Lathe tool sharpening question

[Bill White]

Wonderin' if you guys/gals hone lathe tools after grinding, or do ya go back to work after the grinder?
Bill

[Paul Williams]

I think you are going to find that most people go from the grinder right back to work. Some folks, myself included, will hone their skew, and some will hone between trips to the grinder. I only hone gouges if I have recently sharpened and am about to make the final cut.

[Bill Wyko]

I use a wet sharpener that has a strop wheel so that's about as far as I'll go.It does take the burr off though. I only leave the burr when I'm going to do negative rake scraping.

[Dale Coons]

I hone between trips--as I think it saves a few. Of course, I could be mistaken....:rolleyes:

[Reed Gray]

I have never been able to notice any difference in how my bowl gouges cut when I hone them, so don't bother. I always want a fresh edge for the finish cut.

robo hippy

[Jim Burr]

Only the skew. If Raffin won't hone gouges, I have no business honing mine.

[David DeCristoforo]

Honing might not be "necessary" but constant grinding can shorten a tool's working life. Grinding is really only necessary if the edge is damaged. Plus, it's a PITA to have to keep going back to the grinder.


When I did a lot of "flat work" I always touched up my chisels and plane irons on a fine stone to keep them sharp, going back to the courser stones only if the edges became nicked. I have taken to using a similar approach with my lathe tools.


I have an extra faceplate to which is attached a plywood disk faced with leather. I keep it mounted, most of the time, on the outboard end of the headstock and I charge it with course emory which is much finer than any grinding stone. I can keep my tool edges touched up with this setup without having to even leave the lathe and it reduces the number of trips to the grinder substantially.

[Ron Bontz]

I hone my skews only.

[Erik Johanson]

David that Is a really neat idea with the leather on the outboard side of the lathe, thanks for sharing.

[Bill White]

David, I too have a leather faced wheel. Mine is not outboard 'cause I don't have the appropriate drive for my lathe. I use it for all my chisels and plane irons. Just gotta figure how to hook it up for the outboard use. I use green rouge on the leather. Am I usin' the right rouge?
Bill

[Dan Hintz]

I have an extra faceplate to which is attached a plywood disk faced with leather. I keep it mounted, most of the time, on the outboard end of the headstock and I charge it with course emory which is much finer than any grinding stone. I can keep my tool edges touched up with this setup without having to even leave the lathe and it reduces the number of trips to the grinder substantially.
What an excellent idea :)

[Michelle Rich]

I use a tormek & only hone my skews

[Mark Hubl]

I just hone my skew, but I sometimes hone the secondary bevel on detail gouges. I will hit tools with a diamond card sometimes before going back to the grinder, specially hollowing tips. Like David I do some honing on the lathe, I just chuck up a piece of mdf and use some green rouge. Can make the mdf flat, concave or convex for honing carving tools also.

[Curt Fuller]

I have an extra faceplate to which is attached a plywood disk faced with leather. I keep it mounted, most of the time, on the outboard end of the headstock and I charge it with course emory which is much finer than any grinding stone. I can keep my tool edges touched up with this setup without having to even leave the lathe and it reduces the number of trips to the grinder substantially.

David, that's really a great idea. Thanks for sharing it. I think I might do more honing with an easier way of doing it.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I hone my skews (used as scrapers) and my scrapers. The scrapers get a quick hone then I burnish the edge. I can't use a skew as an actual skew to save my life. And since I suck at turning, I have to resort to scrapers for the insides of bowls.

I also hone the INSIDE of my gouges with a slipstone. Gets them smooth. Gives me the mental satisfaction that a smoother inside surface will let the chips flow better.... I have a Tormek, so I strop the outside and insides of the gouges. I guess that can be considered honing. Yeah, us Tormek users are the small minority.

[Scott Hackler]

Off the grinder I run some rolled up 600 grit down the flute and then I hone a micro bevel on the edge with a 600 grit diamond stone. Saves me a trip to the grinder all the darn time and I prefer a razor sharp edge on ALL my gouges. Once I get a CBN wheel for the grinder I will re-evaluate the need for the honing, because most fellas are saving the edge off the CBN wheels are similar to a honed edge.