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Waddy that is pretty impressive!

Tell me please, anyone, all I need to sharpen is chisels, plane blades (2" wide down to 12mm wide and only 2" long for my beloved finger planes) - will this machine sharpen all of this?  Will the guides work for the small finger plane blades?

Also, not to high-jack but can a binding router bit cutter (Stew-Mac) be sharpened?

I am beginning to smell a Christmas present for myself here....

Many thanks.

It will sharpen most flat blades up to 2"w using the chisel / plane blade support under the bottom of the plate.  You do have to set it to level with the plate, so it will cut a square edge.  I did discover if you set the fence loosely, you can get a little wiggle in the blade and soften the corners a bit.  If the finger plane blades are long enough to keep your fingers out of the way, it will do them too, from the bottom.  If not, you can surely do them from the top.

Sharpening a router bit is an inside job, usually, I think, so you don't change the size of the bit and the angle of the edge.  I really don't know, but I'm guessing no on the router bit, but I could be wrong.

I happen to like the thing, but it is not, necessarily, the ultimate answer to sharpening.  It does take some fiddling, as most "automatic" tools do.  Set-up, adjustments, changing plates, setting angles, etc. 

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Thanks Waddy - one more question please - does it sling water or compound all over?

No you use it absolutely dry. One reason I like it.  If you get the stropping plate with the leather cover on it, you use green compound on that, but it is like a crayon, and you rub it on the spinning leather to impregnate it with the compound.  It does not sling.  You might want to use a dust collector, knowing your penchant for cleanliness, because it does create metal dust.  After all, you are basically sanding metal.  The plates run at about 540 rpm, so they aren't flying around at 1725.  The papers seem to last pretty well.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Woodcraft has them, and they would probably demo it for you.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

woodcraft emailed me last night and said they will rush order the missing parts to me.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

I've got blisters on my fingers.

Ignore last post. Insane coworker on the loose.

I took my WS 3000 to my buddy's shop to tune up my chisels while we were working on a project.  At first, when I pulled it out, he laughed - "I use water stones and get a great edge"...

I pulled out 5 new chisels and had them mirror sharp and shaving hair inside of about 20 minutes - next thing i know he's bringing over his old beat up chisels and stacking them up for me to "tune up"...

i told him I have some Norton Water Stones that go up to 8000 grit that I used to sharpen with, but the wear and tear on  my hands and the time involved, let alone the mess, was worth it for me to try something else...I like to spend my time working wood, not sharpening, and i like my tools very very sharp...

Mitch