Vari-Grind Upgrade

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I have been using the $15 upgrade for my Var-Grind attachment to the Wolverine sharpening system and think it is well worth the money. It replaces the spring and plastic knob with a vinyl covered steel button and a large brass knob. I have been using the spring clamp for about 15 years and sometimes the gouge would slip because of the metal to metal contact. This grabs easily with very little pressure. Since I use the swept back gouge almost excusively, this has been a great help. ( I haven't used the standard bowl gouge since 1995 when David Ellsworth showed me how to use and sharpen what was then called the Irish Grind. I still had trouble getting the edge I wanted until I bought the Wolverine system with the Vari-grind attachment.).

Pemit me to reminisce a moment. I first met the people from One-Way in 1993 at our symposium in Purchase, NY. If memory serves it was a father and son. I bought a chuck from them and have been buying their products ever since. ( A disclaimer is in order, I have no financial relationship with One-Way of any kind other than being a customer of theirs.) I also think that's where I first met David Ellsworth. I was so impressed I spent a weekend with him in 1995. It was the best investment of time I could have made in learning to turn.

 

[Odie]

I've been using my Wolverine system for nearly 20yrs now......originally on a 6" grinder, and now on my Delta premium slow speed grinder.

I feel the same as Paul does about the Wolverine upgrade. It's been a year or two since I changed over from the spring steel holder, and I'm thoroughly pleased with how much more user-friendly it is.......only finger pressure required to lock your tool into place. My kit is slightly different, in that instead of a brass knob and vinyl covered steel knob, it has a plastic knob and flat bearing. I would imagine the differences are not an issue between the two.

As shown in the photo, I have reduced the diameter of the plastic knob to a much smaller size. Since only finger pressure is needed, I found that the large diameter of the original knob was not needed. There were times when that large of knob did get in the way......so, the smaller diameter knob is a plus for my way of grinding.

Oneway is a great outfit, and I've been impressed with some of the other products as well.

Their tool rests are very heavy duty, and I have three of their Stronghold chucks, with mega jumbo jaws, and all of the optional jaws available. The Oneway faceplates are also top notch.....have a couple of those, too! Oh, almost forgot.....the bowl steady is a great little invention, too!......it does what it's advertised to do, dampen vibration!

ooc

edit: I suppose I should also add that I have nothing to do with the Oneway organization.......just a very satisfied customer!

 

[Jerry Hall]

Just for the record....

I think credit is due Sharp Fast for coming up with this innovation. I first saw this in 2008 at the Utah Woodturning Symposium at the Sharp Fast booth, long before Oneway came up with their version. I like the the "Lock Fast" version better without the Teflon covering on the Oneway version, which I believe in time may tear up. See:
http://sharpfast.net/Lock Fast Vari Grind Upgrade Kit.htm

At $11 from Hartville Tool it is a great value, less than the Oneway.
See: http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/12967
Item #63329 and many clubs get a discount from them.

Just some comments in the interest of fairness.

 

[Odie]

Thanks, Jerry......

Apparently, it is the Lock Fast kit (produced by Sharp Fast) that I have installed on my Wolverine. I consider this to be a great upgrade to the Wolverine.

ooc

 

[john lucas]

Who came out with the first bowl gouge sharpening jig. The first one I saw was a 3 foot long wooden jig that I think was Jerry Glaser's idea but I'm not sure. That was around 1988 or 1990. It was the same year I got involved with the AAW and the Tennessee association. It wasn't too long after that I saw an Ellsworth jig and then then built a wooden version for my self. Then I built wooden copies of the Oneway system. I have since upgraded to the real thing.
A good example of why I use sharpening jigs is the photo below. I have been using a 1/2" Thompson bowl gouge for at least 2 years now. I sharpen a lot. This is my favorite tool and it gets sharpened very frequently. Bear in mind that I'm not a full time turner and will often go 3 or 4 days without turning but I still manage to turn a lot of stuff and this gouge is usually involved.
I bought a new one that I wanted to sharpen in a Michelson grind to see how I like the radius grind. Many months ago Doug Thompson had asked if anyone new how much metal was removed each time you sharpen. I didn't have any way to measure but I thought what if I put the end of the flutes of these 2 tools together. One has been sharpened about 3 times since the initial grind and the other 100's if not a thousand or more times. I use the Oneway Wolverine jig for the shorter gouge exclusively. As you can see there is only a little more than 1cm of wear. That's amazing to me, I thought it would be a lot more. Doug may be grinding the flutes differently I don't know about that. The butt end of the tools look the same so I suspect the flutes are the same length. I use a 100 grit white wheel and grind at 1725. Very seldom do I sharpen this tool with the diamond hones so that isn't really a factor.