Knife Sharpening - Making a 8 inches MDF Honing Wheel 

Thanks for your good comment! I'm editing a couple of new videos and they will be out soon. Cheers!

I Also Loved This Type Of Video. Too Many Today Are BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH Please Stop With All The Extra Yaking.

Thank you for your good comment and Cheers !

Damn, that's so true. No cockrock or Pambi electronica

Haha, good one! Cheers!

Thanks for your good comment and Cheers!

Thanks for your comment! This is an interesting question I had not thought of... When the stone side is unbalanced, I think it shows more and quicker perhaps. But when it's balanced it's running true no problem. I also ran it without the stone on the opposite side and also with a buffer wheel. Cheers!

Yes it is! Thank you for your nice comment Sir! Cheers!

Thanks for your good comment! Cheers!

Thanks for your good comment! Cheers!

Thanks and Cheers!

Thanks for your comment and you are right, this stuff is nasty for the lungs! I have bought an adjustable hole saw and I'm planning on doing a tool trial video on it. Cheers!

Just a bit of railway mate

Router is good way to get a nice circle and doing that outside is an even better idea because the dust of MDF is awful! Thanks for your comment and Cheers!

Thanks for your good comment! Let me know if that worked for you. ...Also note : There is no added value to make it that big. 5/8" (16mm) or 3/4" (20mm) works great if you find my latest video, you will see it's half this one.

@@OuttheCave Thank you for your replay,I will make it the same thickness as the grindind wheel to make sure it will be tight on the arbor

You will love it! Let me know how it went for you. Cheers!

That would have been a much more entertaining video to watch! ;o) Cheers!

Hey, that's great! Smart idea to sand it! I will give that a try. Thanks for sharing! Cheers,

I would NOT want ANY sandpaper abrasive ANYWHERE NEAR my strop.....Think about it.

Can you send one to me, if never been able to shave may hairs, even w a k life blade hardened and sharpened by a BAD mastersmith. Am I just feeling a wuss and not cutti g hard enough?

That's a good trick! Thanks for sharing! Cheers!!

Good plan indeed! Thanks for sharing!

That’s exactly how I would have done it......

Making a sharpening wheel out of mdf to save money and get something that works....going to Lowe’s to spend $41 on a special hole cutter I may use twice...uh no. The radial arm saw was a great idea.

Thanks for your comment! This is all great informations! I tried turning the grinder around so the wheel turns away from me a few weeks back and it's true you see the blade better because you can hold it on top. You are so right about the shaky bench too, This was an issue for me so I built 2 new shop benches in the past months, very sturdy and I'll be posting a video about that shortly. you can subscribe to make sure you catch it. Cheers,

@bruce sannino. Well said. I was expecting him to bleed. =)

@@angeloparis7963 A little blood is just a sign of effort.....LOL

Out the Cave brother again don’t let the wood snobs get you down. It’s funny I haven’t seen any of their genius woodworking tips on the tube. Plenty of caustic commentary from them though.

Good idea, recycling an old desk! I never tried the red but the white or green compound works good for me (I have an amazone link in the video description if that's an option for you). I would go to a slower RPM if you can but it always depend on the grinder. My 8" is a bit too fast and I since then, made a 6.5 inch wheel to mitigate that and it feels better. The important is NOT to heat up the edge to blue and keep enough control on the sharpening. Keep up the good work! Cheers!!

Glad you liked it! I agree wit you, 180 grit is deep grinding territory. I hope these people were sharpening a lawnmower blade with this thing ;o) Cheers!

Thank you for your kind comment! Cheers! and have a nice week-end!

Thanks for your comment! I believe those slots are helping with the cooling but in my opinion, it's better and safer without them. Cheers!

Thank you for your good comment!

Truth

Thank you Mac, this is a great channel you have there! I see you have also made a bow! I subscribed and will be watching more!

Out the Cave thank you

Thanks for your question! it's called buffing compound or "joaillers rouge" There are different grits and they are color coded. There is a link in the video description if you would like to get it from there. Cheers!

Hi Romeo, I order it on Amazon. I have affiliated links in the video description you could try. I'm not sure if it's available in your country though. I hope you can find it. Cheers!

Hi and thank you for your comment! The rotation direction is really a personal choice. If spinning toward you, you need to bring the blade to the front (like I'm doing here). If you put the blade on top, you can imagine it could be pushed or kicked your way. If you prefer getting the rotation away from you, you can turn the bench grinder motor half a turn (some of them you can even unscrew the mount to turn the motor and so the switch is still facing you. Most belt grinders are spinning toward you and so I got used to that. Either was you can get used to either way and both have some dangers. Cheers and stay safe!!

Yes, exactly. You have a good eye! The Ken Onion collaboration Hootenanny has been my primary EDC knife for the past 2 years and it's been holding up great. Thanks for your comment! Cheers!

Thanks for your question! It's made from MDF (also called "particule board" or "fiber board" depending of the country/region) MDF is a medium density variant (MDF : Medium Density Fiber). Basically. it's fine wood dust mixed with a bonding agent, making it look like thick and heavy cardboard. It's also very easy to balance because the density is evenly distributed. It comes natural brown/beige or with a primer white paint that you can scrape off. I hope that helps. Cheers!

Hi Bruno, Thanks for your comment. Those lights were part of the bench grinder when I bought it. It's true they are very useful as you can see from above and they are not in the way. There are a number of bench grinder lights if you search on Amazon (example : amzn.to/3CdMzmb). Also I found those 2 models with the same kind of integrated lights I have : Makita Bench Grinder : amzn.to/3ox4NKN Ironton Bench Grinder : amzn.to/3qDdBkD those are affiliate links but you can search on other stores/sites as well. I hope this helps. Cheers!!

Yes, I could do that. I have a few knives to sharpen so I might post a video on this... Great idea ! Thanks !

Out the Cave yes just unbolt the base and flip it around and rebolt. Its pretty dangerous with it this way..

Thanks, I'll give that a try ! Although I'm used to it now, same direction as a buffing wheel, any grinder and even my Radial Arm Saw turns toward me. I also added big arrows with a marker in case I don't have enough coffee one day ;o)

Car polishing white and red will most likely work too but I believe they are a bit finer then the green one. Let me know how that goes if you try. Thanks for your question and Cheers!

Hi and thanks for your comment. I have not seen your setup but I'll try to help the best I can... First, your wheel has to be balanced. You may have to even the sides of the wheel as well to make sure it's turning round at high speed without shaking. The second thing I would check is the sharpening surface. After you apply the green buffing compound and you use it just a bit, it should become a very smooth surface. If not, try to stick sand-paper to a flat board and gently sand the wheel while it's turning. Then reapply the green and that should be smooth. The third thing is the technique and that requires a bit of practice. Getting the bevel angle is tricky on a round wheel. What I do is I touch the wheel at mid height (the height of the shaft). I then imagine a flat and vertical plane touching the wheel at this same point (that is my 0 degree). From there, I add the sharpening degree I need. Try to use the same angle as current bevel angle, unless you want to change it. You can check your current blade bevel on a piece of glass or anything flat and that will give you a good idea of the angle to sharpen it at. Finally, a great trick is to blacken your knife edge with a permanent marker and take it to the wheel. Then you will see exactly where the wheel is touching the bevel and you can adjust the angle from there. I hope this is helping and don't hesitate if you need any more details/tips on any part of the process. I'm sure we can get you sharpening on the wheel! Cheers!

Thanks for your good comment Rhino! The knife is the CRKT Hootenanny, designed by Ken Onion. Cheers!

@@OuttheCave Awesome. Thanks for the reply Brother ! Ken Onion is my favorite designer followed by Rick Hinderer

Hi, MDF is also called "particule board" or "fiber board" depending of the country. MDF is a medium density variant (MDF : Medium Density Fiber). Basically. it's fine wood dust mixed with a bonding agent, making it look like thick and heavy cardboard. It comes natural brown of with a primer white paint. I hope that helps. If not, let me know what country you are and I'll try to find what could be available for you. Cheers!

Good question! I should make a video about this... At some point, it will become bumpy and uneven. As soon as I feel this bumpiness, I will clean it. I'm not bringing it back to the wood but almost. Hope it helps. Cheers!

Unfortunately, natural wood is too inconsistant so even if you manage to make and balance a round wheel, it will become unbalanced with time. The grain direction and possibility of cracking would also be an issue. Thanks for your question and don't hesitate if anything else. Cheers!

Yeah! Thankfully I have a tripod and few more camera holders in the new shop! The recent videos are more stable. Thanks for your comment and Cheers!

It's MDF - Medium Density Fiber. thank you for your question and Cheers!

Hi Sir, This is a good question, thanks for asking! I would not recommend plywood, as it is too uneven and irregular. I hope you can find a piece of scrap MDF, it's really working well with this material. Cheers!

Thanks sir, i will buy some mdf board then hahaha

Yes it is. Thanks for bringing this up! MDF contains formaldehyde and that is suspected of being a carcinogen. Wear respiratory protection when cutting/grinding any material. (...except cedar. I had to cut a lot of cedar wood recently and it smells so good!! ;o) Cheers!

Good question and yes, it builds up a little bit after a while but nothing excessive. It also turns black with usage and could get dirty if you have a dust source near by (and who does not ?! ). Once in a while, maybe every 15 to 30 knives, I just clean it with a scrap piece of wood. It takes 5 seconds before adding some more compound. You could probably leave it but it may start to get flying around at some point. Hope that helps... Cheers!

Hi and thanks for your comment! I think this is a very good idea! You would need a smaller wheel because your press-drill has (most likely) a smaller motor. Something under 4 inch / 10cm should work. If the motor struggle or the pulley slips, then go smaller. If you can, reduce the speed to start and if everything looks stable, increase slowly until it becomes efficient. On the danger side, I would say this is about the same as a bench grinder. All motor tool have their dangers and we need to think twice before flipping on the switch. Let us know how it went fir you, I'm curious and also sure this would be a good option for a lot of people here. Cheers!

@@OuttheCave I'm working on it. Tomorrow ill know if it works. In going with a 6.5 inch wheel. My drill press is a 10 inch and has a 1/4 horse power motor! I don't think it will have any problem with power. There is alot of clearance where the chuck and table are. I'm making several wheels hoping to use several different compounds. Thanks for the reply!

@@johnhorgash9031 Sounds great! Big drill-press, nice! Can't wait to hear back!

@@OuttheCave Hi! The wheel works great but the horizontal orientation is a little strange at first. Sharpens razor sharp with green compound in a few minutes. The wheel was difficult to true on a drill press but with a little perseverance it can be done. I used 5 layers of 1/4 inch MDF glued together but I think that's too many I may try something else. The 3/8 inch carriage bolt wasn't perfectly straight but works fine. I could probably put it in my drill and use it as well. That would be very portable. So far I don't see the need to make another one with different grit because the green compound works just fine. So far great!

@@johnhorgash9031 Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I'm glad it worked!

Thanks for your comment! I think leather would leave a smoother finish but at that speed, I'm not sure it would make that much difference. However, a few strokes on a leather strop after this MDF wheel would most likely do good. I think you just gave me an idea for my next project! ;o) Cheers!

The u

Hi, Thanks for your good comment!! This bench grinder has a 3600 rpm motor. I made some more MDF wheels and find that a single layer (5/8") is wide enough to work on a knife. I would not use particuleboard with big grains or OSB. However, I think a fine MDF will not break under that kind of centrifugal force (if not compromised by water, bent, dent, ...). That being said, I always wear a face protection when around the grinder. Stay safe and enjoy the shop! Cheers!

@@OuttheCave I've watched so many of these paper wheel or mdf projects with some concluding a slower rpm grinder would be better. I wonder if making the diameter less or just using a 1/4 horse motor with, I forget, around 1500 rpm work?

Hi, Good point and you are right. My grinder motor is 3600 rpm; I experienced with a smaller MDF wheel (about 6.5 inch) and it was even better. You can see it in a more recent video I made. Also BTW half inch thick works great. If you can get a 1800 rpm motor, that would be best for sharpening but then I think you have to use a higher speed for grinding and buffing wheels (I use the same motor for all of this). Jeromy from SLL just made a video about slower speed for his MDF sharpening wheels (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3l7GkNej75M.html). 1/4 hp is also plenty enough if it's just for sharpening. Let me know how it went for you when you get there, I am curious to know. Thanks for your comment and Cheers!!

Thank you Michael for your comment! It's funny you mention the circle cutter as I recently bought that tool but have not got the chance to use it yet. I believe this is what you mean : amzn.to/2Cup5MD ...So it will certainly be in a future video!! As for the old people, it's so true that they have the best knowledge and we never use it enough! Cheers!

Yes, sir that's the jig I meant. Take care!

Out the Cave don’t let the tool snobs get you down. Excellent idea and out of the box thinking to put it together. I never knew there was a race to be the first one to get your knife sharpened...apparently some folks are competing.

Hi, this is a good but tricky question so I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge... The MDF wheel with green compound has a finer grit than the honing steel. However, because it's going a lot faster on the motor, you can remove more material in less time. You can really sharpen with this kind of setup. On the other hand. it would take way too long to create a new edge if it's all gone. To summarize, I would say that it will do light to medium sharpening but with a honed finish. Thanks for your question and Cheers!!

Thanks for your comment! It's the very popular Seiko SKX007. Seiko just stopped making them. There might be a few left in some stores but that's it. Cheers!

Hi, The green compound is an abrasive paste for sharpening or polishing. It's also called "rouge". There is an Amazon affiliated link in the video description if you want to check that. Cheers!!

I do appreciate your humored and constructive message ;o) I'll think about doing some vocalization in the next vids. Cheers!

@@OuttheCave Thank you for replying that sounds like a great idea Some narration would be great keeps people informed of your thinking people who explain what they’re doing in their videos stand out from the non-speaking videos keep up the good work 🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

Hi, Uncoated works even better. I don't think the melamine finish offers any advantage here. This piece was from the scrap bin at the local hardware store so I took what they had that day. Thanks for your question and Cheers!

Thanks for your comment! Feel free to elaborate. Cheers!

Yes it is! A tool to respect but so useful! Thanks for your comment and Cheers!

That type of saw was invented by the founder of DeWalt. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_DeWalt

Hi, The buffing compound contains fine abrasive grains. So just wax will not sharpen a hard blade. Thank you for your comment and don't hesitate if any other questions. Cheers!

If you made a coarse wheel using abrasive powder (aluminum oxide or silicone carbide) you could blue the powder to the wheel then charge it with some beeswax to help

Glue*

Hi, Here in Canada, a new 8" bench grinder is around $100 and up in a tool store and 8" buffing pads are about $10 on amazon Canada. Cheers!

You are right, this is not very safe. However, I would not use wood for this as it's not a consistant material (too many unknown defects). About the max RPM, I would guess the diameter is also to consider. Where is the "5000 rpm" coming from? Thank you for your comment!

The manufacturer of the MDF sharpening wheels currently available recommends a grinder speed of 3000-3600 rpm.

Hi Branden, The knife is a CRKT Hootenanny, designed by Ken Onion. Cheers!

@@OuttheCave thank you for the reply!!

Hi, it's green compound, I believe it's also known as "chrome oxide". See the video description for link.

Hi, This is a good question! Yes you can create an edge (or secondary bevel) with a MFD wheel. However, you need to use a corser compound (lower grit). The green would take too much time. The Black compound is doing a good job for creating a new edge. For different compound, I use different wheels so I don't have to clean them every I change. See different compound on this affiliated link : amzn.to/2Ko2F7b Cheers!

@@OuttheCave thanks for the quick response! You won a subscriber!

Hehe! Don't hesitate if anything, I love this knowledge sharing thing! ;o)

Hi, I got those MDF pieces very cheap! I went to my local hardware store where they cut planks and sheets for the customers and there was a cut-off bin for left-over pieces. I asked and I got a few pieces for $1. Many stores are doing the same, you should give it a try. If you get a used MDF piece from furniture or something else, make sure it's not curved or compromised by humidity or dents. That would be unsafe to use. Good luck with your project and let me know how it's working out for you. Cheers!

Hahaha, you are right, I should switch to metric. Here in Canada we use both metric and imperial as we need the imperial system to connect some pieces with our south neighbors (AKA the last country on earth preferring fractions to measure stuff). Here is what I'll do for you: I'll use both metric and imperial measurements in my next videos. I know I did that a few times but I'll be more consistant in the future. Thanks for watching and Cheers!

@@OuttheCave :)

@@OuttheCave dude, not the best reply you could have given.. some comments don't need answering

Opi Waran, You are so right about this! I deleted that bad response from my part and I will remember your wise advice in the future! Thanks for stopping by and Cheers!

@@OuttheCave Ah hey, nice to see someone catch criticism so well! Earned a sub!

This is an old video. I bought a cheap tripod since then so it's more stable now. Cheers!

We know who you really are, goathumper....

Hi Pete, I don't oil the MDF. The compound is always melting a little and the blade needs to be cleaned up after. I use a piece of rag on the side to wipe it. Also, I only apply a little bit of compound at the time otherwise the blade will collect too much and it will fly everywhere. After a while, the wheel will become smooth and black and you will just need a tiny bit and it will leave less gunk on your blade. I hope that helps. Cheers!

Out the Cave thanks heaps mate that answered all my questions I’m goin to subscribe 👍