sharpening turning tools

Hello Keith,

My best recommendation for any beginning woodturner is to get a sharpening jig. If you can't afford one, then you can make one out of wood. The Jig will give you repeatable sharpenings and sharper tools and a smoother bevel. There are several good ones on the market. I have the Oneway Wolverine jig on a Woodcraft slow speed grinder. I also have a Woodcut Tru-Grind Shaptening System. The Woodcut system is slightly less expensive for the basic set. The Oneway Wolverine system provides bases for each wheel. With the Woodcut you have to purchase a second base slide if you want to be able to use both wheels. You can make a quite useable copy of either of these systems out of wood that will do the job nicely.

Fred Holder

Hi Keith,

First, take a deep breath. It's not a bad idea to buy good tools, but you can't be afraid to use them. It sounds like you think that one awkward slip will render your best gouge useless, and that isn't true.

My chisels are middle-to-low quality- I got a free set from Delta when I bought my midi lathe, and they've been good enough for me. They're not HSS, they're Chromium-Tungsten-Molybendium (I forget what the trade term for that metal is) and I sharpen them on a regular one-speed bench grinder on the wheels that it came with. Sure, I burned the tips once or twice when I first got them, and even managed to get the spindle gouge to look more like a needle than it aught to have at one point- but with a month or two of daily practice while turning got me to a point where I could sharpen without thinking twice about it, and I'm sure you'll be able to do it as well.

Those tools I learned on lost about 1/4" of metal- almost nothing in the grand scheme of things, and I did some terrible things to them with my first attempts to sharpen them. And as a bonus, I now am able to quickly fix nicked chisels and plane irons on any old regular grinder as well. It's been a skill well worth aquiring.

Just keep your passes on the wheel light and brief- you're touching an edge up, not grinding a bolt off an engine or something. If you find you're burning a lot, get the wheels running, then shut off the power and do your grinding while the wheels slow down- it's a good training technique, actually.

Good Luck!

Hi Keith,

I agree with Fred that for a beginner, like myself, a sharpening jig is the best way to go. While I have started with less expensive tools from Harbor Freight and Penn State Ind., I still did not want to destroy them while learning to turn and how to correctly sharpen them. I decide to go with the sharpening jig from Penn State Ind.,

because it was less expensive than the two Fred mentioned and came complete with everything you need including 2 bases. It has worked great for me in repeatability of sharpening my tools quickly and get back to turning. Whether you buy a jig on make one of your own, it will be a great asset to becoming a better turning because your tools will be sharp and easier to work with. John

I'm also new and originally tried to sharpen my gouges and skews with a Veritas tool rest (but no jigs). I had a terrible time--was not able to get the edges clean and smooth, had lots of facets, and the tool angles were all wrong. Finally broke down and purchased the Tru-Grind jig and within an hour all of my gouges and skews had perfect edges--it was that easy to learn to use it. Even my fingernail grinds look perfect, and more important--cut perfectly. I recommend this jig highly...

Chuck

I use either a grinding wheel or a 1" belt sander.... what you use isn't as important and HOW you use it..

My wife and I sharpened by hand for years and the tools were sharp but not consistent... you don't want to get used to a new angle every time you sharpen..

I built a simple jig that clamps to the grinder and has 2 scrap boards with slits and wing nuts to adjust length and a v-shaped block on the end to hold the tool handle... most jigs start with simply moving the butt of the handle away from the grinding surface until the tip is resting on the wheel at the correct angle..

Darrell Feltmate has designed a shop built jig that will give you the idea..

Mac

I built a highly ghettoized version of Darrell's method, and it works good. The main point is to keep the angle of the tool the same throughout the whole process. It's difficult to get a consistant bevel by hand sharpening, so unless you want to butcher a set of tools by practicing, a jig like others have already mentioned can be an inexpensive investement that will save time overall.

On the other hand, I've seen people hand grind with no problem, but they've been doing it for years that way.

I, a green turner, have problems hand grinding to perfection, and have been lurking around this thread, preparing to make some sort of jig. One of the systems shown in the links, which looks pretty simple, rests the butt end of the tool in a pocket or stop on an adjustable arm, with the business end of the tool forming the proper angle above center on the wheel. Am I too chicken, thinking that a slight error in judgement would cause the tool to "catch" (as in turning) on the wheel, with frightening results? Old Chief Lynn (the chicken hearted)

Not to worry, Lynn

It wouldn't catch using a jig any more than hand grinding it would. Since the tool is at a steep angle. I've noticed that the wheel seems to be slightly pushing the tool away from it. Simply having a good grip on the tool solves this.

Hi Lynn

Turning tool will not catch if the bevel rides the wood, it won't even cut. The tool does not cut the grinding stone, unless jammed between wheel and rest for instance. Just pay attention and there won't be any problems.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Have any of you used the Tormek for sharpening turning tools? I have a chance to buy a used one and was wondering how it was for sharpening these tools. thanks

I hand sharpen everything (including twist drill bits), and I've never had a "catch". The notable problems are getting a feel for the angles, and learning how much you can grind, and how quickly, to prevent burning on the tip.

I'm beginning to think I'm on my own with the no-jig philosophy, but jig or no, I wouldn't worry about the grinder causing a catch like the lathe can.

I believe that is the Wolverine system although the only place they mention the name is on the page for the skew grinding attachment. Excellent price, wish I had seen that before I purchased mine.

keith

What Leo means to say is that if your bevel rides the wood you can't _start_ a cut. Once you've started, of course, the bevel lays on where you've been as you work toward where you're going. Difference being the shaving removed. Should be touching the bevel where you've been, it's the second safe point in cutting. The first is the toolrest.

When grinding, just laying the bevel on the wheel with mild pressure can allow removal of some steel. That's what you want to happen. Whether you use the rest on the grinder and the bevel of the tool as your first two steady points or a jig makes no difference. Just don't lift the handle of the tool with the bevel in contact, because, as you know, that's the same action you use on the lathe to start the cut, only here rock grinds steel rather than steel peeling wood.

Which, by the way, is the second reason I grind freehand. It's easy, because you're really performing the same actions you perform on the lathe, and it takes some really major changes in gouge contour to make any significant difference in cutting presentation. That's why there are so many gouges and so many grinds on the same gouge!

Keith & Lynn, You have gotten some good advice and I can add little so naturally I'll add a lot. :) Some random mouthings about what I think I know about sharpening turning tools on a grinding _wheel. I leave belts, to others. All is opinion, believe what you will, take what you want or take nothing.

There is no mutual exclusion between free hand and jigging. Most of us use both. Why impose limits when you consider cost, convenience, consistency, ease of use, portability etc. I take freehand to mean resting the tool on a platform like on a lathe's toolrest, not 'waving' a totally unsupported tool.

Being timid, uncertain or hamfisted is not the same as a gentle yet confident approach whether it be in sharpening or turning or surgery or most anything else. Whether you jig or freehand, don't jiggle or slam. "Assume the mantle if you have it not" will get you there sooner than if you use excessive caution.

When turning or sharpening, your elbows are not chicken wings to be flapped, keep them in by your sides. To learn a lot from your mistakes, you have to make a lot of mistakes. Learning to sharpen either by jig or by freehand requires practice and using up cheap tools is not a waste of steel. Don't assume a new tool or a tool in use is as sharp as it can be or needs to be; resharpen it to see and be sure.

Grind the bevel, not the edge and when _tiny sparks start coming over the top of the entire edge, it _will be sharp with a smooth bevel behind it. Rotate, twist, or push the bevel up on the wheel and lift the handle; whatever it takes to keep all of a tool's bevel touching the wheel and perpendicular to it. Remember that it takes two to tango and two bevels to make an edge. In sharpening as in dancing the distaff side is as important as the spear side. :)

Grind the tool's profile before starting to grind the bevel. To get the bevel angle desired, view the bevel-stone interface from the side not the front. You are wielding the same tools so you need the same free space around the grinder's tool rest as around the lathe's and that includes a comfortable height and cleared floor. A pretty bevel is like a pretty face, nice to look at, but what's important is how it's used. There is so much variation in tools, woods, turning speeds, approach angles, toolrest positions, etc. that precisely identical bevels are just one concern among many.

Practice and lots of it will cure the exaggerated fears and problems of both sharpening and skewing. The 'grinder's sway' like the 'turner's sway'" with the tool locked against your body is often helpful. Shaping and dressing a grinding wheel are not the same, but both need to be done often.

Like a broken old '78 record I repeat, "There are no 'always' or 'nevers' in woodturning and there is no rule book. Do what works for you and that includes using a Wolverine with a belt sander. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

All good advice. I'll add two cents more................

Even with a jig, you can make a horrible grind. While the jig will help you accomplish the correct bevels on all the surfaces, it won't prevent you from overgrinding any one of those surfaces. I've seen way too many gouges where the nose of the nose of the tool is over ground to the point of uselessness.

You should really find either a sample tool or good photo for every grind you want to accomplish. then, when you grind, the profile will be repeatable. When I'm learning or trying a new grind, I often grind a tool with the grind and then shelve it for a sample. I use a second tool for actual use. This way, I always have a comparison. Once I learn it, then I let the sample tool go to another use.

If you go to the San Diego Woodturners website

I have a sharpening handout that you can download for free.

Joe Fleming - San Diego