Setting the angle on grinder platform

[Brian Deakin]

I have seen several jigs for setting the platform angle for grinding tools

eg https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/95/5188/Raptor-Set-Up-Tools

Could you not simply use Wixey angle gauge

http://wixey.com/anglegauge/index.html

or am I missing something

regards Brian

[Roger Chandler]

That should work. I have a Wixey, but have never used it to set up my grinder, but I think I will try it for a new bottom grind on a gouge.....thanks for the idea!

[Art Moore]

Neat idea. Thanks for sharing it!

[John Nordyke]

You're missing several somethings. When you 'set the angle' of the platform, what are you setting it relative to?? Such gauges are typically thought to be 'zeroed out' when they are perfectly horizontal - but horizontal only means something relative to a vertical, and grinding wheels are not 'vertical' in that sense. The wheel is round, it is not a 90 degree reference plane (like a wall) to the platform. As you tilt the platform "up" the wheel is receding from you - so the included angle for any line from the surface of the platform to an intersection on the wheel is a trigometric function - and one that changes not only as the platform is tilted, but as the wheel wears and diameter gets smaller. This nature of the beast also means that the thickness of your tool makes a difference..and not in persnickety fractions of degrees, but by many degrees.

[Steve Nix]

Way too much to think about 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[Reed Gray]

Well, it should work, or at least be close. It would have to be zeroed with the platform at 90 degrees, and even with the center of the wheel/grinder axle. Maybe not with the Oneway platform though because you have to move it in and out for different angles... Try it out and see, well if you already have one, or know some one who does..

robo hippy

[Dane Riley]

You can easily make your own for setting the platform. Set your platform at the angle you want. Grind something and measure the angle with your angle gauge. If this is the angle you want, take a piece of wood 1/4" by 1" or more by 4" to 8* (or anything anywhere similar), cut it so it contacts the wheel at two points while a long edge is in contact with your platform. The other end can be cut for a different angle.

If anyone is interested and this is clear as mud, I'll have to take a picture.

[Paul Williams]

I thin k that repeatability is as important as the exact angle. Therefore once I found an angle that I liked I would either leave the rest fixed in place for every gouge, or I would make a jig to be able to reset the rest in the exact same position each time.

[Trevor Mills]

I recently bought the Stuart Batty angle gauge and I like it a lot.
Trevor

[William C Rogers]

I have a wolverine system and bought Robo Hippy's platform rest. I like it a lot. He also has a free standing rest for just the grinder. It seems very repeatable.

[Rick Gibson]

I have the wolverine system and have done that using the base the arm slides into to zero it. Gives me a consistent place to reference the angle each time.

[Adam Petersen]

I have Penn State's Wolverine knock-off. I tried the Wixey but with nothing to reference off the round wheel I found it to be inaccurate. I purchased the Raptor's and use them a lot. Once I got a CBN wheel I've found that the Raptors are replaceable with sticks of different lengths from the platform to the platform base. Lots of ways to skin a cat as it were. I would not go with the Wixey idea though.

[Brian Deakin]

Thank you to everyone for your posts

I came across this link which may be the solution

http://honoluluwoodturners.org/16_tips/sharpening%20demyst.pdf

regards Brian

[Brian Deakin]

Thank you to everyone for your comments I had thoughts similar to John's



but I make have found another approach

Please see the link below

http://honoluluwoodturners.org/16_tips/sharpening%20demyst.pdf

regards Brian

[Brian Deakin]

[QUOTE=Brian Deakin;2687485]Thank you to everyone for your comments I had thoughts similar to John's

You're missing several somethings. When you 'set the angle' of the platform, what are you setting it relative to?? Such gauges are typically thought to be 'zeroed out' when they are perfectly horizontal - but horizontal only means something relative to a vertical, and grinding wheels are not 'vertical' in that sense. The wheel is round, it is not a 90 degree reference plane (like a wall) to the platform. As you tilt the platform "up" the wheel is receding from you - so the included angle for any line from the surface of the platform to an intersection on the wheel is a trigometric function - and one that changes not only as the platform is tilted, but as the wheel wears and diameter gets smaller. This nature of the beast also means that the thickness of your tool makes a difference..and not in persnickety fractions of degrees, but by many degre

Thank you to everyone for your comments I had thoughts similar to John's



but I make have found another approach

Please see the link below

http://honoluluwoodturners.org/16_ti...g%20demyst.pdf (http://honoluluwoodturners.org/16_tips/sharpening%20demyst.pdf)

regards Brian

[Don Frank]

Dittos on the robohippy platform. Pull a pin and move the platform in 5 degree increments . I love it.

[Brian Deakin]

Hi John
Thank you for your post
Sorry for the delay in replying I did have thoughts similar to the ones you make but was unsure how critical they were Please see the link

http://honoluluwoodturners.org/16_ti...g%20demyst.pdf (http://honoluluwoodturners.org/16_tips/sharpening%20demyst.pdf) It think this may be away forward

[Marc Sitkin]

I agree, the Stuart Batty system works very well for me to adjust a grinding platform.

I recently bought the Stuart Batty angle gauge and I like it a lot.
Trevor

[Trevor Mills]

Batty gauge is designed to give an accurate angle in relation to an 8 inch grinding wheel. I use it to freehand sharpen his 40/40 grind which I've been trying out.

[Thom Sturgill]

Here's my $0.02 - If you are using AO wheels which change size as they wear, then the Raptor or Batty gauge will give consistent results while the Wixey will not as it does not take wheel shrinkage into account. The change from one sharpening to the next will not be noticeable, but over then life of the wheel could be drastic.

OTOH, if you have moved to CBN wheels then the Wixey or Reed's platform is fine and gives consistent results. The consistency of the grind is far more important than the specific angle.

[Robert Willing]

This post is a little confusing. First you start out talking about the platform than you say the way forward is a jig to set the vari-grind jig.

[Robert Willing]

I think this video is IMHO is one of the better demonstration on sharpening. It is featured in one of the latest AAW news letters. http://thompsonlathetools.com/sharpening/ he also favors the robohippy "platform" set-up jig.