Sharpening woodturning tools - equipment you will need

Woodturning tools work hard - ploughing through hard wood at 30 miles per hour or more - so they need sharpening frequently. Cutting time between sharpenings is measured in minutes even with the finest high speed steel tools. A good grinder setup is essential for every woodturner and it is vital to learn the skill of sharpening before you can enjoy the woodturning...

Typical 6 inch bench grinder

(1) First you need a Grinder

A 6" or 8" double ended engineers grinder is fine and will sharpen or re-shape your tools quickly and efficiently.
Page 2- Grinder information, choosing a suitable grinder
You will need to fit the grinder down to a bench or board of some kind. A piece of kitchen worktop is ideal. Then you can fit a jig to replace the small grinding rests which come with the grinder but which are no help in getting the correct bevel angle on your tools.
Adjustable grinding table

(2) Fit a jig for getting the bevel angles consistent


Jigs are essential and even an expert will get better results and longer tool life using one

The jigs page


blue and pink grinding wheels

(3) Upgrade at least one wheel to a Woodturner's grindstone

The grey wheels which come with the grinder are not good enough for your expensive tools. The blue wheels are better than pink which are better than white.

About grinding wheels and choosing the right one

About grinding wheels (technical info)

Blue Microcrystal wheels and prices

matrix multi diamond grindstone dressing tool

(4) Wheel dresser

Every grinding wheel needs dressing periodically and the multiple diamond matrix dresser does the best job with the least effort.
Wheel dresser prices etc
flip up face visor

(5) Don't forget eye protection!

This flip-up helmet protects your face and eyes and is very comfortable to wear.
credit card diamond honeslipstonesbench oilstone

(6) Honing

It is a good idea to hone the tool edge after grinding but many woodturners do not bother and the edge from the cbn or microcrystalline wheels is excellent anyway. However, skew chisels benefit from being razor sharp and the safest way to hone them is on a conventional bench oilstone. Scrapers work particularly well if you bring up a small burr on the edge using a diamond file or hone. It is handy to keep a diamond credit card hone in your pocket for the odd touch up - saves switching on the grinder. Honing products we stock
Woodturners sharpening manual bookletWoodturner's sharpening Manual This book is packed with really useful sharpening information
Bevel angle data, hints on tuning up and sharpening all your tools, commercial and DIY jigs, selecting grinders and grinding wheels plus much more. 60 photographs and diagrams.Only £3.95 post free in UK.