# Your personal abilty to sharpen your tools.



## Skye (Jan 14, 2009)

So, I'm wondering if most people here are in the same boat as myself. Looking forward to ordering a Tru-Grind someday soon because I'm doing considerable tool damage as well as slowing down my projects because of a poor cutting surface.

Figured I'd see where everyone else is at.


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## Dario (Jan 14, 2009)

Depends on the tool and use.  

I am confident that my sharpening ability is "sufficient" in most cases.  Only thing I really need a jig for is a fingernail bowl gouge.  That said, jig always helps and welcome when available.

Didn't vote...I am between the top 2 choices.


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## GaryMadore (Jan 14, 2009)

I bought the Tru Grind system (and a wheel for my grinder) on the same day I bought my very first lathe tools.

I still suck at sharpening, even with the tru-grind, so I don't fancy my chances freehand.

I guess this is to say that my "personal ability to sharpen my tools" is somewhere between "terrible" and "awful"

Cheers!

Gary

P.S. The quickest way to turn a nice kitchen knife into a useless piece of flat steel with rounded edges is to let me have at it with a sharpening steel. Hmmmmmm, I wonder if I just don't have the genes necessary to sharpen stuff?


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## Russianwolf (Jan 14, 2009)

since the skew is the tool I use 90% of the time, I'm pretty good. But I could be better. 

Didn't vote above.


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## pipecrafter (Jan 14, 2009)

I actually use one of my belt grinders and set the tool rest at whatever angle I need to match the factory grind.  Absolutely no problems getting it sharp.  Most times I just need a hone on the edges rather than a full re-grind, and I do it with a 400-grit belt.  That's enough to give a nice edge, isn't aggressive, and is quite forgiving.

I think the secret for most folks is to use a light hand and, in the absence of a jig, at least a tool rest.


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## davinci27 (Jan 14, 2009)

I have no clue what I'm doing.  I just go to the grinder and try to get an even edge.  At the rate I'm going though, I think I'll have to buy at least a couple of new skews every year.


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## flyingmelon (Jan 14, 2009)

I mostly get a good grind just wish that I could do it without taking off as much edge each time. I use the wolverine system and that helps alot. I think from what others have posted my next tool modification is going to be to get the wolverine hooked to a belt sander. That or a slow speed grinder. The regular bench grinder is what is causing my excessive loss of edge I believe. Then again maybe I just want a new tool.


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## Tn-Steve (Jan 14, 2009)

Getting there.  I can't shave with 'em yet, but they no longer bounce off the wood either.  

Steve


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## wood-of-1kind (Jan 14, 2009)

I use SKOGGER and disposable carbide inserts. Sharpening is a thing of the past for me.


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## leehljp (Jan 14, 2009)

I received a WorkSharp 2000 for Christmas and am really enjoying it. I wanted the 3000 but the shipping to Japan was considerably more, and add to the higher price, I couldn't see ordering the 3000.

Being able to see the face of the chisel being sharpened is amazing. Before, I used a Harbor Freight slow grind water wheel for shaping and the scary sharp with 1 micron sandpaper as the final sand, followed by a leather honing.

I kept the scary sharp glass plate at the end of my lathe and sharpened before, during and after turning. The WS2000 has a small foot print and so it sits at the end of the lathe now. I have up to 6000 grit on it and am making a hone for it. 

The 2000 is certainly not comparable to the jigs but the potential for fine grit and honing is certainly equal to even the Tormec. The view of the skew being sharpened is awesome; I have my own special scraper that I made. It has been a little troublesome to sharpen without a jig, but on the 2000, it does great. Easy to see mistakes and make adjustments quickly. I was surprised at how quickly and easily I could sharpen gouges evenly - without a jig.


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## Verne (Jan 14, 2009)

Skye,
I gotta tell ya, there are good deals to be had out there on some great used sharpening equipment. I made mention of a want of a sharpening device and got an offer from a IAP member that I just couldn't pass up. As much as it surprised me I was equally eager to get the deal done before it passed me by. So, now I have a Tormek, complete with a bunch of jigs. There is a learning curve and I won't say I'm getting things "scary sharp" but they are a lot sharper than before.
Vern
Hank, sure hope you don't stir up some Tormek people out of the woodwork with your comparison.
Regards,
Vern


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## Skye (Jan 14, 2009)

Well, I've got a variable speed Delta grinder, so I'll just need the other stuff. But, I may check into used stuff when I get some bread up. Good idea.


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## mywoodshopca (Jan 14, 2009)

I am in the still killing stage right now.. sharpen them the best I can to keep them cutting , even though I know the edge is not what the factory one looks like.. someday I got to make a jig or get a dedicated sharpener.


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## Lulanrt (Jan 14, 2009)

Need help!!!! and money


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## Monty (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm getting there. For the past several years I use a Wolverene system, but last year I purchased a Jet slew speed wet grinder. Just now getting to learn how to use it.


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## Russianwolf (Jan 14, 2009)

for those that need a sharpening system that is forgiving and simple to use,a nd cheap.

1) Get a piece of laminate flooring at least 6 inches square.
2) Drill a hole that matches your headstock through the center.
3) Using a nut that matches your headstock, mount it on the lathe.
4) Turn it round a little more than 6 inches in diameter. Be careful when you cut through, as the lathe can sling pieces if you are too close to the edge.
5) Put a PSA sanding disc on the now round piece of flooring (you'll need to cut a hole in the middle).

this is basically the same system that PSI sells for $25 called the Sharpening Buddy or some such. You are just replacing the polycarbonite disc with the laminate flooring. (given that the polycarb disc shatters more than the lam flooring, guess which is safer. I've hit both with the skew while spinning at 3000rpm). I use a 400 grit disc on one side to hone and usually have a 220 grit disc on the other.

I like it as I can touch up the edge on my skew without leaving the lathe. I also use it when making wands to sand the ends of the wand.


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## Skye (Jan 14, 2009)

Looks like about 50% of us are killing our tools. That kinda says something...


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## Roy_Quast (Jan 14, 2009)

I don't have any store bought system... iI have my own... from trail and error. I have a slow speed grinder that I think goes at 1750 RPM for the slow speed. It has a white wheel and I don't know what the grit is on that, if that is how it is measured. I took the tool rest off because it was too short and put a piece of angled steel about 6 inches long in its place. That way the whole length of the gouge is on the rest, keeping it at the same angle. I make 1 or 2 passes only. After that I use my Dremel with a 1 1/2 cotton buffing wheel. I load the wheel up with white diamond polishing compound and buff the top inside of the gouge. Two passes with that, and it will shave hair. Works every time and takes only about 3 minutes. With this method of sharpening, my gouge stays razor sharp and I have only used about 1/4 of an inch of it in the year and a half that I have had it. 
Roy


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## avbill (Jan 14, 2009)

The very first tool I bought was a tormek sharpening system.  I have never looked back.  After sharpening the ladies knifes and scissors  for her there was never a compliant about the price.  Three months later I bought the lathe and tools gouges.


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## dgscott (Jan 14, 2009)

I bought the TruGrind about two weeks ago. I was sharpening using only the tool rest on the grinding wheel, and got some scary sharp edges, but my grinding angles looked like multi-faceted diamonds. The TruGrind has given me consistent angles (I had to regrind some of my chisels to get these), and nice, sharp edges. Unfortunately, my Delta grinder has a hexagonal base, and doesn't fit naturally with the TruGrind set up instructions, so I had to fiddle a bit, but it was a good buy. Like "a hundred dollar shine on a $5 pair of shoes," the TruGrind lets me use less expensive tools with a superior edge. It cost the same as one good chisel, and lets me use lots of cheaper tools.


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## VisExp (Jan 14, 2009)

Russianwolf said:


> for those that need a sharpening system that is forgiving and simple to use,a nd cheap.
> 
> 1) Get a piece of laminate flooring at least 6 inches square.
> 2) Drill a hole that matches your headstock through the center.
> ...



Mike, that's a neat idea.  I have to ask though how you hold the skew.  Do you put the lathe in reverse or do you hold the skew against the sandpaper below center height?  

I could imagine things could get nasty if you touch the skew to the sandpaper above center height with the sandpaper coming directly towards the cutting edge.


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## marcruby (Jan 14, 2009)

My sharpening set consists of a tormek which is mostly used for plane irons and wood chisels, and my two speed grinder with 80 and 120 grit wheels and a wolverine jig set.  The latter is for turning tools.  Then there's a diamond hone (ala Alan Lacer) for honing, most often of my skew.  I've noticed that, with the woods I work it's easier to just resharpen and use a round hove to break the burr.  There's a couple of proviso's.

All said and done, a 120 grit wheel and a diamond hone will put a scary sharp edge on a tool if the turner pays attention.  Please note that scary sharp is not 'sharp enough to shave.'  If that's all it can do, it's still dull.  I've watched Lacer sharpen skews (even my skews) up close for days.  This is all you need.

There seems to be an argument between hollow ground sharpening and flat plan sharpening folks.  This is mostly beer talk.  Hollow grinding produces a finer edge than flat grinding and so it's sharper.  Sharper means a better finished cut.  On the other hand flat grinding produces a solider edge (unless you try and duplicate the angle of a hollow grind) so it's a bit stronger when turning tougher woods.  Consider this a truth of geometry.

There are no sharpening miracles.  All the jigs and water in the world won't save you if you don't pay attention.  And it amazes me how many folks really don't pay attention even when they think they are.  You really need to watch what's happening - whether sharpening or cutting.  Understanding the dynamics of the edge will make your tools twice as sharp - guaranteed.

All these fancy tools (and I have some) are best used for conversation around the bar.  It's the guy who can walk up to a 1750 grinding wheel, spend a minute purely by hand, and go back to making whistle clean cuts ad infinitum, that gets my respect.

Marc


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## talbot (Jan 14, 2009)

Initial learning curve with turning tools as im a newcomer to turning and now no problem but I have been sharpening chisels and planes for a long time using many many different methods and equipment.
I now use bench grinder and wolverine for turning and still paly about with scary sharp, diamond stones, arkansas stones, oil stones and tormek for others.
It all depends on my mood and time available. 
Once your tools are sharp though it really should take only a few seconds to keep them so, regardless of the method used.
regards, Bill


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## leehljp (Jan 14, 2009)

talbot said:


> Initial learning curve with turning tools as im a newcomer to turning and now no problem but I have been sharpening chisels and planes for a long time using many many different methods and equipment.
> I now use bench grinder and wolverine for turning and still paly about with scary sharp, diamond stones, arkansas stones, oil stones and tormek for others.
> It all depends on my mood and time available.
> Once your tools are sharp though it really should take only a few seconds to keep them so, regardless of the method used.
> regards, Bill



I agree with what Bill wrote completely. I use a Drill Doctor for drill bits but remember my dad sharpening bits without a jig on a bench grinder sharp enough to drill boards without tearout!

Japanese planes do not have the adjustment levers and screws that fancy and expensive US planes have. They use wedges to keep the blades in place. They use a small hammer (or other) and tap the ends or sides of the plane body to fine adjust the blade. 
. . . Now to the sharpening: A few years ago, I went to a Japanese friends house and in the basement he had some woodworking tools. There was a huge pile of shavings under his sawhorse work bench. These shavings were the length of the boards he was working on. Very consistent. I took some home and placed one over an open magazine. You could read the print on a page through those shavings easily. Before I took the shavings home, Maeno said: "The plane was not sharp; I will call you when I sharpen it and show you what real sharp is!"

A few weeks later he called me. For an explanation - most wood grains have two parts, the hard slow growth and soft fast growth part. Maeno said, "I just finished sharpening this plane. Let me show you what it will do." Then he said: "If you let a flat board set a few minutes after planing, the soft wood between the hard ridges will rise due to moisture changes. You cannot feel them with your hand but a micrometer can measure them at something like .001 to .003 mm differences. He made a swipe, on the board and then made adjustments by tapping the plane with a small hammer. THEN he planed the strips of soft wood that had risen above the hard grain. Strings, not a ribbon, but strings of the softer wood! I had never seen this done before. By the way Maeno has been to the US on several occasions teaching Japanese woodworking techniques in the US. He teaches art but loves woodworking and has the best eye and hand coordination that I have ever seen. 

"Sharp" is an 'attitude' with skill and or tenacity to back it.


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## Russianwolf (Jan 14, 2009)

VisExp said:


> Mike, that's a neat idea.  I have to ask though how you hold the skew.  Do you put the lathe in reverse or do you hold the skew against the sandpaper below center height?
> 
> I could imagine things could get nasty if you touch the skew to the sandpaper above center height with the sandpaper coming directly towards the cutting edge.



yep, below centerline. slower speeds.

With an 80 grit pad in place you can reshape your tools in a hurry too, so it's a versatile system. But I do that using the toolrest to keep me steady and usually from the back of the machine, so that I can use the top side.

It's not perfect, but it works. Kinda like me.


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## pssherman (Jan 17, 2009)

I use a 5 inch diameter steel plate with PSA sandpaper for the rough shaping which I rarely need to do. I use handheld diamond files to restore a very sharp edge after every pen and sometimes several times on the same pen.


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## opfoto (Jan 18, 2009)

I wouldn't live with out my wolverine system. I love it.


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## Ligget (Jan 19, 2009)

Tormek system with various jigs, my tools have never been so sharp and I feel I have control of the sharpening!


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## rlharding (Jan 19, 2009)

I use the German knock-off of the Tormek with Tormek jigs.  I used to use the wolverine but prefer the Tormek knock off much more.  I would have bought a Tormek if I could afford one.


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## Art Fuldodger (Jan 19, 2009)

The difference between 1 and 2 is pretty big... going from being in total control to not even knowing if you're doing it right is a big jump.

I wouldn't say that I fit #1, but definitely not in #2, either.


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## gomeral (Jan 19, 2009)

I'm between destroying everything with an edge that I own and making things sharp enough to cut diamond.  :tongue:

Actually, a couple of years ago, I bought a Tormek in an effort to make sharpening easy.   However, it takes a lot more skill to use than I anticipated, especially with the jigs and fixtures.  I am not thrilled with the roughing gouge jig (my gouge is wavy, but works), the grinding wheel has some very small grooves in it from I-don't-know-what, the flattening tool is hard to use because it's much narrower than the wheel and you have to hold the exact same force while sliding it, the fine/rough stone has dents in it, and the stropping wheels oscillate because *somehow* the shaft got bent slightly.  Don't have a CLUE how that happened, it may even have arrived like that.

As I learn how to use the thing, I occasionally have some super-sharp tools, but I find that sometimes the tool is only sharp enough to do half of one-half of a blank (i.e. half of the top of a slimline), so either I use some seriously hard woods, or I'm not getting as clean and sharp an edge as I should.

I'd practice more, but it gets in the way of my turning pens.  


daniel


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## scotti158 (Jan 19, 2009)

*Makita Planer Blade Sharpener*

This is what I use.

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/9820-2/

I already had it for my planer when I bought my lathe, I still have to fabricate some guides for different lathe tools. Gets my skew arm-hair shaving sharp with out burning the tools up.


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## NewLondon88 (Jan 19, 2009)

You mean you can sharpen them when they get dull??
Man, that would save me a fortune!


Just kidding.
I'm the guy who can walk up to a 1750 grinding wheel, spend a minute 
purely by hand, and go back to making whistle clean cuts ad infinitum.
Or not.

I've got a slow speed wet grinder (Delta) that I'm not crazy about. It
seems to take forever to do anything with it. It's got an 8" white wheel
and it feels like about 100 RPM (never measured it) and I spend most of my
time running the dressing tool on it.

I've also got an older model with a horizontal disc that I picked up used
at a consignment shop. They didn't tell me that the water tray wouldn't
hold water. I can spray it down with water and do a little better with it, 
but it still doesn't thrill me.

So lately I've been touching them up on the disc/belt sander. As long as
I don't leave it on long enough to blue the steel, it seems to be OK. But I
know I'm not doing myself any favors. There's just too many things to do
when I get into the shop.. I hardly ever get to turn anymore, and I don't
want to add to the list.

I might just make something to fit on the lathe.


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 22, 2009)

I took the 3rd line... I can get a decent edge on my tools, but they're not at the level I would like them to be... they're not 'scary sharp'.


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## GouletPens (Jan 23, 2009)

I'm proficient with the tools I regularly use. Others I almost never use and have barely had to sharpen. Those I'm a little shaky on. But the Rough gouge, skew, spindle gouge, round scraper, and spindlemaster are always razor sharp!


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## Greg O'Sherwood (Jan 27, 2009)

I bought a Tormek and almost every jig they have for it. The day before it arrived, I was lost in wetstones, oilstones, sandpaper, and honing compounds. I was good at sharpening straight chisel and plane blades, but was incompetent at almost everything else.
The day after it arrived, I read the book, practiced a few times and now I can sharpen almost anything to perfection.
I know most cannot afford the approximately $1000.00 all of this costs, but it was the answer to my problems.


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## hughbie (Jan 27, 2009)

me?  i have the standard 6" 'normal' speed 2 wheel grinder.....but with a little thought and some videos on youtube......i made myself a wolverine knock off and before this i thought i could at least dress an edge...but since i made the jig.....this kid is LOVING IT
i never knew stuff turns so easy with sharp tools... and the grinder was cheap and the wood was scrap.....


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## NewLondon88 (Jan 27, 2009)

I just picked up a 1hp 1750 RPM motor at a yard sale for $1
Brand new, never used.
I figure I can make something with it..

Should I step it down with pulleys or should I make that balloon sander
I've always wanted?


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## Art Fuldodger (Jan 27, 2009)

NewLondon88 said:


> I just picked up a 1hp 1750 RPM motor at a yard sale for $1
> Brand new, never used.
> I figure I can make something with it..
> 
> ...




Just for fun, I took an old 1/2HP swamp cooler motor, put a $3 motor arbor on it (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46622), and a $3 wheel (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91388), and it actually runs pretty well.  If I were ambitious, I'd build a grinding stand around it, but for now, it's just a curiosity.


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## Druid (Jan 27, 2009)

Just purchased a Sorby ProEdge from Klinspor, something I have wanted to buy for a few years now.  I will post a review after a couple weeks of hard core use.


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## Skye (Jan 28, 2009)

So, as of today, we're standing at about a *third* of the members being competent, *third* on shaky ground, a *third* throwing money and time out the window, and 4 stragglers who are totally lost. That's only one third in the clear, the rest need some help.

Any suggestions on what we can do about this? If you ask me, it's an absolutely critical aspect of turning. Separate sub-forum? Get someone to post some videos? Ideas?


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## gomeral (Jan 28, 2009)

Skye said:


> Any suggestions on what we can do about this? If you ask me, it's an absolutely critical aspect of turning. Separate sub-forum? Get someone to post some videos? Ideas?



I would support a sub-forum for discussion, and would love to see any videos on any methods.  Somewhere I had a DVD on using the Tormek, but all I can find these days is the VHS (!) they shipped with it.  I have a bunch of articles as PDFs, but with copyright issues, I don't think I can share them on the forum...:frown:  I'll see what I have at home, and maybe I can provide links instead of PDFs.


daniel


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## rlharding (Jan 28, 2009)

The new grizzly catalogue shows the german Tormeck knock off. I can't remember the price but do remember thinking it was very cheap. I have it under the german brand name. All the tormeck jigs fit it.


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## Art Fuldodger (Jan 29, 2009)

It would be interesting to perform another poll, to see if the folks in need understand what they *desire* in sharpening.  Obviously, being sharp - but to they understand the angles and curves desired for each different type of chisel?

I found that once I learned what was desirable, my efforts at learning were much more focused, and my skill improved quite quickly.


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