Turners sharpening options

[Curtis Myers]

How do you turners sharpen your tools?
I already have a Tormak and a OneWay Wolverine mounted on a slow speed grinder. I do not have any Turners attachment for either system.
Which system is better in the long run for sharpening turners tools?
Is the water stone Tormak overkill for Turning tools?


My goal is to purchase turner tool attachments for one system not both.

All the Best
Curtis

[Reed Gray]

My preference is a slow speed grinder and 1 1/2 inch wide CBN grinding wheels. I do know the Tormek jigs can be made to fit some grinders, but you may have to home engineer a set up for them. Sharpening methods are pretty varied. From abrasive discs mounted to the headstock to belt grinders, to all sorts of grinding wheels. I free hand platform sharpen. Just a lot faster than using jigs, and you use the same motions that you do when you turn. Some can do it, others can't. I have a couple of sharpening video clips up, one with friend and mentor Larry Karlin who uses jigs and the Sorby belt sander. You Tube and type in robo hippy. I have a long article up on my web site on CBN grinding wheels. robohippy.net.

robo hippy

[Ralph Lindberg]

I tend to think that Tormak, wet-grinding, etc is over kill (or why I sold my ol Delta wet grinder).
The pro turners don't use jigs, because it takes more time. Time is money and any minute they aren't turning they are earning.
I do mostly jig sharpening as I'm not a pro, but I am learning to do hand, the right way

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Dry vs. wet. Which is "better" is a long debate. Search the forum and you'll find way more info that you want. Since you already have the Tormek, I'd stick with that. I have a Tormek. Don't own a Wolverine. Speed is the killer on the Tormek. It's slow. The main benefit is the minimal amount of steel it removes to sharpen your gouges. I'd invest in the Blackstone wheel for turning tools. The Tormek jigs are pretty much idiot proof. The best thing about the Tormek though, is you can sharpen anything in your house, given the proper jig. Sharpen scissors and the kitchen knives and keep the wife happy. Happy wife, happy life.

If you do flat work it can sharpen and does a fabulous job on regular chisels. You won't burn them, or your very expensive Hock plane blades. You'll still need a flat waterstone to touch them up. Good luck in your choice. There are many out there.

[Roger Chandler]

I have both the Jet clone of the Tormek and all the jigs..........I also have the Oneway Wolvering jig.........I have one CBN wheel and one blue Norton 3X wheel on it at present.

For me, I put away the Tormek/Jet clone, and would not trade the Oneway Wolverine for sharpening turning tools.......faster, and also with the CBN wheel, you will get a polished edge so much faster and with the abrasion that wood has on a highly refined edge of a wet sharpener........it can't last more than a few seconds anyway........you can do better, faster with the Wolverine and CBN than anything else on the market!

[Prashun Patel]

Can't say which is better; people make both systems work.

What works amazingly well for me is 1) add a Vari-grind to your Wolverine. 2) Save up every penny you can and then get a CBN wheel for your SSGrinder. A-Ma-Zing.

[Paul Williams]

I use the Tormek because I had it when I started turning. As already mentioned speed is the issue. If you are touching up an edged, or sharpening a dull tool with the same angles, it is great. I leave the rod in the same position and use the gouge jig plus set up the table on the opposite side for scrapers. It takes seconds to mount a gouge in the holder and not long to sharpen. The downside is if you want to change the angle or the swept back wings. That is best done on a dry grinder and then finished up on the Tormek.

[Curtis Myers]

Can't say which is better; people make both systems work.

What works amazingly well for me is 1) add a Vari-grind to your Wolverine. 2) Save up every penny you can and then get a CBN wheel for your SSGrinder. A-Ma-Zing.


Which CBN wheel? I noticed Woodcraft has a Woodriver brand. Any good or do you get what you pay for like most things??

[Reed Gray]

The Wood River and the Raptor (Craft Supplies) are made by Optigrind. I have a long article on my web site, and posted a link here in one thread that covers every question I have seen about CBN wheels. The Optigrind have a 5/8 wide side grind on one side of the wheel. Ken Rizza of Woodturningwonders has a 4 in 1 wheel with side grind and radius edges. I really don't care for the radius edges, though many do like them. I do prefer the 1 1/2 inch wide wheels because I have never gone off the edge of them and put a notch in the wings of my gouges. Mine are all D Way because Dave was the first to offer the electroplated CBN wheels to the turning world. I haven't come close to wearing them out in several (maybe 4 years plus, but can't remember).

robo hippy

[Dennis Peacock]

I have the Tormek and have been using it for several years now. Still on the same original stone wheel. A woodturner friend of mind made me a wolverine type setup for my slow speed grinder as well as the jig for gouges. I can honestly say that I've used BOTH on sharpening my turning tools. The both will sharpen your tools and what I did notice with my gouge coming off the Tormek is that it did appear to cut ever so slightly better and kept the cutting edge longer. But, I keep going back to the wolverine setup and the slow speed grinder because I'm not as patient as I used to be and I want to refine the cutting edge and get back to turning. I still love my Tormek though....but I guess I'll stick with the grinder and wolverine for my turning tools. ;)

[Thom Sturgill]

... The both will sharpen your tools and what I did notice with my gouge coming off the Tormek is that it did appear to cut ever so slightly better and kept the cutting edge longer. ...

And that's what CBN users note about the CBN wheels, only without the 'slightly'.

I personally think that the effect is greater with the new Vanadium and Cobalt steels as matrix wheels can not cut the micro carbides formed in the steels but CAN knock them out. CBN can sharpen carbide though Diamond works better.

[Prashun Patel]

I don't know about the quality of other CBN's. I bought mine from Dway when it was one of the only games in town. It was perfectly balanced and performed as advertised.

[Reed Gray]

The only ones I haven't seen are Ken Rizza's. He had one donated for the raffle at the Oregon Woodturning Symposium. I didn't inspect it closely. Of the ones I have actually used (D Way, Cuttermaster, and Optigrind) there were minimal differences in quality and appearance, and there was no obvious difference in how the same grits cut.

robo hippy

[William C Rogers]

I have been using the one way and Woodcraft slow speed grinder with the white wheels. I also have the Jet (Tormek knock- off). I haven't used the Jet much. Seems CBN is the way to go. Looking at D-Way he offers a CBN for the Tormek. What are the thoughts on that vs slow speed grinder?

[Thom Sturgill]

I have been using the one way and Woodcraft slow speed grinder with the white wheels. I also have the Jet (Tormek knock- off). I haven't used the Jet much. Seems CBN is the way to go. Looking at D-Way he offers a CBN for the Tormek. What are the thoughts on that vs slow speed grinder?

Since you already have a slow speed grinder and the 10" wheels are $80 more and no wider I don't see the need. Dave has said that Slow speed is not needed with CBN becasue they cut cooler. Now if I was buying vanadium plane blades and had the Tormek jigs, maybe...

Keep the Jet Tormek clone for sharpening the kitchen knives, the slow speed grinder for the turning tools. Just my $0.02

[Jeff Gilfor]

I have a CBN wheel on my Tormek, PLUS CBN wheels on my regular dry grinder. I have a Tormek jig setup on the fine side of the dry grinder, and a Roborest on the course side. This, in my opinion, is the best of all worlds. I can quickly shape tools on the dry grinder with Tormek jigs, then sharpen them on the Tormek itself. AND, I can shape/sharpen other type tools (mainly scrapers) on the course CBN dry wheel.

Oh, and the CBN Tormek wheel is VERY nice, as it never needs to be graded or leveled.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

There's a CBN Tormek wheel? Tell me more! Or did you just mount one on the Tormek? I would imagine rusting to the shaft would be an issue. My stone already rusts on the shaft and yes, it is stainless.

[Reed Gray]

Kyle, Dave Schweitzer at D Way has them. I haven't bought that one yet, though I have a 20 year old Tormek...

robo hippy

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Kyle, Dave Schweitzer at D Way has them.
robo hippy

Thanks! I've Googled, and have never gotten a hit. I will check it out. Although I've yet to wear out my Blackstone.....

[Jim Seyfried]

Oh, and the CBN Tormek wheel is VERY nice, as it never needs to be graded or leveled.

Do you still run it wet? Can you tell difference in the edge or sharpness/finish of tool between the CBN wheel on the Tormek vs the SS grinder?

[Jeffrey J Smith]

d-waytools.com (http://www.d-waytools.com)

[Pat Scott]

Oh, and the CBN Tormek wheel is VERY nice, as it never needs to be graded or leveled.

Jeff I'd like to hear more about the Tormek CBN, as I've had my eye on them for several months. I wore out the original Tormek white wheel and have almost worn out my Blackstone too. A replacement White wheel is $185 and a Blackstone is $210. The 10" CBN from D-Way is $265. For me it would be an easy decision to spend the extra dollars and get the CBN and never have to replace it again - not to mention never having to level it!

I just ordered a 180 grit CBN from WoodTurners Wonders through my club for my dry grinder (couldn't pass up the group buy price of $130). I have the kit to use Tormek jigs on a dry grinder buy haven't installed it yet. Maybe with the CBN on the dry grinder I won't need my Tormek anymore.