Work Sharp WS3000 Review.
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2024 8:59 pm
Hey guys.
I corrected this review. Apparently part of it disappeared when I posted it.
On my quest for a Woodworking Tool sharpening system, I ran across the Work Sharp WS3000.
I was just about to pull the trigger on a Tormek T8 clone. I did one last internet search on sharpening systems, when I ran across a plethora of reviews and recommendations for the Work Sharp WS3000, so I read a lot of material and watched several videos on the machine.
I already own a wet chisel grinder made by Bucktools. It does a good job, but doesn't have the accessories of the Tormek. There were a couple of reasons why I hesitated buying the Tormek clone:
Unless you buy other wheels, your stuck at 220g. The Tormek wheels can do double duty by being regraded with a stone, but od prefer 3 or 4 grades.
I'm no sharpening aficionado. I need scary sharp chisels and plane irons to do my work properly and safely. I like to sharpen to at least 1000g. Additional wheels for a Tormek type system are very expensive, as are the accessories. But the Tormek is known as the best sharpener.
I own a great sharpening sled made by Alisam, along with ceramic stones. I also own the MPower Fasttrack system, which is an excellent manual system for sharpening. These are my needs:
1. A system with repeatability. If a chisel is sharpened to a 25° angle, I want to repeat it easily.
2. Simplicity. I want a system that's easy to use without a complicated set up.
3. I want a system that sharpens a variety of tools, including my shorter butt and palm chisels, and my little gouge. This is an issue that I have with my other 2 systems.
4. I want to be able to sharpen to at least 1000g + with ease.
5. I want to sharpen my tools in just a few minutes, without having to drag out a 40# machine.
The Work Sharp WS3000 fits all of these criteria.
After watching the videos, I ordered one from Amazon. It came yesterday. I'm really happy with it. But there is one flaw, and a new one is on its way. The adjustor dial handle for the fence won't turn without channel locks. It should turn and adjust the fence with ease.
In the meantime, I've sharpened all of the main chisels that I use. I'm working on the butt chisels. I've even sharpened chisels that Frank got from his Father, that belonged to his Grandfather. Frank is 87 years old, so you have an idea on the age of some of the chisels.
I'm ashamed to admit this, knowing how important it is to have sharp tools. My chisels were an unqualified mess. It is a hassle to set up the water system, time consuming to use the sled and stone, and the container holding my Fasttrack had slipped sideways in the back of the drawer; I couldn't find it to save my life. All of my chisels were honed to the wrong angle, which needed correction. I have never flattened the backs. A couple had chips.
The Work Sharp comes with 4 grits of PSA paper: 120, 400, 1000, 3600. There’s a special disc which you can see through while it’s running on the machine, which comes with 80, 400, and 1200g papers. The tool port, which has an adjustable fence, accepts tools up to 2" wide. I won’t go into all of the features. The link to a YouTube video is below. The Box says 3 year warranty.
Sharpening is a cinch. I flattened the backs and sharpened of 6 of the pictured chisels to 3600g with a 25° angle, in less than 30 minutes right after it was delivered. They are scary sharp and will shave hair (I tested one).
It was pretty much a no-brainer to use. It's a dry system, but I had no problem with the chisels heating up too much. They definitely could if you use a lot of pressure for a prolonged period of time. If you just touch them briefly, as instructed, there's no heat. It comes with 2 tempered glass disks that are dead flat. You just put the disk on and when done, flip it for the next grit. The adjustable fence keeps chisels and irons straight and square. There is an adjustment lever to correct the Grinding angle if necessary, but mine was squared.
The machine sharpens bevel up. The slotted wheel is amazing. I used it for the gouge and curved brace chisel. When running, it becomes transparent. I could see the sharpie ink mark disappear. I could even see the scratches from using the 80g disappear as I used the finer grit. It was almost freaky.
The important thing is that I'm able to sharpen all of my chisels, including the butt chisels and palm chisels that neither of my other systems were capable of sharpening.
The Work Sharp WS3000 has a small footprint. It's about 12" wide and 10" deep. I'm keeping it plugged in and on my bench, so I can hone the tools as soon as it's needed. I can just adjust the fence, turn it on, and hone.
This is a link to the manufacturer video. The system cost $229.95 on Amazon.
https://youtu.be/hXAnL59vJhs?si=yTC_MYFnza2snojT
I corrected this review. Apparently part of it disappeared when I posted it.
On my quest for a Woodworking Tool sharpening system, I ran across the Work Sharp WS3000.
I was just about to pull the trigger on a Tormek T8 clone. I did one last internet search on sharpening systems, when I ran across a plethora of reviews and recommendations for the Work Sharp WS3000, so I read a lot of material and watched several videos on the machine.
I already own a wet chisel grinder made by Bucktools. It does a good job, but doesn't have the accessories of the Tormek. There were a couple of reasons why I hesitated buying the Tormek clone:
Unless you buy other wheels, your stuck at 220g. The Tormek wheels can do double duty by being regraded with a stone, but od prefer 3 or 4 grades.
I'm no sharpening aficionado. I need scary sharp chisels and plane irons to do my work properly and safely. I like to sharpen to at least 1000g. Additional wheels for a Tormek type system are very expensive, as are the accessories. But the Tormek is known as the best sharpener.
I own a great sharpening sled made by Alisam, along with ceramic stones. I also own the MPower Fasttrack system, which is an excellent manual system for sharpening. These are my needs:
1. A system with repeatability. If a chisel is sharpened to a 25° angle, I want to repeat it easily.
2. Simplicity. I want a system that's easy to use without a complicated set up.
3. I want a system that sharpens a variety of tools, including my shorter butt and palm chisels, and my little gouge. This is an issue that I have with my other 2 systems.
4. I want to be able to sharpen to at least 1000g + with ease.
5. I want to sharpen my tools in just a few minutes, without having to drag out a 40# machine.
The Work Sharp WS3000 fits all of these criteria.
After watching the videos, I ordered one from Amazon. It came yesterday. I'm really happy with it. But there is one flaw, and a new one is on its way. The adjustor dial handle for the fence won't turn without channel locks. It should turn and adjust the fence with ease.
In the meantime, I've sharpened all of the main chisels that I use. I'm working on the butt chisels. I've even sharpened chisels that Frank got from his Father, that belonged to his Grandfather. Frank is 87 years old, so you have an idea on the age of some of the chisels.
I'm ashamed to admit this, knowing how important it is to have sharp tools. My chisels were an unqualified mess. It is a hassle to set up the water system, time consuming to use the sled and stone, and the container holding my Fasttrack had slipped sideways in the back of the drawer; I couldn't find it to save my life. All of my chisels were honed to the wrong angle, which needed correction. I have never flattened the backs. A couple had chips.
The Work Sharp comes with 4 grits of PSA paper: 120, 400, 1000, 3600. There’s a special disc which you can see through while it’s running on the machine, which comes with 80, 400, and 1200g papers. The tool port, which has an adjustable fence, accepts tools up to 2" wide. I won’t go into all of the features. The link to a YouTube video is below. The Box says 3 year warranty.
Sharpening is a cinch. I flattened the backs and sharpened of 6 of the pictured chisels to 3600g with a 25° angle, in less than 30 minutes right after it was delivered. They are scary sharp and will shave hair (I tested one).
It was pretty much a no-brainer to use. It's a dry system, but I had no problem with the chisels heating up too much. They definitely could if you use a lot of pressure for a prolonged period of time. If you just touch them briefly, as instructed, there's no heat. It comes with 2 tempered glass disks that are dead flat. You just put the disk on and when done, flip it for the next grit. The adjustable fence keeps chisels and irons straight and square. There is an adjustment lever to correct the Grinding angle if necessary, but mine was squared.
The machine sharpens bevel up. The slotted wheel is amazing. I used it for the gouge and curved brace chisel. When running, it becomes transparent. I could see the sharpie ink mark disappear. I could even see the scratches from using the 80g disappear as I used the finer grit. It was almost freaky.
The important thing is that I'm able to sharpen all of my chisels, including the butt chisels and palm chisels that neither of my other systems were capable of sharpening.
The Work Sharp WS3000 has a small footprint. It's about 12" wide and 10" deep. I'm keeping it plugged in and on my bench, so I can hone the tools as soon as it's needed. I can just adjust the fence, turn it on, and hone.
This is a link to the manufacturer video. The system cost $229.95 on Amazon.
https://youtu.be/hXAnL59vJhs?si=yTC_MYFnza2snojT