Hand Cranked Grinder Questions

[C. in Indy]

Thanks, addiction-enablers!  


You pushed me over the edge; I just bought a hand-cranked grinder at an antique-mart today.   Looking forward to tinkering with it.

[Adnick]

Woodturners Wonders is where I got mine. It has a slight crown to the face. I forget what grit but I can check after lunch.
Jim

Jim:

Did you find out the grit? And what size did you go with?

Thanks,
Andy

[Boatman53]

Sorry Andy, this was one of those days. 97° with 90% humidity my brain doesn't work well in those conditions and I just was thinking about work and the thunderstorms that were predicted for late afternoon. I can say it is a six inch at I know. I'll make a note for tomorrow. I know it is pretty course as it is my first line of defense for bad blades.
Jim

[Timberwolf]

Woodturners Wonders is where I got mine. It has a slight crown to the face. I forget what grit but I can check after lunch.
Jim

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
That's where I got mine also..It does have a slight crown and rounded edges. Mine is 180 grit.

[Adnick]

Those wheels are a bit on the expensive side, so I'm thinking, better get the correct grit wheel first time around....

Mine would be used much like Jim said he uses his, and I'm assuming these things cut a little better than the common grinder wheel of the same grit?

Thanks,
Andy

[Boatman53]

Andy, my wheel is #120 grit. I just looked at the website and I didn't see the wheel style I have. It just has a crowned face and no radius on the edges. You might have to call Ken and ask if he has any in stock. He is a great guy to work with and he genuinely wants you to be happy with what you purchase.
Jim

[Bibliophile 13]

I had a hand-cranked grinder for a few years, and it sure was better than having no grinder at all.  I eventually gave it away when I was given a decent electric grinder.  So I couldn't even tell you what the brand was, but the exact brand doesn't matter all that much.  What matters is that the crank turns easily and spins the wheel without trouble.  As long as the gears mesh and nothing is cracked or bent, the grinder will work just fine.  

Here's my general assessment of my experience with the hand-cranked grinder: 

Pros
- The grinder was small and easily moved around.  I could use it and stow it, unlike a big electric grinder, which requires a dedicated station.  
- The wheel could spin quick enough to grind a tool, but not so quick as to easily burn metal.  Even with a standard gray wheel, I never even came close to bluing an edge.  That was perhaps the biggest advantage over the electric grinder.
- It was just fun to use.  If you've used one, you know what I mean! 

Cons
- It took me a long time to find a replacement wheel that would fit.  Mine was a weird size.  I think it took a 5" diameter wheel.  A 6" wouldn't fit at all.  Eventually I found something online.  
- It's a one-handed tool.  This is no problem if you're grinding a small chisel or even a small plane iron.  But with a bigger blade, like the iron of a 4 1/2 smoother plane or a hatchet, it took a good deal of practice to get consistent results.  Some tools, like some of my hatchets and axes, couldn't be ground on it at all because the crank would get in the way of the tool's handle.  
- It can be slow, and a little tiring.  After a hard session of jack-planing a bunch of boards, it's a nice break to take the iron back to the grinder and let a machine do the work for a while.  Not that I usually minded, but it's one more thing to think about.  


If you do get a hand-cranked grinder, here's a tip on use: when you mount it, you don't face it directly like you would an electric grinder.  Mount the grinder with the crank handle facing you.  Hold the tool to be sharpened in your off-hand and watch your progress on the wheel, which will be spinning parallel to you.  It's actually a pretty good vantage point for grinding tools.  And you don't end up with metal filings on your shoes.