Old school wheel!

T

Taz575

Well-Known Member
I got an old water wheel set up for sharpening finally! One of my friends was looking for a Damascus hunting knife and was willing to trade the water wheel for the knife :) I think my buddy said his friend had it for like 30 years at his shop, and then gave it to him and it's been sitting in his garage for a while. Wheel is around 1.5" wide, 18" diameter I think?? I will get exact measurements tomorrow when I go back to my shop. I may be way off in the diameter. It has been motorized, but slowed way the heck down. The water bath keeps the blades nice and cool, too. I tried it out on a couple hunting style knives, did OK, but it's something I need to get used to. May make a little table to rest the blade on as a guide to help keep the angles consistent. Gotta redo the wiring as well since it is cracking pretty good.

WW2.jpg



This is the knife I am bartering, still need to clean up the handle and mold/dye the sheath:
EK1.jpg
 
Yeah, took around 2 hours to get the knife to that point to cut, prep, epoxy, shape and bring up to 320 grit on the handle :) Still needs some clean up here and there, but it's close enough size wise to mold the leather sheath, then clean up the handle where it needs it. I picked up a 6x48 belt sander, which is awesome for flattening handle scales! Also the 9" disc makes short work of shaping the front of the handles, too.

Yeah, I'm happy with the trade :)
 
Thanks! The wheel is a bit messy with the water, but it's kinda like playing with water stones :) Definitely needs a work table; the wheel isn't perfectly round, so I need something to hold a stone dresser against to true it up a bit more, otherwise it bumps the blade in an odd spot.
 
Whatever you do, don't ever try to speed the motor up... Those old wheels are made to go only so many revolutions per minute, and if you go too fast, they'll blow up like a bomb.
 
I like it slow!! Easier to control and better for sharpening. If I want fast, I go to a belt sander.
 
Ya, one maker on another board almost killed himself when he souped one up to spin fast. He put a couple of holes in his shed and he said that the piece that just missed his head put a hole in the housing of a motor in his shop and ruined it. Better than taking a slow walk with six friends through a grave yard and being the guest of honor.

Doug
 
Another maker on another site had one fly apart after speeding up the wheel. Luckily no one hurt permanently! Slow is what they were designed for "pedal power" so to speak!
 
Boy that brings back a sore spot for me. My dad had one that size that had a diamond wheel for glass and some how it went away. I would trade a knife to have it back in a heart beat.
 
Nice.

I have one 4" wide by 24" diameter on the original motor and drive pulleys. Speed is 42 RPM, which gives a surface speed of 3 MPH (2.998 MPH for the really pedantic). Runs in a water trough.

You may find a full-length rubber apron a worthwhile investment.
 
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