CBN Wheels - which one?

[kielbasa]

Hi guys - I've been sharpening with my super jolly for the past several months and would like to try CBN wheels to learn how they perform.
Main questions: is there a particular brand that is better than others, or are they all basically "the same"?


I've done approximately 100 chains so far and really don't have any complaints with the wheels my grinder came with, just looking to broaden my horizons - thanks for any info!

 

[Michpatriot]

I'll say this..stay away from Diamond Wheel inc. brand. Blued teeth and slow. Went back to Stihl Gray stone.

 

[kielbasa]

wow, a while ago these were all the rage - now it seems like no love for CBN???

 

[Farmchuck]

How are the Borazon wheels I’ve heard of in comparison?

 

[Michpatriot]

There are different grits in cbn\borzon, the wheels sold by diamond wheel Inc seem to be great for polishing.. Not quick removal of rocked out teeth. Old timer who works a old Stihl repair shop showed me his wheels and they do cut, they seem to be about 60 grit and the ones from the aforementioned DWI are like 120grit even though they claim 80grit..they exchanged a wheel for me with the excuse that sometimes the grit don't stick out of the binder that holds it to the wheel..fair enough but the second wheel had the same surface and didn't cut worth beans either..so I got a refund on the who!e deal..now old timer gets his wheels coated locally for a hundred bucks and eventually ill probably try one but I need a blank wheel to have it coated...ill be a while wearing out my Stihl gray stones..maybe one-day ill look into it again.

 

[kielbasa]

well, my friend is going to let me try his Foley wheel...
I called Foley and asked what grit their wheels are and was informed 60 grit. The gentleman from Foley seemed quite honest in that he mentioned to not expect any performance difference from the wheels thatmy super jolly came with, other than the no need to reshape and that the wheel will last many times over the jolly wheels.
Can't wait to try it anyways!

 

[blades]

Actually the grit is a bit of a mix (60/80). and yes the high bits wear off quick. really nothing new as that was going on 20 years ago. If you want a fast cut although rougher a 50/60 mix would be better. That would have to be a custom applied coating. Custom wheels or replating apx 6-8 weeks most shops. I use apx 30/50 mix for stump teeth way to coarse for chains.

 

[Philbert]

I was also not impressed with the Diamond Wheel CBN wheels I tried. They did produce less dust, but would still overheat a cutter if I tried. Cutter finish also looked rough.

I prefer to use standard, high-quality (Oregon, Tecomec, MoleMab) aluminum oxide (A/O) wheels, and dress them frequently.

That’s not to say that there are not good CBN wheels out there, but I do not know of A specific brand to recommend, and I advise a bit of caution when trying them out.

Philbert

 

[kielbasa]

ok, here to report my first cbn experience.....
i can see why some say they cut faster, one swipe down pretty much takes it all away - not really much need to do a couple of repeats (if that makes any sense?)
definitely less prone to bluing the cutter....
leaves a big time burr - wow...
is it worth a hundred dolla - meh, arguable....i can easily spend a hundred bucks on a few cans of good beer.......in all honesty i'll probably get myself a couple of these wheels since sharpening is becoming a hobby of mine (and we all know how much $$$$ hobbies cost)...
i WILL say the chain definitely feels sharper to the fingers, not sure if that's because of the huge burr or what...
in the next days/weeks i'll be doing ABA testing to get a better feel.....

 

[blades]

Tis a bit pricy to shop round at a c note + ea.

 

[wcorey]

Not sure whether varying quality control is the issue or varying expectations but I’ve been using a 60 grit Diamond wheel for a number of years/many hundreds of chains and like it enough that I really wouldn’t want to go back to stones.
Could be I just got a good one.

Of course you can burn up a cutter if you get too aggressive with it but much less so than any ‘stone’ wheel I’ve yet to try, including the popular grey stihl and blue ceramic.
For me it’s been a great compromise between speed and finish and while it is finally showing signs of wear, still does a pretty decent job.
I’m sure I’ll pony up to get it recoated when the time comes…

 

[ZERO]

My original diamond wheel from 2005 is still holding strong 120 grit, I have sharpened 100s of 325 and 3/8 chains without a problem. Everything from re-sharpening to converting my chains to my liking to correcting bad angles on my friend's chains. With seven chimneys, five Canadian style stoves and two regular stoves, 20 to 30 cords is no problem for me in one season.

I don't count how many sharpening a season, but I can tale a 3/8 68 link chain from 100% to 0% life by the end of the season. I do know how to use my grinder to only touch up a good dull chain and not take any more than needs to be.

A CBN wheel can overheat a cutter tooth too, as mentioned in the other threads, the tap-tap-tap is much better approach then just burring the CBN wheel into a cutter. I usually end up doing about 4-6 taps depending on how much material needs to be taken off, no blue teeth yet.

Cutter maintenance is more important than anything else. A CBN wheel will load up just as any other cutter wheel, if I get lazy cleaning it, after about 20 to 30 teeth I start to see a burr and not so sharp edges. The best maintenance for these wheels is a soft bristle brush lightly damped in water and once you finish one side of the chain, run it from the inside to the outside of the diamond wheel plating and you will see how much material flicks off the wheel. These wheel load up just as any other cutting wheel.

As long as the wheel is maintained properly, I do not see a problem it providing years of good service.

 

[Michpatriot]

Yeah in the end I did not like the burr cbn left and have since stuck with the Still gray wheels for all my round needs.

 

[kielbasa]

So I've done approx 20 chains with CBN and am getting a better feel.....I'm really liking this wheel.
Definitely faster and definitely less bluing. A good comparison is milling vs surface grinding, that's how the cbn feels vs the green wheel my sharpener came with.
I have yet to go back to the green wheels, but would like to see how they compare in performance.
But yes, that burr!

 

[davidwyby]

I’m getting a grinder with some stone wheels and want to get a CBN as well.

I’m thinking to keep the stones for rocked chains and such and get a CBN on the finer side for a smooth, sharp edge…make sense to y’all?
Thanks

 

[Philbert]

I’m getting a grinder with some stone wheels and want to get a CBN as well.
I’m thinking to keep the stones for rocked chains and such and get a CBN on the finer side for a smooth, sharp edge…make sense to y’all?
Thanks

I was not happy with the finish left by my CBN wheels - one of the reasons I was disappointed in them.

That said, I think that there may be a range in grit sizes, quality, uniformity, etc. with these wheels.

Your mileage may vary.



Philbert

 

[davidwyby]

Thanks @Philbert. The one that I used at Kevin’s GTG seemed good, but I would probably go finer. I’m not sure that last little bit of super fine edge really matters, but it bugs my OCD.

 

[kielbasa]

yes, the cbn definitely leaves a rougher finish, and it bugged me too at first but i haven't heard any complaints from the guys i'm sharpening for??
not sure how much (if any) that rough surface matters?

 

[ZERO]

@Philbert is that one of the rougher 40 to 60 grit wheels you have? Mime are in the 100 to 120 and thus far all is well. I would try to look for something finer if you still want to go that route.

 

[Husky268]

I've been using cbn for 8 years .325 & 3/8 I think they are the best.