What sharpening system / jigs do you use?

[Mike Minto]

This may have been asked before, but new systems and jigs are always showing up. What do you all use to sharpen your turning tools? What do you wish was different about them / have you suggestions to make them work better? I use the Sorby ProEdge (good for all tools except fingernail gouges, IMO - and belts seem to get used up pretty fast; using a Sorby 446 and slow speed grinder for the fingernail gouges now). I also use a small diamond hone to hand finish my tool edges. Used to use a Wolverine, which I liked, but it had not an easy (for me) way to set exact angles for different tools like scrapers and gouges - that ability is one thing I really like about the ProEdge. Just curious, Mike

[Mike Golka]

For me it's home made wolverine style jig. Never used anything else so can't compare, I just know it beats doing it by hand!!!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Woodcraft 8" slow speed grinder with 150 and 120 grit wheels. Wolverine system with vari-grind attachment for all bowl gouges. All other tools are ground freehand.

About the only thing I would consider changing is on the vari-grind. At present you insert the gouge through the opening and secure it in place by applying pressure on a thin metal band by using a thumb screw. Not a big problem but when finished sharpening the gouge - you have to careful that your fresh edge does not hit the metal band on the way out of the jig! There is supposed to be an after market mod out there that replaces the metal band with a ball bearing. To me - that is worth considering!

[David Walser]

For dry grinders, my preferred system is the Tru-Grind from Woodcut. Unlike Oneway's Wolverine system, the Tru-Grind uses one tool holder for gouges, scrapers, and skews. I also preferred the Tru-Grind to the Wolverine's Vari-Grind because the Vari-Grind seemed simpler to use and had less play in the way it was held in the jig's sliding arm. However, Oneway just introduced a significant (and costly) improvement, the Vari-Grind II. This seems like a very nice jig and overcomes most of the shortcomings of the prior version. (My only complaint is that it's still not designed to handle skews.) For fingernail gouges, the Vari-Grind II appears to be an improvement over Woodcut's Tru-Grind. I look forward to playing with it when I get the chance. Here a links to the Woodcut and Vari-Grind II jigs:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/st...t_System?Args=

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/st...i_grind2?Args=

For sharpening turing tools, I prefer using the Tormek to a dry grinder. With a Tormek, the edge gets sharper and stays sharper longer than with a dry grinder. (The Tormek's wheel is 220/1,000 grit, so it ought to produce a finer edge than a dry grinder's 80 - 120 grit wheel.) Not only do I prefer the Tormek's wider, finer grit wheel, I much prefer it's jigs for sharpening turning tools. For me, it's easier to get the same edge from one sharpening to the next with my Tormek than it was with my dry grinder.

Note: The links are to CSUSA because it was easy. I don't intend to imply CSUSA is the only place to buy such items.

[Jason Clark2]

I use the Woodcraft 8" slow speed grinder with the supplied 60 and 120 grit wheels and the Oneway jigs. I just upgraded to the ball bearing system Steve mentioned (CSUSA Item #130-4159 or #280-0950). I always hated dragging that piece of spring steel across a freshly sharpened gouge.

Jason

[Daniel Heine]

For me, I use the Grizzly clone of the Tormek systems. Accepts all of the Tormek attachments, and my tools have never been so sharp. I think it';s on sale right now for 109.99. Great tool. Fine woodworking rated it better than the Jet sharpener, and a fraction of the cost.

Dan

[Nathan Hawkes]

Homemade wolverine with a OneWay Vari-grind for bowl gouges, freehand on homemade wolverine for scrapers. I've been trying to make some jigs for wet sharpening with the makita sharpener. Everyone that uses a wet sharpener for gouges says they last so much longer between sharpenings. We'll see...

[Mike Minto]

I found wet sharpening to be too messy/time consuming for me - my time in the shop is very limited; I'm sure many folks here have the same situation (used to have a Jet Wet Sharpener). I also wish there was an aftermarket device to replace the brass piece which supports the fingernail gouge in the Sorby grinding jig - I find, while it's design does adapt well to different size gouges, it takes a little doing for me to accurately (not 'off-center', so to speak) align the gouge in the jig. To set the depth of my fingernail gouge in the sharpening jig, I use a scrap piece of oak handrail with a 2" deep forstner hole drilled in it, hot glued to my workbench in front of my grinder. Also, has anyone yet used the Teknatool Sharpening Center? Mike

[David Walser]

For me, I use the Grizzly clone of the Tormek systems. Accepts all of the Tormek attachments, and my tools have never been so sharp. I think it';s on sale right now for 109.99. Great tool. Fine woodworking rated it better than the Jet sharpener, and a fraction of the cost.

Dan

To be fair to the "Jet Slow Speed Wet Sharpener" (That's a mouthful!), the magazine did not rate the Grizzly "better". It said it was a "better buy" than the Jet. In other words, if you can afford to buy the Jet, you would be better off paying a few more dollars for the Tormek. If you can't afford the Jet, buy the Grizzly (since it's your only option).

[David Walser]

...Everyone that uses a wet sharpener for gouges says they last so much longer between sharpenings. We'll see...

It's not the water that makes for the better edge. Its the finer grit wheel. An 80 grit water cooled sharpener would yield the same edge as a dry grinder with an 80 grit wheel.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

For the Tormek, (and clones) what is really nice is the repeatability of the process. Once set, (and they provide a adhesive label so you can write down the settings) it takes a few seconds to set the tool and get a fresh edge. And the edge is exactly the same as before. And IMO the edge lasts a long time. I do not have a dry grinder so I cannot say it lasts longer than a dry grinder. Between sharpenings I use a diamond stone/rod and a ceramic rod to polish the edge. It is a pain to set up the water etc. If you have space and leave the sharpener set up, it would be seconds between sharpenings.... I have no space.
Don't know about the Makita wet system. I did take a look at it when comparing systems and went with the Tormek, because they have a jig to sharpen just about anything. Yeah, it costs money. If you like to tinker and spend hours trying to figure out a jig, that's great. The Makita does not have a jig that can sharpen a gouge.

The wet vs dry has been debated several hundred times already. There is no "right" answer.

Has anyone tried paper wheels and the wolverine type jigs? Paper wheels are supposed to be awesome.

[Alan Zenreich]

I'm new to all of this, and recently started using a Teknatool Nova Sharpening Center.

However, instead of using a bench grinder, I use a 2"x72" belt grinder that I have in my shop. Preliminary tests using a 240grit belt around an 8" rubber wheel have been very good.

http://www.teknatool.com/products/Ot...ing_centre.htm

[Mike Minto]

Please tell us how you like the fit & finish, so to speak, of the Teknatool sharpening center - ease of use, quality of materials, that sort of thing. I still have an open wheel on my grinder, and have considered buying one. You are the only person I know of that has one. Have a picture of your system that you could post? Thanks, Mike

[Alan Zenreich]

I'll try to get a photo posted soon...
So far, fit and finish seem fine... especially the fingernail grind item (like the Vari-Grind)

[Jerry Rhoads]

I use an 8" slow speed grinder with the Wolverine system. After seeing some other post, I will be getting a converter for the Vari-Grind, the spring slips.
I also have the Tru-Grind. on a 6" high speed grinder.
I like both very well.

Jerry