How do you set your angle for the grinder?

If you are using a bench grinder to sharpen a chisel or plane blade, how do you determine the angle to hold the blade in order to grind the bevel angle that you want (esp. for setting the angles of a jig or holder)?

There are two methods I know:

1. colour the bevel of a chisel of a known angle with a marking pen or marking fluid, set the angle to what you think you want and check by holding the bevel lightly against the wheel and turn the wheel by hand - the scratch pattern will show if you have got the angle right.
2. use the Tormek angle measurer:

http://www.justtools.com.au/images/wm-200.jpg

Has anyone got a good method that falls between the two?

I've got one of those things too...I don't use it as is being shown in the picture anymore.....

I just eyeball it....just looking to match the wheel to the existing grind on the blade......so, I just get my eye in around the side, like your seeing there and set it. Its not that crucial in my opinion to worry about perfect angles....A couple of degrees out here and there doesn't make a difference.

Anyway to get it perfect you have to know what the diameter of the wheel is at. And thats always changing. So you have to frig around measuring that as well. More time wasted.

What I do still use are those notches around the jig. I think thats particulary handy. Can get a feel for what an angle is, but some days its nice to check up against the light. Good enough accuracy for me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by apricotripper

What I do still use are those notches around the jig. I think thats particularly handy. Can get a feel for what an angle is, but some days its nice to check up against the light. Good enough accuracy for me.

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Eyeball does it for mine, usually matching the existing bevel if it's performing OK.

I have a Vicmarc centre finder with the "V"s around it like the Tormek gauge, I reckon (for turning tools anyway) a series of templates like the Woodcut one below, that registers against the bottom of the blade, would be better; would be easier to register against the longer surface & see the resultant angle .
http://www.shop.woodcut-tools.com/sh...ls/TRIG_TN.jpg


Cheers..................Sean

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmk89

If you are using a bench grinder to sharpen a chisel or plane blade, how do you determine the angle to hold the blade in order to grind the bevel angle that you want (esp. for setting the angles of a jig or holder)?

There are two methods I know:

1. colour the bevel of a chisel of a known angle with a marking pen or marking fluid, set the angle to what you think you want and check by holding the bevel lightly against the wheel and turn the wheel by hand - the scratch pattern will show if you have got the angle right.
2. use the Tormek angle measurer:

http://www.justtools.com.au/images/wm-200.jpg

Has anyone got a good method that falls between the two?

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I laminated three pieces of 19mm x 40mm pine together cut one end at 25deg and mounted it on a board which I clamp to the bench in front of my grinder.
Not anything fancy but it works.

Kev

The first grinder platform I got from Carba-tec way back when had templates for various turning tools. One face to lay on the platform and the second off at the right angle to lay on the wheel in order to achieve a given bevel angle.