Prefered sharpening method

[Jay Jolliffe]

I bought a lathe last week....This is all new to me....I completely forgot about sharpening the tools...Is there a place to go to or maybe a book that may show the basics...What do I need to accomplish this?....Any good books that would be good to start with ?

[Scott Hackler]

1) find a local club, join it and ask for a mentor to teach you turning and sharpening
2) consider buyig a slow speed grinder and a Wolverine jig
3) watch the youtube videos for the Wolverine sharpening jig and other sharpening methods.
4) Welcome to the vortex, hide your wallet! :)

[Jay Jolliffe]

Problem with a club is I live on an Island...Have to take a boat & last boat home is 5:00pm so that limits me quite a bit on stuff like that. Also can't go out to dinner or movies...No restaurants here ....

[Roger Chandler]

+1 on what Scott recommended!

[J.D.Redwine]

On youtube check out: oneway wolverine grinding jig.

[charlie knighton]

Jay, in lou of club since you live on island, join American Association of Woodturners, they have a magazine, the American Woodturner
once you join, go to web site, go to members section, look up the Winter 2006 Vol 21, No. 4 issue
on page 32 is an articule by Kirk DeHeer, shows how to set up wolverine sharpning jigs to properly sharping gouges, its really good
you probably want to start with your gouges at 50 degrees, but it shows how to set them for 40 and 45 degrees also
i found it quite helpful, i never seemed to have the right distance from the wheel before

[David Dobbs]

Jay I see you got some tools with your lathe in your other post.

Do you have a bench grinder?

[Reed Gray]

There are a number of sharpening clips on You Tube, some pretty good. If at all possible, do try to find a club, or another turner near you. An hour or two in their shop is priceless. The AAW does have a short DVD on sharpening as well. You do need a grinder or belt sander. You can free hand or platform sharpen, or get the jigs. If at all possible, and you have a grinder get the CBN wheels from D Way tools. Way better than anything else available.

robo hippy

[Michelle Rich]

check out Mr. Lee's book..the owner of Lee Valley/Veritas. You tube sharpening..and check out the Tormek system if you have the $$$..it will last a lifetime & not eat up your costly tools, especially while you are learning

[Kyle Iwamoto]

There are 2 basic ways of sharpening. The Wolverine and the Tormek. Both have their good and bad points. I have a Tormek, and it is pretty much plug and play. If you get the turners package, you're al set. It comes with a DVD, and not difficult to learn. If I can sharpen gouges, anyone can. The good thing is that you can sharpen virturally anything in your kitchen with it to boot. That may help get the purchase past the checkbook holder.

The big problems are the cost and it is slow to initially shape your tool. I recently got a dry grinder attachment and that cures the speed problem.......

I also live on an island, but we do have a resturaunt or 2....

[Dennis Ford]

I use a 8" 1725 rpm grinder with an adjustable platform for all of my lathe tools. It is faster for me than a jig and accurate enough to suit my needs.

[Brian Ashton]

Problem with a club is I live on an Island...Have to take a boat & last boat home is 5:00pm so that limits me quite a bit on stuff like that. Also can't go out to dinner or movies...No restaurants here ....


Youtube would be a good start.

[Reed Gray]

There is no really solid teaching of the platform method, which I have been using for a couple of years now. Haven't touched a jig since I picked it up. It is simple as if you turn, you already have the basic skills: A, B, C: Anchor the tool on the tool rest, rub the Bevel, and Cut. Pretty simple, you just set the angle on the platform and go.

robo hippy