Shopsmith Forums

I have been working on a new segmented bowl for the last week or so and just have to share what I have discoverd. I don't know about the rest of you, but I tend to shy away from tools I fear. One of them was my Henry Taylor bowl gouge. I have made do using scrapers and the like, but not anymore!
After reading some posts and watching videos I decided to give it another try. I am amazed at the results! I don't have a jig to sharpen it so I did it by hand. This thing is great, seems I can do just about anything with it. In three days of using it I have had no catches, nothing but good results, even on the inside of the bowl and top. It seems to do what ever I want and when using it I can find the sweet spot and watch the wood coming of like peeling an apple. I can't get over how much I've been missing out on because of fear! I just love this sport of turning. I will post pic's of the project soon, so watch for a thunderbird bowl soon and keep on turning!:)

Sir can't wait to see some pics. I have been turning a little lately to finish a project. I'm wondering how you are sharpening your tools. I just have the stadard SS tools and a second set that may be SS but older and came with a Greenie.

mrhart wrote:Sir can't wait to see some pics. I have been turning a little lately to finish a project. I'm wondering how you are sharpening your tools. I just have the stadard SS tools and a second set that may be SS but older and came with a Greenie.

I mostly loved the Shopsmith Jig for use with the disk sander, and made a clamp-on table to support it. So I could turn and sharpen without a lot of fuss, mounting and dismounting projects to sharpen.
Since upgrading to the PowerPro, I use the Strip Sander and the sharpening jig that goes with it. I really like to be able to slide the headstock left and hook up the strip sander, punch it into reverse and 1350 rpm. Sometimes I have to dismount the project, if I am turning between centers, but often I use the chuck and a live center, so it just hangs out for a while and rarely gets off center.

Maybe we need to move this to the Review section of the forum.

mrhart wrote:I just have the stadard SS tools and a second set that may be SS but older and came with a Greenie.

If when ya are sharpening them and get a shower of sparks. It's carbon steel, be CAREFUL to knot overheat them and lose the temper.

mrhart wrote:Sir can't wait to see some pics. I have been turning a little lately to finish a project. I'm wondering how you are sharpening your tools. I just have the stadard SS tools and a second set that may be SS but older and came with a Greenie.

I shape (rarely and not often) with a grinder attachment for the SS. I sharpen/hone by hand using oil stones or a diamond sharpener. It just takes practice to get the feel down. There are tons of tutorials on line just google sharpen lathe chisels.

Occasionally I use a strip sander (120 grit or finer) to put a keen enough edge on a chisel if I'm using a lot of material that is known to be hard on edges. For example, earlier this year I did 30 pens using a laminated material from Penn State Industries called color grain, I've seen similar material called dymondwood. Essentially it's laminated hardwoods, dyed and stabilized with a hard glue to bond the layers together. It's really hard on lathe chisel edges, I had to sharpen at least twice per pen, and the oil stones just took too long, so I relented and went with the strip sander knowing that the edge would be lost shortly after contact with the material. The next time I use this material I will try a carbide tool instead.

What about the gouge, where the surface is rounded?
I guess pics or a tutorial of "how to sharpen" would be cool if anyone has any.

mrhart wrote:What about the gouge, where the surface is rounded?
I guess pics or a tutorial of "how to sharpen" would be cool if anyone has any.

Try this.

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS104/SS104_Sharpening_Chisles.htm

Google "sharpening gouges" and get 194,000 results
"sharpening gouges with stones" = 135,00 results
Tons of tutorials, just have to find them.
As for sharpening in general, find a system that works for you and stick with it.