Grinding wheels.

bcarvings · #1 10-17-2004, 02:04 PM

Hi,
I have a delta grinding thing. It is 3 months old, and has 2 wheels on it. One is black and the other is white. My question is can I use it to sharpen a dull knife if stropping no longer works? I know people say it is used for creating the bevel but it has 2 stones, and an advantage is it never requires clean up.[glow=red,2,300] Is it possible to get a dull knife and sharpen as sharp as an x-acto knife using just the 2 stones on the grinding wheel and a leather strop with compound??? [/glow]Thanks for all your help!

bcarvings · #2 10-17-2004, 02:09 PM

Also I want to add that Detla calls it a Grinder, and that delta does make sharpeners but I'm sure the grinder will work just as good as long as I strop the knife afterwards right? Thanks!

#3 10-17-2004, 03:36 PM

A regular bench grinder is a good way to ruin a good blade! It will shapen a knife or any edged tool, but you must use extremely great care in doing it. Normally the grit is extremely rough, but if you carefully (very carefully) try to sharpen your knife, you may not totally ruin the blade. You would be better off going out and buying a new stone if your others are truely useless. Give the diamond hones a try. If you have a Harbor Freight store nearby, they sell two different sets, each with a coarse, medium, and fine grit hone. One is 1x3 inch the other if I remember right is 2x6 inch. The prices are about $7 and $12 for the sets. If you don't have a store nearby, you can order them online http://www.harborfreight.com/ or you could go to Wal Mart or local hardware or sporting goods store and you'll be able to find them there.

The Harbor Frieght hones work good, just don't put WD-40 on them, it will melt the glue that holds the hone to the plastic handle, but this can be glued back on with 100% rubber silicone, Goop, or any other similar adhesive.

#4 10-17-2004, 03:51 PM

[quote author=Randy48 link=board=Beginner;num=1098039860;start=0#2 date=10/17/04 at 15:36:48]A regular bench grinder is a good way to ruin a good blade![/quote]

Randy is correct. Grinders are usually too high speed and the stones too coarse for knives. It is only a matter of a couple seconds too long on the stone and you can heat your blade to the point of ruining it.

As we have suggested before you need to be patient and keep practicing. Sharpening is a skill with a fairly high learning curve and the are no 'magic bullets' to get a good, sharp, lasting edge without work and practice. If you really feel your stones are 'ruined', which I would highly doubt with as little as you have used them, then try different stones, either diamond or ceramic.

If the delta has a slow motor (less than 1500rpms) you might look into getting or making honing/buffing wheels for it. Keep in mind that power sharpening takes practice and patience to learn also.

#5 10-17-2004, 04:17 PM

[glow=red,2,300]Is it possible to get a dull knife and sharpen as sharp as an x-acto knife using just the 2 stones on the grinding wheel and a leather strop with compound [/glow]

B,
Who ever told you X-acto knives were sharp?
They have a long way to go to be sharp.
Rick

bcarvings · #6 10-17-2004, 05:08 PM

Hi,
Are you joking? I have never touched seen or used a blade sharper than an x-acto. Is it possible to sharpen a knife by hand as sharp as an x-acto? I am very patient with sharpening. In fast the reason I sound like I'm frustrated at sharpening is because I sharpened my 1 and only $14 carving knife down to nothing! The blade has been sharpened down so much there is barely thong left! Oh well I think I'm going to the woodcarving club on Tuesday, and I'll ask them sharpening questions and I'll see where I get from there. Of coarse it is possible to find a woodcarving clud without an expert in sharpening right? It could happen with my luck! Thanks everyone!

AlArchie · #7 10-17-2004, 06:31 PM

Nope, he's NOT joking....I use X-Acto's once in a while and I always re-sharpen them before using them. They are thin, and because of that, slice fairly easliy but look at the bevel....it's grooved and the cutting edge looks like a saw blade under magnification.

As far as sharpening your knife on a grinder......DON'T! You WILL screw it up.....no ifs, ands or buts!

If you learn proper hand sharpening, your X-Acto's will begin to look like butter knives! (well, not quite)

Al

Al

Kenny_S · #8 10-17-2004, 06:37 PM

X-actos are sharp but can be sharper. ALA and Rick are correct. Thin blades can seem sharp but not. I have bought mant xacto blades for hobbie and that is why. They can dull easily.

Get a good Carving knif, Denny, Murphy, Warren or Helvie and have a professional sharpen them. Send it to RICK in Seattle as she what a sharp carving knife is.

#9 10-18-2004, 07:21 PM

Every knife I own and use is sharper than an exacto blade and stays sharp a whole lot longer.

Look at an exacto blade under magnification and it will look like a sawblade, look at a properly sharpened, honed, and stropped knife and it will be nearly smooth.

If you have ground down your knife already you are using far too coarse of a stone and using it far too often. Once a blade is sharp it should need nothing more than a stropping to stay sharp for a long time.

You really do need to sit down with someone who can teach you the proper tools and techniques for knife sharpening. I'm sure there will be at leat one person at the club who will be willing to show you.

Donna_T · #10 10-18-2004, 11:49 PM

I agree with the fellas. I wouldn't use the grinder wheels that come on grinders for anything smaller than a lawn mower blade. Personally, I'd recommend trying the paper wheels on a grinder AND make sure it's turning AWAY from you for reduced injury risks---and using a visor or safety glasses to further reduce risks.

I've got a slower rotating grinder with paper wheels on it and my John Burke sharpening system for power sharpening and stropping. Then I have various stones and strops for hand sharpening.

Donna T