Knife sharpening is a very pervasive topic. People are looking for an easy and faster way to sharpen a knife with the help of available tools, especially a bench grinder, mainly used for sharpening delicate edges. So the question is, “how do you use a bench grinder to sharpen knives?
In this article, a complete procedure is given to sharpen knives with the help of your bench grinder and some tips which might be helpful for you in this process. It would help to consider the low-voltage bench grinder for sharpening the knives. Most bench grinder operates at the speed of 3,450rpm.
When careful and keeping the wheel dressed, the high-speed grinder works better. But to sharpen, it is best to use the low voltage grinder running at 1,750rpm. The bench grinder provides a way to sharpen the knives. It has a high-speed spinning wheel for purposes like trimming wood, metal, plastic, and many other materials.
How to Use a Bench Grinder to Sharpen Knives
The bench grinder contains two wheels, which uses for different purposes. The first wheel uses for fine sharpening and accurate work. The other wheel uses for the rough sharpening. It can swap out or modify different wheels according to the user’s needs. One of the disadvantages of the bench grinder is that this tool is much more expensive.
The process is time-consuming because the material is removed little by little. The method of using the bench grinder to sharpen knives is to be done carefully. If there are no bolt holes in the bench grinder, it does not need to bol down. Do not use the wheel if you have not gone through the safety materials and have not had much training in using the tool and the wheel.
You should wear gloves when you are working with the bench grinder. The personal protective equipment includes eyewear and a face shield. The bench grinder must have enough power and the correct type of stone.
You should also use the process or any method for maintaining the proper level .avoid overheating the steel in your tool, which helps soften the cutting edge of the bench grinder. The sparks, flying chips, and much other debris are released continuously from the bench grinder at a very high speed. It can cause respiratory distress, burns, irritation, and eye injuries.
Required Equipment
- Blunt knife
- Bench grinder
- Clamp
- Sandpaper
-
Clean the knife
First of all, you should clean the blade with the help of the wire brush and also clean the surface by using an oily rag to remove the dirt and debris from it. You should ensure that you apply the general-purpose oil because the grinder tool is prone to rust if it is not used for longer.
-
Monitor the blades
Then you should monitor the knife to know how many blades it contains.
The pruning knife contains two sharpening sides.
While pocket knives contain one flat and the other side is bladed.
-
Sharpening the knifes
Then turn on the bench grinder and place the blade onto the tool, and it starts grinding. When pushing the edge, insert downward pressure to sharpen the knife with the straight blade. Then after taking the knife over, brush it to clean the rough edges.
The same procedure is also applied for the double-sided blade; you should keep the edge balanced.
-
Test for the sharpness
You should hold the sheet of paper and rest the blade at the top edge. When the knife cuts when there is minimal effort for it, it means that it is sharp.
Suppose it needs to be more vital to cut the materials efficiently, so you should repeat the same process. After sharpening the knives, wipe out the blades and store them on a dry and cool surface.
Some Tips that can be Useful while Sharpening
- It would help if you avoided the vice, as the vice keeps the blade in only one position during the grinding process. The blade must move naturally with the grinding wheel to get the right edge.
- It would help if you allowed the knife for naturally movement.
- It is necessary to maintain the correct angle. The experts suggested maintaining a 45-degree angle while sharpening the knife.
- The bench grinder runs very high speed, so it doesn’t seem easy to sharpen the knife. So the only way to reduce the bench grinder rate is to ensure it is sufficient for the sharpening tool.
- It would help if you never exerted too much force on the bench grinder.
- This mistake can cause you to lose control of the blade.
- You should set the edge on the grinding wheel at the proper angle.
Conclusion
The process of sharpening the knife with the bench grinder is quite a time requiring method and gives a good result without ruining the knife.
It is a complex procedure, but it can be helpful for you. To overcome this difficulty using the bench grinder, there are many ways to sharpen the knife more quickly and safely.
The paper wheel uses within many of the bench grinders. These wheels are less aggressive and quite helpful in the sharpening process. With the help of a paper wheel, you can achieve the refine edge of the knife, and it is much easier to use. You can also use the whetstone as the best way to sharpen the knives.
Related Guides:
