Sharpening based on wood type

[RichColvin]

Question for the group :  do you change the way you sharpen your turning tools, based on the wood to be turned ?  What about, based on the the wood's grain orientation ?

It seems to me that there are three choices that could be pursued:

1. sharpen on the SB stone only (I reference the SB stone only due to the fact that most of us use high speed steel tools)
    - resharpen by returning to the SB stone

2. sharpen on the SB stone, and then hone on the leather wheel
    - rehone as often as possible

3. sharpen on the SB stone, then finish the edge on a SJ stone
    - resharpen by returning to the SJ stone stone as often as possible


My thoughts are :

• use option 1 when roughing out a log to shape

Then, based on the wood type :

• really dense wood :  after the shape is pretty well defined, use option 3, especially for the final passes
• less dense wood :  after the shape is pretty well defined, use option 1 or 2.  Depending on the wood and grain direction, you'll probably have to use scrapers and sand a bit, so option 1 may be best.
• soft wood :  stay with option 1 :   You're gonna have to sand lots anyway.

I'm interested in your thoughts.

[Ken S]

Excellent topic, Rich, and one which should generate many thoughts. You are at a level where the you want a deeper understanding of turning. I think that is exciting, and hope you will inspire other turners!

I agree that the SB grinding wheel is the wheel of choice for most newer turning tools. However, it is not the only choice. Until 2010, the only choice was the SG grinding wheel, which did a very serviceable, if somewhat slower, job. Even today, T4 users must use the SG as well as many new users on limited budgets. Do not become discouraged; the SG, like a smaller V8 engine, will get you from point A to point B, even if the acceleration rate is not quite as fast.

We should not assume that all turners have abandoned carbon steel tools. Granted, hss will hold an edge much longer. However, many new turners start out with an old set of carbon steel turning tools. As one's skill increases and the budget grows, hss or fancier generally becomes the steel of choice, especially for gouges. In the mainstream, I agree with you about hss tools and the SB.

You correctly point out that none of the three options is an either/or situation. The same tool may be sharpened with any or all of the options even in the same sharpening session.

Before I learned about the Tormek, I was very interested in dovetail routing. One of the clever marketing ideas was showing a photo in a factory with the claim that the jig could produce "forty drawers in an hour". Impressive stuff for a neophyte! The forgotten fact was that most of us would not make forty drawers in our lifetimes, let alone in an hour. The speed and ease of machine cut dovetails is really quite impressive. However, speed is not the whole picture. Who would really prefer to have a drawer with "factory" dovetails, or even well made machine dovetails over well crafted handcut dovetails? Machine cut dovetails are just as strong as handout; the hand cuts have just been hyped to be "quality craftsmanship".

A production turner should certainly be aware of "downtime" spent sharpening. Those of us with "a sharpening hobby" might take more pleasure in using optimally sharp tools. The question here is does careful honing and polishing produce a sharper edge which is noticeable in woodturning? If so, in what conditions?

I think the choice between options two and three would largely depend on whether one had spent the money to purchase an SJ grinding wheel. Switching wheels is quite quick now with the EZYlock. Also, a Tormeker involved deeply enough to purchase an SJ may either already have or lust after a second Tormek. That stated, many a fine edge has been polished on a leather wheel.

I will be interested to read the replies. Useful topic, Rich.

Ken

[Ken S]

This article by Alan Lacer seems to apply  to this topic.

http://woodturninglearn.net/articles/honingturningtools.htm

Ken