Thread: Tool Sharpening

Very rarely.

Mostly, I use the tools right off the grinder. Sometimes I will use a diamond honing stick to touch up an edge, but not very often.

Originally Posted by Terry B

Dear All
A question about tool sharpening.
Do you guys hone your gouges or just use them straight off the grinder?
I have been in the habit of honing but this dates from using only carbon steel tools 20 years ago. I read somewhere that few people hone the HSS gouges and as I have only just bought some HSS tools I would like your opinion.

Terry B

the only time i hone is when i need to clean up really cranky grain.
only to take light cuts & the edge wont last too long

Straight off the grinder.

The closest I come to honing is occasionally using a diamond lap to retouch the edge while working, to extend the time between grinds.

Straight off the grinder.

The closest I come to honing is occasionally using a diamond lap to retouch the edge while working, to extend the time between grinds

same here. hughie

as per hughie, and skewy (and dewy and louie....)

From Grinder straight to lathe, then diamond lap 3 or 4 times before heading back to grinder if necessary.

Diammond stone will give a good edge if used regularly and takes a lot less steel off than the grinder.
A diamond stone is always my first option unless I got lazy and let the edge get too ragged, then the grinder is the only option.

But don't bother honing after grinding.

I hone when (a) taking peel cuts with a skew (b) using a scraper with soft or very hard wood or wood with interlocked grain, or (c) want to freshen up the edge of a parting tool.

Don't bother with a hone on a gouge. If you don't want the burr slam the gouge into a bit of softwood after using the grind wheel.

Thank you All

Terry B

When I started 6 years ago I dident have a grinder so I used a dimond lap for 9 months . It worked fine . I still use the lap when im doing the final fine cuts ,it seems to give a better finish.

I grind the initial edge of what ever tool it is and then buff from then on. I don't buff the bevel side because the hollow grind is important for the tools cutting. On tools that have two bevels I mark one side and then only buff the other. Gouges are buffed in the flute, even the roughing gouge. The reason I do this comes from my carving back ground (I had carved and turned for many years before I married the two crafts) and I just thought I'd try it on my turning tools and have found the edge far superior and the time taken is at least half what it takes to regrind. And for the thrifty ones out there your tools will last at least 3 times as long cause you're taking next to nothing off the tool. I probably grind once and then buff about 10 to 15 times in a cycle. Having done pretty well every type of sharpening method with both carving and turning and much prefer the buffing

I agree totally with the other posts - honing is a waste of time for turners.

BUT - as some have noted, it is well worth the time to polish/buff the opposite side of the edge to the bevel: ie, the flute in a gouge and the top flat of a scraper. If you look closely at most tools, even the quality ones, the flutes and flats frequently show tool-marks from the original machining, which means that the edge you are trying to sharpen from the bevel side is "rippled" on the other side. This is the same reason you always flatten and polish the back of a chisel or plane blade before you attempt to sharpen the bevel side.

If you get the back of a cutting edge smooth, then it takes far less time to "touch up" the bevel as required while turning, and this can frequently be done quite quickly with a diamond sharpener. The grinder is best used for restoring the profile of an edge.