( 20 reviews )
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Posted: Jul 9 2009
All the reviews hit the mark so no point in being repetitive. Two limitations are the widest width that the port can accommodate (my 4 ?? plane iron is to wide) and the different speeds at the various radius. I first practiced on some old chisels and it was a breeze to reestablish accurate angles and new life. The best feature for me was once the chisels were honed to my satisfaction I can easily touch them up simply by keeping the 3000 plugged in as I work, using the 1000 and 3600 PSA grits. I keep a 6000 wet stone handy but find it seldom necessary. Another great feature is the manufacture support. Call them, they respond promptly by phone or e-mail, just wish the port was a bit wider, but right now I have no intention of purchasing the auxiliary wide holding fixture.
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( 0 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: May 5 2009
A poor imitation of better machines, this has an inaccurate angle guide, "the see-through port" that easily traps chisels long enough to burn and "blue" the steel. The platen wobbles. It is impossible to hone a fine edge on a wobbling disk. The PSA abrasive disks are exorbitantly over-priced. This is the same profiteering strategy that printer companies use by selling cheap printers then bilking gullible customers for ink that costs more than high-test jet-fuel. ("HP inc." stands for High Priced Ink.) Sharpening by hand is not difficult. It merely requires some understanding gleaned from a competent teacher, and some practice. There are times when we need to repair damaged blades and are on a big project with a tight schedule, so power stropping is necessary. When you must power-strop, you can get better results with a forty-dollar belt sander and inexpensive belts. I have done exactly that when reclaiming hundreds of board-feet of Teak from an old battle-ship. A friend bought this over-priced, imported imposter, thinking that it was a labor saving device. After it grabbed and ruined her favorite Japanese chisel in that gimmicky "see-through port" she retired it with a vengeance. She got most of her money back then I showed her how cheap and easy traditional sharpening can be. Two hundred bucks will buy a complete set of good stones that can last decades. You'll get a better edge and won't spend extra for more sticky round sand-paper or wasted electricity. If you are on a budget, just get good abrasives and a two-dollar hunk of marble or glass to sharpen with. You can make your own sharpening-jigs with a block of wood, a hand saw and a fifty-cent plastic protractor. If you are rich as Croesus and want the best, get the Veritas or Tormek. If you absolutely must get a power-sharpening system but two c-notes is your breaking point, Grizzly sells the T10010 10" Wet Grinder Kit for less, and it won't "blue" your blades or require more expensive consumables every month. If you buy this crummy machine, you guarantee mediocre edges on your tools, while supporting misleading advertising and an unethical profit scheme. There are better choices for every skill-level and budget. People who like this thing are not necessarily stupid, just misinformed or inexperienced. As a rule, ANYTHING that is advertised on TV must be grossly overpriced. Generally, advertised products that are popular with the masses are all mediocre, because the teaming center of the bell-curve is ignorant and misinformed. This product is a case study of those facts. You cannot trust the opinion of any journeyman woodworker who "whispers" about a product in return for free stuff from manufacturers. Nor can you trust the opinion of those who admit they do not know how to sharpen well. For that matter, do not trust my opinion. Just look at the best crafts-people and see how they sharpen their tools. You won't find a work-sharp toy near any of their shops unless they use it as a boat-anchor. This plastic gizmo is a great way to further empower Asian sweat-shop moguls who profiteer from slavery, while simultaneously making your woodworking tools as useful and sharp as a bowling ball.
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Posted: Apr 6 2009
Does a terrific job sharpening chisels and plane irons. The adjustable hone angle is easily set and provides an easy 5 degree microbevel. My chisels are sharper than I was ever able to get by hand.
