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Here's something that might be of interest, a Power wet/dry Sharpening center for under $150...

Very simple idea, take a standard Delta Bench Grinder and turn one of the wheels on a horizontal plane...

Check it out here.

I have been looking at Power Sharpeners but did not want to spring for the $300 to $500 most are asking, so I was going to build one and found this on the web while looking for parts...

Comes with a 120 grit and 1000 grit 8" wheel, make or buy a leather wheel, charge with diamond paste and you’re in business.  (Dave Collyer)

I have one, it works well FOR ME.  I finish on an old belt charged with jewelers' rouge and mounted on a flat board.  Just a few strokes to remove the wire edge.  Don't forget to turn the water off, and you need a bucket or can under the wet wheel to catch the runoff.  The tool rest on the dry wheel isn't much so I made one with a piece of 1/2" conduit and a couple of 2 x 4s. Seems like I saw that in "Fine Woodworking" sometime.  (Neil Savage)

This model, as well as another version is offered in the Tool Crib cat. Amazon bought them and they are $10 more, but offer free shipping, which comes  close to the same price. Have seen them both & are very good units. The Leather Strop wheel from Rockler looks like a good buy, compared to others I've seen.  (Chad Wigham)

I picked one of these units up in Pigeon Forge, TN at the local Delta Tool Store.   What they do is sell primarily refurbished units.  If my memory serves me it cost me about $127.00 there.

I really like the unit.  (Joe Byrd)

Getting one of them WorkSharp  sharpening systems for Christmas. What extras do I need to get with it? Is the leather honing plate a good idea?  Do you sharpen your plane irons to 30 degrees or is 5 better.  (Tom Kurtis)

I don't have a WorkSharp, but I do have a Tormek. The leather honing plate is a good idea. I don't know if they recommend a particular lubricant and polishing abrasive, but generally you want to impregnate the leather with light machine oil first and then use a product they recommend, a rouge, diamond paste, or Tormek sells a very good paste for something like $6. Definitely buy as fine a finishing sandpaper disk as they sell and then follow by the leather strop. Sometimes if I think my blade is starting to get dull (but not too far along) then I put it on the strop for a minute to touch up  the edge and then go back to work.

As far as what angle to use, start at 30 and if you don't like it, increase it incrementally until you do. Keep the 30 degree bevel (or whatever the blade came as) and add a smaller secondary bevel to suit the degree of your preference. This also shortens the time to re-sharpen since there is less material to remove since the primary bevel is less of an angle.  (Scott Bearden)

I have one and love it!  Its the first time I have had really sharp irons ever! I don't think you need the leather strop wheel but I think an extra wheel would help. The  number of grits supplied leaves some gaps in the progression. I sharpen my block planes to 30 degrees and add a  35 degree microbevel.  (Doug Easton)

If I may ask, what were you sharpening with prior to getting the new toyl?  (Larry Blan)

Scary Sharp with a Veritas guide.  (Doug Easton)

Got one this summer.  Love it.  My sharpening improved noticeably for two reasons.  First of all...I've never been patient enough to sharpen as often as I should.  It's not that sharpening was all that big a deal with my "scary sharp" setup, but I just didn't like to stop and go thorough the process.  The work sharp system cut the sharpening process to a fraction of the time and it's kinda cool to use the machine.  The second thing that improved for me was getting a consistent bevel in both the vertical and horizontal planes.  The blade sharpening fixtures I had been using produced inconsistent bevels from one sharpening session to the next.  That equates to more time sharpening and less than adequate bevels if you're impatient like me.  The fixture on the work sharp machine produces consistent bevels every time.

I purchased the leather strop.  It's nice to have if you don't already have a leather sharpening wheel but it's probably not necessary.  I touch up the blade on 600, 1000, 3600 and the strop 10 or 12 times each for a few seconds after planing a few strips.  I think I was resharpening after every three strips on the last rod but I can't remember for sure.  It takes 2 or 3 minutes to remove the blade from the plane, resharpen it and remount it.  You could purchase another glass plate if you want more grits in the sequence but that's probably not necessary either.  The sequence I'm using does not remove all the scratches from the final bevel.  But that doesn't seem to affect the performance of the blade.  Scroll down in this photo album to see pictures of the machine and a sharpened blade.  You can see the scratches in the blade.

I'm cutting the primary bevel at 30 degrees and adding a 35 degree micro bevel.  Using a micro bevel makes resharpening faster.  I don't know that it has any affect on the performance of the blade.   Maybe it does,  I just can't tell any difference planing.

One more thing...read the instructions before you use it.  If you're like me, you'll be tempted to skip that step.  It's a simple process but you'll get better results from the start if you'll read the directions.  You might even want to watch the video on their web site.  (David Bolin)

Question about the Work Sharp grinders - is it really worth the twice the price to get the 3000 rather than the 2000 model?  Does the 3000 really do a better job of sharpening or does it just have more bells and whistles?  (Tom Key)

I looked at the cheaper one and as far as I could tell there is little if any adjustment for the angle. If I remember it right.  I may be wrong, but come on, getting the higher $ machine is the American way. Twice as much MUST be twice as good.  (Tom Kurtis)

I haven't seen them, so maybe I should stay out of this, but from the blurb it looks like the 2000 has a fixed 25 degree angle, which is not ideal for our plane irons.  Has anyone actually seen the two for comparison?  (Neil Savage)

I'm using the 3000.  The fixed 25 degree angle on the 2000 might be a problem.  30 to 35 degrees is recommended by the pros.  But for the money, the best deal is a set of flat glass plates from the scrap pile at the local windshield repair shop (safety glass), some sand paper from the auto parts store, a can of 3m spray on adhesive and an inexpensive blade sharpening fixture.  Google "scary sharp".  I make 3 or 4 rods a year.  At that rate, I never should have bought the Work Sharp thing.  It's totally unnecessary in my case.  But I'm a toolaholic.  I try to stay miles  away from the Grizzly show room, most of the time.  I had a week moment last summer after getting skunked again at Crane creek.  I would feel better about it if I had received it as a Christmas gift.  I'd recommend putting the 3000 near the top of your Christmas list.  (David Bolin)

Never admit that a tool is unnecessary in a venue that Mark Wendt can see. He has a bigger appetite for tools than Tim "the tool man" Taylor.  (Will Price)

I'm of the firm belief that one can never have too many toyls.  You never know when you might just need that one special toyl.  (Mark Wendt)

I've been looking at the Tormek system and have even used one and found it to be very user friendly but also very pricey. I got a Grizzly Tool catalog and they have a system that’s similar so I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this system. The price is a third of the Tormek.  (Jeff Volner)

Look at the Jet system. It is similar to the Tormek but about $100 less.  (Rich Jezioro)

I've seen the Grizzly system, but have never used it.  I have a Tormek -- but only because the Jet sharpener I bought was cracked when I took it out of the box and I talked the guy into an even swap because I had to wait 3 weeks for it.  The beauty of the Jet system is that it will take all of the Tormek tools, it has a bigger water capacity, storage drawers and it is infinitely variable speed and it cost about 250-300 on sale.  Have you looked into the Jet?  (Don Peet)

For those who are curious I think this is the item.

As a Tormek owner I must confess that I bought mine second hand in excellent condition and had I not bought it second hand the MSRP would have likely scared me away. Having said that, I love it. It is overkill if you only have one or two planes or blades to sharpen. There are dozens of Tormek jigs to sharpen just about everything you can find in your house. I have several planes now, and having them all sharp at the beginning of planing is convenient, but I will admit not entirely necessary.

To answer your question I would be hesitant to use this model for two reasons. First, they don't state the grit of the stone, and I suspect that it may be rather course for the work we are doing. Secondly, there is another model marketed by Woodcraft that for $99 I suspect would be better. It is another motorized wet stone and it is 1000 grit, but whether that is Japanese grit or American is the burning question. With either of these you will still be left with the need to polish the edge, so it isn't a complete solution like the Tormek or Worksharp.

A third option, albeit still expensive IMHO, is the Jet Slow Speed sharpener is a Tormek knock off that is basically an import copy of the expired patents on the Tormek. They are nearly identical and compatible with accessories and there is a $200 price difference between the two products. Tormek hypes up their proprietary stone as a dual grade 220/1000 which you can change using a stone grader in about one minute. I leave it at the 1000 grit. This draws a lot of criticism and cynicism, after experiencing it myself I am convinced that it works as advertised.

As a newbie to rodmaking myself my advice is unless you have lots of disposable cash to spend, that a Japanese combination stone and a simple honing guide is the most economical and practical method of sharpening. Scary sharp is very effective and cheap up front, but the cost of buying sand paper or the better 3M abrasive strips can really add up over time. I wasn't looking for a Tormek, but I fell into it as a package deal with a lot of other rodmaking tools. My other advice to other newbies like myself is to piece together things as you need them, buy the best you can afford and look for things second hand. Deals come along all the time from list members, other forums, eBay, craigslist, and yard sales.

Having said all of that I do have a couple of eclipse honing guides and fairly new Japanese waterstone that has only been flattened once if any newbies out there are interested and getting started.  (Scott Bearden)

I have a Tormek system, my only complaint is that the stone wheels can become out of round when they dry out. The manufacturer recommends keeping the stone turning after use until dry to keep the stones from changing shape while drying (this can take at least twenty four hours so I don't do this). I have trued all my stones with the diamond dressing tool and they don't warp a lot, but keeping the cutting edge of the plane blade perpendicular to the body of the blade is a concern. Other then that I like the system. I have purchase a stack of extra plane irons and just sharpen them all at one time.  (Will McMurrey)

I went with the Jet system and it works great. At the time, Woodcraft was throwing in about $150.00 in accessories and the sharpener itself was $100.00 less than the Tormek. From what I was told, Tormek did not renew their patent which left the design open to replicating. Jet made a few improvements to Tormeks design and put it out there for sale. The Jet has a bunch of accessories as well as all the Tormek ones are interchangeable.   (Paul McRoberts)

I have one of the WorkSharp WS3000 sharpeners now and I found out that either I wasn't sharpening at the correct angle by hand (even with the Veritas jig) or I didn't know what the heck I was doing.  I ended up grinding all of my irons to 30 degrees with the WorkSharp system (didn't take very long at all) and haven't looked back!  (Todd Talsma)

That's a very nice looking system.  It is a powered scary sharp system, right?  That looks like something that I might go for.  Right now I use a Veritas Mk. II jig and some float glass with the right paper on it.  Sometimes I find the paper with adhesive on it and sometimes I have to use spray on adhesive.  When I want to reset an angle I use some diamond sharpeners that I got from Grizzly for about $15.  Even though I have a workable system, I hate to sharpen.  What you are using looks like it would be really fast and "painless."  Could you give us a quick review of the strong points and any possible problems with the WS3000?  (Hal Manas)

Hopefully more people will chime in here, but here it goes.  I've used the system for a little over a month now.  All in all, I'm very pleased with the system.  I started by taking my irons and initially bringing them to the correct 30 degree angle.  I had been doing this using the scary sharp system and the Veritas angle setting jig (sorry, I'm not sure what model it is).  I was able to get sharp irons using the Scary Sharp system, but I think using the WS3000 is going to let me keep a consistent sharpening angle from one session to the next.  Yeah, you have to change the disks to change the grits, but that's only a matter of loosening up a knob, flipping the disk or grabbing the next one, turn the machine back on and grab another iron.  I have 4 Hock irons for a couple of Stanley planes and one L-N plane/iron and it only takes a couple minutes to go through the process of getting them sharp again. As  is normal, once you get that correct angle set, it makes touching up the irons a whole lot easier!  (Todd Talsma)

I bought the leather honing plate when I got mine. Soon learned once your irons are sharp, put a piece of the 3600 paper on the back of the honing plate and all you have to do is touch the paper once or twice and the hone to be back at planing. Don't even have to change a plate.  (Tom Kurtis)

I thought about the same thing.  I'll have to pick up an extra plate!  (Todd Talsma)

A while ago on the list, someone told how they used a wooden form to adjust the blade on the veritas. Once the blade is at the correct angle and true perpendicular. put the blade on a small block of wood. take off some wood at the front so that the Veritas fits flush against the block. With the blade in the form fit it so that the Ver... and the blade are flat and flush. Take two small pieces of wood and make stops on the back and left side of the block. glue and let it set. The next time you only have to put the blade in the Var... and adjust it square in the form, simple and fast and works every time. If you are left handed, maybe you should put the block on the right side?

I use sticky sandpaper also, get it at Sears, 100 and 150. then 400 and finally 2000 grit. The whole thing costs next to nothing and really works, best of all you made it yourself.  (Bob Norwood)

My only concern is for the life of the reduction gears (which are a bit noisy). However I re-beveled and sharpened 3 old Stanley blades and a cryo blade in about 1 1/2 hours (not straight grinding time). I needed extra time because my previous scary sharp bevels done with my Veritas guide were, as Todd says, WAY off. I got the machine a month ago. I have squared up strips for 2 rods (I use a MHM) and I haven't had to use the sharpener again except to sharpen all our kitchen knives. I will need to do it again this weekend because I will  be starting a new rod. One note, the progression of grits provided is a bit steep. I was not able to get all the marks made with one grade out with the next.  This would be a case for getting an extra glass disc. However I am sharpening to 30 deg and adding a 35 degree microbevel and the blades cut cane beautifully. Isn't that what counts?   (Doug Easton)

I have just received my new grinder today from Grizzly and I have to say I am quite impressed. It is very close in size to the Tormek and also weight. It has the over the top bar like Tormek and universal jig with angle guide template. The stone is 220 grit (wet) with leather strop. Most impressive is this machine is made in Germany. I will let you guys know about the performance but so far this machine is well worth the much lower price(less than half base Tormek). (Jeff Volner)

So after looking at all the sharpeners out there I decided to get the Worksharp 3000 I looked at the 2000 but by the time you buy the same accessories that come with the 3000 you pay the same amount and don't get the bevel adjustment. Being the patient person that I am, I came home, set it up and sharpened a hock blade. The down side is that all you can get is 35 degrees (which I knew going in) but I am going to try that again, if I start getting lifting I will adapt the angle to 40 degrees someway. You know I do have a Bridgeport :>) The blade I sharpened only took a few minutes to get sharp enough to shave hair off my arm! How cool is that. I will post more after this week end when I have time to plane some cane.  (Joe Arguello)

I bought one as well.  It seems like a good little machine.  It did take some playing with the skew adjustment to get things squared up but it appears to be square now.

The only accessory I bought was the leather strop.  It would be nice to have some sort of jig for the strop to hold it at the correct angle.  Oh well, it still seems like a nice unit for the money and it certainly sharpens quick.  Much faster, and it seems just as good, as Scary Sharp IMHO.  (Bruce Johns)

My thoughts as well on the leather strop, think I got it figured out! How about making a spacer/washer to hold the strop a little higher and use it on the bottom? Huh? I think that will work, Like they say "even a blind bird gets a worm every now and then." I'm going to try it and I will let you know how that works.  (Joe Arguello)

Wouldn't that be turning the wheel the wrong way against the blade?

The Worksharp is on my next unnecessary-toy-to-purchase list, so I'm interested in what add-ons and modifications others find useful.  (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

It would be turning it the same way you turn all the others. I think it should work.  (Joe Arguello)

Well as I was hoping I had time to use my new Toyl, (Worksharp 3000) it is everything I hoped for and more! Getting a blade sharp is a breeze and keeping it that way is also easy. I found that if the blade was even thinking about getting dull, all you have to do is touch it to the wheel and presto. I did make a spacer so that I could run the leather strop on the bottom of the plate just like the PSA paper. Once I charged the leather it just puts a mirror finish on the bevel. As I was planing I left the strop on the machine and every now and then (probably more than I needed to) I would take the iron out of the plane and touch it up, it takes longer to put the blade back in the plane and tune it than it does to sharpen it.

Well, sometimes things really are what they are made out to be.  (Joe Arguello)

OK, when I heard Joe had the new Worksharp 3000 I could wait to see it in action. I'm careful to let a little time go by between my visits to Joe's shop and showing up at home with a new toyl just to see if I can delay my wife making the connection between Joe and then "What is that you're bring in the door and why do you need it?" As Joe would say..."Wives hate him."

Anyway I took over a Hock blade that I spent probably 20 minutes getting it as sharp as I could using my old Scary Sharp method. Joe looked at it and agreed it was very sharp. Then we decided to put a new bevel on it using the Worksharp. 2 minutes later, new bevel; 1 minute later, getting sharper; final 1 minute shaving hair off my arm. Seeing is believing, way cool, and now I gotta have one. Hello WoodCraft in Loveland Colorado.  (Frank Drummond)

Yeah, my wife always tells me that I better hope that all these wives don't ever get together like for a Tupperware party or something, start talking and realize that I'm the one responsible for all the money these guys are spending! She says they will run me out of town and it won't be pretty. I guess I've been warned.  (Joe Arguello)

I assume that you just made a spacer the same thickness of the leather. I'm gonna try that one as well.  The more I use that little machine, the better I like it.  (Bruce Johns)

That's exactly it, maybe a little thicker, you just need to make sure that the leather is clearing the frame of the machine. One thing I forgot to mention is that you need to get a slightly longer bolt. While I was trying this I just used a bolt I had laying around, but I'm thinking I will take the one out of the hold down that came with the machine and get one 1/4 longer.  (Joe Arguello)

Well, I have now had time to use my new Worksharp 3000. In a word - WOW!!!! Let's see where do I start? When I first got it I sharpened all my blades to 35 degrees. they seemed really sharp, sharper than I have been able to get them,  shave hair like nothing. But, how will they cut? And how easy to touch them up? Well I have now planed some cane and this is what I have found. I have a 12-920 and a Lie-Nielsen with a grooved sole. I use the 920 to get close then finish up with the Lie-Nielsen, and finally scrape with my Lie-Nielsen scraper. The blades really cut nice, effortless and to touch them up it just take a few seconds. I need to say that I bought the leather strop as an accessory It worked OK but I had to make a spacer to run it on the bottom. And per advise of Darrol Groth I thought I would try felt, he was even gracious enough to send me some pink rouge. (Thank you Darrol)

Well what to use for felt? I figured since I was going to glue it to one of the glass plates it didn't need to be very thick as a matter of fact I didn't want it to be too thick so I could run it on the underside just like the PSA sandpaper. So off to Wally World I went to buy some felt that I was going to glue on with some contact cement, to my surprise they have some squares of felt with PSA! Cool. So I cut out a disk stuck it on and eureka! Loaded it up with some pink rouge and this is so cool words can't describe it! really you would just have to try it.

Now as a bonus. I ranted and raved so much about this I convinced Frank Drummond to get one for his own self. The other day he called and asked if I had tried to sharpen my scraper blade on this fine machine, works like a charm he went on to say. Well, he told me how he was doing this and viola you can get a burr in just seconds!

Well I guess to sum up I really do like this sharpener. A real time saver or could you tell? :>)  (Joe Arguello)

Here are some pics of a fixture I made to sharpen the scraper blades.  (Joe Arguello)

A few months ago I purchased a Worksharp 3000 and like it a lot.  The only problem I  have with it is  the progression of the grit levels.  They suggest going from 400 to 1000 to 3600.  I would rather go from 1000 to 1500 to 2000 or something like that while touching up my irons.  I can’t seem to find any 6” PSA discs and was wondering if anyone using this system could help me out with locating these in between grits.  I understand I could use adhesive spray and stick on a square sheet and then trim to the 6” size but I would rather not.  Any suggestions?  (Greg Reeves)

At any NAPA or any body shop supply store.  (Wayne Caron)

Find an automotive supply store, they should have everything you want.  (Joe Arguello)

That's an automotive paint supply store!  (Joe Arguello)

I've had the same problem with my Worksharp 3000.  It puts a very sharp and long-lasting edge on an iron, but the big jumps between grits bothers me.  I've searched the web, but found nothing for the in between grits.  I'm going to try spray adhesive and trimming sheets, but would prefer PSA discs cut to size.  (Reed Guice)

I don't know if you all saw this and forgive me if I am being repetitive but here goes: Don't forget that you can go down to Wal-Mart and buy some self adhesive felt, glue this to one of your glass plates and use some green or pink rouge to polish the edge of your blades. This really works great! Try it you'll like it!

What I did was glue the sheet on the glass then trim it out with a razor.  (Joe Arguello)

I got that email and was going to try this but at what point do you go to the felt?  After the 1000 grit plate?

I have searched the internet as well as try auto body shops, Napa, Autozone, and other auto supply stores and they only go up to 400 grit in the PSA 6” discs.  I could go to Woodcraft but they only have the Worksharp discs which jump from 1000 grit to 3600 micro mesh.  I like the scary sharp progression and have always thought 2000 was good enough.  I agree the Worksharp gives me a great edge that I can shave with in about two minutes + or – with no setup or clean up time.  It is a wonderful system.  I was just hoping to find some intermediate grits.  (Greg Reeves)

I just called the local auto paint supplier here in Longmont, CO and inquired exactly what grits they have in the PSA discs.  I was told that they carry 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 grits. I personally have bought 1200 grit from them. I usually just use 400 then 1200 and then go to the felt but as you can see there are more grits in between. This has worked great for me.

Oh and I will touch up with only the felt for a few times before going back to the sanding discs.  (Joe Arguello)

You can get 6” PSA sanding  disc  down  to  12000  at Micro-Surface.com. Good luck and happy planning. (Larry Downey)

I went back to the store I got mine from & they had different grits in stock.  I think the name is Woodcraft.  They also have the finer grits & in between grits in their catalog.  (Bret Reiter)

If you can't find them at your local auto paint supply or NAPA store, try www.japanwoodworker.com, they'll have what you want but probably in Micron grits. You'll have to do some conversions, but it lasts longer than silicon carbide or aluminum oxide and the grit is more closely graded.  (John Channer)

Why don’t you try 3M??  (Richard Westerfield)

I'm going to retire my scary sharp setup & get a Worksharp 3000.  Are there any accessories I should get right away? Extra glass plates? Extra sandpaper disks?  Sometimes these are on special when you buy the WS.  Any other tips?  (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

Get some extra glass plates. You can adapt most sandpaper to the disks with 3M Super 77 spray adhesive.  (Frank Drummond)

I didn't get extra glass plates but probably will in the future.  There is quite a step between grits with just 4 grit sizes.  I did get the leather strop and use it daily.  (Bruce Johns)

How are you using the strop?  I have one, but haven't set it up yet. I know Joe Arguello made some modifications to be able to use it on the bottom side of the sharpener.  Just curious.  (Todd Talsma)

How often does the sandpaper need to be replaced?  (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

I'm still using the sandpaper that came with the unit.  It comes with a crepe block to keep the abrasives clean.  It slows down as it gets worn, of course, but it's still sharpening fine after several months.

My unit developed a clacking sound and I contacted service.  It's just a belt that gets loose on break-in and they told me how to tighten it without having to send it in....very helpful folks.  (Bruce Johns)

I'm just using the strop free-hand but you can get a nylon insert at Ace (essentially a thick washer) that will allow you to turn it upside down and use it at a more precise angle.  I think I'm going to do that.  (Bruce Johns)

One of the things I use which I think is the best tip I can pass along is: I went to Wal Mart and in the sewing department they have some stick on felt sheets. I bought some and glued it on one of the glass plates, cut it out and charged it with some green or pink rouge. It is thin enough that you can run it on the bottom just like your sandpaper. Keeps the angle right and really get the blade sharp.  (Joe Arguello)

I have a strop that I use on the machine, all you have to do is put a washer, on the spindle, then the glass plate. the washer raises the plate to keep it from rubbing.  (Larry Downey)

Well, I got the chance to try out my new toy. To tell the truth I’m not overly impressed. I can get the irons sharper using a granite slab, Veritas Mk ll Honing guide and 15 & 5 micron sheets followed up by a few strokes on a leather strop. The Work Shop is faster but doesn’t do a final job acceptable to me.

I ran into a problem with the skew adjustment on the WS3000. Had to move the adjustment all the way to one end of the adjustment to get the edge almost square. Its off by a very very thin sliver of light on the right side with the skew lever all the way up. You’d never notice it from a trotting horse but I know its there and what bothers me is I’m at the end of the adjustment. Tried to call their tech support but they were busy and I didn’t have time to wait, I’ll try again tomorrow. Has anyone else ran into this??? Anyone have any suggestions? (Don Schneider)

As I have a granite slab, 15, 5, and 0.5 micron paper and the Veritas Mk II already I'll suspend envy and further arguments with my credit card.  (Henry Mitchell)

As you probably already know once you have an iron sharpened to perfection all you have to do is touch up the edge when you feel it needs it. I usually only have to hone the edge on leather 3 or 4 times per rod. Yes you will have to spend hours getting to perfection on a new or damaged iron with the Veritas Honing Guide but you normally only have to do this once. The Wood Shop will save you hours to get to the point of really continuing on to sharpening an iron with the Veritas Honing Guide and micro abrasives. So far- Save your money.  (Don Schneider)

Since I've always had good results from my extra fine diamond hone and leather strop, I think I'll also save my $.  (Neil Savage)

I agree that the WS 3000 is a good tool, but like you, I found that it doesn't quite do the whole job....here's my 2 cents:

I just purchased the WS 3000 from Sears this past weekend, and it has its pluses and minuses.  I read the instructions, set up the machine, and sharpened 3 very dull hock plane blades [and one gouge] in 30 minutes flat.  (Sharpening the plane blade bevel to 35 degrees takes very little time actually.)  So, I found that the tool works as advertised, and is very simple to use (remember to wear eye protection!).

On the down side, however, I sharpen my plane blades with a microbevel closer to 50 degrees. The WS3000 maxes out at 35 degrees.  Thus, I went back to the waterstones for a few minutes per blade.  So that step wasn't eliminated.  (I suppose the tool rest on the WS3000 could be used for grinding a steeper bevel.  But without a jig, relying on the tool rest might not be as accurate/consistent as using the honing guide and water/diamond stones for the micro bevel.)

In the end, I feel that the WS3000 is excellent for salvaging neglected blades and/or restoring a basic bevel quickly.  It doesn't do the whole job for most rodmakers.  You'll definitely still need to resort to the stones for a micro bevel.  If you're planing a few rods per year, the WS3000 might not be worth the investment.  On the other hand, if you have alot of planes with blades in need of basic upkeep or blades with badly skewed angles that need tuning, the tool will be a helpful addition to your shop.  (Bernie Elser)

I got my Worksharp 3000 about 6 months ago. I personally wouldn't be without it. I set it up to get the sharpest angle I could which is 35 degrees. I agree I would like to get it closer to 40 degrees and I suppose I will work this out but for now 35 is working just fine. One thing I do is only use the glass plates. I don't use the slotted ones to sharpen my plane blades. I use a 320 grit paper for 'roughing out' blades and then move to 800 and then 1000 grits. I then touch up the blade as needed with the felt disc as needed. I replaced the leather with a sheet of felt that I can run on the bottom of the plate just like the sandpaper. After I get the blade sharp I can use the hone to touch up when needed. I have gotten my blades sharper than ever before and touch up while planing takes only seconds. I also made an attachment to sharpen my scraper blades which also only takes seconds. Here is a link showing a pic of the attachment and the plate with the felt. The plate with the felt actually has 150 grit on the other side used to sharpen the scraper blades, so it is set up with the 150 side up and the rouge charged felt on the bottom when in use. I got this felt at WalMart in the fabric department and it has self stick on one side, use this with green or pink rouge. I personally don't see a need to ever use a hand method again.

(Joe Arguello)

What do you do about the back of the iron?  (Steve Weiss)

Just use the plate that has the 1000 grit paper on it and touch it up. Same way you would if you were using the scary sharp method.  (Joe Arguello)

I have a question for you.  I do a 400-800-1000-3600 grit process.  The 800 is wet/dry paper that I cut to shape and glued onto the glass with spray adhesive.

The 400 cuts the base angle set across my blade very quickly, but it leaves noticeable grooves in the blade.  They polish out somewhat with the smoother grits, but not all the way.  I am thinking the 800 paper was not too useful.  I have not used the blades since sharpening and I am sure they markings will have no impact on planing.

Have you noticed the same thing?

I took delivery today of some 600 and 1200 3M PSA disks today (special order through the local industrial supply house), but have not tried them yet.  (Greg Dawson)

I find that this is true, but you don't have to go down to that coarse a grit all the time. Once you get the bevel set you can just touch up with the 800, 1000, 3600 or strop with leather or felt. Hope this answers your question.  (Joe Arguello)

The scratches are a bit ugly but they don't seem to effect function. I think that it may not be as much an effect of the grits as the arc that the platter makes across the blade.  (Doug Easton)

I have had my Worksharp 3000 for close to 6 months and I am very happy with my purchase.  Out of the box, mine had the same skew adjustment problem.  I called the service department that day and they asked for the serial number.  The tech said that that was a known issue with a certain batch and drop shipped another one straight from the factory.  It arrived the next day on my door step and was perfect.

I knew going in to it that I was only going to be able to sharpen a maximum of 35* but I was only using the 30* with the Veritas MKII guide so I knew it would be adequate.  The pluses outweigh the minuses for me.  I don’t have to get the marble slab out.  I don’t have to get my workbench wet.  I don’t have to store or dry out  wet sandpaper.  I don’t go through nearly as much sandpaper.  If I am sharpening more than one iron or chisel at a time, I don’t have to keep messing with the guide.

My blades get hit with the 400 grit a couple of times until I can feel a burr across the whole back of the blade.  Then it gets the 1000 grit wheel for about 3 or 4 times.  Then the felt wheel or the 3600 grit wheel a few times and I can shave with the blade just like before with the marble and the MKII.  I don’t get the perfect mirror finish on the bevel like I did before but I don’t notice any difference in the planing.

I love mine and I recommend it to everyone.  It is a little pricey up front but the time it saves me, no setup, no cleanup, and the fact that I don’t have to keep buying sandpaper is what does it for me.  I know it isn’t for everyone but it works for me.  (Greg Reeves)

Have you looked into the Wide Blade Attachment for the Worksharp 3000?  It is a little pricey but it allows for wider blades but more importantly it includes a Mark II type attachment to allow angles up to 50 degrees and a microbevel.  You use the top surface of the Worksharp.  I have been using one for a while and really like it.  (Jim Sobota)

No I haven’t looked into the wide blade attachment. Didn’t know they had one. How wide will it accept? The 3000 I have will accept blades up to 2”, I don’t have any irons wider than 2” but angles up to 50deg sounds like something I could use. I’ll look into it. This is something Joe Arguello mentioned he would like.  (Don Schneider)

I found this site for a wide blade attachment for the WS3000. Is this the one you were referring to? The Work Shop site doesn’t seem to have this attachment.  (Don Schneider)

That is the attachment, I got mine at Hartville Tools on some special offer.  This morning I tried my Veritas Mark II jig on the plate and it worked well.  (Jim Sobota)

I agree with your assessments. My reasons for my purchase of a Worksharp were economic to some extent.  I have had mine for 6 months. I am not retired and bring lots of work home. When I can sneak into the shop I do not want to spend time on things like sharpening tools, when I could be working on the rods themselves.

I guess I am not as demanding of my irons for sharpness as some others. My blades are as sharp need them to be. I do, however, have the issue with the skew adjustment. My blades are just a hair off square. It doesn't make a  difference to me since I have to adjust the skew in my plane anyhow.  (Doug Easton)

I called Work Shop Technical Support. Told them the problem I’m having and gave them the serial #. They were very responsive and shipping me a replacement WS3000 today. I’ll follow up with the list.  (Don Schneider)

I am having a heck of a time finding 1500-3000 grit PSA sanding disks for my Worksharp 3000.  Anyone have a source that sells them at a reasonable price?  Alternatively, has anyone tried regular sandpaper  attached with  a light adhesive like SprayMount?  (Jack Holton)

I have been battling to find the finer grits.  Nothing in the local supplier's abrasive catalogues.  I have tried wet/dry paper (only 800 grit to far) with spray adhesive.  My sense is that the grit wears very quickly.  (Greg Dawson)

I run across this web site store: leevalley.com.  They should have what you are looking for and more.  (Elvis Tucek)

I am using  wet/dry  sandpaper sheets (1500, 2000, 2500) with spray adhesive.  The sheets I'm using are from Harbor Freight.  Not as good as 3M.  As Greg said, they wear out very quickly.  Beyond that, I'm  still up in the air. Maybe 3M sheets would be more better.  (Reed Guice)

Try www.woodworkingshop.com, they sell lots of different sandpaper in lots of different grits.  I have to cut the center holes but they are adhesive backed.  (Jim Sobota)

I don't know if these will work Jack, but have a look here.

May have to cut and paste the link.  The people at Klingspor are good folks.  Should you order, tell 'em I sent you.  (Harry Boyd)

Wondering if any of you have used the Grizzly Wet Grinder/Sharpener.  The 10" model has a rating of 90 RPM.  Seems a bit slow even for wood tools, although I keep seeing where slower is better.  Is this a decent unit?  220 grit grinder with a 1-1/4" leather stop wheel on the port side.  Looks like a good deal...?   (Bob Brockett)

90 rpm is about standard. The Tormek runs at 90 as does the jet, but the Jet can be run at 120 rpm.  (Don Schneider)

Slow is good so you don't overheat the metal.  (John Channer)

Yeah, I was just used to seeing anything under 1000 RPM as considered "slow."  I have one grinder that will do that (although not wet & not with the accessories available for this Grizz) and another that does the more standard 3000+ RPM (call it "Ole Sparky").  May give this one a try.  (Bob Brockett)

I believe this is a "knockoff copy" of the Tormek variety which I have had for many years. If it is like the Tormek it would be a good deal. I think Grizzly has some good "knock off" tools, so I would think that it might work very well.  (Frank Paul)

Does look like a knockoff.  Says German made, for what that's worth.  The Tormek is way above my pay grade.  I like the wider grinding wheel on the Grizzly and the tool rest seems solid and well placed.  The leather wheel may be a bit narrow, but they do have a kind of sliding holder that could probably compensate for that.  For as often as I'd be using it, can't see why it wouldn't last me a good long time.  (Bob Brockett)

I seem to be unable to remove the circular sandpaper striations that the WorkSharp creates during sharpening.  Is this something that other WorkSharp users find?  Should I even be concerned?

I have two disks and have 400 grit & 800 grit on one plate and 1,000 and 3,600 on the second.  The 400, 1,000 and 3,600 came with the device and the 800 is from a local industrial supply - attached with spray adhesive.

I typically go 800 to 1,000 to 3,600, with deliberate adjustment of how much time I spend on each grit.  Longer on the finer grits and significantly longer for the big hop between 1,000 and 3,600.

My blade has a mirror finish, but with fine striations.  Cuts beautifully too.  With striations, no doubt...  I can't see them on the bamboo.

I am thinking of getting a third plate/disk and adding a 1,500 grit (which I have) and something around 2,200/2,500 (which I do not have).

I used to sharpen ala scary sharp and then polish on Boyd-inspired leather wheel strops, using green paste (rouge?) from Lee Valley.  I tried diamond pastes from a lapidary shop, but the green paste seemed better.  In hindsight, maybe just faster.  I have not used the wheels since starting to use the WorkSharp.

Any suggestions?  Do what I am doing and then polish on the wheels as a final step?  (Greg Dawson)

Going to an additional wheel with say 1500 / 2500 will shorten the time it takes to get to that mirror polish but I think you have answered your own question.

"My blade has a mirror finish, but with fine striations.  Cuts beautifully too."

If it cuts beautifully, you are done.  The fine striations won't bother anything.  Polish on the wheels if you want but in my opinion it is not needed.  (Rick Hodges)

I have no direct knowledge of the Work Sharp, but it sounds like you may be getting contamination of the finer grit by the larger grit.  (Dave Burley)

It's just a characteristic of the beast. Just like you said, I doesn't matter. Actually I think it is caused by the circular motion across the width of the blade.  I use a micro bevel of 35 degrees. I don't see as much in the  way of scratches on that.  (Doug Easton)

I  used  to  sharpen  ALA  scary  sharp  and  then  polish  on Boyd-inspired leather wheel strops, using green paste (rouge?) from Lee Valley. 

That's not my leather idea.  Tom Smithwick posted it to the List.  He modified the ideas of George Barnes.  (Harry Boyd)

I use a WorkSharp 3000 and if I have that problem I have just never noticed.  When my blade cuts beautifully, I'm done.  The thing is that I have not added the 800 grit.  I use the grits that came with the unit and a leather disc on one side of another glass plate with the green paste.  I got it with my WorkSharp 3000.  Perhaps that is all you need to add if you really need to add anything.  (Hal Manas)

I notice this too.    I'm just using the supplied grits and the 1000 is not taking out the 400 scratches without spending too much time there.  I think you are on the right track adding the 800 grit.  I'm going to add a 600 to the rotation someday.  But like you said the blade comes out plenty sharp, so my motivation is low.  I've started postponing things until after I retire, and this is one of those things.  (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

It doesn't matter if you add the extra grits because the swirls stay in the blades.  It doesn't harm the cutting capabilities.  (Bret Reiter)

I'll chime in, probably unnecessarily since others are saying similar, but I get the swirls and I don't care.  Cuts like a champ.  My reason for getting the WorkSharp was to take less time to sharpen.  Adding grits goes against that purpose, so I am perfectly satisfied to have a perfect cut with a slightly imperfect looking blade. 

I have noticed in online photos and video demoes of the WorkSharp that the bevel has the swirls.  That tells me we aren't doing anything wrong.  It's just the nature of the beast.  I'm sure the beast can be slayed with the adding of grits, but that doesn't interest me.

FWIW, I use the leather wheel with green paste on the WorkSharp in addition to the supplied grits.  I happened to get that add-on wheel by buying during a promotional period that gave that wheel away.  I am surprised that I use it so often and am glad to have that addition.  Once I have a blade sharp, I will leave the leather wheel on the WorkSharp, and touch up the micro bevel every few strips.  Takes literally 4 or 5 seconds on the wheel.  Keeps things constantly SHARP SHARP.  (Tyler Beard)

Thanks for all the ideas.  I am going to be more aggressive about cleaning the disks after use  to  ensure  I  don't  have cross-disk contamination of grits, but it seems swirls are the norm and, apart from looking to a +- 2,000 grit option, I am likely going to leave well enough alone.  (Greg Dawson)

As I was changing the sanding disks on my WS 3000 I thought there must be an easier way. My process is to pull the PSA disk off then clean off the glue still attached to the glass disk with lighter fluid and clean off the residue from the lighter fluid with DNA. It can get pretty messy. I know many of you use the WS 3000 and am hoping you have come up with a better method for changing the PSA disks. (JW Healy)

Spray the glass disk with Windex or some other window cleaner then scrap the glue off with a razor blade while it's still wet, you will be amazed! The glass cleaner keeps the glue from sticking to the razor blade or back on the glass (An old glazer trick for getting labels off). (Joe Arguello)

I had the same issue until I tried heating the disk. After lightly heating, the disk pulled off clean with little or no glue residue. (John Smith)

To those of you who use a Worksharp, where do you buy your sanding disks?  (John Smith)

I get Micromesh PSA disks from Scientific Instruments Systems and the rest directly from Worksharp. The Micromesh disks have to be trimmed a bit and a center hole has to be cut with an Xacto knife. (JW Healy)

I make my own sanding discs for my Worksharp.  Just buy the square sheets in the various grits you need and either take an old disc or trace a new pattern with the glass plate and punch a hole in the middle to the size you need.  Apply them to the glass plates with 3M 77 Multipurpose Adhesive and you are set.  To get them off, if they don't come off completely clean the next time you need to replace the sanding disc, use a razor blade (carefully to lift off the old sheet where it is sticking) and use Goo Gone to clean it up for the next one.

Works for me and is cheaper than buying the precut kind. (Scott Bahn)

For polishing NS hardware, I have been using Flitz Metal Polish and Fiberglass Cleaner. Rub on, leave set a few minutes and wipe off with a clean cloth. Also cleans inside of female ferrules with a Q-tip. Have had the same 1.76 oz tube for more than 10 years. Think I picked it up at a gunshop. Good stuff IMO.  (Tom Whittle)

For those of you that use the WS 3000 to sharpen your plan irons, what is the re-sharpening process you prefer?  I have been going back to the 400 grit, then 1000 and finally the 3600.  I was trying to just use the 1000 and 3600 but it didn’t seem to give me the level of sharpness that I can get by going back to the 400 first.

What works best for you?  (Steve Donaldson)

I use 1000, 3600, then 6000. I normally get two strips per iron before sharpening the blades again. I have 3 plane irons and cycle between them before having to sharpen again. I use Lie Nielsen planes with irons sharpened @ 35° on the Work Sharp. (Mike Arnold)

With all the praise for the 3000 I am seriously considering purchasing one, primarily because of the ease of set up and lack of mess. I am currently using Japanese ceramic water stones that I obtained from Lee Valley and have been pretty happy with the edge I get. I switch between 3 irons and can easily get a butt section without resharpening and usually 2 tips after a single sharpening. Very few lifts since I raised angle to 30 degrees plus a micro bevel. Sharpening however takes a good amount of time and clean up for a compulsive personality like me is a pain. (I am sure that I am the only rodmaker with this problem). The question is will the 3000 give me as good an edge or will need to resharpen more often be frustrating and lead me back to water stones. Any advice appreciated.   (Bob Ratcheson)

Automotive stores carry 3M sheets as fine as 2500 grit.

Another solution to sharpening with the WS3000 is to use self-adhesive felt on glass plates and coat felt with diamond paste. (Reed Guice)

I use 1000, 3600 for touch up and add the 400 for a full sharpening.  For full sharpening I make sure I can feel a small burr on the back of the blade before I go to 1000. Touch up after each strip for final planing; full sharpening when touch up isn't getting the blade sharp enough.   (JW Healy)

How many times can you guys sharpen on the finer grit discs before having to change them? At $5.00 each for the 3600 grit and above, is it really worth the price?  (John Smith)

Try these guys. I have never counted the number of sharpenings between changing discs but it is at least 3 rods worth. As the grit wears down I just grind a bit longer.  (JW Healy)

Here is another idea, buy it by the sheet, spay the glass tray with adhesive, and cut it out with a razor knife.  You will get several discs per sheet. (KMANN)

This is the way I do it, in fact, I just posted this about 3 weeks ago I think if someone has the old post.  Use 3M adhesive on the glass.  It's much cheaper than buying the preformed discs. (Scott Bahn)

Then there's these!   (Joe Arguello)

I like the idea but haven't been able to find 1000 and 400 grit metal cutting sandpaper locally. Where do you get yours? (JW Healy)

I buy it from a local hardware store here.  Most big box stores should have it I would think or automotive stores as well.  (Scott Bahn)

Sorry to beat a dead horse but I can't recall the previous discussions pertaining to what disc grits are needed to obtain optimal sharpness on the Worksharp 3000. I would like to narrow down exactly which discs I would need for a new plane iron, from start to finish sharpening. I have the original glass disc that came with the unit and at $20 each, I'd like to minimize the number of extras I need to buy. The website I have found for ordering the micro-mesh discs have the following grits available and for 6" adhesive discs, they are $2.27 each. Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

Available AO Grits (Aluminum Oxide):

300
600
800
1500
2400
4000
12000

Available Regular Grits:

1500
1800
2400
3200
3800
4000
6000
8000
12000

Also, I found a leather strop for the Worksharp 3000 and want to know if it is something I should consider using?  (John Smith)

I'll let someone else give their sharpening regimen. I'm not as particular as others.The secret of the Worksharp (not much of a secret) is to let a coarse grit do the work.  You don't want to start on a seriously dull blade with 1500 grit.  If you are spending more than 15 seconds with a grit, you should have started coarser.If you ever think you might want to change the angle on a bevel (not just a microbevel), or deal with an old rusty or nicked or skewed blade, go coarser.  I have a 60 and 120 just for that.  Just don't use them near anything flammable, like a pile of shavings. (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

Currently I use 220, 400, 1000, and MM 3200. I use the 220 to cut the primary bevel of 30* and the last three grits for the cutting edge at 35*. I read somewhere that you won't get a really sharp edge unless you can feel a small burr on the backside of the blade (indicating that you cut all the way through the edge) which I polish out by laying the back of the blade flat on 1000 disk and dragging the blade across the surface.  (JW Healy)

Have had a long discussion with my friend Graham (a Worksharp tragic) on the topic; now I wonder what the consensus of opinion is on the List.Which does the better job? Which is the better tool?Mainly to be used for plane irons, also chisels and occasional sundries. The only thing that niggles at me in my discussion with Graham is that by the time you are set up to do all you want to do you seem to have an awful lot of glass wheels and strops and gawd-knows wot-all. (Peter McKean)

I love my WS 3000. It is fast, easy to use, and far more reasonably priced. (JW Healy)

I use the WS3000 and can not imagine why I would need to spend more money to perform my sharpening needs.  It does a great job, is fast, and very easy to use. (Kmann)

I've used a Tormek for a little over five years. I have yet to find an alternative that I like more than this system. I do planes, knives, and chisels also. It is easy to change holders and has only two wheels to worry about. The biggest learning curve is truing the wheel. The newer models come with a much better truing tool, so that should pretty much eliminate any issues. It can make a bit of a mess from time to time with the water trough, and the holders, if purchased separately, can be pricey--but they have a tool holder for everything! The system is repeatable and accurate. A touch up takes 2 minutes. A blade angle change takes 5. It's a nice tool. (Don Peet)

I switched from waterstones to a Worksharp recently, was getting tired if the mess that comes with waterstones. I have 4 glass wheels with 120, 400, 1000 and 3600 grit on one side and leather discs on the other for 5, 3.5, 1 and 0.5 diamond paste. Once I get a micro bevel it takes no more than a minute to reshapen a plane iron. I typically use 3 planes at a time and sharpen each between sections. I've never used a Tormek but I can say that the edge I get from the Worksharp is very sharp.I bought a wheel with the leather strop but wasn't too pleased with it so I made my own leather discs from a 2-ounce hide, glued the skin side to the glass wheel, put petroleum jelly on the other to condition it and then put the diamond paste on, I have each disc labeled so I don't get the paste mixed up. (Lee Gomolchak)

You left out the Jet sharpener. It's basically the same as the Tormek and $100 to $150 less.What I like, beside it puts on one hell of an edge, is that it works for other types of tools with irregular shapes like gouges and other wood lathe tools. (Rich Jezioro)

Over the past 30+ years I've collected so many sharpening machines and tools that I've had to dedicate an entire corner of my wood shop to them.  One of the unintended advantages of this is that it keeps the mess in one place, away from my work area.  I have a Tormek (with just about every attachment that they sell) which I find to be unsurpassed for lathe and carving tools, especially gouges.  A freshly trued standard stone on the Tormek also removes material at an incredible rate which can also be useful.  In addition to the standard stone I have an aftermarket Japanese water stone that is rated at 4000 grit that I use to touch up or resharpen my lathe gouges - it's quick, easy, and the mess is tolerable.  For plane irons I used to grind them on the Tormek, which puts a hollow grind on the edge.  Then I would sharpen the edge on a Makita 3820 with an 8000 grit water stone.  The Makita uses the flat side, rather than the curved edge, of the stone and once I had everything set up - water in the tank, guide adjusted, etc - keeping an edge on a plane iron was really fast and easy.   Then I bought a Worksharp 3000.  Initially I wasn't terribly pleased with the results I got.  But after a bit of practice, following some subtle hints that were posted by various folks on this list, and trying a few experiments of my own I now find that I can get a VERY good edge without the setup time or the mess of the water stone systems.  I still use the Tormek to put a hollow edge on my iron, but after that I use the Worksharp to establish the working edge and for all resharpening until a new hollow edge needs to be re-established.  I now have two Worksharp 3000 machines and I've collected a ton of glass discs.  I have glass discs with PSA discs of various grits, a couple with leather strops, and four with diamond discs.  Many more than I need or use but it's allowed me to experiment.  The process I follow now, for plane irons, is to use the Tormek to establish the primary edge (hollow ground) with a 40-degree bevel (just for grins and giggles I clean this primary bevel up with the 4000 grit wheel).  Then I put the working edge on the iron with a Worksharp.  The working edge has a 45-degree bevel so it's sort like a micro-bevel (you're limited to a 35-degree bevel with the standard guide).  I establish the working edge with a 6000 grit disc and then polish it with a 12000 grit disc.  Initially, when using the integral guide slot, I found it terribly difficult to eliminate the scratches left by the 'rough' discs, literally wearing out fine grit discs trying to get rid of visible scratches.  I have a couple of unusually wide plane irons that wouldn’t fit into the integral Worksharp guide so I got their 'wide blade' attachment.  And as soon as I used this I found that the scratch problem disappeared.  I don't ever use the standard guide any more. I put the primary edge on my irons with the Tormek (40-degree bevel) and then use the wide blade attachment on the Worksharp, first with a 6000 grit wheel and then with a 12000 grit wheel, to establish the working edge (45-degree bevel).  And botta-bing-botta-BOOM, I'm done.  The wide blade attachment allows you to move the blade back and forth over the spinning disc so you randomize the scratch pattern on the bevel and all of a sudden, the scratches disappear and the bevel looks like it's chrome plated.  While I'm working, I just leave the 12000 grit wheel on the Worksharp and touch my blade up whenever I feel the need.  It takes longer to take the blade out of the plane than it does to touch up the edge.  And there's no mess.I still use the Tormek for the things that it's best for -- as I mentioned above, I believe it's unsurpassed for lathe and carving gouges.  But I find that the Worksharp with the wide blade attachment is much more convenient for touching up my plane irons, and it produces better, more consistent results.I hope you find some of these comments useful. (Bryan Coles)

That was really helpful, Bryan and all of you. I think I am starting to see the way to go. It's bloody confusing, though. (Peter McKean)

Unlike most, I did not have a positive experience with the Worksharp.  Sold it & returned to the granite plate & sandpaper, using a Veritas Mark II honing jig set to 35-degrees.  I sharpen 3 LN blades before I start planing & that will be sufficient for two tips & a butt.  I power bevel & taper, so I'm not really doing much hand planing. (Paul Julius)

I have both......... get the Worksharp and save yourself a lot of money and time.  (Jim Sency)

Finally broke down and bought a WS3000 with a wide blade accessory and DMT dia-sharp discs.  Also got the traditional WS fine and honing packs.Any advice to help me avoid idiot moves with the thing?  I am prone to such nonsense.  Tired of the scary sharp and leather wheel.  Mostly because of honing angle screw ups with multiple length plane blades. (Rick Crenshaw)

You will be sorry you didn't get it sooner. I certainly am. They are pretty idiot proof once you have the set up correct. Set the machine up for 30* and cut your primary bevel. Check to be sure it is square with the side of the blade and make any adjustments necessary. You might consider leaving the blue strip that goes on the blade holder off as it can cock the angle of the blade slightly if it has a bubble or extends above the top of the holder. Then set the machine to 35* and cut the secondary bevel. When it comes time to change the PSA discs Joe Arguello suggested using Windex to soften the sticky side. It works really well (it also works well for removing swarf from sanding drums, Baginsky bevellers, etc.) It is so fast and easy to use I resharpen or touch up for every strip during final planing. Here is a good source for Micro Mesh PSA discs if you plan on using them.  (JW Healy)

.. Another way to remove the discs, is to heat them a bit w/ a heat gun ... (David Van Burgel)

I have a Worksharp and made my own honing wheels with some 2oz leather. Glued the leather on the plain glass discs and use 5, 2.5 and .5 micron diamond paste to get a VERY sharp plane edge. (Lee Gomolchak)

Let us know how the DMT disks work.  I've been thinking about switching to them.The only "problem" I have with mine is when I try to use too fine a grit when working out a nick or change an angle.  That is what the coarser grits are for. (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

I love mine!  Check out Stumpy Nubbs on YouTube.  He has some great tips for cheap disks and accessories fro the 3000.  While you're there, you may enjoy Davie McPhail's fly tying vids. (Grayson Davis)

I would really hate to feel that this iteration of the Great Worksharp/Tormek Thread might come and go without the troglodytes being heard from.I have tried both machines and, personal feeling is that they do certainly no better, and possibly not quite as good job as my waterstones.In particular, I do not like the hollow ground cutting edge of the Tormek.I know that many users are very happy with their Worksharps, but I know that I can develop a superb cutting surface with waterstones and an old-fashioned razor strop; and I really do like to keep the number of noisy, buzzy little gadgets in my workshop to a bare minimum.Neither am I in such a blinding hurry to get every task completed as fast as possible as some. To me this is a hand-crafting process, and a pastime.Pastime = Pass TimeDifferent thing entirely, perhaps, in production rod works, but it seems to me more usual for these to use some kind of mill to do the job. (Peter McKean)

Do not disagree.  I have also seen an expansion of many new waterstones and even a few new “jigs-guides.”  Have you kept with the King and-or Norton Stones, or tried some of the new-available stones? (David Wilson)

Got one for christmas. Best addition ever. Quick easy and repeatable. Stumpy nubs had some good tips!! With a little humor.   (Rick Barbato)

For those sharpening their block plane blades with Work Sharp 3000, what other attachments / extras did you purchase in addition to the unit itself?is the Wide Blade Attachment necessary to hold block plane blades?What grip PSA abrasive did you finish your blades with? 

Any hints / suggestions before I spend the money?  (Jimmy Chang)

I bought a third glass disk and use 220, 400 on 1st disk, 1000, micromesh 1800 on 2nd disk, and micromesh 3200, 6000 on third disk. I buy the micromesh disks from Scientific Instrument Services here. They are a lot more reasonable than Work Sharp, Rockler, etc. (JW Healy)

The unit has been wide enough to accommodate all of my blades without any kind of additional attachments. I was not however satisfied with the advice of the manufacturer regarding grit. The material from the manufacturer says to use 400 and 1000. I have found 600 and 800 also and find I am much happier with the results. Paper is relatively cheap and wears fast, I change often. (Dave Norling Jr)

Love mine. You don't need the wide attachment for Hock blades in the 9 1/2 stanley size.

I used the abrasives exclusively until I heard about a better way on this listserv:

Get extra glass discs, cover them with green felt, (easily found in a hobby store, and use diamond paste. Here is my source for diamond paste. They sell it in increments from 54 microns down to .25 microns in 5 gram tubes for about 12 bucks. I don't know how microns relate to wet/dry sandpaper grit or mesh but .25 microns seems pretty fine. I only use about 5 different grades down to 1 micron and get very good results. (Reed Guice)

... or, MDF disks charged with jewler's rouge.  Maybe I'll try felt, too! (Grayson Davis

How fine is fine?

I will let you do the math to run the numbers out; but, there are 1,000 (one thousand) microns in a millimeter, and there are 25.4 millimeters in an inch. Thus, 0.25 microns is finer than frog hair! (Frank Schlicht)

I have been using a WS3000 for a year now and it's great. I final hone my blades with the micro mesh 3600 and then to 6000 and I can shave my face as well as see my face in the blades. I thought the micro mesh however through work sharp was too expensive I found a source for the micro mesh in larger sheets for really cheap at Kingspors woodworking shop in hickory, NC.  Just do a web search. (Tony Bellaver)

Here is the new source for the work sharp discs: Scientific Instrument Services Inc., 908-788-5550 Part no. Mm32006np, mm60006np Comes sticky back 6" discs.  (Tony Bellaver)

OK, let me jump in here.I gave up on the sandpaper a long time ago and got a diamond disk honing set from here. Use your sandpaper to get the right angle on a new plane blade and from then on use this kit to sharpen. I can put a burr on the back of a blade in about 20 seconds with the diamond disk (1,200 grit) and with a charge of 8,000 grit diamond paste on the buffing disk polish the blade in about 20 seconds. Then I usually polish the back of the blade on a sheet of 1,500 grit sandpaper with just a few passes and then reload. Takes maybe two minutes tops from blade removal to adjusting the blade for the depth of cut you want.I thought for sure someone would point this out. I got the idea from Joe Arguello quite some time ago so it is not original with me. I'm on my second honing kit and there is no way I would go back to sandpaper. (Larry Myhre)

Because of all your quick responses, I have gone ahead and ordered a Work Sharp 3000 with a leather strop -

Will order PSA abrasives from the place JW Recommended…

Will see if I need more than 35 degrees on my blades then get a wide blade attachment later,

I look forward to a neater way to sharpen blades - The water and the slurry produced while sharpening with waterstone is getting on my nerves…

Thanks to all for chiming me - and costing me $200 - well spent.  (Jimmy Chang)

Are any of you Worksharp users sharpening your lathe tool bits on your Worksharp?

If you do, did you make some kind of “jig” or attachment? (Scott Grady)

I love my Worksharp for plane blades but for metal lathe tool bits and wood lathe chisels I still prefer a bench grinder. (JW Healy)

I know many of you use a WorkSharp 3000 and am wondering if you would mind sharing sources for extra abrasives, glass plates, and other parts and accessories. (Harry Boyd (6/15/2016))

I get what little I have from the local Woodcraft store. (Hal Manas)

I no longer use aluminum oxide or silicone abrasive discs.  I have migrated exclusively to using DMT diamond wheels and finish with 0.5-micron DMT diamond paste.  I have found Amazon to be the best source for both glass wheels and DMT products.  My 'go to' glass wheel has a 1200 grit diamond disk on one side and a fabric polishing pad, charged with 0.5-micron paste, on the other.  I have two sets of LN planes, one for initial planing that takes the strip down to about 0.005 inch within final dimension, then I change planes and take the strip down to, almost, final dimension.  I finish up with a few strokes with a scraper.  I generally plane a full set of six strips, then sharpen the plane irons with a quick grind on the 1200 grit wheel followed by a polish on the fiber/paste wheel.  This process, with the WorkSharp, takes all the hassle out of maintaining acceptably sharp plane irons.  (Bryan Coles)

I get all my parts and accessories from a place in Canada called Busy-bee Tools. (Alex Vardanis)

I use a worksharp and love it. I have bought up to 3000 grit on eBay. Just search for 6-inch PSA disc. They usually don't have the hole punched in them. I just sharpened a piece of pipe and punch a hole. This is interesting. I haven't tried it yet but am going to check out this video from stumpy nubs. I think it would work especially just to touch up an edge. (Rick Barbato)

Don't neglect to watch "Stumpy Nubbs" on Youtube.  He'll show you some inexpensive and low cost accessories.  His abrasive compound polishing wheels work well for me.  (Grayson Davis)

I get mine at Woodcraft here in Phoenix. (Bret Reiter)

I gave up on the sandpaper long ago after learning from Joe Arguello about The Dia-Sharp® Magna-Disc™ System. I’m currently into my third diamond honing disk setup. (I’ve been making a lot of rods the past couple of years.) Here’s a source. It’s something to consider, for sure. They say it outlast sandpaper by 50 to 1 and I believe it. It works well for me. (Larry Myhre)

Either Rockler or Amazon, Woodcraft if I have to. (Marv Loopstra)

I order my discs from Klingspor. (John Smith)

Here is a link to the Klingspor site. (John Smith)

I’ve wondered for some time about the Work Sharp system, but never asked – isn’t this machine limited to blade angles of 35 degrees?

I like my plane blades at 45 degrees, but I suppose that depends on the plane you are using, be it a 9 ½, 60 ½, etc.

I’ve been using the Tormek with a leather wheel and their polishing compound for years, but I have to admit it takes a practiced touch with this method to shave the hair off your arm after touching up a blade. (Tom Vagell (6/16/2016))

Yes, the tool offers adjustments with the sharpest angle being 35 degrees. If you get the wide blade attachment you can sharpen to any angle you want.

I do most of my finishing planning with the 35-degree angle, but I do have the wide blade attachment and reserve a plane with a 40 or 45 degree angle one the blade in case of a problem, but that’s just me. Other guys are happy with the 35-degree angle. (Larry Myhre)

There are angle adjustments on this. Not sure what they are because I don't have it in front of me. (Bret Reiter)

I think Tom is correct. 35 degrees is max. I have been using the sandpaper discs up to the max grit, and recently started using the leather strop and compound for final. I really want to try the mag a disc system too, I think that will solve a problem. The tricky part with the leather strop is that I haven't been able to figure out how to use the blade guide. I have been doing the stroping by hand with the leather facing up. According to the documentation I remember reading when I opened the thing it has to be used facing up. So I use the guide bar from the top and get good results, but I can't tell you which angle I actually end up with on the blade. Also with a micro bevel it could change very quickly. I would like to see solutions to the top only problem from anybody on the list that has solved that problem. (Chris Diller)

You are correct Tom, 35 is the maximum angle using the built in sharpening port. However, there is an additional wide blade attachment available that allows up to 60 degrees. (John Smith)

Although I do not own the wide blade attachment I have used it and find that it, in combination with the Veritas Honing Jig, is the perfect match for getting a very sharp plane iron at any angle desired. (Marv Loopstra)

I have had a bloke trying to sell me a Tormek, and I am sure they are the absolute bees' knees.

But I am afraid I just don't like hollow ground plane irons. I am not prepared to argue the technicalities - I just don't like 'em!

And I think the Worksharp is too precious by half! (Peter McKean)

I really like Work Sharp, and am interested in the non-standard replacement material.

I really like hollow ground preparation, on my Multitool linisher/band sander device.

There you are! (Sean McSharry)

Sort of "horses for courses", isn't it?

The proprietor of our local Carbatec store was determined to sell me a Tormek, and to that end sharpened a couple of blades to show me how much beter they were than my hand ground waterstone blades. They weren't bad, but I think he was in such a heavy demo-mode that he didn't do a great job - in any case, I was not going to recognise any degree of excellence at all, pig-headed old grump that I am, so I just don't fancy hollow grinding. If I had to justify that, like our Seppo friends, I would say something based on spurious evidence like" not as much steel to back up the leading edge," but it would only be bull!

And the real reason I don't admit to liking the Worksharp is that Graham Foxman uses one and blathers about it, and I don't like Graham Foxman at all.

I do agree that the felt finishing with diamond paste sounds very good indeed. I think I will try some pads in my lathe to see how they go. (Peter McKean)

Diamond paste on MDF as a touch up works very well too if the Japanese waterstones don't quite cut the mustard. (Tony Spezio)

I forget who suggested to me, but I've advocated for felt finishing rathe than leather ever since. Under microscope leather still leaves micro serrations in the blade whereas felt doesn't. So smooth in fact you must be careful touching the edge. As far as I know Joe is the only Worksharp user to adapt a felt wheel and he said he was sold. (Darrol Groth)

I would like more info on the felt wheel if someone doesn't mind sharing. What is the sharpening sequence and what sharpening additives are needed? Thanks! (John Smith)