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Grinder Question

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As a complete newbie, I need to get a grinder for sharpening. Actually, I need to get just about everything.

I was looking at the Scheppach 8" Slow Speed Grinder from Craft Supplies USA for $119. Is this a decent buy? Woodcraft no longer carries their grinder. I plan to get the Oneway jigs as well.

Thanks!

Clif
 

hockenbery

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Clif,

I haven't used this particular grinder but I have watched people use it.
It looked fine.

There are a number of companies that make their living from woodturners.
Craft supplies, Packard, sanding glove, ONEWAY, Robust and many more.
These companies and their employees know woodturning and they only sell things that work for woodturners.
They value their products and their reputations.

The woodcraft grinder used to be the best deal because they put it on sale twice a year for $80?

Perhaps someone who owns one will respond.

Al
 
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Thanks guys. I talked to a guy from WC about the old grinder. He said there were too many defects for them to continue stocking it. I will look for the Rikon but otherwise I will pull the trigger on the Scheppach. The one from Craft Supplies comes with 60 and 120 grit friable wheels.

Thanks for the replies.
 
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The wheels that come with a grinder are okay for many things, and if money is tight, use them till they are worn out. Best wheels you can get are the CBN wheels. Expensive, but worth every penny.

robo hippy
 

john lucas

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In reality any grinder will work. I used a 30 year old 3450 rpm 6 in sears grinder with gray wheels when i started. Upgraded to white 80 grit wheels later which made a huge difference. Eventually stepprd up to a 1725 rpm 8" grinder. Used that for the last 10 years. Now i realize a 6" 3450 is really all you need ideally with CBN wheels.
 
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I have had the Scheppach for 3-4 months and it works fine. Very little vibration, and so quiet I don't realize it's running until I turn off the lathe. The white wheels work fine while I save up for whatever wheels come next and, amazingly, were reasonably well balanced out of the box. I had to raise it a little to get the Wolverine bases underneath the wheels. It doesn't come with a light, so I made a wood bracket and mounted it behind the grinder for a cheap clip on light.
 
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Thanks for all the info. Dean, I will likely order this model tomorrow and may get the Raptor CBN 180 grit wheel for it if I have the cash on hand.
 
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Good Luck in finding one, Craft Supplies had a date of Aug 3rd as when they would be available now it says Sept 3rd. I have looked high and low and no one has them.
Bill
 
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The Raptor wheels are fine. Biggest difference in the CBN wheels is the width. The D Way are 1 1/2 inch wide. I prefer the extra width. Some grinders do have a shorter shaft and there can be problems getting the wider wheels on to these grinders. I know Dave does make a bushing that will solve that problem on most of the grinders.

robo hippy
 
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Good Luck in finding one, Craft Supplies had a date of Aug 3rd as when they would be available now it says Sept 3rd. I have looked high and low and no one has them.
Bill

I just ordered a slightly different model from the same maker from Sears. Should be here Thursday. It is variable speed (200-3450 rpm). No AO wheels but I ordered a CBN wheel for it so no worries there.

See it HERE.

Thanks for the heads up.
 
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Went with the D-Way

The Raptor wheels are fine. Biggest difference in the CBN wheels is the width. The D Way are 1 1/2 inch wide. I prefer the extra width. Some grinders do have a shorter shaft and there can be problems getting the wider wheels on to these grinders. I know Dave does make a bushing that will solve that problem on most of the grinders.

robo hippy

I ordered a D-Way instead. I wanted the extra width and the newer D-Way's have 1/4" of grinding material on the sides.
 

hockenbery

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Looking at that grinder, I am wondering if the Wolverine system will fit under it...

robo hippy

The woodcraft grinder i bought 7 years ago was 3/8" too short for the proper placement of the ONEWAY wolverine tracks.
A 3/8 square of plywood provided the correct lift.

Many grinders need a little elevation.

As long as the base does not extend under the wheels additional lift can be easily added..

Al
 
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Al,
I was referring to how wide the base is. Looks like it almost comes out to the wheel, so there might be a problem getting the Wolverine base directly under the wheel. I think a lot of the old grinders were raised up on 3/4 inch platforms.

robo hippy
 
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Al,
I was referring to how wide the base is. Looks like it almost comes out to the wheel, so there might be a problem getting the Wolverine base directly under the wheel. I think a lot of the old grinders were raised up on 3/4 inch platforms.

robo hippy

I was trying to figure that out myself. It's difficult to tell from the picture. It should arrive tomorrow as should the CBN wheel. I picked up the Wolverine jig today. I will let you know if it all fits.
 
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Al,
I was referring to how wide the base is. Looks like it almost comes out to the wheel, so there might be a problem getting the Wolverine base directly under the wheel. I think a lot of the old grinders were raised up on 3/4 inch platforms.

robo hippy

I have it set up on the bench and everything fits with room to spare! Runs quiet with little vibration. That D-Way CBN wheel is a beast.

Grinder_zpsd7e6e6fe.jpg
 
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One other note here with the CBN wheels, they are a lot heavier than standard wheels. The problem is with some motors on the grinders. I have an old blue no name grinder from Woodcraft and it has a 3/4 hp motor. So do my Baldor 3100 slow speed grinders. Thing here is there is a huge difference in power between the two motors. Very little pressure will slow down the no name grinder. It is very difficult to slow down the Baldor. You may want to give the wheel a push start before switching it on. It may or may not be a factor, but getting the wheels up to speed can put strain on the weaker motors.

robo hippy
 
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grinder

I bought a 2 speed 8" grinder from Penn State a couple of years ago that has worked fine for me. I added a D-way CBN wheel using Dave's bushing. Fits fine and the grinder handles the added weight OK.
 
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Al,
I was referring to how wide the base is. Looks like it almost comes out to the wheel, so there might be a problem getting the Wolverine base directly under the wheel. I think a lot of the old grinders were raised up on 3/4 inch platforms.
robo hippy
The width of the base on the unit from Craft Supplies fits the Wolverine just fine, but I had to raise it on some plywood. (3/4-1" range). The unit shown from Sears has a light, which would be nice, and different wheels. Possibly it's also taller than the Craft Supplies unit, which seems odd.

Dean Center
 
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6&11/16ths

The width of the base on the unit from Craft Supplies fits the Wolverine just fine, but I had to raise it on some plywood. (3/4-1" range). The unit shown from Sears has a light, which would be nice, and different wheels. Possibly it's also taller than the Craft Supplies unit, which seems odd.

Dean Center

The Sears unit I bought sits 6 11/16th inches from the table top to the center of the wheel/spindle. The sharpening experts at SWAT I polled yesterday didn't think the extra 3/16ths would make a difference. I could always adjust it somehow if needed.
 
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