Honing woodturning tools such as a wood lathe is important to keep them in tiptop shape. Woodturning tools need to be sharp because they’re often used in furniture elements such as pulls, spindles, legs, and columns. Sharpened tools also offer better function, especially when a project calls for extra-precise measurements.
Sharpening tools by hand is a great skill to have. You’ll be able to quickly identify when your tools need to be honed, and you can also sharpen them easily with the right honing tools.
Without further ado, here are the things to keep in mind when sharpening woodturning tools by hand:
Tools Needed for Freehand Sharpening
Sharpening by hand requires a few tools apart from a wood lathe. It’s a sound idea to gather or add these tools to your workshop, specifically for the purpose of creating a sharpening setup:
6-inch slow speed grinder
Tool rests
Vari-Grind jig
Grinder stand
80-grit grinding wheel
Diamond paddle set
Diamond truing tool
Sharpening oilstone
Steel protractor
Sharpening Different Kinds of Turning Tools
Below you will find a quick overview of how to sharpen three common turning tools:
Hand Scraper
You would know that the scraper needs some honing when you touch its top face and feel the wire edge, called a burr.
You can feel an angle on the burr of a properly chiseled scraper. Meanwhile, a dull scraper’s burr will feel smooth with no angles or edges.
Hand-sharpen the scraper through your grinder:
Place the scraper on the tool holder part of your sharpening setup.
Use a marker to color the tip of the scraper and touch it on the grinder wheel so that the angles will match.
Ensure that the bevel of the scraper is positioned downward to meet the wheel’s contour.
Let the middle of the bevel touch the wheel by adjusting the platform slowly to the proper height.
Gently press the scraper’s tip on the wheel. Swing the handle as need to follow the edge’s shape as you hone.
Your scraper is fully honed when you notice sparks landing on the tool’s face and the burr can already be felt.
Diamond Parting Tools
A perfectly chiseled parting tool will have its slanted bevels meet at the tool’s center with a 50-degree angle. Blunt parting tools have bevels that look flattened out.
Place the diamond parting tool on the tool holder.
Adjust the placement so that the bevel angle will correctly match the wheel.
Gently and slowly push the tool’s edge against the wheel, taking care to hone both faces of the tool equally.
Remove the tool when you feel a burr and you see that the edge is squared.
Spindle Roughing Gouge
A properly honed spindle roughing gouge will have its bevel in a sharply squared edge with a 40- to 55-degree angle.
Keep your tool flat on the grinder’s rest and ensure that its bevel rides against the stone. Also ensure that the tool stays parallel to the grinder wheel.
Gently touch the tool tip on the wheel, then slowly push the gouge forward towards the wheel.
Rotate the gouge gently until you reach the other side, then repeat.
Ensure a square edge by keeping the tool’s end square to the wheel and by holding the gouge firmly on the rest as you sharpen it.
Stop honing when you see sparks landing on top of the tool.
In a Nutshell
Hand sharpening woodturning tools takes a lot of patience and meticulous work. But, it surely can be done with ease by using wood lathes and grinders, being mindful of your tool’s state, and practicing the proper techniques.
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