In my opinion--a jig isn't necessary.

You do have to learn how to sharpen a chisel so that it is at the right
bevel, but it's not a difficult skill.

I have a veritas tool rest, which gives me a reliable and repeatable angle
to the wheel, and that's all I need. I made some homemade angle gages for
quick resetting of the angle. If I don't have to change angle, I can have
my tool sharp and be back turning in less than a minute.

On the down side, I did waste some length of tools before I got the angles
right.

YMMV

Old Guy


"George" wrote in message
...

"Olebiker" wrote in message
ups.com...
Once in a while even a blind hog roots up an acorn and so did I last
week. I was in Louisville, Ky and found a really good deal on my first
lathe, a Jet mini-lathe.

I have been reading about how you need a jig to assist in grinding
bevels on the turning tools and have just about decided to buy Penn
State's version of the Wolverine jig. I picked up a Richard Raffan
video at the library and noticed that he only uses a tool rest, not a
jig. Is he able to do that simply because he has been doing it a long
time, or is a jig really not necessary?


He's using the tool as its own jig. It's similar to the technique used on
the lathe itself, where he anchors the tool to the rest, matches the bevel
to the wheel, then maintains even light pressure to grind in the existing
configuration. Think of the way you hone, then substitute a moving
surface for a stationary one. Since the angles involved in cutting on a
wood lathe are freehanded, precise angles are really unnecessary. You
establish a steep angle for entry then sweep through the piece, lowering
the angle to peel.