# Sharpening



## vick

How do you sharpen you tools.


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## dubdrvrkev

When I was researching I read the oneway website and they recommended a 3450 rpm grinder with 8" wheels for use with the wolverine. It gets the proper feet per second (fps) for grinding HSS.
It just so happened that Sears had a sale on something that matched the description so I ended up with a crapsman 8" grinder. Works for me, although when I changed wheels to 80 and 120 grits from WC it picked up quite a shake at some rpms, luckily its in start up and shut down when it gets rough. I suppose I could balance the wheels or buy good ones but as long as I keep it flat with the dresser everything works just fine.
In between grinds I occasionally hit the tools with diamond hones to freshen the edge.


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## woodman928

Kevin 
 You might want to do a ping test on the stones. (Thats a test that OSHA requires) You just hang the wheels with a wire and use something to tap the wheel and you should hear a good crisp ring which means the wheel is good if you hear a dull thud the wheel has a crack some where and will blow up and belive me that is no fun with something that is spinning at 3450 rpm.  Any vibration in a grinding wheel is <b>NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY</b>. Remember tap,dont hit, the wheel 

JAY


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## PenWorks

About once a month I take my tools to the grinder and blue wheel. In between, I allways hit my tools with a diamond stone to keep the edge. I bought one of those paper wheels from Grizzly Wayne recomended, but have never used it yet. [)]


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## 53Jim

I use mainly a slow speed grinder with a wolverine system, but when I'm lazy (actually, when I'm lazier than normal) I use a diamond file kind of thingy that I keep hanging by the lathe.


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## Fangar

I have a Tormek.  Waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy expensive, but My Wife bought it for me last Christmas and I have never been dissappointed.  The results are really amazing.

Fangar


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## darbytee

I use a slow speed grinder with the wolverine also. I'd love to have the Tormek, but it's not worth sleeping in the garage![]


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## Tom Stephens

I use a 3450 RPM (it has 1725 also) grinder with 8' wheels.
I use the Wolverine system with it.
Tom


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## Geo in Winnipeg

8" variable speed Delta and Wolverine and a diamond file by the lathe.


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## Rifleman1776

> _Originally posted by PenWorks_
> <br />About once a month I take my tools to the grinder and blue wheel. In between, I allways hit my tools with a diamond stone to keep the edge. I bought one of those paper wheels from Grizzly Wayne recomended, but have never used it yet. [)]



Once a month seems amazing to me. I can get several hours from an edge before it needs resharpening on my 80 grit blue wheel. I have and use the cardboard wheels (Razor Sharp system) but not for turning tools, it just doesn't do it. For carving tools and knives it is the way to go IMHO.
I'm not sure how to answer the poll. My blue wheel is 1750 RPM. Is that slow or fast?
Wolverine is in the business, I'm not. But 3450, in my experience, is way-way too fast. It builds up edge destroying heat and removes metal just too quickly. Oh, well.


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## Termite1964

I use a Slow speed 8" grinder from Woodcraft and the Wolverine System.  Works great for me.


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## Old Griz

Slow speed woodcraft grinder and wolverine system... 
When I was looking to buy I asked the question at the club I belonged to... 90% of the members told me to go for a slow speed grinder... that was good enough for me..


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## Daniel

I use a slow speed grinder with the Wolverine as well. Consistant bevels are amazing. I also have a wet/dry grinder from Harbor freight that I plan to make a home made tormek for. that plan has been around for nearly three years. not sure when I will actually get around to it. I am stuck on the fact I have never actually seen a tormek in real life or used one.


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## Jerry Crice

I also use the slow speed grinder from Woodcraft with the Wolverine system. I have found it is the easiest to keep the angles correct. Since I am new this is the best for me.


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## epson

Slow speed woodcraft grinder and wolverine system..


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## BigRob777

I use a belt sander and diamond hone.  I don't really have anything to compare it to, but it seems to make them pretty sharp.  I don't know what size grit I use either, but it is what came on the machine.  I have trouble with the diamond hone, on my gouge though.  I need a roller system, for whet stones.  I used to be a welder, so I can hold my tools pretty still.  I would like to guy a grinder, but ran out of room in my shop months ago.  I moved most of my wood indoors this past month and I am still short of room in my garage/shop.
Rob


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## rtparso

Sand paper. Belt sander disk sander combo.


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## Bill Collier

I like to use a grinder with the Wolverine sharpening jig.


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## wood-of-1kind

I use a 1" sanding belt to touch up the edges on my gouge(s) and skew. Works well and can be done rather quick.

-Peter-[]


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## Dan

Yup, I'm a belt-sander too.  I have a fine grit belt (100?) and use a Hard Arkansas wet stone to hone with.  I may be taking a lot of steel off the tools with that belt, but boy they're sharp.  [^]


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## Rifleman1776

Slow/fast? How slow is slow? How fast is considered fast?
I have a wet wheel at 72 RPM, I know that is slow. Is 1750 considered slow or fast?


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## Paul in OKC

I use a cheapo 6" bench grinder.


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## epson

1750 is considered slow speed for a grinder.


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## Rifleman1776

> _Originally posted by epson_
> <br />1750 is considered slow speed for a grinder.



Thanks. []


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## ctEaglesc

$20.00 2 sided diamond stone from Lowes


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## woodwish

I have been using a slow-speed 8" grinder and Wolverine, but would love to have a Tormek.  I have started doing some more woodcarving and I think the Tormek would sharpen carving tools much better than doing it by hand like I do now.  Any other Tormek users have any input on this?


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## Expressions

We use a Delta belt sander with 400 grit. I had used other wheel grinders but this setup seemed to do the best and hold the longest sharp tools.


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## fshenkin94

What grit do you use on the grinding wheel.  I haven't been able to find anything higher than 80.  I have a 6" grinder and am planning on getting a wolverine when I get a chance.


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## Randy_

Being a sharpening freak, I have all of the above.  Use different sharpener depending upon the tool and whether I am grinding or honing.  My favorite and most used sharpener is a flat 8" disk of 3/4" plywood with a 1" hole in the center of it which fits over the HS spindle and is held in place with a 1" nut.  The disk has a piece of 600 grit sandpaper stuck to it with spray adhesive.  I use it to touch up my skew as needed and is very handy as it is always available whenever I am turning.  Not an original idea, BTW.  You can have a very similar item from the PSI catalog for a mere $24.95, IIRC??


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## rczik

I use my teeth!

Just kidding. Unfortunately, all I have is a high speed grinder. I've learned to use a *very* light and quick touch. I want to build a sharpener out of my belt sander. One of these days.


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## Woodbutcher68

I use a Craftsman grinder (3450) and a Tru-Grind Jig. Quick touch-ups on a belt sander.


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## wade

I use the Wolverine system with my Black and Decker grinder and an 80 grit blue wheel.

Wade


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## woodbutcher

Low speed grinder w/wolverine and Don Geiger system.
                      Jim


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## CameronPotter

Belt sander all the way.

I have used this from complete reshaping to fine touch ups.

I showed it to a mate the other day, when he was thinking about getting a grinder setup.  He went away wanting a belt sander! []


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## RogerGarrett

I've been using my cheapo brand 6 inch grinder with a blue, 80 grit sharpening stone and the wolverine setup.

Lately I had been thinking about a variable speed grinder - if they make them (of course they do, but I didn't know that) and how it would improve my sharpening.

Based on the info here, I just ordered a Delta 8" variable speed grinder and will use the 120 grit Blue Sharpening stone with it at a slower speed.  The Delta was on sale with free shipping from Amazon for $109.00.  I guess I'll use the cheapo 6" for my lawnmower and other stuff - as I used to.

Thanks for the info guys.

Best,
Roger Garrett


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## KingBubbaTruck

Roger,

I think you'll be very happy with that setup.  I've got the same thing, basically (8inch Delta VS and a smaller 6 inch Grinder).

I've got my delta setup with whatever wheel that came with it, and it seems to work fine, very little overheating.  I have a buffing wheel on the other side that I use for buffing metal things.

The El-Cheapo is setup with a wire brush and coarse wheel.  Makes a handy setup...

(And for some reason, I've a big ole 10 inch buffer setup with a variety of buffing wheels.  I'm trying to rebuild an old 46 chevy, when I can break away from turning anymore...)


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## johncrane

SLOW SPEED. WET SAND STONE/ GRINDER TURNING CLOCKWISE.LIKE THE ONE THEY USE IN THE MEATWORKS.


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## beaverfsu

Craftmans VS 8" with norton wheels, will try the "blue" wheels later. I needed one grinder for all things (compromise, compromise) But it works better than I expected.


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## SteveRoberts

I sharpen by HAND. Too many chisels and shapes to keep changing jigs or fixtures. I have a good stout bracket on my crappy HF grinder 8" and LOTS of practise. Results are acceptable as I am turning about 20 pens a day all of them in stabalized wood or harder materials.

Steve


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## randyrathbun

I just bought a wolverine system this weekend and tried it for the first time last night. Amazing thing! Super easy to do and was very fast considering I had no idea what I was doing. Once I had it figured out it got even faster to do. 

I use it with a 1750 RPM 8" grinder. Wish I had done it this way from the start.


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## mdburn_em

Right now I've got the Wolverine system with vari-grind jig and skew jig.  Just got the skey jig.  Attempted to sharpen my skew with it and, well, somethings skewy[V].  The one side sharpens at a different angle than the other.  I installed the Wolverine system IAW instructions.  Measured angles, heights...don't get it, so...I've decided if Christmas goes well a Tormek is in order.  I see that Jet has a Tormek clone...anyone have experience with the Jet Wet sharpener?


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## Jerryconn

Woodcraft has just reduced the price and threw in a bunch of extras during September, so I bought one last night, according to everything I have looked at between the Tormek and the Jet, the Jet has a couple of features that the Tormek doesn't for $100.00 less otherwise they are the same.  I put together last night and was very impressed with the unit.  I hope to use it tonight for the first time.
The grinder came with a DVD that is over an hour long, They show sharpening just about everything you can think of. To sharpen a skew on it still requires some hand work versus using a jig but I like how they show to do it and I think that you would end up with a much sharper tool.

Edit: I also have the complete Wolverine system and am happy with it, I bought the grinder for my other woodworking tools and to take my turning tools to the next level of sharpness(I hope []).


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## TellicoTurning

I usually grind on grinder, but touch up the edges on a 1 inch belt sander during the turning... puts a very smooth edge on the tool.


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