Getting a Grizzley wet grinder, should I?

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7
Say, I am thinking of getting a wet grinder from Grizzly,
i am hesitating because I do not see attachments for sharpening bowl gouges, and that is mainly why I am thinking of getting this wet grinder...recently I was told by a new acquaintance, that the Tormek attachments will fit on and work just fine with this Grizzly grinder....I am hoping others here at this forum could tell me if this is true, and tell me if you have one of these wet grinders from grizzly and do you like it?

What attachment would I get for sharpening my 3/8 bowl gouge?

David
12-08-08
 
David,

I've been looking at the same thing, but haven't quite figured it out. There are a couple attachment sets grizzly sells, but I can tell what's for planes and what's for gouges. It looks like the tormek attachments would work, but I haven't asked anyone who's actually tried. It's a nice price for what is, in essence, the same thing... ;)

Looks like this would work:

SVD185.jpg


http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2039

This page might be helpful:

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/Tormeksvs50.html

Thanks,

Bill
 
I was facing the same dilemma not too long ago. I read a number of comments on the web saying the Grizzly jigs were not real great, but the Tormek jigs should fit. I was seriously considering buying the Grizzly grinder and a variety of Tormek jigs (not an inexpensive proposition), when I found a used Tormek 2000 with turning tools jigs for sale for about the same price. Knowing Tormek's reputation as a lifetime tool, I went for it. I also wanted to sharpen everything from turning tools to planes and chisels to scissors and knives, so I ended up buying most of the rest of the Tormek jigs as well.

If you do get the Grizzly grinder, I'd recommend spending the extra money to get the Tormek jigs to go with it. They do what they are designed to do, and the jigs are a large part of Tormek's success, IMHO.
 
If the Griz wet grinder you are considering is the G1036 (below), I recommend, don't get. I have one and it has proven 98.27% wuthless. The wheel is too fine to sharpen. Works OK putting a final edge (hone) on things like flat chisels provided they are already very sharp. But, other than that is of no use. I have had mine a long time. And, last year the big wheel cracked spontaneously. Not wet, not in use. Just sitting there and it cracked.
 

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Grizzly Wet Grinder

A friend of mine bought the Grizzly wet grinder and one of the jig sets. He determined it did not do what he wanted it to do and offered it for sale at our turning club. I asked to borrow it to see if I liked it, mostly for plane irons and chisels with straight edges and maybe for some carving tools. I went through all the pieces and parts and the instructions. He had tried to true the wheel but it was not running true. It also wobbled side to side quite a bit-more than I was willing to deal with. I took the wheel off the shaft and that appeared to be true. I did not put an indicator on it but it looked good by my eye. The wheel, however, was out of round and out of plumb quite a bit. I looked at the hole in the wheel and was not impressed. There is not a solid stone all the way through the hole. Not sure what it is, but not solid like my other grinding stones. This wheel would take some serious work to get it true and straight. I will be giving it back on Wed. I never even put water in the tank or touched a tool to the stone. I recommended my friend contact Grizzly about the lousy stone to see if they could do anything. I am not impressed. You get what you pay for. I will be investigating the Tormek or Jet versions in the near future.

Just my opinion on a single example of the tool. It does say "Made in Germany" not China.
 
Don, in fairness, several companies sell this same tool under their own labels. Having a Delta, or whatever, label on it won't make it a better tool. Another supplier of ww stuff once told me most grinding/sharpening wheels are now coming from Israel and there is a high percentage of defects with them. It is a problem. Your fine, German made, tool could still come with a funky wheel. But, even if it worked perfectly, that very fine grit wheel just doesn't sharpen. It will polish an already sharp edge but that's all it's good for, IMHO.
 
Don, in fairness, several companies sell this same tool under their own labels. Having a Delta, or whatever, label on it won't make it a better tool. Another supplier of ww stuff once told me most grinding/sharpening wheels are now coming from Israel and there is a high percentage of defects with them. It is a problem. Your fine, German made, tool could still come with a funky wheel. But, even if it worked perfectly, that very fine grit wheel just doesn't sharpen. It will polish an already sharp edge but that's all it's good for, IMHO.


Frank this is what they are talking about.

http://grizzlyindustrial.com/products/10-Wet-Grinder-Kit/T10010
 
I have been very satisfied with Woodcraft's 8" slow speed grinder:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=144290&FamilyID=4605

and the Wolverine Grinding & Sharpening System:

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=1998&cs=4605&pcs=fam

I have the same grinder and the PSI knock-off of the Wolverine jig, as well as the Tormek. The Woodcraft setup is great, but I can honestly say I like the honed cutting edge from the Tormek better on my gouges and skews. I'm still using the Woodcraft grinder on my scrapers, but that's because I haven't gotten around to trying the Tormek-style of raising a burr.

If I need to remove a lot of material, then the Woodcraft grinder is the logical starting point, but I do like the finished results from the slow speed wet grinder.

Don, I've read other similar stories about the Grizzly (Tormek knockoff) grinder. They make some good stuff, but it sounds like this one misses the mark.
 
This is all very good!

Wow! every posting is full of great info! thanks Guys! keep the thoughts and suggestions coming please!

Has any one found a sale on the Wolverine grinding system?

And what is the major differences between the grinding jig and the fingernail jig that there is a price difference?...and will these two 'jigs' grind a different edge on the gouge?
Any one know of a sale happening now on the Tormek system?..or about a sale of a used Tormek?
 
what is the major differences between the grinding jig and the fingernail jig that there is a price difference?...and will these two 'jigs' grind a different edge on the gouge?

The "Wolverine Grinding Jig" is the base unit, which includes the brackets that get mounted under each wheel, the flat tool rest, and the long arm with a "pocket" on the end. If you grind a gouge as shown in that photo, you will end up with a conical, "straight across" shape on the end of the tool.

The "Fingernail / Side Grinding Jig" is a single, additional item. You use it in conjunction with the basic "grinding jig". It can be adjusted to render a range of different shapes on the end of the tool.


Has any one found a sale on the Wolverine grinding system?

Not sure that I have, but you might check out the [PSI knock-off] that Vaughan mentioned. They throw in the skew sharpening attachment for less money....
 
I'll add to Kerry's excellent post the "Wolverine Grinding Jig" also has an additional attachment, the "Wolverine Skew Jig" used for ... sharping Skews.

It attaches to the long arm Kenny discussed, allowing for a wider stance to place the skew properly on the wheel.

I'll second looking around for a sale.
 
My advice?

Sorry, I would definitely advise not buying anything from the company that starts with the "G". I would go with the woodcraft 8 inch grinder, good buy. They run it on sale several times per year. Also the Wolverine attachments. Use grinder only if you damage a chisel. Dont run to a grinder all the time to have a fresh edge when your turning. You wont have anything left but a handle.:rofl: Learn to keep a stone close by the bench to freshen edge. If you dont know how learn.:thumb: The 1700 RPM range is a good point about the Woodcraft grinder also. Now, I appreciate you taking time to read this but in the end you find out that guys do whatever they figure out to work for them. Every guy will advise different in some way it seems. Its what makes you confident in getting a good edge to get the job done. I have seen classes where they take a week to learn to sharpen tools and I have taken courses where the instructor has a very sucessful history and he doesnt believe in taking very long to sharpen. :dunno:
 
Great additional info guys!

Frank, Kerry and Vaughn..... Great info! I am learning allot thanks!:thumb:

Now an update:
I looked at the PSI knock of ....I was thrown off when in the add I read " adjust to angle you want"......that is a major issue for me, as I am grinding different angle ..it seems, when I am attempting to sharpen my 3/8 bowl gouge.
There for, I am looking for a tool/device that will automatically give me the correct angle when I place the gouge in the jig to sharpen, I tried to match the manufacturer 's grind but over time it does not look like what it did....today, when I place the bevel of my 3/8 gouge against the wood, it rides there, but there is no wood removal, none.
then I regrind and have ended up with a blunt end that catches and chunks out wood.:huh:
So will the Wolverine or the PSI give me the correct edge every time I place it in the jig?

I was at a wood working show this past fall and watched as the demonstrator who was turning, would place the gouge he used, on a Tormek and with a quick rotation of the gouge's handle and just seconds later he removed the gouge and was back to removing wood, there was no fiddling with setting an angle, it was clamped in/on, run across the face of the wheel, and then he picked it up and was back to the lathe, the entire process took all but a minute or minute and a half.....but $500.00+ was and still is, absolutely out of the range of my budget.

Today I am leaning away from the grizzley wet grinder.

If I buy the PSI knock off or the Wolverine will using them be similar of an experience as to what I saw at the show with the Tormek? ...with regards to easily and quickly re sharpening.
David
 
...So will the Wolverine or the PSI give me the correct edge every time I place it in the jig?...

...If I buy the PSI knock off or the Wolverine will using them be similar of an experience as to what I saw at the show with the Tormek? ...with regards to easily and quickly re sharpening.
David
In a nutshell, yes. Once you have made the initial adjustments to the jig, it is pretty easy to set up for repeatable results. That said, there is no magic jig that does it all automatically. Keep in mind that the Tormek demo you saw was on a known gouge with a previously-set jig. For every tool that you sharpen, you will need to make some adjustments to the jig in one way or another. It's easy once you see how it's done.

Oneway used to have some good videos on their site showing how to set up and use their jigs. (The videos were also applicable to the PSI clone.) I just took a quick look and didn't see them, but hopefully someone else can point you in the right direction. Sounds like you really need to see the Wolverine-style jig on action to get a better understanding of how it's used. (Stu may have a video on YouTube showing his shop-made setup.)
 
Awesome! Thanks

Wow I did not know of Stu, and he is in Japan! his U tube videos are awesome! thanks Stu!

Ok who's equipment is Stu using with his grinding? ..I am referring to that "V" holder that is underneath the wheels of his grinder?

And the PSI knock off might not be so bad?mmmm.

Vaughn, it is surprising that PSI has only made a knock off of the Tormek system? or have they other knock offs?

There ought to be some place where a consumer could try out the many systems and there by find the one that feels best and best make sense to each consumer, then pull a boxed one from the shelf and head to the cashier.

In watching Stu especially when he held the tip of the gouge up to the camera, I saw what my gouge should look like!....Wow!, my 3/8 gouge looks nothing like that! that was very helpful!

Thanks all, I am not afraid to admit, that I am a new turner, and again I want to say this is a terrific group of members!:thumb:
 
David, as I recall, the sharpening jig Stu is using is one he made himself. There are a lot of folks who've made sharpening jigs similar to the Wolverine. They can even be built out of wood:

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pdf/ShopBuiltJig.pdf

Your idea of a place where people could try out a variety of sharpening approaches would be nice, but I suspect there's not enough volume in sharpening jig sales to make it profitable. However, if you have a woodturning club nearby, there's a chance you could meet folks with a variety of sharpening options and recommendations.

Also, since you mentioned your newness to turning, I'd highly recommend looking into woodturning clubs in your area. A picture is worth 1000 words, but some hands-on help from an experienced turner is probably worth millions. A little bit of one-on-one time with an experienced turner will help save you a lot of frustration and potential danger. (We've all been there.) Let us know your general location, and we can help you see if there are any clubs meeting near you.
 
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