Super Cool Grinding Wheels

My only in-shop sharpening option is an oil stone. For some time I've known that a grinding wheel needs to be added, but there were too many options. Should I get a high-speed grinder and take my chances on burning tools? Should I spend a bit more to get a dual-speed or low-speed grinder? Or even more to get a wet grinder? The puzzle was one that had me frozen with too many choices, all of them fairly expensive.

Today I found an answer to my shop-grinding prayer : Konrad, at Sauer and Steiner, posted about his first experience with Norton super-cool grinding wheels. In my mind, this eliminates all questions of what sharpening option to pursue. I'll get a regular old grinder, preferably second-hand, and put one of these on it. The other side will have one of the hard felt wheels I've heard so much about from the carvers on the Old Tools list. Problem solved.

The question of oil stones, water stones, diamond stones or some combination remains. In the meantime, I'll stick with my oil stone and wait for another revelation.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Freilichtmuseum, Neuhausen ob Eck.