Wolverine Placement

[Burt Alcantara]

Just bought the Wolverine & VG. In the Oneway video the distance from the base to the edge of the table is about 5". Does this matter?

My stand is a converted HF utility with a .75" ply over the top. Because of weight distribution I have the grinder and base (all unattached at the moment) more in the middle of the table for balance and tipping avoidance.

I placed a few different tools in the jig and it didn't seem to matter. But, I'd rather hear from you guys who use this jig.


Thanks,
Burt

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have never used a jig on a grinder but I'd not place the machine too far in on the table.
No tablke at all but a bare pedestal is the standard machine shop way they are mounted. That allows you to get longer things up to the wheel at more accute angles.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

IIRC...in the instructions...they showed where it should be placed.

IF you'd like, when I get home I can see if I can find my installation instructions though...I won't guarantee I can find them.

[Alfred Clem]

I've been using a Wolverine setup for about eight years and have only praise for it. You will find it puts your tools in just the right position, time after time. This is especially good if you are into wood turning.

My only caution is that you certainly should get that grinder bolted down to a very strong and steady surface as fast as you can because those things can start to "walk" before you know it. If the grinder gets out of control while it is spinning, all sorts of nasty things happen before you can shut it off. So please be careful!

[Alfred Clem]

I have used a Wolverine jig set up for about eight years. Excellent piece of simple equipment. Lets you sharpen exactly the same way, time after time. Especially important for woodturners.

However, PLEASE get that grinder and the Wolverine attachment bolted down NOW. Those things can "walk" without your being aware of it. Once it starts to move, you can be in big trouble before you know it. The position you show it looks OK. It's just that the whole rig MUST be solid and secure.

[Burt Alcantara]

As suggested in the Wolverine manual, I've bolted the grinder and screwed in the bases. If the stand starts walking then I'll put a cinder block on the shelf. I use 2 of these on my drill press to keep it from tilting.

[Burt Alcantara]

After using the jig for a while I realized that it must be close to the edge of the stand. When I'm grinding the side of a gouge the handle bangs into the stand. That wont let me get the bevel I'd like to have and tends to drift the vari grind into the grinder.

Since my stand is got so many problems I decided to throw together a 2x4 version that is solid and non moveable.

[Ronald Nelson]

Hi Burt,

If you look at the Wolverine video closely, the grinder is mounted to a base and the base sits back from the table edge. Your Wolverine fixtures need to be mounted flush to the front of the base and centered under the wheels as per their instructions.

As for vibrations, the grinder shouldn't vibrate; certainly not so much as to make a stand like that move. Almost all grinding wheels are out of round when you get them. They need to be trued by a dresser that is mechanically fixed, not a dresser that you hold in your hand. The Wolverine dressing attachment works great for this. If you still have vibration issues then go with the Wolverine balancing kit.

Tools should be ground with the lightest touch possible and you can't do that if the whole setup is shaking.

Good luck

[Larry Rupert]

I've got a heavy Baldor grinder, not bolted down. mine is probably a couple inches from the front of my workbench. I put the grinder and wolverine "arms" mounted to the wood base the grinder sits on, and working great for months now. Not saying it's the recommended way, and I have a light touch when grinding. No problem at all with the grinder moving. Larry

[Burt Alcantara]

I've got the arms calibrated within a 16th. The problem is the entire unit is too far back on the stand. On the Oneway video, the unit is about 3.5" in from the edge. I'm basing this on the demonstrator's fist. I will make mine about 2" off the edge with a little more mass in the back so the top isn't too small.

Burt

[Mark Pruitt]

This picture shows how my Wolverine and SS Grinder are mounted. I followed the Wolverine instructions precisely as far as grinder/jig orientation to one another.

The grinder itself is mounted to a piece of MDF the identical size of its footprint. The 3/4 MDF piece that it is mounted to is roughly 9" x 20" and there are three 1/2" thick strips attached underneath, to make it easy to pick up. (The strip in the center prevents the weight of the grinder from causing the MDF to bow.) you can't see those strips in this pic, but you can see how the assembly is sitting above the top of the cabinet. I have no need to mount the assembly to the cabinet. The combined weight of the grinder, the jig, and the MDF provides enough stability that it simply won't move during use, even from vibration--not that there is much vibration.

This is one of only a few things in my shop that I can say I am perfectly satisfied with and do not feel any need to improve. (Well, I'll buy better grinder wheels someday, but that's all.)
55403

[Bill Boehme]

The front edge of the Wolverine base should be plumb with the front edge of the grinding wheel.

Bill

[Mark Pruitt]

To clarify what Bill said, the reason for that guideline is to enable optimum usage of the pivot arm. If you put the front edge behind the front of the wheel, you're just wasting some of the jig's capabilities.

Also, one of my reasons for not mounting the whole assembly: I can easily scoot it forwards or back as needed.

[Gordon Seto]

Someone asked Kevin of Oneway (maker of Wolverine about this question). He said the height is not that critical. Your tool is always grinding tangent to the circular wheel.
Whether you are grinding at the 2 o'clock position of the wheel, or 1 o'clock, as long as the front angle is the same, you will have the same grind.

Only matters if you are using the Ellsworth grinding jig. If you compare the shape of Varigrind and Ellsworth jigs, I noticed the following two major differences:
On Varigrind, the pivot leg is at the front of the jig; the pivot point is infront of the jig. The leg won't interferce with swinging with the jig.
The intersection point of the Ellsworth jig is behind the front of the jig. The holding knob needs clearance when you swing the jig.
Ellsworth is recommending to set the jig 2" from the tip. Actually the gouge is pivoting around 2"+ from the tip. When we try to set the Varigrind 2" set back, the tool is actually pivoting at a center that is under 2". Some turners recommend setting the stick out 2.75" from the tip on Varigrind to duplicate the Ellsworth grind.

Gordon

[Rich Stewart]

Whatever you do, don't have the arms off center of the wheels. Boy, Did I learn that one the hard way.

[Mark Pruitt]

me shut up? RIGHT!:rolleyes: OK.... Burt, I went back and looked one more time at your setup. Your plywood top has a lot of overhang in front, clearly showing why you have concerns about tipping. I would address this in one of these ways:

Grab your circular saw and rip a few inches off the front edge of the top. Problem solved. Or,
Make a base like I have, and make it bigger front-to-back to give more weight at the back. Slide the grinder back a little when not in use. Or,
With all the extra space you seem to have on that table, perhaps you have another small stationary tool (disc sander? mortiser? buffer?) that you could mount opposite your grinder, giving you greater balance of weight. It would have to be positioned so as not to interfere with the pivot arm sliding. You would also need to "mobilize" that stand to make this work, if it isn't already mobile.

[Rex Guinn]

Just bought the Wolverine & VG. In the Oneway video the distance from the base to the edge of the table is about 5". Does this matter?

My stand is a converted HF utility with a .75" ply over the top. Because of weight distribution I have the grinder and base (all unattached at the moment) more in the middle of the table for balance and tipping avoidance.

I placed a few different tools in the jig and it didn't seem to matter. But, I'd rather hear from you guys who use this jig.


Thanks,
Burt Burt;
I just set up my wolverine grider this week and set it to far back on the table so the handle hit when grinding the sides. So I cut the bench off now it's just fine. I put a block beside the grinder 2" from the bench edge, so the tool will set the same each time. I also got a couple of 3/4" sq. stock pcs. and flatened one end on each, put a 3/8" radius in the bottom of the flatened piece. Now I use these instead of the long one that came with the wolverine. Works great.
Rex