Thread: Diamond Grinding Wheel Lubrication

Trevor. Its a balance of budget over a fine sharp edge.
They will by thier nature produce a very fine edge, a edge akin to a cut throat razor if you wish.

So its up to you to see if the cost is worth it, you could try with a diamond file to start with as they are much cheaper. Also they come in various grit sizes, this will allow you to play around with angles and edges etc and assess how well the fine edge does a job for you.

Did you notice the vest Cindy's wearing? Free advertising aye David!

Originally Posted by gtwilkins

.....So what's the verdict on the wheels? Worth the extra moolah or not?

Trevor

I reckon it was worth the money just to be able to get such a fine edge so quickly and easily. I haven't had any trouble with the wheel loading up yet but then I could never hope to spend as much time as Cindy does at the lathe If my wheel does load up, I'll just be trying a clean-as-I-use with kero like I do on my diamond plates.

I'll just be trying a clean-as-I-use with kero like I do on my diamond plates.

Yeah I reckon kero is what I would be using too. The brush idea is not uncommon in industry to lube various cam and cam followers etc. Its a good idea as you can drip your kero on to it, two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Thanks for that Trevor. As soon as I saw the video I was out in the shed trying this out and like the idea. One thing I particularly like is the fact you can freehand sharpen easier. The problem with the diamond wheels is they produce no sparks which I rely on to sharpen freehand. With the oil you can see it coming over the edge when you have the tool at the right sharpening angle.

If I was buying now I would go for a CBN wheel now that there is a source for reasonably priced CBN wheels. A bit more than the WoodRiver diamond wheel, but worth it if you can justify spending in that range.

For me the diamond wheel was a good buy... gives a fast fine edge, less mess and less maintenance than alox or wet grinders, and less hazard than alox wheels. And, I don't need to have another grinder like a 'Torment' taking up bench space and requiring expensive proprietary attachments to get the same result.

I wouldn't buy a Diamond or CBN wheel on the basis that it is going to give you x times more use than x many alox wheels. Let's face it, alox wheels last a very long time and cost so little anyways. We just don't yet know how long the diamond wheels will last the way we are using them. So don't go onto it thinking you will save money in the long run, we may not.

Cindy's OoohTube clip is an interesting solution to the problem she had with the WoodRive diamond wheel. Must say that I haven't had any loading up probs with my diamond wheel, yet, but I am only using it to lightly touch up my edges (resharpen), not grind them to shape which I still do on the alox wheel.

Cindy is right about water being the flushing fluid that is commonly used in diamond cutting applications. My understanding is that the WoodRiver wheels have been manufactured to run dry, but presumably the matrix will cope with veggie oil. I'd be cautious about using mineral based chains and bar lube (which also has various additives) before further investigation. Not that I know, but I would be checking the risk of it weakening the resin matrix bond.

A quick squirt from a pressure can of cooking oil may also work as the applicator.
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I have had clogging while reshaping HCS bench chisels but a slow run with a rubber stick took care of it.