Replies

1. 
   DennisS | Jan 02, 2006 07:48pm | #1

   Hi Jakek -

   If this is the machine with the smallish white high speed wheel and the slower soft brown stone that turns horizontally with the water drip setup, then I concur with your assessment of its utility. I used the white al. oxide wheel occasionally but less so now that I have a bonafide bench grinder. For fine sharpening I turn to my Tormek. Don't know why I keep the Delta around other than the occasional need to hog off some material without having to walk to the other end of the shop to use the bench grinder. I honestly have no idea what anyone would use that soft wet stone for or how they would manage to hone a decent edge consistently with it. Maybe I just don't have enough patience??

1. 
   jakek | Jan 02, 2006 08:37pm | #2

   Hi DennisThanks I was starting to think it was me. For the price I did expect more. The small high speed wheel does a very fast job on material and I hesitate to put my good chisels and plane blades on it. I was entertaining the low speed general bench grinder but I do have to watch my budget and can little afford duplicating machines.

1. 
   EdHarrow | Jan 03, 2006 05:31am | #3

   Would you like to own two?  ;-)

2. 
   DennisS | Jan 03, 2006 05:37am | #4

   Jakek -Fortunately the white wheel on this grinder is (as I recall) the aluminum oxide variety which is in my experience (with it) seems to be adequately friable. Meaning that of the times I've used it to hog off material it has less a tendency to burn the steel than other types of abrasive. But a bucket of water at hand is always a good precaution - dip frequently. Then again, the tools I've ground on it have been mostly HSS turning scrapers which are less prone to burning in the first place.In my opinion (only) the utility of this wheel, the high speed white wheel, would be limited to restoring an edge on something like a bench chisel or plane iron only if they had been used to chamfer concrete. Meaning major, major nicks. I think mine will go in the next garage sale.

2. 
   Telemike | Jan 03, 2006 06:05am | #5

   I was given one a few years ago. The white wheel is OK. The flat waterstone warps easily. I read this in a review and recently found my own warped also. I used a large concrete nail on the tool rest to roughtly flatten the stone and the dressing stone that came with the delta to finish flattening it.

   It's pretty useless for anything that needs a tool guide. It's OK more or less for intermediate sharpening of carving gouges and knives. Also, for some turning gouges although they're hard on the crappy stone.

   I tossed the tool rest for the white wheel and have a veritas rest screwed to the sharpening bench.