the board by hand. thats the main reason ive put off buying a machine like this.. cause of the joy of knowing ive sharpened the tool by hand too, but i think i will gladly trade that for something that gets me back to the wood faster.

-- Aint nothin to it but to do it!

I’m pretty sure the 2000 runs at twice the rpm’s of the 3000. That in itself is a big reason I’ll go with the 3000 if I end up going this route.

-- johnjoiner

I MADE A MODEL ERROR above re the worksharp.
I have the 3000 not the 2000.
I would have to go to the website to verify the models as I don’t have these in fromt of me. T
The 3000 I have dose not accept plane irons from either #6 or #7 jacks which are 2-3/8” wide. The lowe guide only fits up to 2” irons. I got confused by the mention that they had announced a new wider guid for one of the models and obviously not the 3000 that I purchased.
Sorry for any confusion.
If you will need the wider gate it’s worth a call to the manufacturer to be sure.

regards

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

well i don’t have one but I’ve heard a lot of good things about the ws1000 and thats the one that I’m sold on. I’ll just try to buy 25 deg. chisels or convert the ones that i already have to 25 deg. if you have the extra money though you could go with the ws2000 or ws3000 but for the small budget that i have the ws1000 will work fine.

“well i don’t have one but I’ve heard a lot of good things about the ws1000 “

That’s a new one for me? Where did you see that?

http://www.worksharptools.com/pilot.asp?pg=comparison

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob, I think he means the 2000. That’s the one I have. I too found a much cheaper source for PSA discs at an auto parts shop, O’Reillys. Made by 3M and a quarter the price. Have to trim just a little, but worth it. How did you fix up an angle jig? I’ve considered grinding a flat on the support bar and then fabricating or modifying a blade holder and using the flat to reference the holder so it doesn’t rotate around the axis of the bar.

-- North Texas

Hi Tom:
He could men the 2000 but he did mention the 200 and 3000 being a bit steep for him>??
maybe thinking of seomthing else.

Thanks for the tip re the abrasives. They seem a bit steep.
I’ve been adding pressure sensitive material to the back of regular sheets and cutting out the circles.
I made a jig up when I got it and blogged it here”.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

So the groove in the UHMW clamps to the tool bar, but does it clamp down enough to prevent it turning on the bar? That’s the reason I was considering grinding a flat on the bar. BTW, thanks!

-- North Texas

It works like this Tom:
There is a fulcrum point where the goove in the UMHW rests in the bar. The other end of the fulcrum is where the blade of the tool contacts the rotating table.
By adjusting the height of the bar you can adjust the angle of the blade contact. As well as this adjustment, you can alter the angle by extending the blade in the holder but that is limited by the length of the blade you are presenting.
So 3 variables can be set to lock in the blade angle.
I use the wixey gauge to make sure I get the proper setting before I lock everything down.

please note that this shot was taken before I made the UMHW key for the blade holder.

Cheers
Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner