Seeking Accurate Grinder

[SpaceBus]

I just discovered that the pink AO wheels are 60-80 grit and the green ones are 80 grit as well. I guess that's as good as it gets unless there are finer CBN wheels available. I read on another thread that CBN wheels also don't heat up the cutter as much, somehow. Any truth to that?

Edit: Just found this wonderful diagram. Looks like CBN wheels are actually 120 grit, which pretty much makes up my mind.

Edit number 2: I can't read, the diamond wheels, which I know are not used with steel chain, are 120 grit. The CBN wheels are 60 grit, which is kind of annoying.

 

[Wilhelm]

I just found this grinding wheel shaper while looking at different grinding wheels and such. Has anyone used it? I've seen the shaper listed on other websites for less than where I have linked, but that's the first place I ran across it. I also found the pink grinding wheels on Amazon.

I use a flat diamond laced grinding wheel dresser on all and any grinding wheels.
I don't grind my chains but I bet it would work well on those wheels too.

They are 1-5$ on eBay and hold up quite well.

Just saying.

 

[SpaceBus]

I use a flat diamond laced grinding wheel dresser on all and any grinding wheels.
I don't grind my chains but I bet it would work well on those wheels too.

They are 1-5$ on eBay and hold up quite well.

Just saying.

I have a dressing stone, that tool just does it perfectly every time. I'm new to shaping grinding wheels, but maybe I'll get the hang of it after a while.

 

[Philbert]

I just found this grinding wheel shaper while looking at different grinding wheels and such.

I spoke to the US distributor of those a while back. He said that they are designed to provide a consistent radius on the edge of the grinding wheel. That could be good for some people. The standard dressing ’brick’, along with the plastic template, will do the same thing.

Sometimes, however, you may not want the standard profile. Especially when trying to replicate the cutter profile of the Husqvarna X-Cut chain, for example, or when grinding Depth Gauges.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/383614073351?hash=item59512e3a07:g:OVYAAOSwu1Je~PWR

I just discovered that the pink AO wheels are 60-80 grit

Looks like CBN wheels are actually 120 grit,

The grit of any grinding wheel may vary with the manufacturer. The colors are just dyes to distinguish them. In an old A.S. post one of the large distributors stated that the Oregon ‘pink’ wheels were coarser than the Molemab branded wheels, for example. Side-by-side this looked accurate.

Same thing with the CBN wheels: CBN is just the abrasive, not the grit, or the density of the grit on the wheel.

Philbert

 

[SpaceBus]

I spoke to the US distributor of those a while back. He said that they are designed to provide a consistent radius on the edge of the grinding wheel. That could be good for some people. The standard dressing ’brick’, along with the plastic template, will do the same thing.

Sometimes, however, you may not want the standard profile. Especially when trying to replicate the cutter profile of the Husqvarna X-Cut chain, for example, or when grinding Depth Gauges.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/383614073351?hash=item59512e3a07:g:OVYAAOSwu1Je~PWR





The grit of any grinding wheel may vary with the manufacturer. The colors are just dyes to distinguish them. In an old A.S. post one of the large distributors stated that the Oregon ‘pink’ wheels were coarser than the Molemab branded wheels, for example. Side-by-side this looked accurate.

Same thing with the CBN wheels: CBN is just the abrasive, not the grit, or the density of the grit on the wheel.

Philbert

I sent some emails to the CBN wheel vendors to see if they offer different grits. All of the CBN wheels I find listed are 60 grit and the green wheels that come with the grinders are 80 grit. I have been very pleased with the 80 grit, so I'll probably get the dressing tool if none of the CBN wheels are available in finer grit. All of my chains take a round profile, I don't have any X cut chains. Mostly I'm just interested in a 120 grit 1/8" thick wheel for sharpening my milling chain.

 

[jetsam]

I just discovered that the pink AO wheels are 60-80 grit and the green ones are 80 grit as well. I guess that's as good as it gets unless there are finer CBN wheels available. I read on another thread that CBN wheels also don't heat up the cutter as much, somehow. Any truth to that?

Yes, CBN builds up a fraction of the heat. The whole wheel is metal and the heat generated at the grinding surface conducts through the wheel, which is nicely air cooled. I can put the CBN to steel at least twice as long without burning it.

I sent some emails to the CBN wheel vendors to see if they offer different grits. All of the CBN wheels I find listed are 60 grit and the green wheels that come with the grinders are 80 grit. I have been very pleased with the 80 grit, so I'll probably get the dressing tool if none of the CBN wheels are available in finer grit. All of my chains take a round profile, I don't have any X cut chains. Mostly I'm just interested in a 120 grit 1/8" thick wheel for sharpening my milling chain.

Diamond Wheel advertises diamond and CBN grits up to 2000. Tell 'em you want whichever regular chainsaw wheel in a different grit. (And tell us what price they quote you!)

Lower grit is going to be more heat for the same amount of material removal, but the steel wheel will reduce that heat load a lot.

 

[SpaceBus]

Hopefully the AOL Email listed is still monitored. I'll give them a call if I have to. Hopefully they know where the point of diminishing returns lies with the grit.

 

[jetsam]

Hopefully the AOL Email listed is still monitored. I'll give them a call if I have to. Hopefully they know where the point of diminishing returns lies with the grit.

Tell 'em you want to try one of each grit... maybe they'll send you a box of samples

 

[Philbert]

I was not impressed with the CBN wheels I bought from them. Cut more coarsely than my Molemab and Oregon 'pink' wheels, or resinoid wheels. Would overheat the cutters if I let them. They did produce a lot less dust.

The Diamond Wheel company is only a few miles from my home, but they said that it is only a 'sales office' when when I tried to visit. When I mentioned my disappointment in their product they suggested that I was an inexperienced user.

I would suggest this for dressing your wheels. Buy 3 or 4 more more wheels with the money you save over the diamond dresser.


Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

I was not impressed with the CBN wheels I bought from them. Cut more coarsely than my Molemab and Oregon 'pink' wheels, or resinoid wheels. Would overheat the cutters if I let them. They did produce a lot less dust.

The Diamond Wheel company is only a few miles from my home, but they said that it is only a 'sales office' when when I tried to visit. When I mentioned my disappointment in their product they suggested that I was an inexperienced user.

I would suggest this for dressing your wheels. Buy 3 or 4 more more wheels with the money you save over the diamond dresser.

View attachment 299750
Philbert

What material is the dressing brick made of?
Is it a square grinding stone?
Looks very coarse.

Next time You comment/complain on a manufacturers product You should really educate Yourself first!

 

[jetsam]

I was not impressed with the CBN wheels I bought from them. Cut more coarsely than my Molemab and Oregon 'pink' wheels, or resinoid wheels. Would overheat the cutters if I let them. They did produce a lot less dust.

The Diamond Wheel company is only a few miles from my home, but they said that it is only a 'sales office' when when I tried to visit. When I mentioned my disappointment in their product they suggested that I was an inexperienced user.

I would suggest this for dressing your wheels. Buy 3 or 4 more more wheels with the money you save over the diamond dresser.

View attachment 299750
Philbert

I probably have a lot less hours on a grinder than Philbert, but I really disagree with him on the heat thing.

I can blue a tooth in a couple seconds of grinding with the pink wheel that Oregon shipped with my grinder. My CBN wheel is more forgiving. It makes sense too- the one is made of grit and glue, and is much less thermally conductive than a steel or aluminum disc with a thin coat of grit and glue.

I agree that the CBN wheel that Diamond Wheel markets as a chainsaw wheel is coarser, but that is not to say that all CBN is coarser- CBN comes in any grit you like.

"Sales office" is possibly code for "we're an importer, not a manufacturer" ?

 

[blades]

Diamond wheel Inc I belive is a division of Radiac which in turn is owned by a French co. I had tried diamond ( back then they were diamond not cbn) some 20+ years ago and was not impressed at that time. Recently I jumped back on the band wagon and so far ( about 50 or so chains worth) they are working well (CBN ). I will guess that the ones I have are apx 60 mesh, perhaps a bit rough but as you get finer mesh the heat will build up quicker. The vitrified or resionoid wheels still have their place for specific dressing/ shaping. 6-8 weeks for a custom CBN wheel, a bit less if you supply the base wheel to be plated.

 

[Philbert]

What material is the dressing brick made of?

Carborundum (silicon carbide). The coarser (e.g. 24 grit) bricks work better for this use.

I can blue a tooth in a couple seconds of grinding with the pink wheel that Oregon shipped with my grinder. My CBN wheel is more forgiving.

I don’t disagree. The CBN may not over heat as fast, but if users push it hard enough it will overheat. Technique is still important.

The AO wheels tend to overheat when the abrasive dulls, and the wheel rubs, rather than cuts the metal. Frequent dressing exposes fresh, sharp, abrasive, which cuts better and cooler.

"Sales office" is possibly code for "we're an importer, not a manufacturer" ?

I believe so.

Philbert

 

[SpaceBus]

Diamond Wheel got back to me and had the following to say:


Since 1980, our chainsaw wheels have been made at 60 grit CBN.
We can make a finer grit, there would be a 15% upcharge and 5 week delivery.

Thanks for your inquiry.


The Sharpening Supply company had this to say:

Hello, We offer only 60 or 80 grit wheels for chain grinding.



I found the Tecomec breakdown grinding wheel part numbers. Apparently 80 grit is the finest grit available for steel chain in the vitrified wheels. I always assumed they were aluminum oxide, but it is actually Corundum or Carborundum. All three of the Carborundum wheels are 80 grit and one is listed as "premium", I can't find them online anywhere. Google has zero results for one of the part numbers.

@Philbert I have that same dressing stone and profile card, but I'm just not very good at profiling the wheel.

Finding out the finest wheel available is the one I have means I'll just have to become good at it or try the diamond dressing tool from Tecomec.

 

[jetsam]

We can make a finer grit, there would be a 15% upcharge and 5 week delivery.

Hm, I would have been willing to pay the 15% upcharge if I'd known in advance how coarse the wheel was going to be. I'm not willing to buy a second one to get it a little finer- the one I have works great.

If I ground chains for profit I'd get both, no question.

 

[jetsam]

Diamond Wheel got back to me and had the following to say:

Since 1980, our chainsaw wheels have been made at 60 grit CBN.
We can make a finer grit, there would be a 15% upcharge and 5 week delivery.

Finding out the finest wheel available is the one I have means I'll just have to become good at it or try the diamond dressing tool from Tecomec.

It sounds like the finest available is 2000 grit from what you said! Though that's more of a polishing grit than a reshaping grit.

I've found that shaping the vitreous wheels is really easier than expected. I just eyeball it, stop the grinder and check the profile, touch it up a little based on that observation, and it usually fits snugly in the profile checking template thingy at that point.

 

[SpaceBus]

It sounds like the finest available is 2000 grit from what you said! Though that's more of a polishing grit than a reshaping grit.

I've found that shaping the vitreous wheels is really easier than expected. I just eyeball it, stop the grinder and check the profile, touch it up a little based on that observation, and it usually fits snugly in the profile checking template thingy at that point.

I'm considering that there isn't any benefit of going above 80 grit if there aren't any off the shelf options. It might be worth it to get the CBN wheel, but I have no idea what grit to choose.

 

[president]

The cbn,s I have are electroplated to the steel blank
they are of coarser grit ,and you have to use a delicate touch
until the substrate wears down with use
Keith

 

[blades]

i have noticed that