Sharpening

[Jacob]

I was in a club with very experienced first class amateurs, semi pro and pro turners - not one of them ever, ever used an oilstone.

er - so what?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've been turning wood for 60 years and in all that time have never seen a turner use oilstones, the pros certainly don't either if you watch any of the demonstrations but then the person offering that advice is rather unique.

For what exactly is "unique" a euphemism?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

er - so what?

I was merely making a point. Your advice to a learner is contrary to what dozens (probably thousands) of more experienced turners would give. Just because you're happy with it doesn't mean it's the best advice. I could probably get a fingernail grind on a spindle gouge using a concrete coping stone if my life depended on it, but it wouldn't mean it was the best way of doing it, good turners use jigs for a reason.

 

[Jacob]

I was merely making a point.

Don't worry about it Phil, suit yourself how you sharpen.
It's useful to get back to basics however; it's cheaper, sometimes quicker and it gives you a better perspective on the alternatives.
Other low cost options are sand paper disc, or mdf disc plus Autosol or similar, on outboard end. The mdf disc gives almost instant high polish, inside a gouge too if you use the edge rounded off a touch.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, it's useful to get back to basics - that's when you learn there are better ways.

 

[Jacob]

Yes, it's useful to get back to basics - that's when you learn there are better ways.

Exactly. That's what I said. And some of them may still be basic!

 

[Max Power]

I did exactly the same and managed to get a good second hand one though I already had a grinder and a Tormek T7, kept the grinder for metal work and sold the Tormek as I found the Pro-edge far quicker for frequent touch up of lathe chisels.
I've been turning wood for 60 years and in all that time have never seen a turner use oilstones, the pros certainly don't either if you watch any of the demonstrations but then the person offering that advice is rather unique.

Unique is not an adjective I'd use

 

[Jacob]

Unique is not an adjective I'd use

Quite right too. I doubt I'm the only person in the universe who finds it easy to sharpen a gouge or a skew chisel on an oil stone.
Not sure why the idea causes so much anxiety.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Certainly. You'll find someone else.

 

[niall Y]

I would have to admit that I do sharpen my skew chisel using an oilstone though this is very much the exception. If I were using a pole -lathe alongside normal, carbon steel, chisels then I dare say, that all my sharpening would be done this way. But with HSS it is so much more convenient to give it a quick touch on the grinder to bring it back to full sharpness.

 

[Ed Weber]

The only time I've see people using oil stones on turning tools, is to de-burr and hone the edge of a skew.
One reason that many seem to be missing is that there is no reason to sharpen to a razors edge on an oil stone. The amount of wood that passes over the cutting edge, is many thousands of times that of say, what a bench chisel see's. Turning tools are used straight off the grinder, could they be sharper, sure but there's no point. The benefit of hand sharpening or using an oil stone, is simply not realized.
I always tell people sharpen the way that works for them But using oil stones for turning tools is just ill-advised for many reasons.
There are methods and devices that are designed for the task of sharpening the geometry of turning tools, these, unsurprisingly, typically work better.
I say this as someone who is one of those "very experienced first class amateurs, semi pro and pro turners" mentioned.

 

[Jacob]

..... But using oil stones for turning tools is just ill-advised for many reasons.
....

Not "ill advised" - it has been the method for millennia and is described in all the old books, Percy Blandford etc.
It's just an alternative worth investigating, especially if you haven't already lashed out on a lot of kit.
I had a Pro edge for a while but thought it wasn't good value when I discovered how effective are discs on the outboard end of headstock. (see above) so I sold it on.
I'll carry on doing it my way, sorry about that, I hope too many people aren't offended!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You are correct, it has been the method for millennia and is described in all the old books, Percy Blandford etc........................... because they didn't have any better and had only carbon steel tools. Things move on.

 

[Ed Weber]

Not "ill advised" - it has been the method for millennia and is described in all the old books, Percy Blandford etc.
It's just an alternative worth investigating, especially if you haven't already lashed out on a lot of kit.
I had a Pro edge for a while but thought it wasn't good value when I discovered how effective are discs on the outboard end of headstock. (see above) so I sold it on.
I'll carry on doing it my way, sorry about that, I hope too many people aren't offended!

You do what you want, it makes no difference to me.
As woodturner, I use the task specific tools that make my work easier.
A flat oil stone is a great tool to have for many reasons in a woodworking shop but when it comes to turning tools, it's just not the best tool for the job, it wasn't designed for it. IMO, you don't save anything by using the wrong tool.

 

[Jacob]

If I wanted to buy a machine for sharpening I'd look at a stand-alone disc sander - this sort of thing Sealey Bench Mounting Disc Sander | 305mm | 750W/230V though you can get smaller makes. You can buy velcro attached pads, easy to change.
They are good for wide plane blades too, even for flattening a plane sole. And bits of woodwork of course.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Using a disc sander - how is the blade held - radially or tangentially.

Held radially for narrow tools may be a useful alternative sharpening method. For plane blades I would be concerned that the difference in abrasive speed on inner and outer edge would make it difficult to achieve a constant sharpness and alignment along the whole edge.

Held tangentially ensuring that equal pressure is applied across the whole of a wide blade would be difficult - a small slip could could rip the abrasive.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've ground chisels and plane irons on a disc for decades, you just vary the pressure a little from side to side to compensate.

 

[Lons]

Unique is not an adjective I'd use

Me neither but I was in a more mellow mood than usual and the forum software substitutes swear words anyway.

 

[Jacob]

Using a disc sander - how is the blade held - radially or tangentially.

Held radially for narrow tools may be a useful alternative sharpening method. For plane blades I would be concerned that the difference in abrasive speed on inner and outer edge would make it difficult to achieve a constant sharpness and alignment along the whole edge.

Held tangentially ensuring that equal pressure is applied across the whole of a wide blade would be difficult - a small slip could could rip the abrasive.

Like a lot of these things you just do it without thinking too much. A few mistakes at first of course. It ain't rocket science.

 

[Ed Weber]

As I mentioned earlier, CBN grinding wheels are preferred, they don't wear out. I can honestly say, so far, I've outlasted at least 10 friable wheels with no signs of problem to date. They are less of a consumable than any other sharpening method.