cotton wheel knife sharpening

What rpm is proper for sharpening knifes on a buffer wheel. I hope someday to not have to heat my knives when I want to cut butter.

I use a buffing wheel on a 6" bench grinder that spins at 3600 rpm. Works really well for me.

I think most buffers spin at about 1200 rpm. I use a regular grinder by doing so I have remember not to press to hard otherwise you can overheat the blade really fast.

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Bill,
Use a 3600 rpm grinder, push hard then cut your butter. Knife will be pre-heated.

I have a .25hp 18oo baldor with a felt wheel and a scotchbrite wheel. And I have a .5hp with a sisal wheel. In the past I also had a cotton wheel.

It all depends on what you are doing and what kind of steel you have. Every once in a while you need to get a little aggressive and put some of the hollow grind back in to the blade. The rest of the time you are just touching it up.

The scotchbrite can burn a blade at any speed. My blades are A2 so I haven't had a problem with cooking a blade.

If you have something like a Frost then 1800rpm .25 hp is plenty good enough.

Lot's of different opinions and techniques on sharpening, I always try to grind just behind the leading edge of the blade, this maintains the hollow grind.

Why do we want the hollow grind?

?

Hollow ground knives are sometimes referred to as 'self sharpening' knives.

Ah. I was thinking the kind of hollow grind they put on buck knives. Hollow/bulge, grind, edge.