Greetings fellow workers, Its been a while and I hope evryone is in good health and spirit. Here’s what Ive done, for the mere cost of $7 I piked up an old timey water whell for sharpening (Iam somewhat of a sharpening nut, making metal slice wood is an addiction ,dontcha think?) Anyhow the edge or working surface is slightly concave and I would like to true it to the sides so my thought is install the whell as it should be used and set up a 220grit stone to the wheel and wear away. What are your thoughts about using this in a set up to make the wheel right? Is there a more reliable grinding medium, are there any references on how our elders trued thier water wheels. Thanks
Bufun
Replies
Morning Bufun ,
Funny thing is I saw one maybe similar to the one you speak of at a pals home a few weeks ago , it had been sitting in the same yard spot for maybe 20 years or so . I expressed interest and planted a seed , so maybe soon he will sell it to me , the stand needed rebuilding as well as the stone needed refurbishing.
Try a stone dresser , if you don't have one you can find them at a welding / industrial supply house , while the wheel is turning you move the dresser across the edge while applying enough pressure to re shape .
good luck dusty
oldusty, this dresser you speak of. Whats it made of? Iam familiar with diamond dresser for aluminum oxide wheels but you have peaked me curiosity. Like I mentioned Iam a sharpening nut and am always interested in other methods of works. This industrial supply suggestion sounds pretty neat Thanks
Bufun
There are several types of wheel dressers. The original one is a series of star shaped wheels & spacers set in a handle. (It sort of looks tile the spurs for a horse.) The dressing wheels are about 1.25" in diameter. As the stone spins, you move it across the face of the stone, just like you would use a tool on a lathe. It does a great job for stones that are in need of serious work. Type 2 is the diamond set into the tip of a carrier. Again you move it across the face of the spinning stone. #3 is a block of 'stuff' that looks like a VERY course grinding wheel. Again, same action. In ALL cases... wear a GOOD dust mask and a face shield. For minor wheel dressing, you will get a minimum of crud thrown from the wheel... If the stone neede major work, you will get a major spray of stone dust. It does not taste good and it feels funny as you chew it. Sort of loke a sandwich at the beach. If you use the star wheel type, the wheels will grind down after a while and you can (should) buy an extra set of wheels very cheaply, to replace the worn out ones. You will have better luck finding the wheel type in a HARDWARE store, not the big orange or blue box.I've done it... I strongly recommend that you do this job outside on a nice day. SawdustSteve Long Island, NY
I use the star wheel type that Steve mentioned .
Not only can it be used to resurface flatten and reveal virgin stone but also when you use smaller bench grinding wheels to create shaper and other specialty knives you can use the dresser to shape the stone wheel to aid your task , I keep a 1/4" wheel to get into tight spots , if you are a sharpening nut like many of us you probably knew all this , sorry if I bored you .
regards dusty
oldusty, bored? please, iam an old dawg that still learns new tricks and i appreciate anything you say. Speaking of which, FWW had a recent article on reshaping grinding whells slighly convex to facilitate better control for hollow grinding which i found really neat and will experiment with next time iam in the laboratory,nya ha ha. Thanks to you and all the other workers for thier advice I will go a hunting for that star dresser. see yall
bufun
Just a thought from when I was a little kid.. This VERY old man would go down the alley ways here in Chicago sharpening kitchen knives and whatever... . I always screamed with delight when I heard his bell... Because Mom would let me go watch him work..
I think he had a short length of RR track that he would press against the sort of wobbly stone. Maybe a dressing object?
Not sure that the old man like me watching but his old horse enjoyed the apples and carrots I brought for her.
willgeorge, thanks ive got some heavy iron stashed and will try it also
bufun
Man, you disappoint me. I was all prepared to see this old water wheel out in a nice full flowing stream connected to a mill house where my flour could be ground and woodworking machines were whining away. I've seen these old sharpeners in my youth and wasn't all that impressed back then. Our next door neighbor's was probably 2" out of round.
Hey Tink ,
I long for the same view .
dusty
Just for you guys. Babcock Mill, West Virginia. Scanned from 8x10 film negative.
Ralph,
That's breathtaking! Beautiful work.
Lee
Thanks, Lee.
Thank you Ralph. I will treasure that picture. Babcock Mills, WV, I've not heard of the place nor can I find it on the map though there is is a Babcock State Park down the road a piece. Are they related? Have you been there. There is a larger mill at Cranesville about fifty miles from here that some friends of friends bought several years ago. I've been wanting to go see it but just haven't gotten around to it.
Thanks. The official name of the mill is the Glade Creek Grist Mill, and it is at Babcock State Park. Friends, who also live in Morgantown, took me there. It's made from parts of older mills from around the state.http://www.babcocksp.com/
Morgantown! (Morganhole)! Now it is getting interesting. Perchance I would know them if I knew their name. Of course, it is a pretty big town so the chances are pretty slim.
Edited 11/29/2008 1:20 am ET by Tinkerer3
Tinkerer3, dissapointed are we? nothing new for the bufun, can you imagine how my parents felt when they almost lost me except they didn't take me out far enough in the Potomac? way I figured this stone for $7 would be cost effective for some kind of sharpening down the road. sharpening to me is a passion. what I'm shooting for is speed and precision, some by hand, some with jigs. Got tired of listening to machines and hope to just hear slicing for whatever time Ive got to be lucky enough to work some wood. Good Workings
bufun
I've never trued an old sandstone wheel. Don McConnell has and he said the traditional dresser used is a piece of iron pipe. Don says it worked well. Maybe he'll see this thread and give more information.
lwilliams, sounds good to me. Thanks for the insight. GoodWorkings
bufun
Sorry.. Nothing about your message but a thought. That old stone wheel may have more potential than you ever dreamed of..
http://www.khulsey.com/jewelry/history_gem_cutting_idar-oberstein.html
They use to gind on stones NOT Diamolds...
I only mention because I was in Amsterdam several times and once saw a Diamond Cutter using a spinning water cooled 'stone' of some sort.. I asked but I do not speak or read Hebrew..
I went back with somebody that did and was told the REALLY OLD man said'' He does it to match very old diamonds that would match a very old fitting that was lost.. AND WAS very happy doing it all these years. He said he received a GOOD profit!
Edited 12/1/2008 7:28 pm by WillGeorge
WillGeorge, thanks, I look to the past for methods that were used prior to the industrial revolution. I have been researching building a wood working bench/table based on a book that the authors belief is the fundamental design was altered for mass production and the contempory design is flawed and dysfunctional. Its very cool reading and I will send you the title/author when I get it out of my shop some time today. GoodWorkings
bufun
WillGeorge, if you get the opportunity check out this book. Workbenches,from Design & Theory to Construction and Use, Christopher Schwartz, Popular Woodworking Books. His contention is mass production due to the industrial revolution altered the design away form its most functional abilities. What I liked about the author right off is his self description,"long-time amatuer furniture maker and hand tool enthusiast''. Iam in the proces of using his design suggestions for a bench and highly recommend purusing this text. I found a leg vise at a fles market super reaonable. Nya Ha ha! GoodWorkings.
bufun
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