Hand Sharpening Lathe Tools

[tigercasual]

Hey guys,

Can you give me suggestions on the best way to sharpen lathe tools is you don't have a bench grinder?

Cheers,
TC

[Sasquatch]

Carving slips, probably.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 3072,43071

[Grammaton]

You're going to be spending more time sharpening than turning - by a wide margin. Grinders can be bought cheaper than a decent bowl gouge.
I don't know any productive turners without at least one grinder, some have two.

[KurtHuhn]

You're definitely going to want a grinder. Even a cheap one will be better than nothing.

I was in Woodcraft over the weekend, and saw this:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/208159 ... ystem.aspx

I was drooling the entire time I was playing with it. It's such a high quality unit, and so well constructed, that I estimate it would still be functioning superbly in 50 years when I hand it down to a grandkid. Assuming I had the cash to buy it.

I was so impressed with it, that I've started designing one to build for myself. It's different from my other belt grinders in that it's small, compact, self-contained, and could fit just about anywhere - even in my crowded workshop.

[Sasquatch]

You can get sharpening belts for 1x30 sanding machines too, I forgot about that.

[Sorringowl]

You can get sharpening belts for 1x30 sanding machines too, I forgot about that.

Great point, Sas. If you've got a belt sander (which is what I have--no grinder), and you're careful, it can do a really nice job of sharpening lathe chisels. Just remember to spray some water onto the blade's edge every so often to keep the metal cool.

[KurtHuhn]

And that's precisely what I do. I use a 1x42 grinder, and a 1x30 sander can be used the same way.

Don't go less than 220 grit for sharpening though. I usually start at 320 for really beat up edges, or a worn 600 grit just to freshen an established edge. To re-grind a tool profile or knife edge, you want to go pretty big - 60 or 80 grit will remove material fast enough that you won't really have to worry about overheating the steel.

[SimeonTurner]

Dang, that Sorby setup is spendy, for what you get. For a couple hundred more, you can get a Tormek T-7 which is a commercial grade slow grinding system that will allow you to sharpen anything, with ultra precision. It's spendy, but man, I regret nothing about buying it. My tools are always sharp and always with the best geometry for the job.

I know that's the exact opposite of the OP about sharpening by hand, but, basically, I agree that is a horrible idea. Buy a grinder and a jig or two for sharpening.

[KurtHuhn]

Dang, that Sorby setup is spendy, for what you get. For a couple hundred more, you can get a Tormek T-7 which is a commercial grade slow grinding system that will allow you to sharpen anything, with ultra precision. It's spendy, but man, I regret nothing about buying it. My tools are always sharp and always with the best geometry for the job.

It's expensive, which is why I'm building my own.

That said, you need to see it in person. As a part-time knife maker, I nearly wet myself while looking it over. A Tormek looks like a cheap toy in comparison. The only upgrade to the Sorby tool that I can possibly think of would be an infinitely variable speed motor - then there would be no contest. Guess what I'm making mine with.

[Daniel Y]

Thinking of what most pipe makers would have int here shop. I would suggest you sharpen them on a sanding belt or disk. An that is only when they need it. You can put an edge back on a turning tool with a slip stone or diamond file just fine. but sooner or later, more often sooner. You will have to grind the edge. You can do this with a sander. If you ever wanted to put a whole different profile on it you would be a long time in getting it done. If you intend to do any amount of turning at all I highly recommend you look at investing in a sharpening system for turning tools. expect that to run about $300 or so for one that is worth owning. I recommend two. the Wolverine or the Tormek. I do not recommend knock off version of either. Some are perfectly fine but unless you know what makes those systems worth $300 or more you have no way of looking at a knock off and knowing if you are getting the same quality of equipment. I never trust opinions of what is a good sharpening machine either by the way. I have seen wood turners swear for years that they get just as sharp tools from their bench grinder as someone with there fancy $300 machine. that is until they sharpened something on a $300 machine. Turning tools do not need to be sharp, they need to be scary sharp.