The other night I spent a good 2 hours shaping and sharpening the 6 bowl gouges I use on a more regular basis. Each has a different grind based on what I've found comfortable and necessary to carve through a blank; I favor the Robert Sorby HSS, and the standard Henry Taylor gouges. I recently picked up a Crown PM 3/8" gouge because I've read they hold their edge longer than many others, but how are you supposed to grind the thing? The metal is too hard, and after freshly dressing the grinding wheel, the Pro-PM glazes the wheel over in just a few passes forcing me to redress the wheel, or burn up the tool. I have never had that much trouble sharpening a gouge, I just left is on the bench. Any advise from Pro-PM users would be great!
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Crown Pro-PM
- Thread starter turner23
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john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I borrowed one from a friend one time to see if I liked it enough to spend the extra money. I don't remember it being any harder to sharpen than my other HSS tools.
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I agree with the others. My pro pm doesn't sharpen any different than my other HSS tools. I just use use the stock woodcraft grinder wheels.
I've several Pro PM gouges, along with at least one of every other kind of harder than M2 that's available, and I've never had any problem grinding any of them on my stock, six year old Woodcraft slow speed grinder. Other than perhaps you're putting too much pressure on the wheel, it must be the wheel itself.
I agree with the others I have 4 Crown Pro PM gouges and they sharpen the same as my Henry Taylor, Sorby and others.
Don
Don
i only have the Crown Pro PM roughing gouge, but have not noticed any problems, i use a slow speed grinder
i also have a hamlet asp2030 bowl gouge which sharpens just like hss
i also have a hamlet asp2030 bowl gouge which sharpens just like hss
Last edited:
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Take a file to it. If the file skates across it then it is too hard. Maybe you somehow got one that was not annealed after hardening.
It passes the file test. I'm using the woodcraft 8" 1750rpm grinder fitted with an 80 grit blue AO wheel...the wheel is pretty aggressive on my Sorby HSS, but the pro-pm will glaze it over in just a couple passes. Once I get the bevel set, I don't think it will be a problem sharpening, but trying to remove any amount of metal is proving difficult. I've talked with others who have the EXACT same tool, bought them the same week at the same store, and they all say they can tell the Pro-pm is harder than HSS when they put it to the wheel, but I've never heard anyone complain about the symptoms I'm seeing.
I had a similar experience to the one you describe.
By using a very light touch at the end of dressing the wheel, I obtained a smooth & even surface on the wheel. I was striving for the smoothest finish on the tool from the wheel, but it seemed also to be creating too smooth of a stone to be able to aggressively grind - on a 36 grit wheel!
HSS was slow to grind and PM was more so. Now I use a heavy hand with a new diamond dresser (about $8 at Lee Valley) on the 36 grit wheel used for reshaping and a light touch with my older dresser on the 80 grit wheel used for refreshing the edge. This works well for me.
By using a very light touch at the end of dressing the wheel, I obtained a smooth & even surface on the wheel. I was striving for the smoothest finish on the tool from the wheel, but it seemed also to be creating too smooth of a stone to be able to aggressively grind - on a 36 grit wheel!
HSS was slow to grind and PM was more so. Now I use a heavy hand with a new diamond dresser (about $8 at Lee Valley) on the 36 grit wheel used for reshaping and a light touch with my older dresser on the 80 grit wheel used for refreshing the edge. This works well for me.
I own numerous C PM tools, and they all grind just fine. I wound recomend that you find the cheap WHITE wheels that originally came with the grinder. I think that it is the BLUE wheels that may be the problem. Though I have had limited experience with blue and pink colored wheels, they have always been prone to glazing quickly. I also do not use a grit less than 80.
good luck.
good luck.
I have several of the Pro-PM gouges - I used a 60 grit white AO wheel (came with the grinder) to get the shape, and yes I did have to dress the wheel a couple of times to get the shape @ 3450 rpm.
I have a 100 grit pink AO wheel that I use to sharpen @ about 2000 rpm when I start seeing tear out or before my finish cuts. (One variable speed grinder.) I use this set-up for all sharpening for bowl & spindle gouges, while I just use the 60 grit for spindle roughing gouges, scrapers, parting tools and skews.
I will hone the skews with a credit-card size diamond hone. Sometimes, I use a burnisher for the scrapers - depends on the wood that I'm working with, and how aggressive I want my cuts.
I have a 100 grit pink AO wheel that I use to sharpen @ about 2000 rpm when I start seeing tear out or before my finish cuts. (One variable speed grinder.) I use this set-up for all sharpening for bowl & spindle gouges, while I just use the 60 grit for spindle roughing gouges, scrapers, parting tools and skews.
I will hone the skews with a credit-card size diamond hone. Sometimes, I use a burnisher for the scrapers - depends on the wood that I'm working with, and how aggressive I want my cuts.
I think it is your wheel. What kind is it? I like the Norton 3x they seem to work quite well for me. I sharpen M2, asp2060, and Doug Thompson tools, it has always worked fine for me.