Shopsmith Forums

I am new to lathe work on the Shopsmith. What is the "best" way to keep lathe chisels sharp (guides, sanders, stones, grinders, etc) in the Shopsmith system?

We each have our own opinions here also. For me I use the wolverine system on an 8in grinder with is was a slow one can't afford that for now so I have a glass of water next to the grinder. I then go to my SS sharpening jig and 150 grit paper to finish the shapening. May not be the best solution but it works for me and it was affordable at the time.

Jeff,

No doubt you will get a number of differing opinions. In short the answer is whatever system will work for you. It is critical that you do use sharp tools. Nearly all purchased turning tools come with a rough ground edge that is not suitable for use, even the high priced premium tools. Many people use them this way, have poor results and quit turning out of frustration. I have two plus full sets of Shopsmith lathe chisels that had the original factory edge when I acquired them. Here are three systems that I have some experience with.

Most turners seem to prefer the Wolverine. It is quick, consistent, and can be set up near the lathe for touch up sharpening. Detractors don’t like the hollow grind, the quality of the edge and the amount of material removed. I don’t have this system but have seen it in use.

I do have a Tormek and would not recommend this tool for lathe chisels. It is great for getting carving tools scary sharp but is too cumbersome and time consuming for lathe chisels. At least that is my opinion.

I have the Shopsmith strip sander with sharpening attachment and like it. You get a flat bevel and can easily switch belts to finer and finer grits until your edge is as sharp as desired. Disadvantages, the system is more expensive than the Wolverine, especially if you have no other use for the strip sander (unlikely) and if you have only one Shopsmith using the Strip sander can interfere with your turning. Having multiple tools is a help and I generally sharpen everything before I start a project and haven’t had much trouble with this. I do also have a Jet midi lathe and can set up my Shopsmith as a sharpening station.

Just how important are:
Flat vs. hollow grind. I’m not sure, some serious turners I have talked to seem to think this vital others not so. I have turned with both and don’t see a significant difference. I guess I’m not expert enough.

Sharpness. You don’t need scary sharp tools, this sort of edge won’t hold up anyway. Your tools do need to be sharp though, especially the tools that slice the wood. You will have much better results and smoother surface finish. Here I think the strip sander beats the Wolverine. The strip sander will allow you to easily change the abrasive grit without altering the geometry, something not possible with the Wolverine. My dad and I took a turning class where the instructor used the Wolverine, he had to touch up our tools much more frequently and achieved edges that are inferior to those I get on my strip sander.

Material removed. From my experience I would estimate the Wolverine removes five to ten times more material than the strip sander on an edge touch up. Perhaps not too critical for the casual turner.

To see them in action:
Wolverine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wWUFYMAMBA&feature=PlayList&p=F4D9C5CAE3AC6BD7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=15

Strip Sander
http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS110/SS110_Strip_Sander_Sharpening.htm

Jeff,
Like the clockman, I too am a devotee of strip sander. May not be best for you, but sure works for me. Had purchased the disc sander/sharpner system from Shopsmith and hadn't removed it from the box when I bought a strip sander and sharpner attachment from Bill Mayo. Love it. Thanks Bill. Still undecided what to do with that nice new disc sander/sharpner.
In the other world of turners that use something other than S.S., expect the Wolverine may be the most common. And it is probably just fine. However, I have no experience with it. Expect had I started there, would still be using it. roger

beeg wrote:As far as the Wolverine system removing to much metal. Wood knot that be dependent upon the user?

mostly, yes, and I think that is a big part of the recommendation to use whatever system works for you.

when I took the turning tool sharpening class at Woodcraft, Jack Palance used the Wolverine system, but - he had 2 essential sets of jigs that he used with it for doing the fingernail grind. one set was to set the distance from the base pocket to the wheel for a particular angle and the other was a hole drilled into a block used to set the depth that the chisel sticks out of the chisel holder. using these in pairs really reduced the amount of metal lost in touch-ups. his other essential tools were a sharpie and a magnifying headset (the thing that flips down a pair of magnifying lenses in front of your eyes without having to use your hands). sharpie was used to blacken the end of the chisel every time the angle for the support might have been changed since the last time that particular chisel was sharpened.

if you do the rough sharpen on the grinding wheel and then the touch-up on the strip sander, you have 2 (at least) choices on the strip sander: to take the end back to a flat grind or to put a micro-bevel on the edge. the first of those 2 choices uses up a lot of metal.

except for the initial grinding of the tip angle, the grinding wheel is likely to be a coarser grit than the strip sander so there is probably an expectation that a coarser grit will always take off more metal whenever you touch a tool to it. if someone is truly expert with the grinder, that may not be true, but I am no expert.

just IMHO,
Ivan

I have a SS 6" belt sander, both the flat and concave sanding disks, and an electric wet stone sharpener 60000 made by Wen Products for Shopsmith some time ago (for sharpening planer and jointer knives I believe).

I did watch the educational video on sharpening chisels in session #10. Getting a sharpening attachment to use with the strip sander made sense although I wanted to hear about other options. Thanks to all those who took the time to reply.

jmilligan wrote:I have a SS 6" belt sander, both the flat and concave sanding disks, and an electric wet stone sharpener 60000 made by Wen Products for Shopsmith some time ago (for sharpening planer and jointer knives I believe).

even if you do not use it for sharpening, I can really recommend the strip sander. my 1st SS came with the strip and belt sanders. I loved the strip sander for finish sanding the small mounting blocks for my first project. my only sanding strip for it failed when I was down to the last couple of blocks. I was able to finish those last few on the belt sander but the 6" belt has more flutter and a larger gap between the rest and the belt. using the 6" belt felt like I was getting away with pushing its design. using the strip sander had felt like I was using the right tool at the right time. sorry if I am not expressing that well.

I am not disparaging the SS 6" belt sander. over the years, I have used a bunch of floor-standing belt and disk sanders. the SS is every bit as good as any of them that I have used. the SS strip sander is the only one of that type that I have ever used and it is an absolute joy.

one note, though: do NOT carry the strip sander by the table. the table trunnion is not designed for it. I discovered that the hard way when I was carrying the one that came with my most recent 510. in fairness, I did not feel it snap so it might have been done when it was being loaded into the car or before I ever saw it.

Ivan

beeg wrote:As far as the Wolverine system removing to much metal. Wood knot that be dependent upon the user?

To a degree, a fine wheel and practice would help to minimize this but by nature a grinder is going to remove material faster. Realistically, for a casual user that may mean a chisel lasts 10 years instead of 50.

Every system/method has advantages and disadvantages. My point was to discuss these differences based on my experience so Jeff could make an educated choice based on his needs.

The important thing is to find a system that will allow you to reliably sharpen tools that is easy enough that you will actually use it.

Troy
aka the clockguy