What sharpening system / jigs do you use?

[Mike Minto]

This may have been asked before, but new systems and jigs are always showing up. What do you all use to sharpen your turning tools? What do you wish was different about them / have you suggestions to make them work better? I use the Sorby ProEdge (good for all tools except fingernail gouges, IMO - and belts seem to get used up pretty fast; using a Sorby 446 and slow speed grinder for the fingernail gouges now). I also use a small diamond hone to hand finish my tool edges. Used to use a Wolverine, which I liked, but it had not an easy (for me) way to set exact angles for different tools like scrapers and gouges - that ability is one thing I really like about the ProEdge. Just curious, Mike

[Mike Golka]

For me it's home made wolverine style jig. Never used anything else so can't compare, I just know it beats doing it by hand!!!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Woodcraft 8" slow speed grinder with 150 and 120 grit wheels. Wolverine system with vari-grind attachment for all bowl gouges. All other tools are ground freehand.

About the only thing I would consider changing is on the vari-grind. At present you insert the gouge through the opening and secure it in place by applying pressure on a thin metal band by using a thumb screw. Not a big problem but when finished sharpening the gouge - you have to careful that your fresh edge does not hit the metal band on the way out of the jig! There is supposed to be an after market mod out there that replaces the metal band with a ball bearing. To me - that is worth considering!

[David Walser]

For dry grinders, my preferred system is the Tru-Grind from Woodcut. Unlike Oneway's Wolverine system, the Tru-Grind uses one tool holder for gouges, scrapers, and skews. I also preferred the Tru-Grind to the Wolverine's Vari-Grind because the Vari-Grind seemed simpler to use and had less play in the way it was held in the jig's sliding arm. However, Oneway just introduced a significant (and costly) improvement, the Vari-Grind II. This seems like a very nice jig and overcomes most of the shortcomings of the prior version. (My only complaint is that it's still not designed to handle skews.) For fingernail gouges, the Vari-Grind II appears to be an improvement over Woodcut's Tru-Grind. I look forward to playing with it when I get the chance. Here a links to the Woodcut and Vari-Grind II jigs:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Sharpening___Woodcut_System?Args=

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Sharpening___Oneway_System___Oneway_Vari_Grind_2__ _oneway_vari_grind2?Args=

For sharpening turing tools, I prefer using the Tormek to a dry grinder. With a Tormek, the edge gets sharper and stays sharper longer than with a dry grinder. (The Tormek's wheel is 220/1,000 grit, so it ought to produce a finer edge than a dry grinder's 80 - 120 grit wheel.) Not only do I prefer the Tormek's wider, finer grit wheel, I much prefer it's jigs for sharpening turning tools. For me, it's easier to get the same edge from one sharpening to the next with my Tormek than it was with my dry grinder.

Note: The links are to CSUSA because it was easy. I don't intend to imply CSUSA is the only place to buy such items.

[Jason Clark2]

I use the Woodcraft 8" slow speed grinder with the supplied 60 and 120 grit wheels and the Oneway jigs. I just upgraded to the ball bearing system Steve mentioned (CSUSA Item #130-4159 or #280-0950). I always hated dragging that piece of spring steel across a freshly sharpened gouge.

Jason

[Daniel Heine]

For me, I use the Grizzly clone of the Tormek systems. Accepts all of the Tormek attachments, and my tools have never been so sharp. I think it';s on sale right now for 109.99. Great tool. Fine woodworking rated it better than the Jet sharpener, and a fraction of the cost.

Dan

[Nathan Hawkes]

Homemade wolverine with a OneWay Vari-grind for bowl gouges, freehand on homemade wolverine for scrapers. I've been trying to make some jigs for wet sharpening with the makita sharpener. Everyone that uses a wet sharpener for gouges says they last so much longer between sharpenings. We'll see...

[Mike Minto]

I found wet sharpening to be too messy/time consuming for me - my time in the shop is very limited; I'm sure many folks here have the same situation (used to have a Jet Wet Sharpener). I also wish there was an aftermarket device to replace the brass piece which supports the fingernail gouge in the Sorby grinding jig - I find, while it's design does adapt well to different size gouges, it takes a little doing for me to accurately (not 'off-center', so to speak) align the gouge in the jig. To set the depth of my fingernail gouge in the sharpening jig, I use a scrap piece of oak handrail with a 2" deep forstner hole drilled in it, hot glued to my workbench in front of my grinder. Also, has anyone yet used the Teknatool Sharpening Center? Mike

[David Walser]

For me, I use the Grizzly clone of the Tormek systems. Accepts all of the Tormek attachments, and my tools have never been so sharp. I think it';s on sale right now for 109.99. Great tool. Fine woodworking rated it better than the Jet sharpener, and a fraction of the cost.

Dan

To be fair to the "Jet Slow Speed Wet Sharpener" (That's a mouthful!), the magazine did not rate the Grizzly "better". It said it was a "better buy" than the Jet. In other words, if you can afford to buy the Jet, you would be better off paying a few more dollars for the Tormek. If you can't afford the Jet, buy the Grizzly (since it's your only option).

[David Walser]

...Everyone that uses a wet sharpener for gouges says they last so much longer between sharpenings. We'll see...

It's not the water that makes for the better edge. Its the finer grit wheel. An 80 grit water cooled sharpener would yield the same edge as a dry grinder with an 80 grit wheel.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

For the Tormek, (and clones) what is really nice is the repeatability of the process. Once set, (and they provide a adhesive label so you can write down the settings) it takes a few seconds to set the tool and get a fresh edge. And the edge is exactly the same as before. And IMO the edge lasts a long time. I do not have a dry grinder so I cannot say it lasts longer than a dry grinder. Between sharpenings I use a diamond stone/rod and a ceramic rod to polish the edge. It is a pain to set up the water etc. If you have space and leave the sharpener set up, it would be seconds between sharpenings.... I have no space.
Don't know about the Makita wet system. I did take a look at it when comparing systems and went with the Tormek, because they have a jig to sharpen just about anything. Yeah, it costs money. If you like to tinker and spend hours trying to figure out a jig, that's great. The Makita does not have a jig that can sharpen a gouge.

The wet vs dry has been debated several hundred times already. There is no "right" answer.

Has anyone tried paper wheels and the wolverine type jigs? Paper wheels are supposed to be awesome.

[Alan Zenreich]

I'm new to all of this, and recently started using a Teknatool Nova Sharpening Center.

However, instead of using a bench grinder, I use a 2"x72" belt grinder that I have in my shop. Preliminary tests using a 240grit belt around an 8" rubber wheel have been very good.

http://www.teknatool.com/products/Other/Sharpening_Centre/Sharpening_centre.htm

[Mike Minto]

Please tell us how you like the fit & finish, so to speak, of the Teknatool sharpening center - ease of use, quality of materials, that sort of thing. I still have an open wheel on my grinder, and have considered buying one. You are the only person I know of that has one. Have a picture of your system that you could post? Thanks, Mike

[Alan Zenreich]

I'll try to get a photo posted soon...
So far, fit and finish seem fine... especially the fingernail grind item (like the Vari-Grind)

[Jerry Rhoads]

I use an 8" slow speed grinder with the Wolverine system. After seeing some other post, I will be getting a converter for the Vari-Grind, the spring slips.
I also have the Tru-Grind. on a 6" high speed grinder.
I like both very well.

Jerry

[Tim McClelland]

I am a beginner, started making pens a little over a year ago. I recently purchased the Sharp Fast system, much like the Wolverine but fit my budget better. So far so good. But then I don't really have much to compare with.

[Ryan Baker]

I use a slow speed grinder and the Wolverine.

There are two bearing conversion kits for the vari-grind jig. The older one has the plastic knob (and is manufactured by someone else). Oneway is just about to release the new one that they manufacture with the brass knob for a couple bucks more.

I just saw a tip in another forum regarding the spring steel rubbing over the fresh edge. Just rotate your tool 90 degrees before you pull it out and the spring won't rub over the edge. Easy!

I've looked at the new Vari-Grind 2 design and frankly I don't want anything to do with it. I don't consider it an improved design at all (quite the opposite), but I can see what they were going after (particularly for those starting out). I hope Oneway doesn't get any brilliant ideas about getting rid of the original.

I used to use my Tormek (still use it for other tools). The Tormek does an incredible job, but it is just WAY too slow with turning tools for my taste. And frankly, I don't see enough difference in the tool performance to justify the extra time over a 120 grit grinder. I do use the Tormek for skews still.

[Billy Tallant]

Now I will probably raise a chuckle or two here. I just started turning pens this past November. I'm using a 1x30 belt sander. Low maintenance, cheap to use & it works for me. I've got an older grinder but the sander works ok. Using cheap carbon tools. Put an edge on, when I notice that I'm having to apply a little more pressure to the pen blank, step over to the belt sander & hit it a few licks.

Each time I've been to Woodcraft or Rocklers, I keep looking at the Pen turning sets in HSS. Then I get to thinking that what I'm doing works, so hang on to the money till another day. :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use a Tormek and like the results I get. I don't have a problem having a mess when I am done.

[Nathan Hawkes]

It's not the water that makes for the better edge. Its the finer grit wheel. An 80 grit water cooled sharpener would yield the same edge as a dry grinder with an 80 grit wheel.


That's true!:D I haven't found any 1000 or 4000 grit stones that you can use dry, though. ;)

I wish there was a stone under 1000 grit, though. I may have to make some dry ones of my own for it--MDF and Norton 3x paper or something similar. Its going to take me forever to get from the hollow grind off the bench grinder up to 1000 grit.

[Jim Sebring]

I use a Tormek for sharpening my turning tools. I also have a Wolverine I mainly use for shaping tools. I bought the Tormek several years before I fell into this turning vortex to sharpen plane blades and chisels. I'm a tool junkie, so have since added most of the jigs Tormek sells.

One recent mod I've done to my Tormek water tray is to add a one inch super magnet to the bottom to simplify cleanout. I roughed up the plastic with some 120 grit and stuck the magnet on with medium CA. Now all I do to clean the tray up is blast all the iron filings and stone residue out with a garden hose outside the shop.