I’ve been meaning to put up a post in response to this post. BUT .. more importantly, I’ve been wanting to replace my Tormek with a regular, faster bench grinder. So, I finally did it and bought a PORTER-CABLE 8″ Variable Speed Bench Grinder.
My method of sharpening is pretty much what I’ve picked up from Chris, so no real surprises. So for what it’s worth, here’s a quick gallery of photos with one little grinder trick that I picked up in a class I took from Chris.
Trick: I grind and leave about 1/32 before I get to the edge. This helps not to blue the blade.
Polished edge after 1000, 5000 and 8000 grit water stones. (it really is polished, the pic just doesn’t show it).
I finish up with the ruler trick on the back side with an 8000 grit stone.
Oh .. and yes, water stones are messy.
BTW if you have a subscription to Fine Woodworking Online, here’s link to a good article on grinders:
So in your “stop grinding” pic, do you mark the flat with a wide sharpie or something prior to grinding to help you see your line get narrower? Congrats on the new grinder! I recently acquired a “new” variable speed one too, though it was of the hand cranked variety.
Yes, I mark the whole area of the bevel and watch it narrow. I looked at hand cranked and finally decided on powered. Not sure I could rub my belly and pat my head at the same time (crank and hold the blade). 😉