I wish the tools would come sharpened!!

[Bobby Smith]

I bought me a set of Hurricane bowl gouges to try to get started back on my first little candy dish. I found out real fast that a roughing gouge is much different than a bowl gouge. Lol So I bought a set of 3 and of course, none of them were sharp. I'm able to get a decent edge on my skews and roughing gouges but these Spindle and Bowl gouges test my abilities. I was able to get them sharper than what they were but I just can't seem to get the fingernail cove to look perfectly oval. I'm trying, I just hope I don't run them to nothing learning. Lol I just bought me a new 6" variable grinder so that helps. I know, why not an 8"? Because I just spent $55 dollars on a Norton 3x 80 grit wheel and didn't want to have to buy another one. I plan on getting a OneWay system also. Anyway, done ranting. Lol

 

[hockenbery]

Sharp tools are essential.
They need sharpening often.
On a small bowl I will sharpen at least 4 times

The most important thing in sharpening gouges is for the cutting edge to have a contnuous convex curve from wing to wing. Flats are fine on the cutting edge. dips in the wing or the nose will make the gouge unusable , not cut well , and greatly increase catches.

A jig such as the varigrind shortens the learning curve sharpening gouges.

 

[john lucas]

Here is my video on sharpening problems. It should help. Look at my other sharpening videos and it will help you a lot.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9G16ylEZHQ&t=15s

 

[Mike Johnson]

A sharpening jig will provide a precise angle each time speeding the sharpening process and saving the tool from mistakes taking more time and more metal to grind the edge you are looking for. A sharpening jig takes all of the guess work out of the process.

 

[Bobby Smith]

Yea Mike, I plan on getting a OneWay system it will have to wait til after Christmas. Lol
John, thanks for the video. By looking at your video, I think one of my problems is gring too hard. I'll try less pressure and let the wheel do its job. Thanks!

 

[John Torchick]

Went to a demo that John did on sharpening. Worth the drive and dinner! I have the Wolverine system and Vari-Grind. I keep it about two steps from the lathe so sharpening is not big deal. Sharp tools save things like @#$% and *&^% and @#*&^%!

 

[Bill Boehme]

Most tools don't come sharpened. One reason is that the grind on the tool may not be what you want. Another reason, as Al mentioned, is that you will need to sharpen tools frequently while turning.

Here is a link to an AAW video on sharpening that you might find helpful:

View: https://vimeo.com/111139564

 

[Dean Center]

If it's not too late, you might want to get a 120 grit wheel rather than the very coarse 80 grit. For reshaping, the 120 will be slower, but it's more appropriate for maintenance sharpening and it will slow the loss of steel as you learn.

 

[Bobby Smith]

If it's not too late, you might want to get a 120 grit wheel rather than the very coarse 80 grit. For reshaping, the 120 will be slower, but it's more appropriate for maintenance sharpening and it will slow the loss of steel as you learn.

Yea I was waiting to see what grinder I was gonna get. I was looking at an 8" but got a new 6" variable on sale and couldn't pass it up. I'm probably gonna put a 120 grit on the other side. Thanks Dean!

 

[Mark Wollschlager]

A six inch wheel will give you a slightly more hollow grind, sometimes good, sometimes not.
Keep an eye out for sales on 8 inch grinders, often the wheels that come with ( as long as they are not the blue coarse wheels best used for sharpening lawnmower blades and shovels ) the 8 inch grinders from rockler or woodcraft will be just fine for the first couple of years.

 

[Rob Fridenberg]

Rockler has the Rikon 1/2 hp grinder on sale for $100 - regular $150. I just picked one up! It has 60/120 grit wheels.

 

[Bobby Smith]

Rockler has the Rikon 1/2 hp grinder on sale for $100 - regular $150. I just picked one up! It has 60/120 grit wheels.

I'm just gonna have to wait for another day for a grinder. I just bought a 6" Delta variable grinder for $80. The only reason I decided on this was I just paid about $55 for a Norton 3x 80grit wheel. I just hate eating that cost in just a month. Lol I will upgrade one day, but for now I'll learn on the 6". I was planning on getting a 120 grit for it but think I'm gonna go with another Norton AO 150 grit for my fine tuning. Thanks Rob!

 

[Bill Boehme]

Leave the grinder on the lowest speed. Also, balance the wheels to get rid of vibration. This involves precision steel bushings, precision flat washers, and a diamond dressing tool.

 

[hockenbery]

I have a really cheap Delta 6” grinder to haul around because it was small and light.
It produces a useable edge on bowl gouges and scrapers.

As Mark said you get a deeper hollow grind with a smaller wheel.
A bigger wheel produces less hollow grind. One of the advantages of the Tormaks larger diameter wheel.
For most turning the hollow grind makes the tool want to cut a little deeper than a flat grind.
The brain corrects this without us thinking about it. Mostly few people consciously feel the difference between the hollow grinds made by 6”, 7”, or 8” wheels. May be a bit more difficult to make a very very light cut with the deeper hollow grind.

For detail spindle turning I like a flat or slightly convex bevel so I sharpen my spindle gouges by hand using an 8 inch wheel. Honing will also reduce any effect by the hollow grind by making a a flat micro bevel.
Some people find it really hard to turn a bead with a hollow ground tool - I am one of them.
If you have a lot of problems turning beads try honing the edge to eliminate the hollow ground effect.
The hollow grind makes honing easy since the hone rests on the high ends of the hollow keeping the hone from rounding the cutting edge.

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

Can’t he do micro bevel and get around the hollow ground?

 

[Bobby Smith]

Leave the grinder on the lowest speed. Also, balance the wheels to get rid of vibration. This involves precision steel bushings, precision flat washers, and a diamond dressing tool.

Yea I have it on the lowest speed, 2000rpms. Its a lot more balanced than my old 6" B&D that I just retired. Lol I've already sharpened with it and it seems to work ok to me. I have a diamond dressing tool for it also.

 

[john lucas]

I used a 6" grinder for many years. Not enough difference to worry about. Same is true with 80 vs 120 grit. I used a 60 grit wheel for quite a while. It's more about how you use the tool and that it is sharp. Now as you progress in your turning skills a larger finger grit wheel.is really nice. We all.often get carried away and argue over the small.details but if you have a sharp tool and use it correctly you will get good results. I

 

[John Torchick]

Sharp tools are a necessity. I was turning a pen blank and wasn't getting the results I thought I should get. I sharpened the roughing gouge and it was amazing how good it cut!

 

[odie]

a larger finger grit wheel

A couple weeks ago, I accidentally touched my spinning 80SG wheel.......that instantly transformed it into a "knuckle grit"....!

I learned you can make an quick band-aid out of a piece of folded paper towel, and some tape.

-----odie-----

 

[Bobby Smith]

A couple weeks ago, I accidentally touched my spinning 80SG wheel.......that instantly transformed it into a "knuckle grit"....!

I learned you can make an quick band-aid out of a piece of folded paper towel, and some tape.

-----odie-----

Heck Odie, I didn't even think of the paper towel, just blue painters tape. Lol

 

[John Torchick]

Blue painter's tape is also great for covering tool ends until you use them. A friend sharpened my tools as a Christmas present and had blue tape on them. Masking tape is good as well as black electrician's tape. Paper towels are good for applying CA and for covering those times when you say, "%^&# and *&@#."

 

[Mike Johnson]

They make medical grade CA glue for surgeons to use on the human body when they need to make repairs and stop bleeding. I have used the hobby grade CA glue to close up small cuts and tears when things go wrong from time to time. I also use CA glue to remove wood and metal splinters that are difficult to grab.

 

[Dean Center]

If you're going to use CA to close wounds, be sure not to put the CA IN the wound. You need to bring the wound together and put the CA on the surface. CA in a wound causes inflammation and slows the healing.

Using CA to stop bleeding is a whole nuther animal and not recommended for DIYers. Hemostatic agents that can stop bleeding are available for purchase and can be poured or sprinkled into a wound or slapped on, but most are very expensive. Almost always, folks in our situations will do best to put a wad of cloth or paper towel on a wound, elevate it if possible, and apply pressure until the injured person can get to professional help.

 

[john lucas]

Gosh as a former rock climber I can't tell you how many times I've closed a wound with CA so I could keep on climbing. Never even knew about the advice above but it always worked.

 

[Dean Center]

Gosh as a former rock climber I can't tell you how many times I've closed a wound with CA so I could keep on climbing. Never even knew about the advice above but it always worked.

Not sayin it won't work, just that it's not optimal. You probably got lots of cracks in the skin of your fingers, which can be very painful, and you were out in the wild not wanting to leave the fun. CA eliminates the pain immediately. Sometimes it's worth a little slower healing to get the pain control. For bleeding control of the scrapes and tears you'd get rock climbing, you could use a wad of gauze and duct tape.

For the kind of slicing cuts we turners are likely to get within easy walking distance of our first aid kit, I would recommend folks make an effort to put the CA on the outside skin and not into the wound. (Though you really need 3 hands to do it)