I'm looking for an inexpensive 8" low-speed bench grinder for touching up lathe tools. I already have a standard speed grinder I'd use for large removal and reshaping tools. The HF Bauer variable speed grinder goes down to 2000 rpm while fixed speed low-speed grinders are spec'd at 1750rpm. I intend to put CBN wheels on it but is 2K slow enough for CBN wheels? Note that I do not do a lot of turning so I won't be putting a lot of hours on a sharpening system so I don't want to spend big $$ for a high-end grinder. TIA!
-
September 2025 Turning Challenge: Cindy Drozda Finial Box! (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Dave Potts, People's Choice in the August 2025 Turning Challenge (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Paul May for "Slipstream" being selected as Turning of the Week for September 8, 2025 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Grinder suggestions for novice/occasional turner
- Thread starter Dan Moran
- Start date
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Dan, I bought the Rikon 80-805 nearly ten years ago and It's still going strong. 1750RPM. I have CBN wheels on mine. Here's a link to the item:
That Rikon Mark linked would be a good choice. Not quite as cheap as the Bauer, but a very good value (IMHO).
2000 RPM is close enough. There is nothing magic about 1750 RPM. High speed bench grinders were avoided to minimize potential heat build up in the tool. That was extremely important with old, plain carbon steel tools that will lose their tempered hardness at relatively low temperatures. HSS tool steels in use today have to get red hot before the hardness properties are affected. Turning modern tool steels blue by being over aggressive on the wheel does nothing to the hardness. Doing that to very old tools is a problem. All that said, the Rikon looks like a decent price point grinder. It looks like it probably comes from the same factory as the HF grinders..
I have used the HF grinders, but not for turning. They are well balanced and have good power. I think it will serve you well.
Hello Dan.
Like many things in woodturning, a lot may depend on what you want to or end up turning. Hard, dry wood? Bowls from green wood? Many people are happy sharpening on coarser wheels than I prefer but I think we mostly turn different things. I often turn smaller, detailed things from dry wood, fine-grained, often quite hard species.
My preference is the 1750rpm is for CBN. Most turners I know use them. In fact, I would often like a slower speed. I use one wheel on a very low speed Tormek - my favorite for some tools.
That said, as Dwayne mentioned, 2000 rpm should be fine. A higher speed might be a problem with increased heat for hardened non-HSS tools, but it's almost impossible to overheat a HSS tool
BTW, after using various grits of CBN I settled on 60 and 600 for my lathe tool bench grinder - I use the 60 when shaping custom tools and the 600 to sharpen skews, parting tool, bowl gouges, etc., and the custom tools. I put a finer grit CBN wheel on the Tormek for my spindle gouges.
If shopping for CBN wheels at some point, there are various widths and styles. I prefer the wider wheels (1.5"), square edges instead of radiused, and with 1" of grit down the flat sides of the wheel. This lets me grind and sharpen various custom tools. I think the radiused edged CBN wheels have only limited use to most turners, plus they take away from the useful width of the wheel. (The extra width is especially nice when grinding skews.) Be aware of the arbor size when buying CBN - all my 8" grinders use 5/8" diameter. And while the wheel guards are important for standard grinding wheels you can (or may even have to) take them off for CBN.
Also, it's advisable to get a set of spherical washers for each wheel - they can compensate for irregularities in the mounting which can keep the wheels from running true.
Many people, including me, use the Oneway Wolverine jig for lathe tools, combined with the Oneway Varigrind for gouges. I like the Wolverine Mini platform instead of the standard large for most tools.
I like to mount the grinder and the Wolverine bases to a square of 3/4" plywood so the grinder and platform can be moved on my sharpening bench if needed. I've also carried them to events to show sharpening techniques.
I did use conventional grinding wheels for a long time - used fairly fine grit compared to most, the blue Norton 3X. I did find the Oneway grinding wheel balancers mounted on the wheels helped me get a better edge on the tools. But going to CBN was a big improvement.
A 1/2 hp grinder is enough for aluminum CBN wheels. Some of the heavier steel CBN wheels were a bit slow to start with 1/2hp but I don't think that will hurt the grinder motor.
JKJ
I have the HF low speed grinder with CBN wheels. It works great. I've had it for several years.
I have a Bucktool grinder. It's a good grinder, but if I had to do it over again I would get the Rikon.
I had one of the no name grinders from Woodcraft years ago as my first grinder. It was okay, but not good. I bought a Baldor, but they are over $1000 now. When Rikon replaced the no name grinder at Woodcraft, I looked at them and remembering how long it took the WC grinder to come up to speed with the standard matrix wheels, I opted for the 1 hp model. They do spin for a long time after you turn them off. Many do use the 1/2 hp Rikon grinder, but I just wanted some thing more heavy duty. The Baldor are the best, if you can afford them.
As for speeds, with the high speed steel we use, we can't get the tools hot enough for them to lose their temper like you can with high carbon tools, which are mostly hand plane irons and bench chisels. The CBN wheels are spin and bubble balanced, so it doesn't really make any difference what speed they are running, they will spin true with no wobble, unless there is some thing wrong with your grinder.
robo hippy
As for speeds, with the high speed steel we use, we can't get the tools hot enough for them to lose their temper like you can with high carbon tools, which are mostly hand plane irons and bench chisels. The CBN wheels are spin and bubble balanced, so it doesn't really make any difference what speed they are running, they will spin true with no wobble, unless there is some thing wrong with your grinder.
robo hippy
Have a Bucktool ... would buy another and/or would look at a Rikon as well ...
I’ve had one of these for ~10 yrs, did replace the start cap once, no other issues. I tend to think a single speed 1750 is a bit more reliable vs a var speed (something in the adj circuit will fail).
I run Al ox wheels, but cbn will wirk on this one same as grinders with the same power rating. A bigger motor gets one thing and one thing only - faster spin-up. Up to you whether it matters. I’ve used grinders with cbn of the same power and it wasn’t a problem. Recommend the spherical washers for mounting the wheels.
I run Al ox wheels, but cbn will wirk on this one same as grinders with the same power rating. A bigger motor gets one thing and one thing only - faster spin-up. Up to you whether it matters. I’ve used grinders with cbn of the same power and it wasn’t a problem. Recommend the spherical washers for mounting the wheels.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Haven't owned the WEN grinder but have had a couple of other tools by them (benchtop drill press, spindle sander) and no issues. They make a pretty good product IMHO.