# Wolverine system



## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Well I did it. I just ordered a Wolverine sharpening system with the skew jig and the variable grind jig. I have held off on the dressing jig for now. 

I had been signed up to take a sharpening class at the local Woodcraft but when I called to verify the time the class would be held they said it had been cancelled because I was the only one signed up. Glad I didn't wait for the day of the class to find that out.:blink: I was more than a little frustrated as my lathe tools really need to be sharpened.

I ended up getting really good pricing from Hartville tools as well as free shipping so I used the money for the class and added a little to it and bit the bullet. I saw on the Oneway site they have several videos to help guide you through the sharpening so I hope I can get it all figured out without the class. I just didn't want to wait around any longer until they decide to offer the class again. 

Does anybody have any hints on setup or use of the Wolverine?

John


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

When all else fails read the instructions. LOL What all will it sharpen? I have a little cheep craftsman wet sander I use to sharpen my wood chisels. But thats about all its good for.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

John,
Do you have a turning friend in the area that sharpens their own tools that could help you get started? Sharpening is not really that difficult if you can visualize what its supposed to look like when its done. The jigs make it easy to control and setup for the proper angles, the rest is up to you. If you don't have anyone local, then the next best thing is a video, if you can run the video from your shop and watch it with your grinder sitting right there. I wouldn't watch the whole video in your family rooma and then head out to the shop and try and remember what you saw. good luck,
Mike Hawkins:smile:


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

If you can open this link is might give you some good information. These are the jigs I use to set the Oneway V arm to the right distance each time for various tools.
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/turning3.pl?read=190899


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## Daveb (May 3, 2007)

John, I also just bought this system last week, and I am new to sharpening. Will you explain how the jig accounts for the wheel diameter wearing smaller and the chisel shortening? It would seem to me that these two factors slowly increase the gap between the V-arm and the wheel. So over time, the V-arm position would need to be moved incrementally toward the wheel to maintain the same angle. I like your jig, and it should help when switching from one tool to the next.


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Mike, thanks for your words of wisdom. I always appreciate your insight. Right now I don't know of anyone else in my area that turns but I did get on the AAW website and found the closest turning club to me and sent the chapter president an email. So hopefully that will be an opportunity that turns into something. (pardon the pun):smile:

The videos on the Oneway website really are pretty good and I think I could get through ok on my own but it would be nice to back it up with someone who has "been there, done that".

John, I like the jig setup and will give them a whirl when the Wolvrine arrives. I, like Dave, wonder what happens when the tool becomes shorter or the wheel smaller?

I have a 6 inch grinder and am going to try to make that work rather than purchasing a new 8 inch grinder. What type of wheels would you guys reccomend for it and maybe a source for them? Thanks again for all the input.

John


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Handyman said:


> What all will it sharpen?


Handy the Wolverine system is a jig setup to sharpen different types of lathe turning tools. I don't think it sharpens planes or chisels but I could be wrong. Haven't got a chance to read them directions yet! :laughing:

John


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## littlebuddha (Aug 25, 2007)

Hi guys been awhile been biz with new house and stuff. any way i have the same sort of setup based on the wolverine but its self made, i use a good quality pink wheel, and although there will be some where in the wheel this should take some time if you only use it for sharpening your lathe tools, remember you are sharpening them not grinding, one to two passes is all that is needed if you have it setup right, if you use a perm marker to color the grinding edge then all you would do is to make that mark go away, you sharpen not grind and grind away. i go to the wheel 1/2 passes then back to the lathe then i touch up with a small diamond now and then to keep the edge then back to the wheel when needed, you will know when you need to do this over time. i see loads of guys grindin ghte hell out of there tools and there is no need for it unless you like to spend money on more tools. if you have a jig setup then just learn how it is used and keep to it. there are lots of small vids around like on youtube. anyway have fun im hopeing to get some trning done soon, drop by later...Hows things John.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Dave As the wheel wears it gets smaller so the distance between the V arm and the wheel increases. This will increase the angle on the bevel. The gauges that I use touch the wheel at 2 points so the size of the wheel doesn't matter. It keeps the distance from the wheel to the V the same no matter how small the wheel gets. The only difference as the wheel wears is the shape of the concave portion gets deeper but this is so slight it doesn't matter at all.
I have to change the length of my V arm for things like my rough out gouge and some other odd grinds that I use. This gauge allows me to reset it to exactly the same setting every time.


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## Mitch Cholewinski (Mar 11, 2007)

jdixon
Congratulations on your ordering the Wolverine system. It is a very good system. Just read the instructions and follow them and watch their free video clips several times. Their instruction sheet is only one page if I remember right but if you remember how to set the jigs your home clear. Sharpening is easy if you follow their instructions. The best advice your going to get came from littlebuddha. Your going to the lathe to sharpen your tool, not grind it away.Too many turners grind their tool so long they turn it blue. Back a number years I went to a sharpening school by Foley and I remember a guy saying if your finished sharpening a tool and feel the tip of it , and it was too hot to touch,you were grinding not sharpening. To this day I still feel my chisels after sharpening to see if I can hold them and check my sharpening technique. Used to make it a game with myself to see how lightly I can touch the wheel with my chisels. Good luck John Mitch


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## Mitch Cholewinski (Mar 11, 2007)

little b
How you doing Mate? Welcome back, good to see your back with the words of wisdom. Mitch:laughing:


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Thanks all for the advice. Mitch, that's an interesting point regarding going lightly. I would imagine that is a common occurence among newbiies to sharpening. There is an old story about a young bull and an old bull up on a hill looking down on a field of cows. Without going through the whole thing lets just say the point is slow and steady often beats rushing in like a ball of fire. 

The wolverine showed up yesterday, but I got home late from my son's football game so I didn't even get to open it yet. Hopefully I will get a chance to set it up today. I'm looking forward to getting started.

Does anyone have a reccomendation on what grit wheels to get? I believe I read somewhere to use 80 and 120 grit. Does that sound about right?

Thaks again for the help and encouragement.
John


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## Mitch Cholewinski (Mar 11, 2007)

jdixon
John, 80 and 120 will be fine. Just remember, don't be the young bull. Seriously John , sharpening lightly will improve your sharpening skills greatly, with practice, and eventually will show up in much better turnings which I am sure you want to happen. Good Luck. Personally, I like to sharpen as much as I like to turn :thumbsup:and I have been sharpening much longer than turning. Mitch


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## Mitch Cholewinski (Mar 11, 2007)

jdixo
I was thinking about you and your going to start sharpening with the Wolverine and the jigs. I suppose your doing this cause your not satisfied with the way your sharpening your tools right now? I I am hopeing that I didn't mislead you any with my sharpen it softly method that I use? If your tools are not cutting good right now they must not be sharpened correctly. Is this fair to say? So you will need to get the proper angles etc for each tool you sharpen before you start. You might have to take off a lot of steel depending what shape the tool is in. My point is John, don't just put the jig on and start grinding. Best way to go is if you have a tool that has the correct nose angle on it set it and blacken the front of the tool set it on the wheel and touch it to the grinder running, if it makes a bare grind mark from front of chisel to back then it is set correctly. Sharpen the sides first then sharpen the nose. Now you simply replicate this procedure each time and at this time you can try my easy grinding if you want. My reason for writing you this is so you don't get confused and grind away your tools. Once each tool is sharpened correctly you just set your jig blacken the front of the tool and test for the test cut then sharpen every time.


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

Mitch Cholewinski said:


> I suppose your doing this cause your not satisfied with the way your sharpening your tools right now?


Mitch, thanks for your concern. My problem is not that I'm not satisfied with my current way of sharpening it's just that I've never sharpened my turning tools. :blink: I had an old craftsman tube lathe when I was in high school and about 3 or 4 tools. I turned the heck out of alot of stuff. Billy clubs mostly. :laughing: Anyway I ran onto a great deal on a full set of new Craftsman HSS chisels way back when and used them a little bit but not a ton. Then life got in the way and I haven't used that lathe in 20 years. This summer I ran onto a deal on a variable speed Grizzly lathe on Craigslist that I couldn't pass up. I got the old tools out of storage and began turning a few things. I quickly realized I needed to sharpen them. So I really haven't done much on my lathe while I was waiting to take the sharpening class. That got cancelled, I bought the Wolverine and here we are.

I think my tools all have their original edges so I don't believe I will need to regrind anything. I'm hoping I will be able to use the marker method you discussed to bring a clean edge back to the chisels. I'm just itchin to get back to some turning. Thanks again for your input.

John


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## dlan603 (Sep 7, 2008)

*Wolverine*

I recently did the same thing. I got tried of trying to hand sharpen the lathe tools. I bought the same set up as you ordered.
Recommend you follow the directions that came with the system and you can't go wrong.
David


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