Cooks Cat Claw Sharpener

Corley5 · August 06, 2013, 08:15:13 PM

Are CBN wheels available for the Cat Claw Sharpener ??? I don't see any on Cook's site but do see they have ceramic wheels which sound good. Are Wood Mizer CBN wheels compatible with Cook ??? I don't have a band mill, yet ;)

, but have a line on one of these sharpeners ;) ;D

Anybody have one ??? Do you like it ???

bandmiller2 · August 06, 2013, 08:36:34 PM

Corley,thats a good question,all I've used is the ceramic wheels.I'am well pleased with the ceramics they seem to last a long time with minimal dressing.Forget his name but the fella from Ireland make up cbn wheels to fit outher grinders.I think the cats is a good candidate because it has a heavy duty powerfull motor and is rather robust in construction. Frank C.

slider · August 06, 2013, 09:50:19 PM

Perhaps i'm wrong but i dont think you can use a cbn on a drag type grinder.

Chuck White · August 06, 2013, 10:08:02 PM

I think that a CBN grind wheel might work on the Cooks Cat Claw sharpener, but you would have to design a new cam for it to work properly, the CBN wheels operate,
1.Plunge, 2.Lift, 3.Advance, etc, whereas the drag systems operate,
1.Plunge, 2.Lift while Advancing etc.

I've used my Cats Claw sharpener since '09 and I use the blue ceramic stone/rock with good results.

duffdav · August 06, 2013, 11:34:14 PM

From my experiences I don't think a dry grind CBN wheel will last. Cooks made me a special wheel timed for 1/8 thick x 4/12 grinder disks which I have been using for about 10 years now. Twice I tried 1/8 CBN wheels I found on EBay. Each lasted about a dozen sharpenings until the CBN coating wore off and I started seeing silver metal flakes in my grinding pile.

I recently ordered from Ireland Tommones CBN wheel special made for the Cat Claw timed for the regular cam. It worked real good for about 30 blades then started flinging out the dreaded silver flakes. The perimeter wore off first probably from having to grind the gullets a little deeper from the difference in cams.

Guys seem to be having a lot better luck with the oil cooled wheels. As soon as I can afford $6000 I am going to try the Woodmizer Industrial model as I need something for Section 179 tax depreciation for this year.

bandmiller2 · August 07, 2013, 07:35:18 AM

Those that have used boath,does the CBN wheel give you a sharper band than a ceramic wheel on a regular drag type sharpener like the cats claw.??Or is it a speed,no dressing thing.I would say if you sharpen for hire or use different tooth configurations your better off with a drag type,of course I've been wrong before. Frank C.

Nomad · August 07, 2013, 08:17:02 AM

I have both a Cook's and a CBN. I think the drag type is much more versatile. Might need different cams for different bands, but they're cheaper than CBN wheels. However the CBN is easier, certainly does at least as good a job, and might be a bit quicker.

Corley5 · August 07, 2013, 07:15:51 PM

8) 8) My experience with CBN is with chainsaw grinding wheels and they are far superior to the vitreous rocks however I understand these are different animals than a chainsaw grinder ;D
This is getting the cart before the horse but it's more incentive to get a band mill if I've got a sharpener 8) ;D

customsawyer · August 07, 2013, 07:20:02 PM

I have both. Tomone does make a CBN wheel for the Cooks sharpener.
Both machines have things that I like and both machines have things I don't like.

barbender · August 07, 2013, 09:08:46 PM

I like your thinking, Corley ;D

fat olde elf · August 08, 2013, 03:41:33 AM

Cooks have the Cats Claw back on sale for $1495 right now. I bought mine used for $1000 6 years ago. I sharpen for others, any brand. I have 3 cams including the Cooks Super Sharp. Customsawyer and several others have done excellent threads on sharpening. A sharp band with accurate set is a must for happy milling. Say your prayers....

petefrom bearswamp · August 08, 2013, 08:11:27 AM

I have been using tommone's cbn wheels for about 6 months now, both for WM and Cooks blades.
this is on my 1995 WM drag sharpener using some old hydraulic oil for lube.
a little messy, but I am pleased with the results.

tommone · August 09, 2013, 10:37:53 PM

Duffdave sent you a PM, Tom

Corley5 · August 15, 2013, 07:49:24 PM

It was apparent at the sale today that the Amish don't use the internet at least this branch doesn't. The Cat Claw and a Suffolk dual tooth setter brought almost new prices. Both pieces looked good but came with the S & W mill new in 2002. I wasn't the lucky buyer but helped run them up ;D
It was quite a mill. Everything was hydraulic including the Baker resaw and sawdust blowers. A 200hp Iveco diesel powered the edger with belts and 6 hydraulic pumps were attached inline on the shaft past the engine sheave. The building was plumbed with hydraulic lines like electrical wiring 8) 8) They must have used a generator to power the sharpener ??? ;D There were gaslights through out the building. The mill with a 90hp Iveco diesel sold for 24,500.00. Quite a machine. The whole setup was 8) 8) There was also a Morbark debarker with all the associated conveyors. It all ran into last winter and then it was shut down. The owner was a younger fellow in his 30s. Judging from the bark white pine was their wood of choice.
My son Zach who's eleven was the only "English" child there. He stuck out with his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt, transition lense glasses, and calculator watch. He was sure that some of the Amish kids were talking about him in German ;D :D ;D I pointed out a cute little Amish girl about his age to him and then the fact that she was barefoot walking over the crushed stone and sawmill debris like it was nothing and she was surely tuffer than he is ;D :D
We did buy a case of grease cartridges minus 6 tubes for a total of 46 for $75.00. Pretty good price if you don't factor in the 1.5 hour drive one way to Mio from home. Zach and I had a great day. That's priceless 8) 8) 8)

Larry · August 15, 2013, 08:52:59 PM

This S&W with cab, 25 HP power pack, and outfeed went for $5,000 a few years ago. It used swaged 4" bands. I bought some of the sharpening equipment just because it was cheap. Sold it an hour later...the new sawmill owner decided he needed it. He got a bargain and I went home very happy.

I went to another sawmill auction a few months later and a wore out beat to heck Cooks went for new price. I think Amish got that one. I was figuring to take it home for $300 at the very most.

bandmiller2 · August 15, 2013, 08:59:47 PM

Most Amish have real money behind them and if they want something at an auction you might as well head for the snack bar.I have nothing but respect for their business practices.I needed a governor for my steam engine went to the Amish community in Pa. and found a good 1 1/2" pickering for $50.00 a more than fair price.Used to go with a friend who bought a lot of harness from a little Amish shop,no electric everything run with air motors,diesel on the compressor. Frank C.

Larry · August 15, 2013, 09:10:13 PM

They know quality and as Frank said ready to pay for it. I've been trying to get a Emmert pattern makers vise for 20 years now. The Amish have outbid me three times so far.

hackberry jake · August 15, 2013, 09:28:15 PM

That looks like a whole lotta mill for $5000.

bandmiller2 · August 16, 2013, 08:19:10 AM

That is a lot of mill for less than you would pay for a hobby bandmill.Some of the best deals going are for commercial mill going out of business.Even complete handset circular mills selling for less than new entry level bandmills,with the capability to outproduce $50,000 bandmills. Frank C.

Corley5 · September 30, 2013, 11:20:01 AM

I just pulled the trigger on a new Cat Claw. This is the advertised last day of Cook's early fall sale. %40 savings over regular price and about what the used one sold for at the auction last summer. The mill should be delivered from Florida sometime after the 11th of this month.