The grits you get are a matter of opinion, what you grind, AND how you like your tools. I use 60 and 600 grit 8" CBN wheels on a bench grinder - the coarse to reshape tools and the 600 to sharpen almost all tools. I also keep a 10" 1200 grit wheel on a very slow speed Tormek that I use for spindle gouges - I want my spindle gouges to be razor sharp.
Whatever grits you get they should last forever if not abused. I like to put a little honing compound on the 1200 grit before sharpening.
Also, there are different widths, corners, and sides to consider.
After trying several I only buy
- wide wheels
- square corners (not radiused)
- 1" of grid down both sides from the corner.
The narrower wheels don't give enough width to do easily grind some gouge wings with a jig.
The radiused edges are a waste of good wheel width (cut about 1/2" off the useful width), made primarily to sharpen rounded tip hollowing bits permanently mounted on the ends of rods (or at least that's what I was told and it made sense.)
The square corners and grit down 1" of the flat sides makes it easier to grind certain custom tools.
This I made using the corners and side grit - it allows me to cut a chuck recess on one side of a face-orientated blank when the tailstock is otherwise in the way.
I use the flats more than I thought I would.
JKJ
