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Thread: Should I Purchase Norton 3X Wheels And A Oneway Balancing System Or CBN Wheels?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Northeast PA
    Posts
    527
    I recently upgraded from Norton white weeks to 2 CBN wheels from Ken at Woodturners Wonders, and I wish I had done it months ago. Ken's wheels are aluminum, so light enough for your 1/2 hp grinder, and the 2 wheels were around 200 bucks for the set. You won't regret it.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Manlius, NY
    Posts
    109
    I would like to thank everyone for your fast and very valuable feedback.

    It seems clear as was pointed out that I'm not ready to update to 2 CBN wheels yet since I still have a number of questionable turning tools that I use on a regular basis.

    I think replacing one of my standard wheels with a 180 grit CBN wheel as Reed suggests makes sense. And until I can systematically afford to replace my questionable tools with quality HSS based ones, I'll need to keep a well balanced regular wheel.

    My inclination is to purchase one lighter weight CBN wheel from Ken Rizza and buy one 80 grit norton 3X wheel to replace the other standard wheel I currently have.

    I appreciate everyone's input which obviously has been most helpful.

    Dom

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Fort Pierce, Florida
    Posts
    3,498
    Like many I started with the Norton wheels and a cheap dresser. Then I bought a better system for dressing the wheel and drill bushings to stabilize it better. Noticed great improvement in quality of grind, but wheel started disappearing quickly. Faced with the prospect of buying new wheels every year or two, I bought a CBN wheel that had recently come on the market for a reasonable price. I sold the dressing system at quite a loss. Later bought a 600 grit wheel to go with the 180 grit that I had. I use a cheap 6" Ryobi grinder with the factory wheel and wire brush for other tasks.
    Retired - when every day is Saturday (unless it's Sunday).

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Midland, MI
    Posts
    168
    Quote Originally Posted by Dom Garafalo View Post

    I think replacing one of my standard wheels with a 180 grit CBN wheel as Reed suggests makes sense. And until I can systematically afford to replace my questionable tools with quality HSS based ones, I'll need to keep a well balanced regular wheel.

    My inclination is to purchase one lighter weight CBN wheel from Ken Rizza and buy one 80 grit norton 3X wheel to replace the other standard wheel I currently have.

    Dom
    That's exactly the set up I have and for the same reasons (but on one of the older $100 Woodcraft brand grinders which I believe have a bit more starting power). At some point I will probably get a second grinder and use it for the tools with questionable steel, lawnmower blades, etc. Then I'll get a 2nd CBN wheel for my main woodturning grinder.

    My grinder runs more smoothly now with CBN + Norton wheels than it did with the original wheels. And without doing anything special to balance the Norton wheel.

    Dave

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Manlius, NY
    Posts
    109
    I decided to purchase one 180 grit CBN wheel from Ken Rizza for my HSS tools and, since I have tools of questionable metal, one Norton 80 grit 3x wheel. Since I didn't want to take any chances, I also bought a Oneway wheel balancing kit that allowed me to balance the norton wheel.

    What a difference! Virtually zero vibration which is what I wanted to achieve. The vortex won again.

    Thanks again for the advice.

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