Shop made grinding jig?

[Stan Mitchell]

Has anyone made their own gouge/tool grinding jig?
The grinding jigs such as made by Oneway seem like a relative simple device that could be cobbled together like other woodworking jigs.

The reason I ask - in fit of indiscretion I found myself ordering a Nova DVR XP today (are Turners more prone to stoke and mental illness?)
Having crossed that bridge - I'm starting to look at other necessities (haven't done any turning for quite a few years - so I'm starting from scratch equipment-wise).

I already have a slow speed grinder that I got through Woodcraft a couple of years ago and will need a grinding jig.

Who's using a shop-made jig or is this a bad idea for some reason?

[Joe Kaufman]

I made my sliding base and 3 varigrind attachments 6-7 years ago. I'm retired and time was not not a big issue. If I was starting today and knowing the time I put into it, I would purchase the Oneway Wolverine Sharpening System. I do like my Varigring equivalents more than the Oneway, won't hit the side of the wheel on a swept back grind.
PM me with your email address and I will send Pix if you wish.
Joe

[robert baccus]

Ithink you will find the Woodcraft grinder much smoother and vibration free than homemade. #1 on the wolverine guide.

[Roger Chandler]

I have and recommend the wolverine jig.........can't be beat! that said, before I got it I made a shop built one, and it did pretty well. Here is an article on one..........there are probably others you can find if you will search the net......

http://www.aroundthewoods.com/sharp.shtm

good luck!

[Thom Sturgill]

Most wolverine users 'set it and forget it' as far as the varigrind is concerned. This can be duplicated in wood and be very usable. Doug Thompson has a full sized picture of how he wants the varigrind set, and the raptor setup jigs publish directions too. You could use them as a template for creating a wood or aluminium holder. As for the arm, I'd stick with wolverine.

[Doug Herzberg]

I made my sliding base and 3 varigrind attachments 6-7 years ago. I'm retired and time was not not a big issue. If I was starting today and knowing the time I put into it, I would purchase the Oneway Wolverine Sharpening System. I do like my Varigring equivalents more than the Oneway, won't hit the side of the wheel on a swept back grind.
PM me with your email address and I will send Pix if you wish.
Joe

I thought about making my own for a month or two, but never did anything. I finally coughed up the money and have never looked back. Check out the Oneway website videos on how to use their jig, and also the video of Doug Thompson demonstrating his sharpening technique recently linked here by Reed Gray. If you assume a 50% markup in retail, the amount Oneway is getting doesn't seem excessive for the time they've put into this jig. The only issue I've ever had is the cam locks slipping on the pockets that slide in and out under the grinder. I saw Doug Thompson giving them a good bump with his hand each time he engaged them.

Welcome back to the vortex. You might just want to keep your wallet out for awhile.

[John RStegall]

Stan, I too have the Oneway system, but check out Eddie Castelin's website. He shows how to make your own if you are so inclined.

john

[Andrew Kertesz]

You can make your own in a couple of hours and some scrap 3/4" plywood.

[Bill White]

+1 for Capt. Eddie. Great deals on carbide too.
Bill

[Stan Mitchell]

Good input guys. You've given me a few things to consider.

Years ago I did primarily spindle turning and hadn't considered the somewhat different grind on bowl gouges and such.
That might sway my decision as to trying a shop-build jig.

Having said that - I'm always interested in what folks come up with on their own that works well for them.

[John King]

You can make your own in a couple of hours and some scrap 3/4" plywood.

Show me how. - John

[Peter Blair]

My vote is for the Wolverine system as well with the older style gouge jig.
Whatever you decide don't hesitate to watch Doug's sharpening video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOc6giDP39A

[Stan Mitchell]

After exploring the Doug Thompson website in depth, I see the Wolverine system seems to be the given standard.

I'm impressed by the terrific information and straight-forward opinion on his site too.

[Joe Kaufman]

I'll try posting pictures. The base is fabricated from 3/4" angle and 1" sq. tube. The position is locked with 2 cap screws, not as handy as the Wolverine, but I don't change it that frequently. My varigrind on the right was the first iteration when the setup was used on a 6" grinder. Since I fabricated the setup from material on hand, I didn't cringe quite as much over the purchase price of the CBN Wheel.

Tool Grind 1.jpgTool Grind 2.jpgTool Grind 3.jpg

[Mike Peace]

Here is a sharpening jig I made just for spindle gouges so I can leave my Vari-grind set at the angle I like for Bowl gouges. I cut off a piece of the Wolverine arm. It was longer than I needed and cutting off a bit allowed me to move the grinder closer to the wall. The angle is permanently set at 23 degrees. I used a 1/4-20 tap for the clamping knob and the threaded rod leg.
my sg sharpening jig (Small).JPG