WWA Info Exchange

Bert304

I wanted opinions on what type of sharpening of your turning tools and how far do you go? Do you only sharpen on a grinder? Do you take them to water or oil stones?

Amateur Bill · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject:

I am a beginner so take this knowing I don't know much about it , but. I use a slow speed grinder with 80 and 100 grit wheels. If I have nicked something with the tool, I use the 80, if it is just a touch up I use the 100. I don't use stones several people do use stones, hopefully they will jump in on this thread and both of us can learn something.

Bill
_________________
Amateur Bill
O'Fallon, MO
______________________________
If a man speaks in the forest, and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?

I'm in shape, round is a shape.

grizzz66 · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:30 am Post subject:

hi bert ,

IMHO you just can't do any better than the oneway wolverine jig and a regular speed grinder (the directions inside the jig will explain why regular speed over slow speed ) just my 2 cents HTH
_________________
grizzly

what are you building today ???

Daddy Gloves · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:56 am Post subject:

My father had been a machiest and never used any thing but a high speed grinder with car and a lite touch and water for cooling never over heated a tool.
The faster the cuting serface the finer the cut.
_________________
"It is not a mistake it is a learning experience"
Monte

RonLuc · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:12 am Post subject:

I am also for the Wolverine Jig and high speed grinder
with todays modern HSS tools you really can't overheat them, even if you blue the tip it is still ok. Go to the Oneway site and watch the video on sharpening with there jig...gives you a consistent grind each time and takes only seconds to do.
Ron
_________________
If there are no dogs in heaven, when I die I want to go where they went..

NB George · Veteran Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 1032

Time was, all turning tools were made of carbon steel, but they're few and far today. Look for the bright sparks running from the wheel to tell if yours are carbon steel. If so, they'll stone up to a fare-thee-well, and you may not need to take them to the wheel for a long time, unless you cut through a grit-laden bark pocket. I don't use water stones, because they dish too fast. Oilstones are harder.

Alloy steels are more wear resistant, and that means against stones as well as wood, and they're normally hardened a bit more as well. Not a good bet for stones, unless you've got diamond embedded in steel. Even then I don't don't sharpen with them, but just knock off the wire edge or lightly hone. Not required for most tools.

High speed wheels are more sensitive to imbalances, just as on your lathe. They are also capable of removing twice as much steel as the slow in the same careless moment, and four times as energetic as the slow in throwing a chip at you. I can think of no justification for high speed wheels for sharpening, though they will reshape rapidly.

If you want to use a jig, ask yourself why. Are you so capable a turner as to be able to apply the tool freehand to the wood with the precision the jig applies it to the stone? Further, given the variety of grinds and shape of tools out there, it's pretty obvious that there's no "right" grind, and would you be able to create the one that's best for your stance, height and work out of experience, or just through experimentation?

If you freehand at the lathe, it's the same skill set at the grinder. Anchor to the rest, Bevel heel to the wheel, elevate the handle to (simulate) a Cut. The light touch you use to guide the tool against wood is the one that keeps you from overheating at the wheel. The bevel you follow will be so close to the same at the end that you're not likely to know the difference. You'll also keep more metal on the tool, because there's no chance you'll use the wrong settings for tool A against B, and then have to correct.

Or you can spend money and hope that using the same angle on the same tool that turner X uses will somehow give you turner X's skill. It won't.

Jeff Fox · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 1:44 pm Post subject:

As others have said, a high speed grinder will only take more material off faster. It’s not going to hurt anything other than you will wear the tool out faster. I use a 1725 RPM with 80 for shaping and 120 for sharpening.

I used a Wolverine Jig for over 10 years, then Stuart Batty showed up at our club meeting one Saturday and showed us how to sharpen free hand. I haven’t used the Vari-Grind since. It takes me longer to walk over to the grinder than it does to sharpen my gouge.

I won’t dispute that a Tormek (or similar) can sharpen better than regular grinder, but when I’m hogging out a bowl I don’t need razor sharp.

It is also said that when using a Tormek the tool will stay sharper longer. That too could be true, but I have to ask how long does it take to sharpen on a Tormek? It takes me 5 sec. once I am at the grinder (no kidding!), if it takes 5 min. on a Tormek then I can sharpen my tool 60 times.

I would still recommend a Wolverine jig to anyone who is not comfortable in doing it free hand, as I said I used it for over 10 years. I would never try doing it free hand until someone showed me how.
_________________
Jeff

If man made it, I can fix it.
If God made it we can pray for it.

Lessons I have learned:
NEVER MAKE ANYTHING OUT OF TEAK
Always remove the zero clearance insert before you tilt the blade DAMHIKT

forestgirl · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:45 am Post subject:

DennisS · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:22 am Post subject:

Jamie -

You might want to buy one, maybe two cheapest of the cheap gouges of whatever size, just to practice with. Both turning and sharpening. What held me back from freehand sharpening was the cost of the HSS tools in my limited collection. Wish I had taken my own advice a few years ago.
_________________
"A pupil from whom nothing is ever demanded
that he cannot do, never does all that he can."
John Stuart Mill

Cheers - Dennis

forestgirl · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:24 am Post subject:

Lawrence · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:20 am Post subject:

I rough sharpen on my slow speed grinder with a wolverine and then put a finish on my tormek when I am doing a final tease of the wood at the end. It is only my opinion and technique, but though the grinder gets a nice edge on things, I find that my tools cut MUCH cleaner with the final sharpening and honing. I then can re-hone with the leather stropping wheel several times before needing to reattack on the grinder (with mesquite, there is so much sand/etc that I must reattack with the grinder often, but I still do a final finish with my tormek sharpened tools)

Just the way I do it... I dont' get enough lathe time to reliably sharpen freehand
Lawrence

turnpike · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:42 pm Post subject:

I was watching Mark Baker,professional turner and the editor of Woodturning Magazine the other day at the show I went to. While I was watching... which was probably a good couple of hours, I( never saw him regrind the tools even once. Shocked

What I did see on a very regular basis (every couple of minutes I think) was touching up the blade with a pocket Diamond stone.

Ray
_________________
I walked 22 miles along Hadrian's wall in the North of England, across 19th/ 20th June, for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital London. Please visit my Just Giving page to sponsor me. Many Thanks. www.justgiving.co.uk/raysmall

DennisS · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:44 am Post subject:

Donald Weimer · Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:30 pm Post subject:

Good quality lathe tools that are properly sharpened should be able to make chips for at least an hour before needing touching up. And then only a touch up for several times before a true regrinding is needed.The old time theroy that 90 % of your tool life comes in the first 10% of the tool wear. is a good indicater of when to touch up and when to regrind.Proper touch ups save a lot of tool wear. Heat is the enemy of tool life and sharp tools generate less heat. Dull tools generate more heat.