Lathe Tool Sharpening

[EricW]

I think I posted this before, but I recently got a worksharp 3000. My wife got it for me for Christmas. It works really well. It works like you wouldn't believe on your basic chisels all flat the kind you sqaure off a hole with.... Unfortunately we don't use those for turning. I use a skew, and a couple of gouges 99% of the time for all of my turning. This does a great job on them.
Sharpening is one of those things like epoxy that it seems you can never try all the methods or get it perfect.
I have used stones, my belt sander, a sanding pad on a drill press and on a drill, plain sandpaper mounted to glass, diamond stones, dremel attachments, and finally the worksharp. It is the best by far. The second picture below is of a lure I turned after sharpening my skew and it doesn't need any sanding. I had been planning on building one of those setups of my own after seeing the worksharp, but it is easier just to spend the $$ and get it and save your time for building plugs.

All of the other methods I mentioned work well to, but the worksharp makes it really easy. You can find videos on you tube on it and also of all sorts of other sharpening methods. Look up "scary sharp"

I use grits of 150, 200 and 400 and get really sharp edges.
You don't want to go razor sharp on a skew for example, once you start turning it will dull up.

I just match the angle of the tool on the abrasive and just keep it as best you can. That is where the worksharp really works well. Skews are a little harder than flat angle chisels, but you get the hang of it. The sandpaper method on glass works great for skews and gouges. I did ok on the belt sander but it moves to fast and you have to be careful not to burn the tool. They sell jigs you can get that will keep the angle you need. Woodcraft has them or you can fabricate one yourself.

I've seen those white wheels with water work very well too, but I never tried one.


Good luck.

[Slipknot]

that looks real good Eric, thanks

[numbskull]

Lets see, I've got a grinder $100
a Tormek machine (for carving tools and barely used) $400
3 large Arkansas stones $180
A large diamond stone $90
2 unused water stones $90
An bunch of small slip stones $50
Various jigs $100
A granite lapping stone and sandpaper $75

And a cellar full of dull tools
Go figure

[JFigliuolo]

I use a disc sander mounted to my lathe. I flat gring my gouges and to my untrained hands they work great. Plus sandpaper is cheap and tends to not blue your tools. I posted some pics on the "other" site.

I'm a hack and I get my tools plenty sharp.

[eastendlu]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Lets see, I've got a grinder $100
a Tormek machine (for carving tools and barely used) $400
3 large Arkansas stones $180
A large diamond stone $90
2 unused water stones $90
An bunch of small slip stones $50
Various jigs $100
A granite lapping stone and sandpaper $75

And a cellar full of dull tools
Go figure

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Lets see, I've got a grinder $100
a Tormek machine (for carving tools and barely used) $400
3 large Arkansas stones $180
A large diamond stone $90
2 unused water stones $90
An bunch of small slip stones $50
Various jigs $100
A granite lapping stone and sandpaper $75

And a cellar full of dull tools
Go figure

he does i've seen them, more grinders and stones than we have at work