# Any one else use a disc sander to sharpen their gouges?



## redfishsc (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm about to purchase either a 6-8" disc sander..... or an 8" bench grinder. 

I already have a Sheppach (similar to a Tormek) that handles my skews just fine and I do have the fingernail jig for the Sheppach for normal honing use. For the price, this is a wonderful machine that does 95% of my sharpening (I use my skew 94.5% of the time :wink



However, I have a handful of larger bowl items I need to make soon and need something to rough-shape my fingernail grinds (I already have an old Ellsworth Jig).


I really would like to get the disc sander since I need it for segmented work....and I have access already to an 8" grinder at work (but I CANNOT mount the Ellsworth jig to it, sadly).


Anyone else use a similar jig on a disc sander for rough grinding or general purpose sharpening?


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## Sylvanite (Oct 29, 2010)

Is this for a one-time need, or do you envision reshaping your gouges regularly?  I've reground some tools on a Sheppach before (it just took a long time), but I also have a grinder.  If you'd like to stop by sometime, mount a jig, and shape some gouges, I'd be happy to help.

Regards,
Eric


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## keithlong (Oct 29, 2010)

I use a glue block with a piece of sandpaper stuck to it and I run my lathe at it slowest speed, slide the tool rest up close to it and rotate the gouges on it against the sandpaper and in just a few seconds, they are sharp and ready go.


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## TellicoTurning (Oct 29, 2010)

I don't have a sharpener grinder in my shop... I keep it over in my friend's workshop about 12 miles away..:biggrin::biggrin:

So I use a 1 inch belt sander from Harbor Freight to touch up my tools regularly... I try to follow the shape of the tool that I put on using my friend's grinder.


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## redfishsc (Oct 29, 2010)

Sylvanite said:


> Is this for a one-time need, or do you envision reshaping your gouges regularly?  I've reground some tools on a Sheppach before (it just took a long time), but I also have a grinder.  If you'd like to stop by sometime, mount a jig, and shape some gouges, I'd be happy to help.
> 
> Regards,
> Eric



Very generous offer of you and I've been wanting to come say hi for a while. You invited me over once before, sorry I haven't had a chance to take you up on it. Right now I won't be able to get out b/c of Grad school stuff (and fighting a HUGE allergy attack). 

I might take you up on that in the coming month or so though-- maybe early Dec? 

As for my purpose--- this would just be for the occasional re-grinding of a bowl gouge or skew. 

We use a belt sander at work with a 220g belt if we need to sharpen our regular carpenter's chisels to a sharper edge than the grinder does, but that's not common.


Although come to think of it, there's not really anything stopping me from buying a nice 4" belt sander and doing this same thing. Both the belt and disc sander give a nice, flat surface. But I think the disc sander will be most useful. HF has a 10", 3/4hp for $85, about $100 once it's shipped.


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## robutacion (Oct 29, 2010)

I would go for the disk sander with a combination of paper grits, particular the blue sanding disks that are made for metals, etc.  These are a great addition to the disk grinder capabilities.  They will shape skews or any flat cutting tools like no other, as it will shape all gouges you may have.

The biggest problem is that most people buy the disk sanders and use the wood sanding disks that come with it and off-course, as soon as they touch it with metal, the sandpaper stop cutting and starting burning more than anything.  This not only take forever to shape /sharp the metal cutting tool, destroy the sandpaper disk but more importantly, will damage the tool/metal temper but excessive heat applied...!

A good belt sander is a great tool to have in the work-shop...!

Cheers
George


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## redfishsc (Oct 30, 2010)

Thanks for that tip, I did not know about the blue paper, I'll definitely look those up. 


I think I have a winner. As soon as I can sell off a few pens :biggrin: to pay for it I'll get that 10" deal from Harbor Freight, it's been getting decent reviews. 

Meanwhile my Sheppach does a lovely job of honing my skew and other stuff wonderfully.


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## Wood Butcher (Oct 30, 2010)

I use a grinder after a scary situation with my belt sander.  I sharpened some tools on the 6 x 48 belt/11" disc sander and then went in the house for dinner (supper for you southern Indiana folks).  When I came back to the shop the sander was smoking and maybe 3 minutes from a flame out.  Seems there was sawdust still in the lower part of the sander.  Be careful to vac out the sawdust before grinding metal, oh, and don't ever use a dust collector on the sander when grinding metal unless you have lots of hot dogs and really long skewers to hold them, could be a disaster.
WB


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## robutacion (Oct 30, 2010)

robutacion said:


> I would go for the disk sander with a combination of paper grits, particular the blue sanding disks that are made for metals, etc.  These are a great addition to the disk grinder capabilities.  They will shape skews or any flat cutting tools like no other, as it will shape all gouges you may have.
> 
> The biggest problem is that most people buy the disk sanders and use the wood sanding disks that come with it and off-course, as soon as they touch it with metal, the sandpaper stop cutting and starting burning more than anything.  This not only take forever to shape /sharp the metal cutting tool, destroy the sandpaper disk but more importantly, will damage the tool/metal temper but excessive heat applied...!
> 
> ...



Hi Folks,

What I meant was, "A good DISK sander is a great tool to have in the work-shop...!" sorry.

Cheers
George


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## redfishsc (Oct 30, 2010)

Wood Butcher said:


> I use a grinder after a scary situation with my belt sander.  I sharpened some tools on the 6 x 48 belt/11" disc sander and then went in the house for dinner (supper for you southern Indiana folks).  When I came back to the shop the sander was smoking and maybe 3 minutes from a flame out.  Seems there was sawdust still in the lower part of the sander.  Be careful to vac out the sawdust before grinding metal, oh, and don't ever use a dust collector on the sander when grinding metal unless you have lots of hot dogs and really long skewers to hold them, could be a disaster.
> WB




I set some steel wool on fire once with a grinder, I know how scary that is. 

THANKS for the reminder----- you are absolutely right and this is an easy oversight. 




robutacion said:


> Hi Folks,
> 
> What I meant was, "A good DISK sander is a great tool to have in the work-shop...!" sorry.
> 
> ...



Yes, but as a cabinet maker, I've learned that a good belt sander can cover a multitude of sins . Except right now, all my belt sanders belong to the company I work for and I don't use them for personal shop stuff  but yeah, you were still right the first time too!


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## redfishsc (Jul 7, 2011)

For what it's worth, here is what I did to solve this problem, and it works fine. I bought a low-cost lathe with the swiveling head (crucial!), made a disc using the faceplate, and set up the Ellsworth jig.


1) Buy the $200 HF lathe (12" swing, multi speed, swiveling head). 

2) Attach to the faceplate a 10" plywood round, capped with a 10" slab of Corian (or Acrylic) glued on. Cut round using a band saw, and true it up on the lathe. 

3) Stick the psa-pad sandpaper (80 grit HF paper for now). 

4) Flip the headstock around 180 degrees. Mount the Ellsworth jig onto the tabletop that the lathe is on. Roughly following instructions Ellsworth jig instructions. Takes some fiddling to get it right. 

5) Curse the world because the P&N gouge you have won't take an Ellsworth grind well, but gets it close. The "Benjamins" gouge from Penn State, however, takes it just fine. Quite nice, actually.

6) Sing a hymn because the Sheppach grinder and Tormek jigs actually will put a decent fingernail grind on the P&N gouge fairly well. 




All in all, this worked out well. I now have a bigger lathe for the occasional bowl turning. I just made an 8" cherry bowl tonight. And I have a disc sander, to boot!


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## Florida Marine (Jul 8, 2011)

I have a Rigid belt sander, I use that to sharpen my tools.

I have a Porter Cable grinder, but have not completed a jig to sharpen yet, and it vibrates like a earthquake so I have some balancing to do.


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## redfishsc (Jul 8, 2011)

Take the wheels off and run it. If it runs smooth and true (which I bet it will) then it's just the wheels. Unless you have a nice way to grind them true, most folks end up just tossing them and replacing with better quality friable wheels.


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## flyfishermanmike (Jul 12, 2011)

I've been using a 1"x30" belt sander for all my sharpening.  I do it freehand and it works great and fast!  My tools are always super sharp this way.  I have a leather belt to strop on it as well.

^^ike


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