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Messages - Twisted Trees

#16
You need to take a bit more off the nose of this one. it helps to sharpen in 3 parts i.e. each wing, then the tip with a final blend of a full sweep pass at the end.
#17
Simple fact is you need to see over the top of your hands and you need your back straight, on top of that you need to adjust for standing or sitting. = everyone is going to want a different height. I would guess the estimated average heights in the PDF is a typo, but could be 2 different people one works wheel away, one wheel towards, one stool other standing bottom line is the correct height of the machine is the one where you are comfortable in arms and back for prolonged periods of time.
#18
Quite simply do not test the pointy end with your fingers! there are many ways, my preference is letters from the tax man, if I don't have any of those then a piece of straight grained wood will do. or a piece of fruit for kitchen knives. Please be aware that the point of sharpening is to make things more able to cut so keep fingers off those bits!

In truth you are better off with small cuts from a slow wet stone than accidental contact with a high speed grinder, so stick with the Tormek, and don't test the sharpness with your fingers.
#19
I am just on the verge of beginning to think that Ken likes the SVD-186  ;D

To be honest you struggle to get a full blown Ellsworth grind using jigs on my T7 so I suspect it is not viable on a smaller unit. I have also been using the 40 40 grind which is also best done freehand (well semi free, use the table).

What I did was use the jigs to get the initial 3 facets close to where I wanted them, then switch to freehand for the finish. as I never sharpen, only polish my tools (i.e. I never let them get blunt) maintaining the edge freehand with a bit of marker pen ink when needed becomes easy. I only use Ellsworth on one gouge it's the big one for cutting 2" shavings off big bowls, so not overused. and I have a couple of 40/40 gouges so it is not a major task to keep them as intended without a jig every 6th or 8th "polish" I recheck my angles and may do a little sharpening if I have let them slip but never to the extent of reshaping them.

I think Ken may recommend the SVD-186 though!  ;)
#20
General Tormek Questions / Re: Positve Thinkings
December 24, 2019, 04:12:08 PM
Sharp thoughts of a happy Christmas to you all, hope most of you like me, are able to catch up with family and enjoy yourselves. But it isn't Christmas until tomorrow, and there is no excuse for a less than perfect carving knife  :)
#21
Wood Turning / Re: Sharpening Turning Tools
November 17, 2019, 06:07:30 PM
I use my stone grader diagonally on the wheel, and rotate it frequently which avoids it getting dished. it is being run against a grind stone, only takes a fraction of extra weight on one end or the other to start dishing it on the edge of the stone. By keeping the grader  diagonal and rotating it this helps keep the grader flat.

For the other part put a straight edge behind the Tormek about 3mm gap to the wheel, shine a light down and watch you should be able to see if the rotation is true.
#22
Wood Turning / Re: Sharpening Turning Tools
November 16, 2019, 12:03:14 AM
Could be a miss-ground skew, but it looks like a wide parting tool,  45° instead of the more usual 25°, if it is surplus to requirements then Mike's suggestion is excellent, I have one it comes in very handy.  Though I would take the bevels to 30° or less before skewing it for the dovetail, much easier to maintain.
#23
Wood Turning / Re: Sharpening Turning Tools
November 14, 2019, 03:44:43 AM
There are many 'custom' grinds doing the rounds, some are a great improvement on the ones we have been using Elsworth, Fingernail, negative rake, all are fairly new and have made improvements, though talk to some of the old style turners and they will not be using these new fangled weird profiles!

By virtue of the fact every pro turner is hand grinding to speed up / improve the flow on the jobs they are turning out and will every now and then come up with a profile that gets shared around or incorporated into a production tool, the jig makers will always be chasing the latest fashion profiles.

When my tools are worn down to the nub, I get adventurous and hand sharpen them to some very strange angles, or replicate the latest fashion profiles, then IF I like the way they cut I see if I can get close to a recipe using the jigs I have. Some are part jig part freehand, others we want the jig makers official or otherwise to get cracking and invent something for us.
#24
Wood Turning / Re: Sharpening Turning Tools
November 11, 2019, 10:54:11 PM
There have been a couple of accidents in the UK where a catch led to the flat tang "springing" leading to bigger catch and bad outcomes. So the rule here for public demo or teaching is they should only be used for safe down the line roughing. Not saying that is exactly how they are used in my workshop. But in public I obey the rules...

I think as long as it's a good brand and you are sensible with it there us little to no risk. Some of the cheap tools I have seen though I fully understand the risk, no ferals, poor quality wood handles, and connections of 1/2 or so between wood and metal. Any flexing can go from annoying to dangerous very quickly.

So my advice to a new turner is don't use them except flat for turning stock to round (I.e. dont roll beads), my advice to an experienced turner is shit has happened, probably on cheap tools but be sure of what you have and make your own handles!

Actually my advice to new turners is make your own handles too, nothing more satisfying to make than something you hold daily.
#25
Wood Turning / Re: Sharpening Turning Tools
November 11, 2019, 06:14:38 PM
Quote from: Rick_B on November 11, 2019, 02:58:46 PM
TT - I'm curious whixh is the low quality steel - I think I know but not sure.


It really is hard to tell from pictures, you will know because 5 minutes use after sharpening it will give poor cuts!  but I think the first and last ones are the poor steel ones, often made from a flat that is pressed into the curved shape of a gouge, rather than milled, and often from steel that just won't hold an edge for long. I bought some when learning to sharpen it was much more fun grinding away cheap metal and learning on those, they cut fine for a few minutes, but just don't hold for long.

Key difference between a spindle gouge and a spindle roughing gouge is the tang, if the section going into the handle is not round it is a spindle roughing gouge. and as such must never be used on the face of a piece of wood or inside a bowl / hollow form only ever use on external spindle work (for roughing down square stock to round)

A spindle gouge or bowl gouge is milled out of round bar so it has an un-milled round section going into the handle.

Standard grind is literally set the angle (usually 45°) and roll the bevel exactly as you would the roughing gouge, except you roll a couple of degrees extra which just knocks off the top corners. exaggerate that and you have the fingernail profile which really requires a jig to keep consistent though some do it freehand (I do on some favourites that are so worn they just won't fit in the jig anymore!)

Many old school turners shun the fingernail profile, though it is in common use these days. The key thing is that your grind MUST give a slightly convex profile to the side wings, if it's concave it becomes a hook tool which you don't want near a piece of wood spinning at 1000rpm!

A detail gouge is just a smaller diameter one usually ¼" with a shallow flute that gives a longer bevel.

Depending on many factors e.g. your height the lathe height in comparison and even the size and type of wood the guide angle of 45° may not be the right angle, it can be anywhere between 40 to 50° ish. that suits you. Don't ignore good advice on angles for things but do be sure that they work for you and not afraid to modify if they don't. I recently found out that I have been sharpening my parting tools at a non spec angle for about 10 years, so long that I couldn't remember what it should be! I re-profiled my 6mm parting tool to 30° specifically for a cut I did on lace bobbins, over time my thinner ones evolved into the same angle, all worked perfectly fine for me. Then someone asked what they were supposed to be, I knew it wasn't what I used but could not for the life of me remember what the standard was (20 or 25° depending on manufacturer)



   
#26
Said it before, but it is appropriate to repeat here... in woodturning you should sharpen often so you are only ever polishing and refining an already sharp tool, so fine is good... re profiling is tool-making not woodturning! for that a different approach is appropriate.
#27
Wood Turning / Re: Sharpening Turning Tools
November 11, 2019, 10:39:20 AM
All spindle gouges, and a mix of fingernail and standard grind. This is a good thing for starting out, number them and keep notes as you experiment with different grind setup's. You can then compare them in use to find your perfect recipe. Word of caution, at least one of them is the poor quality type given away with cheap lathes, the metal is inferior so only compare immediately after sharpening.

#28
Hi Alex,

My first thought on looking those pictures is that shouldn't happen, take it back to the dealer!

Immediately followed by Ken will have a better answer to this when he comes online, which he will. but you can help him shape that answer by giving your country and possibly area / state of that country, and where you bought the stone i.e. dealer or online.

TT
#29
I sort of remember having the same problem when I switched to the Tormek from a dry grinder with 6" wheels, obviously there is a small curve created by any wheel based system over the length of the bevel on most tools it is barely noticed, but combine that with the low angle long bevel of a skew it makes a difference.

Take Ken's advice, do it in stages over multiple sharpening's use your black marker, but only worry about the first 2mm for today, the bevel behind that is only going to be a tiny bit out so won't affect the use of the tool by much. in a few months it will be fully re-shaped to Tormek diameter  :)
#30
Yes the different diameters will be a major factor on a skew as the bevel is so long. Avoid using smaller wheels in future...

but back to the problem in hand, I take it you are using the skew jig, be certain that the wheel is dressed flat and that you have used the course side of the grader more than once to get the best cutting surface, being oval be sure that it is sat flat in the jig.

If it has taken more than 30 minuets then you are doing it wrong, if it has taken more than 2 minutes then you are not doing it often enough