Power honing?

[rsser]

Hi all,

I'm wondering about the feasibility of power honing using MDF discs mounted on a lathe, workhead or spare bench grinder.

The focus is on HSS turning tools but it cld also apply to bench tools, incannel carving gouges and the like.

The task wld be to get a tool from the bench grinder honed down to eg. 1000g.

The finest grit in readily available Alox wheels seems to be 80g in 8" and 120g in 6".

In micron terms, 80g (ANSI) is 300 and 1000g is c. 9. Wld 3 steps get you there? Thinking about rouge or diamond lapping paste to charge the 'end grain' of the MDF.

MDF discs could be shaped (and reshaped) to suit a gouge flute. Some of these come from the factory with milling marks so a one-off prep there would be to hone them out, and after the the task would be simply to remove any wire edge left by work on the bevel. In addition, any return to the dry grinder throws up a hard burr that not even a couple of minutes with a slipstone removes.

[kman-oz]

I recall someone doing this successfully. I tried it with a high speed grinder and found too much stuff was thrown off the wheel to be practical. the other option was to stick a leather face on the wheel and use honing compound on that.

If you have a search I'm sure you'll find the thread.

[Ozkaban]

Dunno Ern, but I'd be interested in the solution myself...

Cheers,
Dave

[rsser]

Ta K-man. this looks like it? https://www.woodworkforums.com/f127/d...44/index2.html

Will read with interest.

(shld've searched first I know but was uncertain about the keywords.)

Edit: I'm thinking wheels on a spindle on the lathe, so speed can be adjusted.

OK, doesn't seem to be about power honing. Useful data on the grades to go down tho.

[kman-oz]

That's not the one I mean, no. I found the leather wheel idea here, the search term should have been 'Power Strop'

Here's another one, but still not the one I was thinking of.

[rsser]

Ta K-man.

A PM from a forumite indicated that LV green compound does in fact adhere to MDF 'end grain'.

The 2nd thread indicates an int'g poss'y, that returns to the grinder might be far less frequent if regular honing is done. (tho turning tools take more of a pounding than bench tools).

Course it'd be a pill removing a workpiece from the lathe and setting up the jig and honing rig.

OK, that settles it, I need a midi-lathe It'll save so much money and time

[Mr Brush]

Instead of the LV green compound you could try Solvol metal polish (the gold tube).

Very easy to apply to MDF in a thin film, and works well as a strop. Not sure what the particle size is compared to LV green compound, but its pretty damned fine. The paste goes from white to black as it is used.

You need very little of the stuff - one tube will last a lifetime !

[rsser]

Good call Mr B! And a lot cheaper prob. LV green is USD 10 + postage.

Will have to research other metal finishing compounds as well. The blocks come in colours right?, so presumably the abrasive grades vary accordingly.

I like the idea of the diamond paste tubes from the US but they're only 5g each. May not go that far.

[kman-oz]

A PM from a forumite indicated that LV green compound does in fact adhere to MDF 'end grain'.

No on my high speed grinder!

Another option I've found works well is the Josco metal polishing stick from the Big 'B'.

[rsser]

Sorry, shld've been clearer, this was re an mdf disc mounted in a drill press.

Thanks for the Josco tip.

[chambezio]

Just another idea to throw into the ring
How about a disc the same diameter as the original grinding wheel you have used,to shape the cutting edge, with the leather glued to the perimeter and fixed to the left side spindle of the lathe. That way it is ready at any time during a turning job without having to "tool up" for another operation.
Does the strop have to be on the face?

[rsser]

It's a good but ltd idea Rod.

For turning tools we need (a) to be able to 'jig up' for swept back gouge bevels, and (b) to be able to do flutes.

Skilled freehanders may be able to do without jigs but will still need a profiled form for flutes.

The concept I want to test is 3 MDF wheels mounted btwn centres on a lathe; two flat faces for 2 abrasive grades for bevels and 1 profiled for flutes.

[chambezio]

I was thinking along the lines of convensional honing of chisels plane blades and skewes. But with my idea you would need to hold the tool on the "down" side of the strop to avoid cutting the leather.

By the way Ern, with your paw unable to tickle these keys you are intrducing some interesting abbreviated words! I have to stop at some to figure what you mean. I do have a tiny brain. But your abbreviations are clever. You will have to document them and collate them to put into that book you will write on what to do when laid/layed up

[rsser]

LOL.

Yeah, I'm not as bad as my kids who SMS with abbrev'ns that are v. clever. Eg. c u l8tr

One of my sons reckons he can 'touch text' with his thumb only.

[rsser]

Another thread here:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f127/v...trouble-57280/

The compound stick colours correlate with the kind of buffing wheel used & presumably particle size which doesn't get a mention.