Leather honing wheel for mounting on grinder

[Timberwolf]

Timberwolf, I now remember your belt grinder design - I downloaded a pdf file of the design from this site some time back.  It might be have been drawn by Cletus.  Back then, it was more than I wanted to bite off.  It does not look quite as challenging now.  I think I would rather make your design than buy the HF.

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Yes...I seem to remember Doobes did the drawing and posted it here..It's really simple to make and the drive roller diameter determines the belt's FPM so you can choose the speed, unlike the one from HF..For sharpening, the HF is faster than it needs to be, altho you can adjust to it if you have to...Lots of ways that design can be configured..You could even make it to use 2" wide belts just as easily..And IIRC, Penn state still sells 1/2hp variable speed motors very cheaply { I have one I bought years ago and never used } I think I paid about $100.00..I may have to make another one with a 2" belt and that variable speed motor....



BTW..You can buy ball bearings 2" diameter {Ebay} and sandwich them to make an idler roller any width you choose. It does not have to be crowned like the drive roller...

[tablesawtom]

Here is the picture of the drill I said I would take. It has a cloth wheel and I will experiment with it and the different buffing compounds. I was also on amazon today and they have a 3 inch leather wheel for around $13. Again I state that I have a tormek with a leather wheel and though I will give everything a fair trial the tormek is the final standard for me. This is for my 14 year old grandson and he is well aware of how much honing improves an edge. He already honed on the tormek.

Sorry  about the picture size 

   

Tom

[arnman]

Tom, thanks for posting that.

When you hone on the tormek, do you freehand it or use the jig?  Also, do you use the tormek compound or something else?  The tormek compound always seems so dry.

[tablesawtom]

I free hand. I put the heal of the bevel on the wheel and then rock it forward until I have both the heal and cutting edge engaged and then just a little more pressure on the cutting edge. I do the back at 90 degrees to the wheel rotation. I will skew the blade a little bit  and then move it a crossed the wheel. I use tormek honing paste. It works dry but I usually freshen it up a little.