How sharp do you grind your lathe tools?

[Ben Cadotte]

I have an extremely cheap lathe. 1/2 hp cheap china job. A couple years ago I managed to make 4 38" long posts for a bed. It was somewhat a pain due to the lathes lack of power. My lathe tools came with what I considered a good edge on them. Again less expensive china turning tools but actually fairly decent HSS metal (mid level in quality).

Anyway I sharpened my 3/4" gouge, 1" skew, and parting. I sharpened them down to 400 grit on my new WS3000. Made a huge difference even with the underpowered cheap lathe.

Question is how far do you sharpen your tools? With the WS I can go all the way to 6000, but would that be beneficial? I beleive I can get better edges still at 400 grit with better technique and practice. But from the original condition and what I managed to sharpen my first time. The difference in the shavings were night and day. Just wondering if the time spent going to finer grits is worth it? Or if I should just perfect the technique and leave 400 as the final grind?

[Bob Glenn]

I'm not an expert, but I've read some turners go from the grinder to the lathe without any honing.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I typically go from the 120 grit wheel to the lathe on everything but my skew. It gets diamond honed but it only takes a few seconds. Between grinds on the skew, I'll just hone it.

[Jim Becker]

I sharpen with a 100 grit wheel and go right back to turning. I will occasionally pick up a small stone to clean a burr inside of my primary gouges, especially before finishing cuts, but otherwise, I go from the wheel to the wood. Fast. Efficient. And sharpening turning tools is something that gets done constantly. With some woods, that means every two or three minutes. With spalted stock and during finishing cuts...every 30-60 seconds it's back to the grinder to touch up the edge. (The calcite in the spalted wood...the black lines...will take an edge off very fast)

[Steve Schlumpf]

I sharpen on a 150 grit wheel - often - and return to turning.

[Gordon Seto]

Lathe tools are subject to much harsher environment than hand tools. A 3" diameter spindle at 2000 rpm (that is not very fast) is covering 1571 linear feet in a minute (0.29 miles per minute). That's why we prefer High Speed Steel tools and use the grinder often. My fine wheel is 80 grit. Most tools (except skew), we use them off the grinder; never bother to remove the wired edge or hone.
You can try taking them to finer grit and compare the results. Some claimed that tools off Tormek type of wet grinder would last longer.

[Paul Heely]

I generally go straight off the grinder. On my skews I will hone with a fine diamond hone. On scrapers I may mess with the burr some.

--
Paul

[Geoff Hanha]

Aluminium Oxide Wheel 6 x 1" 80 grit and a Ruby 100. the thing is do not take loads of you only need a light pass, if you put a permanant pen mark over the gouge edge then you just need to take that of, if you grind heavy all you do is make a small tool quickly.
I grind then as i work i use a good quality dimond hand stone small one to touch up as and when needed dependant on the turning, then back to the stone. i have seen a lot of turners that go to the stone and grind and grind then they are heavy when turning forcing the tool, the tool is meant to do the work, its like sawing wood if you have a good sharp saw and you understand how to use it then it will cut like butter and you will be nice and relaxed, unlike the guy that has a sharp saw and does not understand how to use it, he pushes to much the saw bends and he is puffing away as though its a blunt saw.
If you have the sharpening jigs then you should have no bother, to sharpen free hand takes time and practise, i have been a carpenter for 40 yrs, so sharpening comes easy to me, but i have had lots of practice, and i use jigs with my turning tools that way you are sure to get it right, as long as you understand how to use them. set them up in the case of a wolverine type be it bought or home made and thats it you get concistan results. Mine are all home made. Geoff

[keith zimmerman]

Used to be straight off the 100 grit wheel for all tools except the skew, which is honed. I have now switched to the new Sorby ProEdge and I use a 120 grit aluminum oxide belt for everything unless I am reshaping...and the skew still gets honed.

keithz

[Gordon Seto]

Keith,

How do you like the ProEdge? Pros and Cons?

[Ben Cadotte]

Sounds like going to 400 grit may be too much (time). Will have to use them and when its time to touch up might try stopping at 120.

[Steven Wilson]

I go straight from the Tormek to the lathe except for the skew, I hone that on a Shapton stone.

[Daniel Heine]

Hello,

It may because of my carving background, but I re-shape the tool on my 120 grit vertical belt sander, then take it to the paper wheel on my grinder, and hone it with honig paste. Finally, I finish it on a floppy cotton wheel coated with floppy compound. I bought the setup from Big Dog at Woodcraft Supply(not the corporation). When I'm turning acrylics, I will take the tool back to the paper/floppy wheels, and the edge is restored to the point that I can use the gouge to carve with.

LINK:
http://thewoodcraftshop.com/Default.aspx?tabid=95&CategoryID=414&List=0&SortField=2&Level=a&catpageindex=2

It's the PAPER/FLOPPY SHARPENING KIT - 8" WHEELS WITH 1/2" ARBOR HOLE. (http://thewoodcraftshop.com/Default.aspx?tabid=95&CategoryID=414&List=0&SortField=2&catpageindex=2&Level=a&ProductID=2039)

Thanks,
Dan

[Glenn Hodges]

I sharpen on the grinding wheel with the Woverine Jig and go right back to turning. The grinding wheel is only 2 steps away from the lathe.

[robert hainstock]

I sGrind on a 100 grit alm oxide wheeel, though I would prefer a 150. then I hone briefly with white diamond on my hy speed buffer. I do the same with Knifes. I find that I go longer between grindings. removing tool steel with a grinder is not my idea of fun. :eek: :):)
Bob

[Paul Engle]

On my skews I typically go to 1000grt wet as that is what I have for plain irons, 400 alum oxide final grind for gouges and 36 grt for shaping, 120 gr for carbide ( silicon carbide wheel ) hard arkansas stone for hand honing ( huh , not very often tho :eek:) and medium india for tool bit HSS honing for the OT and metal turning as aluminum likes em sharp .....

[Scott Hubl]

I use the Woodcraft slow speed grinder it comes with the White wheels in 60 and 120 grits.
I sharpen quickly on the 120 grit wheel as soon as I feel the tool is dull.
I use the Oneway Wolverine system and the Vari-Grind jig, I actually have 2 complete set ups.
Super easy to set up and use.

I sharpen my skews on an oilstone and finish with one of those credit card sized metal diamond stones and use it for touchups inbetween grinding or oil stone sharpening.

Most everything except the skew is from the grinder to the
work.

Everyone has their own thoughts on sharpening, this works for me. YMMV

Some hone, some don't. I'll hit a tool quick with the diamond card quickly at the lathe, if it cuts well after that I continue on, if not I don't hesitate to give it a quick grind and get onto turning.

[tim mathis]

hi ben,
i use a 1 inch belt sander, i mostly use a 120 or a 220 sharpening belt.than i buff to a polished edge(total time less than 1 minute). i do go to a 400 sharpening belt on a skew ( 3 to 4 belt changes takes about 1 minute) than i hone with a leather belt.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/sharpeneranddrillpresstable017.jpg

[curtis rosche]

just an idea, what would happen if you put a grining wheel on the otherside of the headstock, and set up a tool rest, so that you only have to go from one side to the other?

[Jim Becker]

Dangerous, Curtis. No guard and it would likely be challenging to get a wheel fastened secure enough. It would also require you to be constantly adjusting your lathe speed and that may also be dangerous with something mounted.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Curtis, ditto what Jim said. That is a accident waiting to happen.

[Gordon Seto]

Ditto what Jim and Bernie said. Grinding wheel can literally explode.
It may also hinder the use of knock out bar.
The metal particle removed from grinding may smear the light color wood.

[Mike Minto]

Ask 100 woodturners a question, get 100 different answers...no surprise there. We all have our way of doing things. Gives one food for thought as to how to set up a sharpening station. Sound just like doctors, haha. Mike

[robert hainstock]

If you were to look at the edge of any tool fresh off the grinder under magnification, you would see an edge with a lot of small rough particles, (saw edge).If you were to hone that edge and look again under magnification. thos large ,(albeit) sharp particles would be much smoother, yet to tool would be much sharper. Look at the edge of a razor blade, (HS steel?). It is a judgement call, but I believe thatI get a better finished product, and a loger lasting edge. Others will dissagree. :eek::)

[Reed Gray]

I have 80 and 150 grit wheels. I used to have a 320. I gave it up because it didn't really seem to be any better than the 80 grit wheel, and wore faster. Depending on how dull your tools get before going back to the grinder, you have to remove a certain amount of steel to bring back a fresh edge. The 320 didn't really get the job done all the time, and the 150 is better, and wears better. There isn't really that much difference in the end product. As far as skews, I sharpen on the grinder, and touch up with a diamone hone. I know a local skew expert, and she goes straight from a 60 grit wheel to the wood. She is pretty much self taught, and you can't argue with the quality of her work. With my gouges, some times I will hone the inside of the wings, as there can be a significant burr on the inside. I only do this if I am using the shear touch up/clean up cut for the outside of the bowl. I have found that a scraper works better for me with a fresh burr. I have tried a burnished burr on it, but the one from the grinder seems to last longer, and cut better. Almost all of my roughing cuts on bowls are done with scrapers, and I save the gouges for the finish cuts on the outside, but on the inside, I like a shear scrape for the finish cut.
robo hippy

[Dennis Puskar]

Right from the grinder to the lathe, 80 grit sanding disc.

Dennis

[Larry Marley]

I was demonstrating a lathe at a woodworking show a few years ago and forgot my fingernail jig. The guys at Craft supplies offered to sharpen my bowl gouge for the day. They used a 60 grit wheel to do this and I had to return three times that day for a touch up.

the next morning Jeff.. from Tormek literally took my Sorby and Henry Taylor bowl gouges away from me saying " you can't sell a lathe with dull tools". He returned a little while later with a finish that shined like a mirror. People actually stopped to ask how I got them so highly polished. Of course, I explained how easy it was for me, since I had no involvement in that task.

I used both gouges all day Saturday and Sunday without resharpening.

I was turning Cherry, maple and mahogany, so nothing that was very hard on tools, but I have to say, the tool stayed sharper far longer, and cut much cleaner than with a coarse wheel.

[Nathan Hawkes]

I have 60 and 100 grit wheels on my grinder. I use the 60 for gouges, and the 100 for scrapers, parting tools, etc. I use a Veritas scraper burnisher to add a nice burr to the scrapers. I love that thing. Occasionally, I'll use the 100 grit wheel for gouges, like with hard maple, but I haven't found it necessary to remove the burr. I dont use a skew very often, but use a 100 grit wheel, then some 400, 600 grit paper mounted on glass, and a little jig for the skew.

If I had a worksharp, I might do things differently. With gringing wheels, the finer the grit, the more the wheel loads up, and I haven't seen any that fine a grit for "normal" grinding wheels---i.e. NOT the kind used on wet sharpening machines for knife grinding.

[Clint Schlosser]

I generally follow the advice here. The woodcraft slow speed grinder and use the 120 grit wheel with the wolverine setup. I hone my skew seperate.

[Jerry Rhoads]

100 grit, back to turning, as easy as they lose a honed edge it would take away lot of my turning time. Got a 60 grit on other side. Slow speed cheap Woodcraft grinder. Sometimes I hone my skews for finish cuts on spindles.

Jerry

[Mike Minto]

I have a problem with my new Sorby ProEdge - have a new thread in the General Woodworking Forum if you would like to take a look and comment. Mike