For those with the Wolverine jig, did you make the setup jigs?

[Joshua Dinerstein]

So my homemade wooden Sharpening jig is kind of annoying me lately. For whatever the reason it is flexing a ton when I try and sharpen these days.

So I broke down and bought the oneway awhile back and then never got it out of the box. (New baby and all...) So I have been looking at what techniques to use in setting it up. Seems simple enough for the most part. But I had seen references to Kirk Deheer's comments about the quick setup jig. Stu in Tokyo's video was probably the first place I saw it.

It seems like a good way to counteract for the ever shrinking wheel problems we all deal with on our grinders. Mine hasn't changed much but it has changed since I bought it. Basically it just seems like a way to get the back of the V-pocket on the arm to same distance away from the grinding wheel each time.

I was thinking about making some when I got the newest Craft Supplies catalog. In that catalog there is a company selling some for about $8 a piece and a set, 3 different angles for $20. So I live close enough to drive down and get some at lunch I thought about doing just that.

Then thought to myself "I wonder if they really help?!!?" So I thought I would come and ask and see if anyone had anything to say about the whole idea.

Does this kind of add-on work for you? Does it make little to no difference to how you sharpen? Any comments?

Thanks,
Joshua

[Burt Alcantara]

What the blocks do is give you repeatability if the sliding arm moves. After using the Wolverine for a while, you will be able to eyeball this by putting the gouge to the wheel and seeing if the bevel angle is correct.

I used the blocks for a while and they did help. Make the blocks out of scraps. Don't buy them because you wont use them for very long and you can make new ones when you begin to find your desired profiles.

Then, I'm assuming you are speaking about blocks that sit between the wheel face and V-pocket on the sliding arm. I believe this was written up in an older issue of American Woodturner but my memory leaves much to be desired these days.

Now I use a piece of tape to mark the location of my favorite grind profile. It seems to work for all of my bowl gouges, regardless of size. If I have to jiggle it for a spindle gouge I use the eyeball method and then reset it to the tape mark.

Burt

[robert hainstock]

They are too new for me to know, but I thank you for asking the question, and will be chasing the thread for answers.
Bob

[Bob Hallowell]

I find it doesn't make any difference for me. I just slide the gouge in about 2 inches and adjust the arm to the bevel rubs. Works everytime

Bob

[Ryan Baker]

Seems like a lot of people make the sharpening jig harder than it needs to be. You don't need any extra setup jigs. Just stick your gouge in the jig, sticking out whatever looks about right. Set it up against the wheel and adjust the arm extension until the bevel lines up. Ready to go in a few seconds. Simple.

If you frequently switch between tools with different profiles, scribe lines on the side of the jig to make it fast to return to a particular sweep setting.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

What the blocks do is give you repeatability if the sliding arm moves. After using the Wolverine for a while, you will be able to eyeball this by putting the gouge to the wheel and seeing if the bevel angle is correct.

Burt,

This is what I do now. I have made a homemade version out of wood following the "plans" from Darrell Feltmate. It worked really well in the past for my bowl gouge but in the last little while I swear the plywood I made it from has worn out or ??? It now flexs and twists in ways that it never used to.

I set the distance on this one by putting it close to where it was, I actually have the wood marked, and then putting the gouge in the fingernail jig and adjusting by eye.

Besides the twisting the only problem I have had with it is sometimes I am a little off and grind more on the heel than the edge etc... I asked about these as an increase in repeatability just sounds like a good thing to me.

I was watching a youtube video earlier where the arm adjustment jig for a Tormek was being demo'ed. Got me to thinking about this subject again. Seems like making things repeatable would be a great feature reguardless of system in use.

It is interesting that you don't use yours anymore. The longevity of them is one of the things I was questioning.

Joshua

[Burt Alcantara]

Joshua,
What is the thickness of your blocks? I used 3/4 ply, just stuff lying about, nothing fancy. No way could mine flex.

[Ron Crosby]

Seems like a lot of people make the sharpening jig harder than it needs to be. You don't need any extra setup jigs. Just stick your gouge in the jig, sticking out whatever looks about right. Set it up against the wheel and adjust the arm extension until the bevel lines up. Ready to go in a few seconds. Simple.

If you frequently switch between tools with different profiles, scribe lines on the side of the jig to make it fast to return to a particular sweep setting.


I agree. But sometimes people love to make things seem harder than they really are. Keeps them busy, I think. :)

The Wolverine jig from Oneway is very popular and simple to use. Don't need anymore jigs.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Joshua - I only made a couple of jigs to help me out.

First jig is nothing more than a dowel cut to length that sets the distance between the v-arm and the grinder mount. I wanted to be able to set this distance rapidly and wasn't to worried about the angle changing because of the stone wearing away.

Second jig is nothing more than a small 2x4 cut off that has holes drilled into it with forstner bits to set the depth of each bowl gouge that I use. If you keep the angle on the vari-grind set, you can change the profile of each grind by varying the amount the gouge extends pass the end of the vari-grind. I have what I consider a normal swept back wing on a 5/8" V set at 1 3/4" deep, a fairly radical profile set up for my Thompson 5/8" V is 2 1/8" deep and my Thompson 3/4" is 2". The more you have the gouge extended past the end of the vari-grind - the more swept back the wings are going to be.

Hope that helps.

[Burt Alcantara]

But sometimes people love to make things seem harder than they really are. Keeps them busy, I think

There are some us of out there who are not as swift on the uptake. I converted 3 bowl gouges into blunt stumps until I took a class with Trent Bosch. He taught me how to sharpen in 60 seconds. After that, sure, it was a piece of cake.

So, rather then imply that we are bozos, which I will admit belonging to that fine group of clowns, we would garner more knowledge with helpful hints rather that barbed criticisms.

Not to start a fire here...
Burt

[Ron Crosby]

Wasn't implying anyone was a bozo. Just stating facts.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Joshua,
What is the thickness of your blocks? I used 3/4 ply, just stuff lying about, nothing fancy. No way could mine flex.

The block on the fingernal jig is 2" maple. That part doesn't shift at all.

For the base board and the extension arm I used some 1/2 birch plywood that my cousin had laying around. Was in good shape. Not weathered etc... And remains in good condition visibly...


Let me see if I have a picture of it. Ah yes here they are. The ability to mark on top of the arm for the position has been very nice. The amount of deflection is the only real problem I have ever had with it.

Joshua

[Harvey Schneider]

There really isn't any magic formula for the right setup, but every time you change the setup you are grinding off more metal than is necessary.
Every time you change the shape of the gouge you have to learn to use it differently. So I like the consistence of always grinding the same tip.
The riser block that I put under my grinder is 1.75" back from the front edge of the plywood platform. That sets the tool protrusion. Witness lines scribed on the slide arm and tool holder get me amazingly close to the same setup every time.
There really isn't a need for purchased fixtures to set up the fixtures. I like to concentrate on turning not on grinding, so if making a block to set the slide arm helps make one. If you are happy working without it, be happy. No need to obsess over it.

[Nathan Hawkes]

I find it doesn't make any difference for me. I just slide the gouge in about 2 inches and adjust the arm to the bevel rubs. Works everytime

Bob


Same here, with a recent adjustment for new wheels-- amazing what a little change in diameter does to your bevel angle.