# I think I am ready for a powered sharpening system, but which?



## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I know this can be a tiring subject and I did do some searching but could use some input. I started out with whetstones but grew tired of all the slop/slurry making a mess and it had to go. I moved to "scary Sharp" using PSA on float glass with six different grits and its cleaner but still a bit of a pain. I don't like the fact that I can't hone using a back and forth motion due to the blades ability to cut the paper. I also have grown to hate fiddling with my cheap honing guide to get to the right angle each time.

I want to solve three common issues 1) being able to tune up a tool with a bad grind, chip or angle correction quickly. 2) Highly repeatable bevel angles 3) sitting down and sharpening all of my chisels and blades at one time like before starting a project.

I have about twelve chisels, 25 hand planes and will soon add craving tools to my shop. Ideally if whatever I get can do all three it would be a win. Ease of setup and storage is needed so I don't keep finding myself working with tools that are in need of an edge. I know this is not going to be cheap so if I am going to go big I want this to be the last sharpening system I buy. I am also aware that some of the accessories can push the cost up quickly. To those of you that are power sharpeners I would love your feedback, thanks.


----------



## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

1: I have a Makita wet wheel. Messy. Always had trouble with consistent bevel. Going to buy a new planer with a Byrd or Lux head, so won't need a gig for that.
2: Bought a WorkSharp. Kind of nifty. Just ordered diamond wheels for it as the paper lasts seconds. 
3: just ordered the M-Power jig. It looks like it may be the easiest yet. I expect to use it for the 1200, then go to manual for 3000 and strop. 
4: or my Jointer blades, I found the aluminum block that holds two on paper to work excellently. Better than power, but I ordered a Shelix head to obsolete it. 
5: Had a cheap copy of a Tormak and gave it away. 
6: I also have the low speed Rikon grinder and just got a Wolverine jig for lathe tools. If nothing else, a far better platform than is stock. Do the primary grins, then 1200 diamond plate for second bevel and leather strop. Secondary only needs to be large enough for the edge. Not much larger than a hair, so bu hand is actually easier and quicker than any jig or machine.

Not happy with any of my methods for carving gouges. Maybe they poor quality of my tools. More to experiment with. I have water slip-stones for the inside de-bur. Don't know if that is best, or shape some wood and use paper.

So, in a few weeks, I'll have an "edge-off" and put all the loosers up for sale. Maybe recover enough for a new 1200 DMT plate. I know my Sypderco and black Ark. stones are OBE for me. Foe that they do, I think I lkie th estop better.

Everyone has their choice. A lot prefer water stones over oil or ceramic. What is right is what works for you. The only problem I have with Scary system is paper quality. For now, 3M only, but open to suggestions.

Pretty much the full gauntlet. Pick your potion. I can still do a plane iron or bench chisel by hand as quick as I could set up a machine. I did have a very good instructor and have never seen any y-tube with Joel's technique.


----------



## RClark (Jun 1, 2012)

Right up front: I'm not the expert. I don't even play one on TV. 

I use several methods.

1. Power sharpening. I have a *10" Jet Slow Speed wet grinder.* It's the Tormek clone. I bought mine about 15 years ago. I used it for several years and then it sat, underused, for a number of years. A couple years ago I decide to get it back out and get it going again. What I use it for:

- Grinding new edges; it's not as fast as grinding wheel, but it does a good job in taking large nicks out of chisel blades and putting new edges on plane irons. It leaves a hollow grind, which is fine by me.

- Sharpening lathe tools. I don't do enough lathe work to make it beneficial to me to invest in a setup specifically for lathe tools. This one is "good enough".

- I have sharpened my jointer blades using this machine. It's about time to do that again.

In my view, the Jet wet grinder won't make things "scary sharp" but it does get them ready for honing a nice edge.

2. *Stones*. I have three decent stones: Soft Arkansas, Hard Arkansas, and a Hard Arkansas Black. I use them to hone my chisels, plane irons, and spokeshaves. I'll get the edges almost all the way there on the Jet and then use the stones to hone the final edge.

3. Sandpaper/glass. This is what I started out with, and I still have this capability. I used some polished granite tiles as the flat surface when I first started, but i recently happened upon some tempered glass for free and so I'm likely to reconstitute the setup using that. Like you, my jig is cheap. I will probably upgrade that guide. I use the heavy cloth backed sandpaper up through 220 grit to provide durability. I also use 10-12 grits, from 60 up to 2000. But, this method is slow. I think a good guide is key to getting a square edge and not tearing up the sandpaper.

I do have a bench grinder, but I don't have any wheels suited for sharpening tasks.

One other thing: This past year I discovered the use of a strop. *Frequent stropping* of a freshly honed edge is a very good thing. Frequent stropping while using the tools will also get more mileage on the tool between full-up sharpening sessions. Strops are not new; the experienced hands here might read this and ask, "What took you so long to learn that?" That's a dang good question.

Bottom line: I haven't found the final answer, and I think many woodworkers are just like me. I use a blend of the methods and do what seems best with the situation presented.


----------



## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Don't know about the carving tools, but for chisels and planes I think my choice would be a Worksharp, with a caveat. The bad grind stuff (or a deep nick) can take a while on WS. It gets it done, just a little slower than a slow speed grinder (dry grinder). What I like better but gets fairly costly is a Tormek with CBN wheels. The CBN takes the water out of the equation, and they cut fairly rapidly. Even so, the WS is a very good choice.


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

I have the Worksharp and sing its praises regularly. However, there are some drawbacks, particularly since they stopped making/selling two accessory kits which are what make the sharpener so versatile for me. Those accessories are the Wide Blade attachment with gives you a table flush with the top of the abrasives and the Tormek style bar that allows you to use various shop made and Tormek jigs for things like carving tools. For me, it's a one-stop shop for all of my sharpening needs with the exception of turning tools. I still prefer my bench grinder with Wolverine setup for those.

So, I can't really recommend it for a full-function sharpening system unless you're comfortable rigging up those two accessories yourself and making or buying jigs as needed for special tools like carving tools.

If I didn't have diamond plates, oil stones galore, a bench grinder with wolverine attachments, the Worksharp, a variety of jigs, lapping papers and granite plates, a 1×30 belt grinder and a 2×72 belt grinder already in the shop and was just starting out and knew what I knew now… I'd snatch the Sorby Proedge in a heartbeat. The price makes the heart skip a beat or two. But, it's a buy once cry once (with the exception of abrasives and future jigs). I'd just have to figure out how to sneak it past the wife…


----------



## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

ive got a tormek system not cheap but sounds like your willing to spend whats needed.it will sharpen just about anything with an edge with the right accessories from chisels tp an axe or planer blade.depending on how many attachements you need your gonna spend around 1k give or take.once that pain in your chest stops you can look further if it sounds good.ive also got wet stones,oil stones,diamond plates,there just is no magic way to put on a good edge without some effort.i like the tormek for what it can do.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I have a Makita with an extra 1000 grit wheel the previous owner used on gouges. There are concentric rings in the shape of the gouges on it. Wheels are about $60 each I think.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I have a Makita with an extra 1000 grit wheel the previous owner used on gouges. There are concentric rings in the shape of the gouges on it. Wheels are about $60 each I think.

Makita is messy and you can get wet if you're not wearing an apron and you might still get wet. I have only used it in the warmer months in the past so getting wet didn't bother me much. I haven't used it with an apron either because I'm a slow learner.


----------



## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I recommend the Tormek. I'm on my second machine I will buy a third if I live long enough to wear out my second.


----------



## sepeck (Jul 15, 2012)

I've just switched to this system this week so have no long term data but when I found Matt Estlea's video I was "HEY! That looks so straight forward, all in." He uses a Tormek to set the initial bevel, then uses water stones with a guide to sharpen it. To touch up, he uses stones until it's time to redo the bevel.

As I am a hobbyists (2 sets of chisels and 3 planes) and do not have the money for a Tormek, I picked up the WEN wet/dry version from Home Depot for the initial set and will be using my existing diamond stones. I have an eclipse guide and need to make the angle jig Matt mentions but did a quick measure and clamp and tried it with one chisel. It worked better then the Paul Sellers by hand method I had been using which was frankly frustrating.

Most recent overview video is here

How to get a STUPIDLY SHARP edge on a PLANE blade
How to get a DEADLY SHARP edge on a CHISEL
Honing Guide PROTRUSION STOP

He's got others but you have search skills 

NOTE: Several folks mentioned that the WEN has a softer stone then the Tormek, which should be fine for my hobby use and if not, I can always replace the stone when it gets worn anyway.


----------



## Kudzupatch (Feb 3, 2015)

Makita user and well pleased with mine. Up front I will say I am sure the Tormek/clones will do a fine job too. Cost is why I went with Makita. I could find then used at a good price.

I have all three stones for mine. So I can grind out a nick and the sharpen it to shaving sharp. But just barely able to shave but I find that plenty sharp.

I do my planer and joiner blades too. Planer blades were the main reason I went with this way. Been a good choice for me and I have no regrets. I would buy another one.

My only issue is that it can be wet but I think that is because; 
1. water control, the drip rate is a little hard to get just right. It slows as the reservoir empties.
2. I think we tend to put to much water on the wheel so it slings off.

I have found that when I adjust the water just right there is very little being slung off. But it is easier to put to much than fuss with the little valve. Too much water and it is a mess! So an apron is a good thing.

I have thought about getting some sort of magnetic angle gauge to set on the bar and be able to repeat an angle more consistently. But I tend to set it and just sharpen everything at the same angle. Works for me. Not optimal but I keep in on the drainboard of my sink so I just step over and touch up a blade in a couple of minutes.


----------



## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

> ive got a tormek system not cheap but sounds like your willing to spend whats needed.it will sharpen just about anything with an edge with the right accessories from chisels tp an axe or planer blade.depending on how many attachements you need your gonna spend around 1k give or take.once that pain in your chest stops you can look further if it sounds good.ive also got wet stones,oil stones,diamond plates,there just is no magic way to put on a good edge without some effort.i like the tormek for what it can do.
> 
> - pottz


Same here. Yes an investment to be sure BUT it does give consistent results. Had for 20 years never an issue, just sharp tools.


----------



## dschlic1 (Jan 3, 2013)

I use a Worksharp. I found a 1200 grit 6" diamond plate on Amazon and use that to touch up the bevel. I also have a MDF disk which I coat with green polishing compound to hone the edge. If you don't misuse your edged tools, all you really need to do is hone them when you have to increase the force to cut. Honing on the WS takes less then a minute, I do it free hand.


----------



## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Wow, a $520 belt sander! I winder what makes it so fantastic?



> I have the Worksharp and sing its praises regularly. However, there are some drawbacks, particularly since they stopped making/selling two accessory kits which are what make the sharpener so versatile for me. Those accessories are the Wide Blade attachment with gives you a table flush with the top of the abrasives and the Tormek style bar that allows you to use various shop made and Tormek jigs for things like carving tools. For me, it s a one-stop shop for all of my sharpening needs with the exception of turning tools. I still prefer my bench grinder with Wolverine setup for those.
> 
> So, I can t really recommend it for a full-function sharpening system unless you re comfortable rigging up those two accessories yourself and making or buying jigs as needed for special tools like carving tools.
> 
> ...


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> Wow, a $520 belt sander! I winder what makes it so fantastic?
> 
> - tvrgeek


From everyone I know that has one, it's the precision of the machining on the components from the drive system to the flat platen to the rest and the mechanism that locks it in. And the available jigs for it. And I personally prefer a belt system to a wheel for even wear, squareness and abrasive life. Also quick and easy to swap belts and go through grades. Plus, I'm not a fan of hollow ground bevels on most things. But, yeah, that price tag is steep. But, if you spend enough time sharpening it may be worth it. As expensive as it is and as cheap as most of us are when it comes to "luxury" items like a power sharpener, everyone I know personally that has plopped down the cash for it has been glad they did.


----------



## corelz125 (Sep 23, 2015)

I use a worksharp for fast and repeatable it's hard to beat. To grind a chip or a new bevel it's not very fast.


----------



## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

> Wow, a $520 belt sander! I winder what makes it so fantastic?
> 
> - tvrgeek
> 
> ...


Pretty sure got twice that amount in Water stones, Arkansas Oil stones an DMT Diamond stones, and just bought my 3rd bench grinder, 8" with a 2" belt on one side. Hollow grind everything that is possible? (6" white stone on a hand powered grinder, guess that makes 4? ) Still find the best and fastest sharp edge done by hand


----------



## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Maybe I don't load it enough. Not having that much luck with MDF disk. Their leather disk is a bit thick and soft as it is reverse grain. I have some full grain I ay cut out and glue to a disk and se if that is the happy medium. Also freehand. Set down on primary, just rock it up a little.



> I use a Worksharp. I found a 1200 grit 6" diamond plate on Amazon and use that to touch up the bevel. I also have a MDF disk which I coat with green polishing compound to hone the edge. If you don t misuse your edged tools, all you really need to do is hone them when you have to increase the force to cut. Honing on the WS takes less then a minute, I do it free hand.
> 
> - dschlic1


----------



## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> I want to solve three common issues 1) being able to tune up a tool with a bad grind, chip or angle correction quickly. 2) Highly repeatable bevel angles 3) sitting down and sharpening all of my chisels and blades at one time like before starting a project.
> 
> I have about twelve chisels, 25 hand planes and will soon add craving tools to my shop. Ideally if whatever I get can do all three it would be a win. Ease of setup and storage is needed so I don t keep finding myself working with tools that are in need of an edge. I know this is not going to be cheap so if I am going to go big I want this to be the last sharpening system I buy. I am also aware that some of the accessories can push the cost up quickly. To those of you that are power sharpeners I would love your feedback, thanks.
> 
> - controlfreak


First of all 25 hand planes would definitely fall under craving tools - sorry, couldn't resist

A bench grinder and a jig will suffice for the first two issues.

I don't understand some people's aversion to stones other than cost, but you're only alternative is a Worksharp on wine end and Grizzly or Tormek on them other


----------



## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> I use a Worksharp. I found a 1200 grit 6" diamond plate on Amazon and use that to touch up the bevel.
> - dschlic1


Good idea. For $10, Chinese, Taiwanese or from Appalacia, it's worth $10 just to be able to leave it on my Worksharp. Being able to just turn around and stick the tool in there as I do is nice and I figure I'd get probably 50 times the longevity of the paper discs at least. SOLD.

I have adopted the Rob Cosman system and am determined to make it work for me. I also have a Worksharp which is handy for chisels. I use the Cosman system for the initial sharpening and for plane blades.












> I have the Worksharp and sing its praises regularly. However, there are some drawbacks, particularly since they stopped making/selling two accessory kits which are what make the sharpener so versatile for me. Those accessories are the Wide Blade attachment with gives you a table flush with the top of the abrasives and the Tormek style bar that allows you to use various shop made and Tormek jigs for things like carving tools.
> - HokieKen


There are a number of youtube vids on how to DIY those accessories, which is what I did.


----------



## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

Veritas power sharpener here which I believe is similar to the Worksharp. I usually let a bunch of things get dull before sharpening day. Takes no time to do plane blades and chisels on the Veritas. Works great for gouges and V tools too. Have extra platters with different grits for it. A white wheel on the bench grinder with a Veritas grinding jig for quick reshaping and removing chips or nicks. Water stones, diamond plates and various slips, etc. A Kalamazoo belt sander for knives etc. Many ways to skin a cat.


----------



## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Stones-Wheels-C175.aspxhttps://www.tormek.com/usa/en/accessories/honing-wheels/
Atoma diamond plates
Strops with Lee Valley's green compound.

Tormek with diamond wheels will get your there as well

Best of luck!


----------



## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

> ive got a tormek system not cheap but sounds like your willing to spend whats needed.it will sharpen just about anything with an edge with the right accessories from chisels tp an axe or planer blade.depending on how many attachements you need your gonna spend around 1k give or take.
> - pottz
> 
> Same here. Yes an investment to be sure BUT it does give consistent results. Had for 20 years never an issue, just sharp tools.
> - woodbutcherbynight


Ditto with the *Tormek*... as *pottzy* said it will sharpen just about everything you can point at it… even a stick in your eye… however, each attachment come at a reasonable cost but precise repeatability and time savings should also be costed when evaluating. 
I have water stones and diamond stones that now just sit there idle. They had a use once, but became more and more redundant as my *Tormek* jig collection grew.

One thing it will NOT do is reshape. Do not get rid of your old grinder. Once I wanted to change a skew from 25° to 21° and flatten out a few wonkies established elsewhere by elsewho… after about 4 hours, yes 4 hours, of *Tormeking*, I tossed in the towel and went and bought a cheap grinder… after a few minutes on that grinder, I had my 21° and could hone it to perfection on the *Tormek*. Since then it has just about been *Torkmeked* to "death". Often just a quick strop on the leather wheel provides plenty more mileage between stone wheel activity.


----------



## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

The Tormek t8 comes with a jig to camber plane irons. And the stone grader.


----------



## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I am looking at the worksharp and the Tormek. I am not sure if the Tormek will get past the wife's budget requirements. As a hobbyist the Worksharp is more in line budget wise. Question, will a plane blade fit in the angle slot? If I must make a platform and insert the blade into a holding jig I am starting to lose some of the time saving that I want so badly. Also if used on just plane irons, chisels and carving tools is the T4 a bad option?


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Yes, plane blades up to 2-3/8" (#7 plane) can be done in the "chisel port". And it works great. Only caveat is that you can't do any camber in the port.


----------



## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

Yea, my scrub plane is a hand job only. 
Lower port on the WS is for strait blades only. You can hand do everything else on the upper surface. Up to you if freehand or in guides.

I have not used a real Tormak. Someday I hope to and maybe it will obsolete the rest, but the clone was junk. From looking at the machines, I would only consider the bigger more expensive one. Go big or go home. Half-way is usually half-ass.

Yes, a Rikon low speed 8-inch grinder with blue wheels or CNT is still a must for basic shape restoration. My cheap grinder has cheap carbide wheels for cast iron and soft metals I don't want near my good wheels.

Do you have any local club for forums where you can visit others shops and try their machines? We have a great group her in NC.


----------



## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

I'm a walking talking Worksharp3000 commercial, just cannot say enough good things about mine.


----------



## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

Hmm, widest plane blade that fits my chisel port on Worksharp WS3000 is 2" wide?



> Yes, plane blades up to 2-3/8" (#7 plane) can be done in the "chisel port". And it works great. Only caveat is that you can t do any camber in the port.
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Oops, good catch CK. I just looked in the manual and you're right, it is only 2". I don't use the port for plane blades so I misremembered I guess…


----------



## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

If you use that chisel port, your media selection is a lot less…and more expensive. I doubt I've used mine more than 3-4 times.


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> If you use that chisel port, your media selection is a lot less…and more expensive. I doubt I ve used mine more than 3-4 times.
> 
> - Fred Hargis


How so Fred? I use the same abrasives regardless of whether I'm using the port or sharpening up top.


----------



## 18wheelznwood (Jan 21, 2021)

I think this is a pretty good demonstration in favor of the Tormek


----------



## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> Oops, good catch CK. I just looked in the manual and you re right, it is only 2". I don t use the port for plane blades so I misremembered I guess…
> 
> - HokieKen


I guess now that I think about it other than the scrub's heavy camber most plane blades need a very mild camber so I guess the slot is not going to be optimal for plane irons anyway. This leads me to ask then, why did they eliminate the table? I was watching a very old Stumpy Nubs where he built a setup to solve this table issue.


----------



## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

Like others, own and have used many different sharpening systems.

Love the edge created by Sigma II select water stones. Hands have become less stable in old age, and free hand is harder these days. Using the sharpening guide all time, and maintaining a wet table in low humidity of Arizona is challenge.

Have used Tormek, and Wen wet sharpening systems in friends shop. The costs and change over time for all the jigs is not fun. Cheaper wet sharpeners have softer wheels, which can be upgraded, which defeats purpose of cheaper tool. Again keeping open water in AZ shop is PITA.

Before Covid, would help a friend in his shop occasionally. Would take my abused #6, 7, & 8 plane blades over to use on his Veritas MKII.  
Really like the Vertias MKII power sharpener, only PIA is time required to clamp blades in guide to ensure same angle all time. This is where the WorkSharp chisel port shines, with simple angle set up on small blades. The 8" OD Veritas disc last longer than smaller WS 6" disc, as you move the tool around on surface.

Broke down and bought a WS 3000 not long ago. It has learning curve, as is not as simple out of box as it is marketed to be. Default sand paper on chisel port base to remove burr is way too course, and ruins the polish on back side of chisels. Removed it, and use strop board to remove burr between grit changes. The WS default grit steps are too large. The fine grits don't last very long due giant changes in grit sizes. Adding 220, 600, 800; below the 1000 makes everything last longer. Bought some automotive film discs 1200/1500/2000, to reduce wear out speed on 2500 too. The 80-120 are OK for rough shaping, but due low speed; leave more deep scratches than bench grinder. Still prefer my bench grinder to remove deep nicks. Having all these grit steps means you switch discs a lot, and need to build a storage cabinet or you have stuff everywhere. WS3000 is not perfect, but it works fast for small blades. Just wished it would handle 2.5" wide #608 plane blades without using top plate. The nice part about WS3000 is WWW is full of information on DIY upgrades, if you have time to make them.

Use my belt sander to free hand damaged edges occasionally. Ceramic/Zirconium belts last forever. Dreamed of buying the Sorby Pro-edge one day for the ease in changing angle settings, but was never in budget. Rockler has Pro-edge on sale this month for $105 off. At that price, seriously would consider the Sorby, instead of Worksharp, especially if you need to sharper turning tools than bench grinder creates and perform a lot of sharpening. The sanding media costs of WS are kinda high if used daily.

Best Luck.


----------



## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

> If you use that chisel port, your media selection is a lot less…and more expensive. I doubt I ve used mine more than 3-4 times.
> 
> - Fred Hargis
> 
> ...


I guess you don't use that see through arrangement, I was referring to that. I never thought about using the glass disks with that chisel port….but I can see that it would work.


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> I guess now that I think about it other than the scrub s heavy camber most plane blades need a very mild camber so I guess the slot is not going to be optimal for plane irons anyway. This leads me to ask then, why did they eliminate the table? I was watching a very old Stumpy Nubs where he built a setup to solve this table issue.
> 
> - controlfreak


I assume it's because the vast majority of people use the port for speed and simplicity and they just didn't sell enough of them to make continued production profitable. I would go with the Stumpy method though, I can't see any way it's inferior to the WS-made table. Actually, it may be better because setting the table up perfectly was a huge PITA and required some grinding in tight spots. Honestly, the thing I like the best about the Wide Blade attachment is the guide that came with it and the jig for setting the blade projection. Makes setup accurate and fast for repeatability.

I don't "camber" any of my plane blades. I used to camber my scrub but I did away with my scrub and just go straight to a jack plane. On smoothers or a jack I keep set for a really fine cut, I round the corners off on the last couple of grits by just lifting the opposite side of the guide up a hair for a couple seconds.

One thing I learned early on that works for me to keep sharpening in general less cumbersome and more consistent is to KISS. I sharpen everything square and straight across. All planes are sharpened at 25 degrees and all chisels at 30 except for some chisels I use for more finesse work that I sharpen at 20. Nothing has a hollow grind, a micro bevel or a back bevel. I used to keep a spreadsheet with the main bevel angle, secondary bevel angle, back bevel angle and camber radius for every tool I had. That quickly got cumbersome and I realized I wasn't realizing any tangible benefit from it. Since "dumbing down" my sharpening regimen, I've never looked back


----------



## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

> > > If you use that chisel port, your media selection is a lot less…and more expensive. I doubt I ve used mine more than 3-4 times. - Fred Hargis
> >
> >
> > How so Fred? I use the same abrasives regardless of whether I m using the port or sharpening up top.- HokieKen
> ...


Personally, I don't like the see thru disks on WS3000, especially on wide blades. 
They flex too much for this Klutz.
It is very easy to push too hard and grind non-square edge. Every time I use the 80 grit see thru disk, and then switch to solid disk for finer grits; have to grind extra time to re-square the edge. 
YMMV


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> If you use that chisel port, your media selection is a lot less…and more expensive. I doubt I ve used mine more than 3-4 times.
> 
> - Fred Hargis
> 
> ...


Ahhh. No, I don't use the see through disks ever. I tried them once on some carving tools but I find it's still easier just to work them on the top. I do sharpen all my chisels in the port with the regular glass disks and it works great. CK makes a good point about the little squares of paper they provide to pull the back of the tool across to remove the burr between grits. It is too coarse. I think I cut a piece of 2000 grit wet/dry and glued it on there and I keep a strop next to the WS and use that between grits.


----------



## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I haven't looked at Sorby, is that just for rough work or can it put an edge on any blade?


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

The Sorby is definitely for fine edges too. It can do rough grinding too but you can use any grade abrasive you can find in the right belt size.


----------



## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> Personally, I don t like the see thru disks on WS3000, especially on wide blades.
> They flex too much for this Klutz.
> It is very easy to push too hard and grind non-square edge. Every time I use the 80 grit see thru disk, and then switch to solid disk for finer grits; have to grind extra time to re-square the edge.
> YMMV
> ...


There is an adjustment for that.


----------



## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I have a Sorby Proedge and I love it. Like Kenny, I don't like hollow grinds. I bought it mostly because it is IMO the best tool for sharpening bowl gouges. I used it recently to rehab a Millers Falls jack plane iron that was pretty badly mangled and I when from crappy to mirror in about 2 or 3 minutes. Belt changes are quick and easy. I initially made a Wolverine jig for my bench grinder and hated it. I then made a belt sander and a Sorby-clone bowl gouge jig and I even cloned their tool rest design. The proedge tool rest presets are genius for chisels and plane irons. No guessing, no flex and no jigs to set the distance. 
My only real complaint is that there is no documentation anywhere that I have found to help you figure out how to achieve different types of grinds on my bowl gouges. They do have an add on for setting how far to push the bowl gouge into the jig for different angles but there is nothing about the other variables of different grinds.

That all said. I still want a Worksharp but instead of buying one, I have an idea to make one using an old bread maker motor.

BTW, one thing that I remember reading is that the Tormek can be a little slow for regrinding new angles or rehabbing old irons and chisels. It basically just has one grit for finishing so it is not going to be supper fast if you need to remove a lot of steel.


----------



## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

> > Personally, I don t like the see thru disks on WS3000, especially on wide blades.
> > They flex too much for this Klutz.
> > It is very easy to push too hard and grind non-square edge. Every time I use the 80 grit see thru disk, and then switch to solid disk for finer grits; have to grind extra time to re-square the edge.
> > YMMV - CaptainKlutz
> ...


Yes. I spent about an hour making adjustments to get mine square.
Hint - use 2" wide plane blade, not a 1" chisel; and only have to do it once. Doh!

But even set perfectly square, can make the see-thru disk grind non-square edge with little extra pressure. 
#IAMAKLUTZ


----------



## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I was doing back bevels and such but decided all I was doing is creating the next problem which was to re-establish the primary bevel again.


----------



## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> I was doing back bevels and such but decided all I was doing is creating the next problem which was to re-establish the primary bevel again.
> 
> - controlfreak


I'm trying to stick to the Cosman method. The one thing I do differently is to use a honing guide so I don't have to guess at the secondary and tertiary bevels as I don't trust my hands.

I too do not use the see-thru discs.


----------



## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I just remembered one other thing that I would change on the Sorby if I could. I got used to sharpening on my homemade belt sander which which is relatively slow because I used an old 3-speed blower motor and used a pulley to reduce the RPM too. The Proedge is direct drive 115v induction motor so has a fixed warp speed. Does anyone know if you could use a VFD or something to slow it down? It would also be nice if you could reverse the direction for sharpening more delicate tools, like carving gouges.


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Really Nathan? I don't know why, but I thought it was VS for some reason. That would make me reconsider the price tag I think. Unfortunately, you can't control it with a VFD unless it's 3 phase.


----------



## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Yeah, the price definitely made me wait until Rockler had it for $100 (IIRC) off last year.

I always thought that too about having to be 3 phase output but I saw something a couple of months back about someone using a VFD on a 115v motor and a quick google found this.


----------



## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

They are limited to certain single phase motors, and those aren't all that common in a woodshop.


----------



## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Yeah, I guess I should say there's no good solution for controlling most induction motors with a VFD. You can do it by varying the frequency but there are all kinds of problems that go along with it. Induction motors are designed to run at a single speed and constant frequency. When those slow down, stuff like start capacitors reconnecting and insufficent cooling can kill the motor in short order.

I don't really know that much about induction motors. It may be possible to use a VFD with the motor on the Sorby. Just depends on the specific motor construction. You'd have to ask someone smarter than me 

Is it a common motor size? Wonder if it could be easily replaced with a DC motor?


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

This is what I did. I converted a HF belt sander, and now I can sharpen chisels, plane cutters, lathe tools, etc. I built this ~8yr ago and it just keeps on working:

Big Bang For Buck Belt Sharpener


----------



## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

I also have the Sorby ProEdge.

I bought for lathe tools, but it will sharpen anything that I own. There are jigs for knives at an additional cost.
I think it's still cheaper than Tormek. I prefer flat grind for woodturning tools.

I had a gouge that I was going to throw away because I couldn't get it right using the Wolverine. A few minutes on the Sorby and it was better than ever.


----------



## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Here's a Sorby for 325.00 in Los Angeles.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/tls/d/lomita-robert-sorby-pro-edge-tool/7291398922.html


----------



## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I may someday look into replacing the motor with a DC motor.

That Sorby on Craigslist is a great deal.

Here is my Sorby inspired sharpening setup for anyone looking for a DIY solution. I didn't really know what I was doing but I used it for 4 years before I finally decided to get the real thing.


----------



## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

For plane blades and chisels, several methods as previously described are good for primary bevel grinding - various belt sanders, bench grinders, whatever. The finer an edge is honed though, the longer it will last, and fine honing is best done manually. Here is a description of my honing method using simple shop jigs and mylar backed abrasives. Cheap, simple, robust, and pretty quick.

As for worksharps, proedge, etc They are fine for creating a bevel, but several grit changes are required to get a decent edge and they still need manual honing for the best, longest lasting edge. "Off the machine" edge may be good enough for you but I've done more than enough testing to prove to myself that a finely honed edge is worth the bit of time for edges used in finer work. For scrub and rough jack work no, but I primarily use machines for that.

Be careful with any motorized sharpening method - its easy to blue the steel and the heat treat is gone, requiring more grinding. For this reason I use my Grizzly wet sharpener for 01 steel, but for A2and PM-V11 I used a slow speed bench grinder with alox wheels - the wet wheel just wont cut them.

Turning tools - the wet wheel with Tormek svd-86 gouge jig works great for resharpening gouges. Very little steel removal so tools last a long time. I use secondary bevels for heel clearance and bevel length reduction done on the bench grinder with the same jig. All other turning tools get sharpened on the bench grinder.


----------



## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

BTW, Rockler put the Proedge deluxe on sale again for anyone looking for "a deal" on one: $419.


----------

