Knife Sharpening on a standard Bench Grinder?

Question

I would like to start grinding knives to earn a bit extra money. Being a former abattior worker I have experience in it but don't know whether I can adapt a standard 205mm Bench Grinder to do a good job. The wheel we used at work ran backwards and was approximately 400mm diam. Anyone able to help?

Answer 1

You will need a fine grit grinding wheel usually found in many home improvement stores first. The professional sharpeners use a oil as a coolant that falls into a catch basin and recycled but you could use a container of water perhaps also. Be sure to keep the knife edge set to about 25 degrees angle for best cutting results.

Answer 2

There are websites that sell the wheels to go on a bench grinder. One is abrasive and the other is for polishing. It is best to use a bench grinder with long arbor shafts, this prevents interferance with the longer knifes. You can turn the bench grinder around so that it is turning the correct way.