How do you sharpen turning tools?

[shedhead]

After long fights at the grinding wheel, both with the Sorby set up and now the Oneway system, i have raised the white flag. I will have to give in and spend the cash for a Tormek.
Yesterday my bowl gouge finished up looking like a giant dart....with on point. My problem is with the above mentioned jigs is not the movement of the tool. It's the finding the correct angle. I seem to have a problem with hand, eye, co-ordination.
Look out Ebay here comes sharpening jigs.

 

[CHJ]

After long fights at the grinding wheel, both with the Sorby set up and now the Oneway system, i have raised the white flag. I will have to give in and spend the cash for a Tormek.
Yesterday my bowl gouge finished up looking like a giant dart....with on point. My problem is with the above mentioned jigs is not the movement of the tool. It's the finding the correct angle. I seem to have a problem with hand, eye, co-ordination.
Look out Ebay here comes sharpening jigs.

Well I wish you luck with your new toy, but i have serious doubts about the outcome.
A Tormek system and its jigs are only a variation on a common theme applied across many others, in fact the Sorby and Tormek gouge jigs are brothers in form.

The only difference with the Tormek system is that it will take you hours to remove the same amount of metal that you can move in minutes if not seconds on a dry system, you will still end up with the incorrect form if you do not appreciate the need for controlled dwell time on any given area of the profile.

It sounds like the problems you are experiencing are down to your lack of appreciation of the fundamentals of grinding geometry, a few minutes spent with someone practiced at sharpening should see you using your existing jigs successfully, do you not have a forum member or club near at hand that can help?

 

[TEP]

Hi dermot.

Sorry to hear your not getting on well using the jigs you have.

I would have second (& third) thoughts about buying a Tormek if it is only because you can't get on with the jigs you have.

Even using the Tormek you could easily end up with a pointed gouge. I can state now (100%) it is not the jigs it is your technique. No jig that is made will give you the correct profile without some operator input. ie - Knowing what profile you are shaping, and where to remove the metal, and it is operator error that is causing your problem.

The two prime examples of operator error is a pointed gouge, or a point on each side of the nose.

As with all things it would be easier to see what you are doing to get the shape you are. But I reckon you are being a bit too heavy handed, and removing too much metal from the sides. I presume you are trying to get a long grind profile. In which case you should slowly shape the side wings with the gouge at about 75 - 80deg or so across the edge of the wheel. The closer you get to 90deg the longer the wing. These are the hardest bits to get right as you have so much metal to remove initially.

Once you have the wings shaped to your satisfaction you can then move onto blending the nose in with the wings, you do this very - very gently. It is too easy to remove too much steel.

If you have done this correctly you should have a rough edge all round the wings and nose, now you slowly and gently sweep the profile from wing edge to wing edge in one sweep until you have a consistent bevel.

Believe me it is quite easy once you have seen it done, or had a bit of practice.

One aid you could try is one of these profiles. You buy the one which has the profile you want, put it into your jig and move the end on a stationary wheel and watch that the ground edge moves on the wheel surface correctly. Replace the profile with your gouge at the same settings and shape slowly while comparing your grind with the bought one

Good luck which ever way you go.

 

[Paul.J]

Dermot.
I would go along with what Chas and Tam say.
I have only recently started on a dry stone with a long grind and did have the same problem what you are having now,until Chas pointed me in the right direction,and after lots of wasted steel.
It might be worth just buying a cheap soft steel gouge to practice on until you find the angle you like.
Once you do this it just takes seconds now to sharpen
I use the Sorby jig now on a dry stone where as before i used a wet stone which ground a groove in the middle which i was always dressing flat,loosing a lot of stone.
You will have to keep on with "Percy" and it will eventually come good.