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Thread: advice on puchase of sharpening jig

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    advice on puchase of sharpening jig

    I am new to woodturning and need advice

    what is the best jig to purchase or make to sharpen turning tools

    I plan to use the jig with a bench grinder


    regards Brian

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    Collierville, TN
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    112
    Wolverine + CBN wheel = you'll never regret it

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Brouillette View Post
    Wolverine + CBN wheel = you'll never regret it
    This is the advice I followed after doing a fair amount of research and don't regret it. The only thing I might change is the courseness. I have 80 grit and 180 grit wheels. The 180 grit wheel is used for resharpening but seems too aggressive. I may opt for something finer. The 80 grit wheel is hardly used.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    Roll your own?

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Deakin View Post
    what is the best jig to purchase or make to sharpen turning tools
    Brian,

    Best for starting? Probably can't go wrong with the Wolverine or something like it.

    I have the Wolverine on a couple of grinders and it does work very well. For spindle and bowl gouges, their optional Vari-grind jig will let you grind like the experts.

    One thing about the Vari-grind be aware there are two versions. I bought and used both and my opinion: get the original Vari-grind, not the updated Vari-grind 2. The Vari-grind 2 is designed to force the gouge to stay in the center of the wheel at all times. This might be good for people with limited mobility/dexterity (or attention span) to keep the tool from slipping off the side. However, it will cause the center of the wheel to wear more. I'm not alone on this - I know others who bought the new jig then sold it or got rid of it. (The original jig is cheaper, too.)

    Speaking of cheap and/or making your own, this is very easy. In fact, I am producing drawings for a friend, Josh Bowman, who combined ideas from several sources to design a sharpening system very much like the Wolverine. As his turning club's president, he realized that a number of his club members had no good way to sharpen! (And the old saying is true: "If you can't sharpen, you can't turn".) This design is intended to keep things very simple for inexperienced turners.

    Josh used ideas from Don Geiger's gouge jig. The whole thing can be made from scrap wood and a few screws and bolts. I looked at the prototype yesterday and I think it will allow a lot of people to sharpen professionally without a large initial investment - the whole thing might cost $10-$15.

    We should have a document with the instructions in a week or so. Here is a preliminary drawing I did that shows the basic idea:

    sharpening_system_with_grinder_b_small.jpg

    I'll soon have exploded views with dimensions and his document will have a cut list and assembly instructions. If you are interested, I'll post a link to the document as soon as it is ready (or almost ready!).

    One advantage to building one to start is if you find you love woodturning and upgrade to a different sharpening system some day, you can give it to someone else! However, one guy Josh knows said he has been using one similar to this for almost 10 years!

    BTW, I agree with the recommendation to get a CBN wheel. I replaced all the standard wheels on my grinders with CBN except for one in my little weld shop. There are MANY advantages to CBN. The only real question is what grit to buy if getting only one. I buy from Ken Rizza at Woodturner's Wonders: http://woodturnerswonders.com/collec...n-1-cbn-wheels
    The pull-down menu at the top of the page shows some of what he keeps in stock. I personally prefer wheels with 90-deg corners instead of the radiused edges, and with 1" of grid down the flat sides, but I think he orders them as needed. Call him, great guy.

    JKJ

  5. #5
    I built my own platform and v-arm. This works fine for roughing gouges. I bought the varigrind for spindle and bowl gouges. It's so worth the money.

    If you are on a budget, I would rather buy a CBN and build my own sharpening jig. But if you can afford both, do it. It really makes sharpening a non-issue.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    BTW, it looks like you may have accidentally posted this twice. You might want to delete the other one to avoid fragmentation and confusion.

    JKJ

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Pendleton, KY
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    This is the advice I followed after doing a fair amount of research and don't regret it. The only thing I might change is the courseness. I have 80 grit and 180 grit wheels. The 180 grit wheel is used for resharpening but seems too aggressive. I may opt for something finer. The 80 grit wheel is hardly used.
    Although this is a bit of a side note, I would recommend using your 180 grit CBN wheel for awhile before you decide to purchase a higher grit wheel. IMO, a new CBN wheel is aggressive but will become less aggressive with use. I have been happy with 80 and 180 grits and have used them for several years. Our club recently purchased a new 180 grit wheel and I was surprised how much more aggressive it was compared to my 6 month old wheel of the same grit and mfr.

  8. #8
    I just use platforms for sharpening, no jigs. That is not for every one though. Seems like at least 90% of the turners have the Wolverine set up from Oneway. On wheels, for sure CBN if you can afford them, and even if you find that difficult, they are worth every penny. If you get one wheel, go for the 180. I used to say get an 80 and 180 if you are getting two. Now, I would say the 180 is fine, but opt for a finer grit wheel. I get great burrs on my scrapers with both the 80 and 180, and with my 600 and 1000, I get great edges for finish cuts, but not for roughing cuts. For a grinder, the Baldor is best option, but more than most want. The Rikon 1 hp 8 inch slow speed grinder has plenty of muscle, while the 1/2 hp grinder isn't nearly as strong, but very popular.

    robo hippy

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Quorn United Kingdom
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    I

    Thank you for your posts I have identified this jig for sale with the grinder for $40

    I think it is the Wolverine jig Can anyone please comment

    Further does the jig apear complete


    kind regards Brian
    Last edited by Brian Deakin; 03-15-2017 at 3:45 AM.

  10. #10
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    Erie, PA
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    Yes that is all you need except for a better grinder.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Southwest Louisiana
    Posts
    155
    Take a look at Wood Turners Wonders, they have complete set ups of Rikon grinders with CBN wheels.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Cabot, Pennsylvania
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    31
    To me it doesn't look complete, it is missing the V arm.

  13. #13
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    Jan 2010
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    Midland, MI
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    168
    $40 seems like a good deal to me. I believe you can buy the missing vee arm from Craft Supply for about $20.

  14. #14
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Deakin View Post
    Thank you for your posts I have identified this jig for sale with the grinder for $40
    I think it is the Wolverine jig Can anyone please comment
    Further does the jig apear complete
    Brian, that is an excellent price - get it! It is missing the long V-arm but you could easily make one from steel or wood or, as someone mentioned, buy a replacement.

    A different grinder would be good - a used 8" grinder or something like the 1/2 hp Rikon 1/2 speed would work, although in the long run you might be happier with a 1 hp grinder.

    You can then use two different grit wheels, or a CBN on one side, etc.

    JKJ

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Deakin View Post
    ?.... Further does the jig apear complete ...
    No, it's missing the long arm with the V notch that the Varigrind fits into. That's a critical part. On the plus side, it has the Varigrind. The whole thing seems to be in rather beat up condition.
    Last edited by Bill Boehme; 03-15-2017 at 10:46 AM.
    Bill

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