I need a little assistance. I've read reviews on the Delta 23-700 on
Amazon, I've read about the Woodcraft horizontal WetStone grinder, I've
slobbered over the Tormek although I don't know why, I've looked at a few
other Delta models, a Jet model, I've read and researched old threads on
Google as to this subject.

Basically I need to sharpen my turning tools. I've been turning for a week
now and needless to say I'm hooked. I'm making plans to create all of my
Christmas gifts on the lathe, but I know I'll be doing a lot of sharpening
as well.

So the question becomes, what do I get? A horizontal wet stone, a bench
grinder, a slow speed grinder, jigs to hold the tools (I think this is a
must). I had a guy at the local woodcraft recommend a 1" belt sander with
fine belts. Really? I talked to him about the various choices but he
wasn't much help. I do know I'll need to get some different wheels of
varying grit.

I do all kinds of woodworking, I'd prefer something I can sharpen my chisels
and jointer knives on as well.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

--

Mike

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 04:41:15 GMT, "Mike Rinken" wrote:

I need a little assistance. I've read reviews on the Delta 23-700 on
Amazon, I've read about the Woodcraft horizontal WetStone grinder, I've
slobbered over the Tormek although I don't know why, I've looked at a few
other Delta models, a Jet model, I've read and researched old threads on
Google as to this subject.

Basically I need to sharpen my turning tools. I've been turning for a week
now and needless to say I'm hooked. I'm making plans to create all of my
Christmas gifts on the lathe, but I know I'll be doing a lot of sharpening
as well.

So the question becomes, what do I get? A horizontal wet stone, a bench
grinder, a slow speed grinder, jigs to hold the tools (I think this is a
must). I had a guy at the local woodcraft recommend a 1" belt sander with
fine belts. Really? I talked to him about the various choices but he
wasn't much help. I do know I'll need to get some different wheels of
varying grit.

I do all kinds of woodworking, I'd prefer something I can sharpen my chisels
and jointer knives on as well.


Your best bet would be a slow speed Woodcraft grinder and the Wolverine jig setup. The grinder comes with the proper stones for
sharpening and the Wolverine jig is the defacto industry standard. Remember, you'll be sharpening your turning tools several times
per hour (in my case, its every 2 minutes or so). If you want an all-in-one sharpening system, the Tormek is the way to go, but
you'll find that shrpening your turning tools on it a slow process (but a superior edge).

Peter Teubel
Milford, MA
http://www.revolutionary-turners.com

I agree with Peter. I have a high speed 8" grinder and a Woodcraft 8" slow
speed plus a Tormek. The Tormek never gets used with the turning tools.
Too much prep and maintenance, plus too slow. In fact, I use the high speed
grinder the most because I haven't ever moved my Wolverine setup over to it.
I have a couple of homemade setups on the slow speed that mimic some of the
Wolverine, but are harder to adjust. So they are fixed for certain grinds.
Very fast to sharpen my tools, just turn around from the lathe, flick the
switch, tool on the wheel, switch off, back to turning. No water container
to clean and keep refilled. Tormek is very nice for an extremely sharp
edge, but that's not the most important thing in woodturning.

--
Rusty Myers
Austin, TX

"Peter Teubel" wrote in message
...
Your best bet would be a slow speed Woodcraft grinder and the Wolverine
jig setup. The grinder comes with the proper stones for
sharpening and the Wolverine jig is the defacto industry standard.
Remember, you'll be sharpening your turning tools several times
per hour (in my case, its every 2 minutes or so). If you want an
all-in-one sharpening system, the Tormek is the way to go, but
you'll find that shrpening your turning tools on it a slow process (but a
superior edge).

Peter Teubel
Milford, MA
http://www.revolutionary-turners.com

And I agree with Rusty. Get a high-speed grinder (I use a 7" Baldor) and the Oneway jig
system. Then have someone show you how to use them -- it will save you a lot of time and
steel. The slow speed grinder may help at first but as you get better at using it it will
become a frustration -- too slow -- and you will not grind when you really should.

Also, for your primary bowl gouges, I like a removable handle which comes off easily. That
allows me to turn with a very heavy tool, remove the handle quickly, and grind with just the
light gouge so that I can get the feel of what I'm doing.

Tormek is a waste of money for turners, I think. The Oneway balancing kit is a really nice-
to-have also.

Another thing, don't buy wheels which are too fine. For most of us, 100 grit is plenty fine.
I use a 36 on one side and an 80 on the other. Buy white wheels as a minimum. There are
some premium blue wheels which are also very nice to have.

Bill


In article , says...
I agree with Peter. I have a high speed 8" grinder and a Woodcraft 8" slow
speed plus a Tormek. The Tormek never gets used with the turning tools.
Too much prep and maintenance, plus too slow. In fact, I use the high speed
grinder the most because I haven't ever moved my Wolverine setup over to it.
I have a couple of homemade setups on the slow speed that mimic some of the
Wolverine, but are harder to adjust. So they are fixed for certain grinds.
Very fast to sharpen my tools, just turn around from the lathe, flick the
switch, tool on the wheel, switch off, back to turning. No water container
to clean and keep refilled. Tormek is very nice for an extremely sharp
edge, but that's not the most important thing in woodturning.

Bill Rubenstein wrote:
And I agree with Rusty. Get a high-speed grinder (I use a 7" Baldor)
and the Oneway jig system. Then have someone show you how to use
them -- it will save you a lot of time and steel. The slow speed
grinder may help at first but as you get better at using it it will
become a frustration -- too slow -- and you will not grind when you
really should.

Also, for your primary bowl gouges, I like a removable handle which
comes off easily. That allows me to turn with a very heavy tool,
remove the handle quickly, and grind with just the light gouge so
that I can get the feel of what I'm doing.

Tormek is a waste of money for turners, I think. The Oneway
balancing kit is a really nice- to-have also.

Another thing, don't buy wheels which are too fine. For most of us,
100 grit is plenty fine. I use a 36 on one side and an 80 on the
other. Buy white wheels as a minimum. There are some premium blue
wheels which are also very nice to have.

Bill



Woodcraft has a dual speed grinder that will do 1720 and 3450 so I can get
the best of both worlds and I like the idea of the Oneway or the Wolverine
system.

thanks again to all.

Mike

Ditto to Bill and Rusty.

I uesed a Delta vertical wet wheel for about a year for all my
sharpening. I then took a class from John Jordan who showed me the
correct way to use a regular 3450 rpm grinder. I bought an 8" JET the
next week and a Wolverine system. I drained the pond on the wet wheel
and shelved it. I never looked back.

The additional benefit for having the fast wheel is that if you ever
go to someone else's shop or do a club demo, you will be ready to
grind in the most "difficult" situation - a fast, dry wheel.

As for grinders, Baldor is the standard, but pricy. Deltas can work,
but I've seen a number of them that vibrate excessively. You may end
up returning them for another or buying a wheel balancing system. For
what it is worth, my JET 8" is heavy-rock solid with no vibration. It
cost about $175. The 8" Baldor approaches $500.

Joe Fleming - San Diego
------------------------------------------------------

Bill Rubenstein wrote in message .net...
And I agree with Rusty. Get a high-speed grinder (I use a 7" Baldor) and the Oneway jig
system. Then have someone show you how to use them -- it will save you a lot of time and
steel. The slow speed grinder may help at first but as you get better at using it it will
become a frustration -- too slow -- and you will not grind when you really should.

Also, for your primary bowl gouges, I like a removable handle which comes off easily. That
allows me to turn with a very heavy tool, remove the handle quickly, and grind with just the
light gouge so that I can get the feel of what I'm doing.

Tormek is a waste of money for turners, I think. The Oneway balancing kit is a really nice-
to-have also.

Another thing, don't buy wheels which are too fine. For most of us, 100 grit is plenty fine.
I use a 36 on one side and an 80 on the other. Buy white wheels as a minimum. There are
some premium blue wheels which are also very nice to have.

Bill


In article , says...
I agree with Peter. I have a high speed 8" grinder and a Woodcraft 8" slow
speed plus a Tormek. The Tormek never gets used with the turning tools.
Too much prep and maintenance, plus too slow. In fact, I use the high speed
grinder the most because I haven't ever moved my Wolverine setup over to it.
I have a couple of homemade setups on the slow speed that mimic some of the
Wolverine, but are harder to adjust. So they are fixed for certain grinds.
Very fast to sharpen my tools, just turn around from the lathe, flick the
switch, tool on the wheel, switch off, back to turning. No water container
to clean and keep refilled. Tormek is very nice for an extremely sharp
edge, but that's not the most important thing in woodturning.

I bought the 7" Baldor from Amazon for $199.00.

Bill

In article , says...
Ditto to Bill and Rusty.

I uesed a Delta vertical wet wheel for about a year for all my
sharpening. I then took a class from John Jordan who showed me the
correct way to use a regular 3450 rpm grinder. I bought an 8" JET the
next week and a Wolverine system. I drained the pond on the wet wheel
and shelved it. I never looked back.

The additional benefit for having the fast wheel is that if you ever
go to someone else's shop or do a club demo, you will be ready to
grind in the most "difficult" situation - a fast, dry wheel.

As for grinders, Baldor is the standard, but pricy. Deltas can work,
but I've seen a number of them that vibrate excessively. You may end
up returning them for another or buying a wheel balancing system. For
what it is worth, my JET 8" is heavy-rock solid with no vibration. It
cost about $175. The 8" Baldor approaches $500.

Joe Fleming - San Diego
------------------------------------------------------

Bill Rubenstein wrote in message .net...
And I agree with Rusty. Get a high-speed grinder (I use a 7" Baldor) and the Oneway jig
system. Then have someone show you how to use them -- it will save you a lot of time and
steel. The slow speed grinder may help at first but as you get better at using it it will
become a frustration -- too slow -- and you will not grind when you really should.

Also, for your primary bowl gouges, I like a removable handle which comes off easily. That
allows me to turn with a very heavy tool, remove the handle quickly, and grind with just the
light gouge so that I can get the feel of what I'm doing.

Tormek is a waste of money for turners, I think. The Oneway balancing kit is a really nice-
to-have also.

Another thing, don't buy wheels which are too fine. For most of us, 100 grit is plenty fine.
I use a 36 on one side and an 80 on the other. Buy white wheels as a minimum. There are
some premium blue wheels which are also very nice to have.

Bill


In article , says...
I agree with Peter. I have a high speed 8" grinder and a Woodcraft 8" slow
speed plus a Tormek. The Tormek never gets used with the turning tools.
Too much prep and maintenance, plus too slow. In fact, I use the high speed
grinder the most because I haven't ever moved my Wolverine setup over to it.
I have a couple of homemade setups on the slow speed that mimic some of the
Wolverine, but are harder to adjust. So they are fixed for certain grinds.
Very fast to sharpen my tools, just turn around from the lathe, flick the
switch, tool on the wheel, switch off, back to turning. No water container

Peter Teubel wrote:
Your best bet would be a slow speed Woodcraft grinder and the
Wolverine jig setup. The grinder comes with the proper stones for
sharpening and the Wolverine jig is the defacto industry standard.
Remember, you'll be sharpening your turning tools several times per
hour (in my case, its every 2 minutes or so). If you want an
all-in-one sharpening system, the Tormek is the way to go, but you'll
find that shrpening your turning tools on it a slow process (but a
superior edge).

Peter Teubel
Milford, MA
http://www.revolutionary-turners.com


That's the direction I was heading. Thanks to all then for the suggestions
and help.

Mike

There's grinding, which reshapes your tool, sharpening, which creates an
edge, and honing, which refines what a lot of turners consider a "good
enough."

Belt sanders can handle all three, with appropriate belts, but are not kind
to carbon steels found in chisels, planes and so forth. High speed grinders
suffer from a bit of the same problem. A coarse wheel and a careless hand
can take a big chunk off of a chisel quickly. Some tradeoff is possible
with the "friable" soft bond grinding wheels, where the wheel disappears
faster than the steel.

So, if you're going to have just one to do everything, I think it's tough to
beat a low-speed setup, which grinds your mower blades with cheap stones,
your plane irons and turning tools with more expensive, but still not
ridiculously soft, and your carving tools with the softest. You can have
both speeds if you get a good mandrel and two pulleys for your motor, but
I'm betting you'll stick with slow. Wet or dry? If you think having water
around in the shop all the time is fine, get one. I don't, but I still hone
my flat edges on the Makita, which does a superb job. Just remember to
drain it before you spill it.

As far as jigs go, they give you a repeatable grind, which, if you like to
tailor your turning style to your tools, is fine. I have a large number of
tools acquired over the years, and they are ground at many angles which
allow me many options in the way I cut. The jig is the bevel, which I
sharpen as if I were turning, laying the tool on the rest, the heel on the
slow stone, and moving the handle until contact is made on the entire bevel,
then following it as if I were taking a cut on the lathe.

I don't normally hone turning tools, but when I do, it's with diamond
slips/stones which can be used dry.

"Mike Rinken" wrote in message
news:LhO3d.473885$%_6.207928@attbi_s01...

Basically I need to sharpen my turning tools. I've been turning for a
week
now and needless to say I'm hooked. I'm making plans to create all of my
Christmas gifts on the lathe, but I know I'll be doing a lot of sharpening
as well.

So the question becomes, what do I get? A horizontal wet stone, a bench
grinder, a slow speed grinder, jigs to hold the tools (I think this is a
must). I had a guy at the local woodcraft recommend a 1" belt sander with
fine belts. Really? I talked to him about the various choices but he
wasn't much help. I do know I'll need to get some different wheels of
varying grit.

I do all kinds of woodworking, I'd prefer something I can sharpen my
chisels
and jointer knives on as well.

Kingspor has a grinder that runs 1720 rpm's with white wheels, one 60 grit
and the other 120. With the Wolverine system that is all you will ever need.


Tim


"Mike Rinken" wrote in message
news:LhO3d.473885$%_6.207928@attbi_s01...
I need a little assistance. I've read reviews on the Delta 23-700 on
Amazon, I've read about the Woodcraft horizontal WetStone grinder, I've
slobbered over the Tormek although I don't know why, I've looked at a few
other Delta models, a Jet model, I've read and researched old threads on
Google as to this subject.

Basically I need to sharpen my turning tools. I've been turning for a
week
now and needless to say I'm hooked. I'm making plans to create all of my
Christmas gifts on the lathe, but I know I'll be doing a lot of sharpening
as well.

So the question becomes, what do I get? A horizontal wet stone, a bench
grinder, a slow speed grinder, jigs to hold the tools (I think this is a
must). I had a guy at the local woodcraft recommend a 1" belt sander with
fine belts. Really? I talked to him about the various choices but he
wasn't much help. I do know I'll need to get some different wheels of
varying grit.

I do all kinds of woodworking, I'd prefer something I can sharpen my
chisels
and jointer knives on as well.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

--

Mike