GRS sharping set up

[RT Bit and Spur]

I am going to bite the bullet and order a GRS sharping system. I do bright cut plus am doing a lot more single point cutting on steel and the harder metals. Do I need all the diamond discs? How about the cast iron lap and ceramic lap?
Rod

 

[Marrinan]

GRS system has been my choice for more than 30 years. Bought the Lindsay templates when I bought the classic, Have Gravermiester, Gravermach and the Lindsay Classic. All good tools. I do not find the Lindsay sharpening system very covenant or fast. I wish the Tom White variable speed was out when I bought my power hone. I got a real deal on a used power hone for my daughters setup or I would have given her minE and bought the Tom White. Would have still used the dual angle GRS fixture however. You will need the diamond disks but there are alternative to the GRS ones. most are tine and require a backing plate. can be obtained from sources including GRS. As for the Ceramic Lap. I used a ceramic bench stone set on my power hone (put sheet magnet on one side with contact cement to make it stick to side of power hone when not in use and protect the diamond disks. Since we mostly use the ceramic without it running in use the one by 4 stone with diamond spray. a tenth the price. The tom white hone is variable speed for hogging would be handy but I do that on my belt sander anyway . There are lots of guys who have built powerhones with much success. do a search. Hope this helps a little-don't forget the used market on both forums and Epay Fred

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Rod

A Gator disk for roughing gravers. A 600 grit for tidying up. A 1200 grit for finesse and a ceramic disc with diamond spray will give you everything you need and then some. They will last you for years and the ceramic a lifetime.

I find the ceramic gives me all the polish I need but others swear by the cast iron lap. Arnaud recently posted something about polishing gravers.

To my mind you can only have so much polish before it becomes impossible to tell the difference with the human eye.

I like the GRS disks because they are solid and remain true, they snap on an off the power hone without any fuss. Plus the speed of the hone doesn't burn your gravers out and ruin the temper on them.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[monk]

ok, andrew-- what is a gator disk ? and do i want to buy one. my rough disk is about 120 grit then 220, 350 , 600, & 1000

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Monk

A Gator disk is 180 grit. It has wavy lines in it and for some reason it seems to cut well above it's pay grade. GRS sell them.

I find they do a great job of general shaping, then I use a 600 to tidy up a bit and use the 1200 for all my sharpening. If I want a polish I just heel the gravers with the ceramic and leave out the 1200.

For really heavy duty roughing I use a bench grinder with a green wheel, but you can chew through them pretty easy and they make a right royal mess. Plus you have to be ultra careful of burning the gravers.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[sam]

in addition to 260 and 600 grit diamond, as Andrew stated the 1200 grit is also recommended, especially if you're sharpening a parallel style heel on carbide as its larger surface area cuts considerably faster than using only ceramic.

Consider the GRS EasyGraver fixtures as well. Absolutely excellent, fast, and deadly accurate. I use them for all of my 105° and 120° gravers.

 

[GTJC460]

I bought one of these laps off eBay for roughing. http://www.ebay.com/itm/350805342898?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Works really great. It makes short work of a carbide blank.

The easy graver fixtures are nice, but I'd recommend the dual angle fixture over anything else. I have all the fixtures out there, but find I always go back to my own geometries I make with the dual angle. It's the best one on the market as you have the ability to make anything you want repeatably. I find when I'm engraving stubborn metals or weird shape objects, I am fiddling with my heel and face till I get a good durable point that cuts well on the object.

I'd highly recommend it and the lap I suggested.

 

[mrthe]

Bert me too i have this laps and other differents grits too and work very well with an acrylic master lap under it for his price are very nice laps

 

[dlilazteca]

I bought one of these laps off eBay for roughing. http://www.ebay.com/itm/350805342898?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Works really great. It makes short work of a carbide blank.

The easy graver fixtures are nice, but I'd recommend the dual angle fixture over anything else. I have all the fixtures out there, but find I always go back to my own geometries I make with the dual angle. It's the best one on the market as you have the ability to make anything you want repeatably. I find when I'm engraving stubborn metals or weird shape objects, I am fiddling with my heel and face till I get a good durable point that cuts well on the object.

I'd highly recommend it and the lap I suggested.

I agree, this is what I use for a power hone with the disk mentioned.

I use a 100 grit to shape my initial blank then I fine tune it by hand, the fine tuning is minimal, your really don't need a power hone, but you can use one of its your choice.

I fine tune them with Steves stones, but I'm sure you can find alternatives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnAoV7l_jqM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Carlos De La O III

 

[jr hoot gibson]

Rod
You can make your own disks from plexiglas circles with 1/2 hole in center. Rio Grand sells 3-M psa diamond disks , brown wrapping paper on disk with spray adhesive, spray with diamond. I am thrifty, but my wife says I'm cheap!!

 

[GTJC460]

I'm not suggesting not buying the hone. I'm only suggesting consider the laps this fella sells. They are cheap and work very well. I too have several other grits and they are very good.

I'd be lost without the power hone and dual angle fixture.