Turning "good practice"

[bodrighywood]

As with most things it isn't just down to the equipment but what you do with it. If the stone wobbles then that is not going to help but a basic grinder with a white stone is perfectly adequate for most sharpening. You can spend a small fortune on all sorts of fancy equipment and no doubt there are those that will come back with their recommendations but bottom line you don't 'need' it. John Aitken is perhaps best to tell you what is actually required as he uses as basic a set up as ypu can get. I used a simple record for years until the motor burnt out. Got another basic grindstone, with white wheel. Also now got a tormek (cheaply I hasten to add) but to be honest it doesn't make my tools any sharper amd all the pfafffing around with jigs can be a right PITA. Still do most sharpening on the basic one.

Pete

[Lazurus]

For twenty years i have used a Creusen slow speed grinder with white wheels and the Sorby profile jig, fast accurate repeatable grinds in seconds. Time turning not sharpening.

[Bill21]

Ah, sharpening, that old chestnut. On one side you have the old kitchen step brigade: “I’ve been sharpnen me tools on tut kichin step fa forty yars and it’s good nuf fer me”. And on the other side you have those that like to use a jig. Let’s not start on carbide or world war three will break out! 

I’ll start with a little story. A friend of mine works as a technician at a school. They had a long neglected 10” bench grinder that was probably made in the late 50’s or early sixties. It used to be used for sharpening HSS metal working tools but they’ve switched to carbide inserts instead. Wood working chisels and plane irons are still sharpened on one of these.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/viceroy-sharpedge/

Wood turning was a relatively new topic and the tools were only sharpened by one guy on a bench grinder using a couple of simple jigs. This was never going to work long term because students need to spend their time turning, not waiting for someone to sharpen the tools or spend time learning to do it themselves - there aren’t any marks for this. About eight years ago they bought one, then two Sorby ProEdge grinders and all the jigs. They’re still using them today and the old grinder was given to the maintenance department. 

At this point it’s perhaps worth mentioning that Robert Sorby have been sharpening their tools on a belt grinder for decades. The speed and ease of this didn’t escape them so the ProEdge was introduced. They still make jigs for bench grinders though for those on a tight budget. Both systems work just fine. I much prefer the flat grind you get with a belt although I don’t own a ProEdge.

Next combatant ... 

[Bryan Milham]

I used the same sharpening system for several years, nothing wrong with it.
If you want a sharpening system, look at the JET jigs, the fit the support bar you have and are not frighteningly expensive

[Twisted Trees]

I no longer sharpen my tools.

Many years ago I started out with a record power white wheel 8" grinder and a bowl of water for cooling or more often knocking off the bench to soak my feet. It worked quite well, I made a plywood stand for it so when on the bench it was a good height for me to see what I was doing, and as long as I concentrated it made a good job of keeping the tools sharp and also shortening them quite quickly if I ever lost concentration and had to rebuild my edge!

Then I got a lump of money, and was seduced into the world of jigs and Tormek removed some of the concentration and gave a very sharp tool with minimal loss of length. Problem with it is it needs setting up and stripping down so if I am out doing flat work and just want to turn a drawer knob but my spindle gouge is blunt I could do it freehand in moments on the record, or set up the Tormek and do it on that with jigs.

Then quite a while later I got seduced again by the Sorby ProEdge always ready, just flick the switch and away you go like the record power, but with the option of jigs and a fast positionable table like the Tormek, and the option at extra money of a diamond belt...

I didn't need it, BUT it was shiny, and at a tool show, and I played with it... So obviously I bought one! now I don't sharpen any tools any more, I simply polish the edge frequently so I don't have any tools that need sharpening as they all always are sharp. I have to say of all the shiny things that have led me astray in life, the ProEdge is one of the most useful ones.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Next combatant indeed!!That would be me then Bill. I am the person that Pete referred to and my stance on sharpening is this. Never try to cut wood ith a blunt tool. Now we all have our favourite methods of sharpening our turning chisels, oddly those that have the most money appear to favour the most expensive methods (recently on facebook someone said he did not sharpen his own tools but sent them away for someone else to do it!)This is a very expensive option but, if you wish you may send your tools to me and I will sharpen them for you but it will cost you a small fortune and depending on how many of you ask me to do it I may not be doing it for much longer ( I may be retired and living in the Bahamas) If you go to my website:-
https://www.thebowlerhattedturner.co.uk/   you will see pictures of my sharpening system.This works for me as primarily it is cheap and simple to use, but the bottom line in sharpening is the repeatability of the angles that you sharpen at. Some woods are harder on the chisels than others and that is not always a species thing, so just because you are turning a softwood does not mean you don't have to sharpen up as ofetn, in fact for softwoods you get better results sharpening more often. Apart from the jigs I have made the only other jigs I use are the Sorby ones, I have found them to be quick and simple to use and so far I have never broken one.Other jigs are available but as I have never used them I cannot pass judgement on them. Keep your tools sharp and spend time at the lathe turning, that is the secret to becoming a good turner.

[BrianH]

While I cannot disagree with anything said on here about sharpening I am aware that a newbie person reading it can so easily be swamped by well meaning info and land up more confused than when he started.

Cutting through to the basics I would say that tools need to be SHARP AND PREDICTABLE in use. In my experience favoured angles, shapes, repeatability and everything else mentioned above will all fall into place in its own sweet time.

Brian

[Twisted Trees]

While I cannot disagree with anything said on here about sharpening I am aware that a newbie person reading it can so easily be swamped by well meaning info and land up more confused than when he started.

Cutting through to the basics I would say that tools need to be SHARP AND PREDICTABLE in use. In my experience favoured angles, shapes, repeatability and everything else mentioned above will all fall into place in its own sweet time.

Brian

I would add to that for anyone new to turning ignore everything you hear about angles, find a brand of tools you like, and copy the shape / angle etc. of the new tool, it was shaped that way for a reason. Yes there are reasons for 43.768° and double bevelling the tool, though a lot of it depends on tool rest height and turner to lathe height proportion, there is plenty of time for experimenting down the line a bit.

Plus once the addiction takes hold, you will have plenty of tools to sharpen in weird and personal ways  .

[Bill21]

On the basis that most new turners want to learn to turn, and not have to learn to sharpen as well at the same time, I advise using jigs. Depending on budget I advise the Sorby ProEdge or the Sorby jigs for use with a bench grinder if asked. Folks have bought both systems and no ones come back to me and complained, quite the contrary. I’m quite happy with the results I get on my BDS250 but if I had the funds I think I’d go for the Axminster Ultimate Edge.

https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-trade-ultimate-edge-variable-speed-sharpening-system-106232

I like the fact that this jig based system is variable speed and reversible. I also like the look of some of the jigs available for it.

[apw99]

Gents , thanks for all of the advice.
I have a 6" grinder currently and I am thinking I might try this with a 6" CBN disc
https://www.toolstation.com/sip-07576-373w-8-x-6-wetdry-bench-grinder/p30131

I can also make a tool rest more or less exactly the same as they are bought as I am trying to keep to a budget.  If the grinder were 8" I would be a lot happier but I am thinking for the budget I have and the skill that I have (I also don't drive a Ferrari...for many reasons!) I think this might get me to some reasonable sharpening.

Any thoughts before I hit the button?
Thanks again!

[Lazurus]

All I ever needed

[apw99]

Lazurus, what size disc are you using DxW ?
Thanks!

[Lazurus]

Grinding wheel  150 x 40 x 15 mm

[apw99]

My grinder will only accept a 150mm x 20mm. Do you think the 20mm is enough to properly sharpen a gouge? That's my only worry with this plan.

[Lazurus]

20mm is fine, white or pink wheels are best.