Thread: Grinder accesories and ideas

Originally Posted by bluesman7

I've successfully created those gashes when trying to thin a spine using a push stick on a flat work rest. There are many routes to gashes!

HAHAHAHA true true!

DIY MDF wheel?

19”, is that for razors or more for chefs knives?

Originally Posted by woodscavenger

DIY MDF wheel?

19”, is that for razors or more for chefs knives?

Yes MDF. I've used Baltic Birch plywood in the past with good results, but decided to give MDF a try as it's about half the cost and appears to be more uniform.

It's mostly for knives and general use, but I do use my 14" quite a bit for razors now, just not for any of the hollow grinding. I would say that my 14" is my most used wheel.

I may have used particle board for my 19" wheel. I guess I'm not clear on the difference.

Anyway the wheel itself is done. When holding it against the grinder I could see that the tensioning/tracking wheel was not going to be able to be done the way I had envisioned. I set it aside to let my brain work on it a bit, went to bed thinking that the whole idea was basically a fail. This morning I think that I've come up with a new plan.

Here is a picture of my 19" wheel with the tensioner/tracking installed. I still have some tracking issues to work out, but it's happening!

I recently saw that Claryx offers a 500mm wheel for their grinder. I think that there are others too.



Hmmmm. Just spent several hours screwing with the tracking. I made progress, but didn't get to a workable solution. It seems like there is not enough free belt for it to work. I went back to my smaller wheels and the tracking worked fine.

Originally Posted by bluesman7

Here is a picture of my 19" wheel with the tensioner/tracking installed. I still have some tracking issues to work out, but it's happening!

I recently saw that Claryx offers a 500mm wheel for their grinder. I think that there are others too.



Hmmmm. Just spent several hours screwing with the tracking. I made progress, but didn't get to a workable solution. It seems like there is not enough free belt for it to work. I went back to my smaller wheels and the tracking worked fine.

Very interesting! Have you used it yet?

You could use it like a convex hone!

Originally Posted by CrescentCityRazors

Very interesting! Have you used it yet?

You could use it like a convex hone!

I'm at a standstill with the 19" wheel. I can't get reliable tracking. The grinder tracks fine on 5/8" thru 14" wheels.

Originally Posted by bluesman7

I'm at a standstill with the 19" wheel. I can't get reliable tracking. The grinder tracks fine on 5/8" thru 14" wheels.

Just thinking out loud again!

The larger wheel has a larger percentage of its circumference in contact with the belt so it would have a larger influence on the tracking. And that circumference is also much larger. The larger wheel would amplify any imperfections.

Originally Posted by 32t

Just thinking out loud again!

The larger wheel has a larger percentage of its circumference in contact with the belt so it would have a larger influence on the tracking. And that circumference is also much larger. The larger wheel would amplify any imperfections.

My apology to all participants for taking this thread off topic. I'll start a new thread.

What’s the difference for you between grinding a wedge and a more hollowed razor? I find the larger wheels are harder to “find the groove”, and as I drop down into the smaller wheels it gets easier and easier to feel how true your grind is. Much like honing, grinding is very tactile for me. I can feel things that are wrong with the grind by how it feels and sounds on the wheel, my eyes just tell me where I need to concentrate more. Jigs were at first alluring to me but as I ground more and more their convenience for one off pieces is completely lost.

Victors set up is super convenient for what he does. If I had a production line of razors the first thing I would do would be to jig everything. That being said, Victor can grind freehand very proficiently freehand. I believe you may be doing yourself a disservice by not at least trying to freehand your hollows. Just watch the sparks and feel for consistency. Holding the hollows at a low angle to a light source is a good way to see how true your grind is. The light should shine back at you and look like perfectly parallel lines to your spine.

If you are having issues with low grit belts try stepping up to a ceramic 100-120. I find it a much more accurate grit size for when you get to within a few thousandths of target. It will help you grind lines look less nebulous and more defined. Take your time you will get much faster.

I screwed this razor up in a few ways but was trying some new changes to my technique to get a more true edge to spine geometry. Everything was done freehand.

I can’t seem to add a video as I don’t have any pics. I’ll take a few when I get home.