I am setting up a sharpening station, and I enjoy getting advice about different methods.
Could some people explain why they prefer either hollow grinding before honing, or relying entirely on flat abrasives.
Thank you in advance.
Dwight
I've heard hollow grinding on lathe tools allows the chip relief you need for proper cutting, and also allows you to quickly tune up an edge, since it's like putting a micro bevel on a plane -- you have a lot less metal to remove at the cutting edge to make it sharp. I hollow grind my skews, but don't really notice much difference in operation between a perfectly flat edge and a hollow ground edge. Get a little belly on it tho, and watchout... you'll mess some stuff up that way. Not sure why, since I'm not an expert turner by any means.
Hollow grinding allows you to hone the tip and heel only, reaching an edge much faster than removing metal from the entire bevel.
Barry
Hollow grinding tends to create less friction when cutting.
Try both and decide for yourself. I never hollow grind. Waste of metal.
I don't have a problem with hollow grinding per se, but I hate my bench grinder for so many, many reasons. It's just not a good way to sharpen anything, even with fancy high dollar wheels on it.
Flat grinding is slow and tedious, but it delivers excellent results. I think if I were going to step up to a powered system, I'd go with something like the Veritas power sharpener deal and keep flat grinding. Wheels just seem like such a PITA overall, even if I had a slow grinder and a good tool rest.
I think they both have their place. For shaping and reshaping the initial bevel, a wheel seems best. A large grit and slow speed wheel can make quick work of an otherwise (somewhat) time consuming task.
After the inital hollow grind though, I gotta figure that an efficient workstation with a good set of well-maintained stones is the best and quickest way to go.
I envision a full set of Shapton Stones all in a row, covered by a tilt- up glass dust exclosure, just waiting for a spritz of water and a skilled hand to put the appropriate edge to the appropriate tool....
Someday.
JP
************** In search of a rabbi.Try my web site - Sharpening Notes - Hollow Grinding, Good or Bad. : : Thank you in advance.
You're welcome (in advance).
Jeff G
Were you hollow grinding every time? If so, that is a waste of metal.
Unless I drop it, I can normally sharpen a chisel 15-20 times before I have to regrind.
Barry
I agree with you there. I do my hollow grinding with a stationary belt sander with a 6" wheel.
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:49:00 GMT, Ba r r y calmly ranted:
The downside is that you go through irons more quickly that way.
-- Save the Endangered ROAD NARROWS! -|-
Especially with the lathe, given that the work is round, there is no such thing as "chip relief" to worry about.
Skews with "bellies" are called gouges. Some are called "skewchigouges."
How?
The edge is only hollow ground when it's damaged, such as after being dropped, or about every 15 or so honings.
My experience is that I'm not hollow grinding any more often than I would have hit the 220 grit stone, so it's not a big deal. An acquaintance of mine who uses his chisels to make a living has had the same ones since 1982.
You guys who say that are really splitting hairs.
Barry
No, I meant on a skew, where your normal edge looks like \/ and instead, you sharpen it to have a slight roundedness because you did it by hand, and couldn't keep it totally flat, or you did it on a slack belt or a buffing wheel.. It seems like if it's that way, it either skates or digs in when you don't want it to.
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