Work Sharp WS2000 Tool Sharpener

It's nice to have sharp lathe tools
I was debating on getting this or the WS3000. I decided(or rather, my budget decided) to try the smaller model. I was not disappointed. I'm sure the WS3000 has some more advanced features I could use, but the WS2000 works just fine for my small shop. The edge vision wheel makes it easy to put a sharp edge on my lathe turning chisels. The chisel port works great, also. The first thing I sharpened was a cheap old chisel I use to scrape glue. After a few minutes it was razor sharp.
If you have the extra money, go ahead and get the WS3000, but if you're on a budget, the WS2000 won't let you down.

Very sharp but NOT "Scary" sharp.
I'm as susceptible to good advertising as the next guy and while Pro-Tool Mfg. makes a nice product, they are masters of marketing.

So moving past the hype, here's my take. I've been hand sharpening my chisels, gouges and planes since I started woodworking and the only reason I don't do more work with my hand tools is because I hate using my limited time maintaining the edges necessary to do precise work. Enter the "WorkSharp WS200". The tool is of a simple, straight forward design. The body is constructed of high impact plastic and what appears to be an aluminum alloy of some kind, making it light and I assume pretty rugged although I haven't yet thrown it at anything to find out.

Getting to the point (a little sharpening joke there), the unit is a snap to set up and effectively turned basic sharpening into a speedy, painless process. Much of hand sharpening is in the set up and while the WS unit does NOT do away with the need to fine hone your tools, it...

Love the tool but results leave a little something to be desired
The tool does exactly what it claims to do and does it well. I ruined the edge on a three quarter inch Marple chisel last year and never bothered to dress it up due to the time required and my dislike for honing blades. With this tool I had a new, sharp edge on the chisel in just a few minutes. I have also sharpened knives and axes with it with good results.

I do have a couple of small problems with it, though. I found that chisels narrower then one half inch did not grind straight across (it looked as if the chisel was slightly cocked in the sharpener) so from now on I will only sharpen chisles one half inches and wider. This isn't really a problem, though. Narrower chisels are easier to sharpen by hand and the WS2000 can still be used to achieve a proper angle on the chisel which can then be finished by hand. My other problem is with the finish. The 220 grit discs leave a fairly rough face on the chisel when compared with a stone. Not a big problem but having...

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