Sharpening with KJR CBN Wheels (Woodturning Review)

Hi I'm Mike from Craft Supplies USA and today we're gonna take an in-depth look

at the CBN Sharpening Wheels from KJR.

CBN Sharpening Wheels or Cubic Boron Nitride has changed the world for us

woodturner's and in this video, I'll explain what makes the CBN so good.

Traditional aluminum oxide wheels have always worked fine, but they can easily

blue your tools if you're not careful and they require constant dressing to

keep them in top condition, which wears them down quickly.

But the most frustrating part of using standard aluminum oxide wheels is the wobble and

vibration caused by out-of-balance wheels and inaccurate plastic bushings

CBN wheels are a game-changer, because they're machined and factory balanced to

run true.

The all-metal wheel acts like a big heat sink, so they cut cool and with

minimal maintenance, they'll last a lifetime.

And best of all, they never need dressing.

Because they cut so efficiently, very high grits can be used, giving your tools a superior edge that lasts longer and

cuts cleaner. And they remove a lot less steel, so your tools last longer.

Keep in mind that CBN is meant for high speed steels only. If you sharpen anything but

quality high speed steel or carbide, you'll cause irreparable damage to the

wheel and will void your warranty.

Mild or high-carbon steels will clog the CBN

grit and it cannot be removed, which will ruin the wheel.

Also, don't adjust your grinder platform while the grinder is running, because it's obviously dangerous

but if the platform contacts the spinning CBN wheel, your wheel is toast.

Now in the past, CBN wheels have been a bit expensive and quite heavy for small

grinders to get up to speed, and this is where KJR has really hit a home run with

their new line of wheels.

Machined from a solid piece of T6061 aluminum, the KJR Sharpening Wheels are light enough for small grinders to get up to speed, even

if you run two wheels.

The CBN grit has been electroplated for durability and

they've got a lifetime guarantee.

The wheels are 8 inches in diameter andfit a 5/8 arbor. And the grinding surface is 1 inch wide which is a great width

for sharpening woodturning tools, while still allowing

the guards to stay attached to the grinder.

They've even got a quarter inch side grinding surface for relief cuts on box scrapers and sharpening carbide cutters.

And one of the best part about the KJR wheels is that they're

significantly cheaper than other CBN wheels on the market, and this is a big

deal for woodturner's, because now you can get an affordably priced wheel

that'll work on almost any grinder.

We offer KJR wheels in four different grits. 80, 180, 350 and 600.

If I could only choose one wheel, I'd take the 180 grit.

It works in pretty much any situation, whether it's rough grinding or leaving a

nice surface finish.

If you're gonna pick up two wheels, I'd recommend going with an 80 grit wheel for rough sharpening and re-profiling and a 350 grit wheel for

the ultimate sharp edge for a fine finish.

And if you want the finest edge possible, or plan on sharpening a lot of carbide cutters, I'd go with the 600 grit wheel.

Let's go to the grinder and I can show you how to use these CBN wheels, so you

can see for yourself how they make traditional wheels obsolete.

Before I use a CBN wheel, I'll quickly clean off any old debris with a CBN cleaning stick,

which is basically a high-quality drafting eraser.

It's not required, but I found that cleaning the wheel before I sharpen, gives me the best results.

Once the CBN wheel is clean, set up your sharpening jig for the tool you'll want to sharpen.

We're gonna sharpen this half-inch bowl gouge and I've already

got it set to the angle and profile that I like, so let's go give it a fresh edge

All it takes is light, easy pressure. Let the CBN do all the work and remember to

take light passes.

Now that the primary bevel is done, I'll quickly adjust my jig

and grind a relief bevel using an 80 grit wheel. Again all it takes is light pressure.

Now take a look at the fine edge on this bowl gouge. The CBN does an exceptional

job at sharpening, and it's so fast and easy.

As for the side grinding surface, I'll quickly show you how to safely sharpen carbide cutters using the CBN wheel.

Just take a small piece of wood and add some double-faced tape on the end,

and stick your carbide cutter to the tape with the cutting surface facing the wheel.

Now simply press it against the side grinding surface of the 600 grit

CBN wheel, and you've got a nicely sharpened carbide cutter.

KJR has really impressed us with these CBN sharpening wheels and we couldn't be more impressed

with their affordability and performance.

We hope you'll find them as useful in

your shop as we do in ours.

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learn more about the KJR CBN wheels, click right here.