How To Sharpen a Turning Tool Without a Grinder

No grinder? No problem. Sharpening lathe tools without a grinder can be a bit daunting but very simple once you think about it. So how exactly do you sharpen a lathe tool without a grinder? You can sharpen just like any chisel on a sharpening stone but I find it easier to take the stone to the blade when the blade is bigger than the sharpening stone. for that, I use Diamond sharpening paddles.
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[@RexKrueger]

James, this is a really useful video. Anyone could find themselves without a grinder and need an alternative. I'm fond of saying that every machine goes down eventually. I find the switches on most grinders are especially weak and I've replaced several. Now, if one were grinding a bevel on a new plane iron, for instance, I'd have to recommend a powered grinder. Sorry, couldn't help myself. Keep up the good work!

[@WoodByWright]

LOL nice I was waiting for that comment!

[@Tazanthro]

That first couple seconds really turned my day around. Thank you!

[@hudsonriverlee]

I enjoyed your video. I am new to using a wood lathe. I can afford the grinder, the jigs, however, I cannot justify the sky high prices. I knew there was a way, I merely had to search for it. I ordered the paddles today via your link. I am in the learning stage, learning the turning, the tool sharpening, everything.. I even would consider building my own lathe. Thanks for an awesome well lit video with No annoying music or the Silent video approach.

[@WoodByWright]

Thanks. Glad I could help.

[@notsoberoveranalyzer8264]

I saw those sharpeners at the store, I thought they’d be great, but I wasn’t sure. ( color coded, good grit differences. Small enough to make handling easy.) A hard part about getting into woodworking, is so many companies advertise their products as “you only need this to get started!”, “perfect for beginners!” And a grinder from a company was recommended but I just didn’t have the money. I’ve a brittle bone disease, and woodrurning is something I’ve gotten into. The tools do most of the physical work. ( Having bones that break due to my own muscle tension - I have to be careful) Anyways, I just wanted to say, thanks for covering this. I’ve been sharpening by hand, but it started to seem as if I needed a grinder too. So it’s just a relief to see that’s not the case.

[@MIOutdoors1]

Stumpy nubs channel is the all out go to resource for that stuff. He cuts through all the advertising crap and tells you exactly what you actually need and what the truth is (always with actual examples). He's saved me literal thousands in woodworking tools. I actually own a grinder, but only use a diamond file by hand.

[@TheWoodYogi]

I use a small double sided paddle for keeping the edge keen. This video will help a lot of people :) Sharpening is very confusing for many, but once you have a system that works for you it's great. Thanks James ॐ

[@WoodByWright]

so true! thanks man!

[@thomasarussellsr]

The grinder, unless you can afford a CBN wheel, is typically for edge repair. I keep a set of diamond cards (credit card sized plate) handy when working with any chisel or gouge tool. They are great for maintaining an edge. Another advantage to maintaining the edge instead of grinding it all the time is that your tool will last longer and perform better. Grinders take off more metal than you really need to for a maintenance sharpening. Extra fine grit garnet sand paper works really well too. make a stick that fits your gouge flute and wrap the extra fine abrasive paper around the stick. Awesome video. I hate watching a turner continually going to a grinder with an expensive tool. Just wasting metal for the most part.

[@WoodByWright]

LOL I feel much the same. some people care more about speed than the actual work at hand.

[@BillHartCooks.]

Sharp! cool video..... My grandfather had a foot powered wheel. It was about 15 inches in diameter. It just had a flat bar on one side that was attached to a pivot point off of the center line by about three inches and to the foot pedal on the other. You had to push it in the direction you wanted it to spin to get is started then pump away with your foot. It was its own flywheel. and it was not a very fine grit. but it would get things close and then he used little wet stones that were about the cross section of a domino but about three inches long to finish things up. his strop was an old belt that hung from a nail on the wall. Watching you use the diamond paddles reminded me of him using the little wet stones.

[@WoodByWright]

thanks bill. one of those grinders is on my list for the future!

[@jarmstrong2843]

Great tip on things I did not know. Will sharpen my lathe tools by hand from here on unless there is a big chip in the steel that requires an electric grinder. Thanks for the info!!!

[@OutdoorEducatorLS]

I really liked this video, incredibly helpful to keep things simple. Great.

[@WalkingSideways]

Thanks! That saved me spending a load of money on stones. I want to turn miniatures so have very small chisels, those pads look ideal for sharpening my set. Cheers!

[@WoodByWright]

Glad I could help!

[@andrewhowes3421]

Very, very helpful, particularly the bit about leaving a burr on a scraper: I'd never heard of that.

[@ioloro]

Love your more frequent videos, short and sweet. Know it's TONS of work, bravo.

[@WoodByWright]

thanks. it has been fun But I am looking forward to going back to 3 times a week.

[@jayrichard2890]

Thanks for video. I have a small tool for turning pens. From your video I was able to use a 3 grit triangle stone to sharpen my gouge. Thanks.

[@maililistaalterego]

I've been sharpening gouges by using the tool to shape a piece of wood to the right curvature, then put fine sand paper or apply honing compound to the wood and use that for the inside. The outside I do like you do with a diamond file and strop.

[@WoodByWright]

I do that for a few of my carving gouges. fantastic method!

[@imortaldeadead]

This has been a problem for me as well, I have just picked up some diamond pads my self Good to see that’s what you are doing as well, thank you for the information 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@WoodByWright]

thanks man! take the stone to the tool!

[@dkjazzz]

Use a felt tip pen when you start

[@PaleDogToolCo]

I was expecting you to pick up your plates and hand hold them. The paddles are much more manageable. Great idea James! Thanks.

[@WoodByWright]

LOL yup. I did that for a bit but once I got the paddles it was s much easer!

[@DD-jn1mp]

I just set up my lathe and used it for the first time, I just used sandpaper to sharpen my tools

[@8Ugri8]

Just what i wanted to know. Thank you!

[@Dave51262]

Thanks. Glad to know there are good options rather than the expensive slow speed grinder with the steel sharpening wheels on them. Then there is the expensive jigs for spindle gouges too!

[@WoodByWright]

the price on those can go WAY up!

[@stusrestohut858]

Great video, I’ve just bought a lathe and this is super handy video! I’ve now subbed too!

[@WoodByWright]

Thanks. Glad I could help.

[@dutchbeef8920]

It really is that simple

[@staceywitenberger4556]

Nice Fenix watch! Very useful and informative video!

[@WoodByWright]

thanks. It is a blast for trail running!

[@michaelkeeys8981]

Thanks! Just bought a set of paddles.

[@WoodByWright]

my pleasure!

[@MakeBrooklyn]

Good info, once you "get" sharpening, it changes your woodworking life!

[@WoodByWright]

so true!

[@leksey7870]

The sharpening tool is very important!

[@WoodByWright]

yes it is!

[@FredMcIntyre]

Thanks for the info James! 👍👊

[@WoodByWright]

Anytime Fred!

[@cthobbies7931]

Thanks, that looks a great way of sharpening them :-)

[@WoodByWright]

Thanks man!

[@toonybrain]

Good stuff. Thank you.

[@JohnT2001]

good video my dude

[@WoodByWright]

thanks John!

[@CC-gv6us]

Thank you

[@WoodByWright]

My pleasure.

[@mattf9096]

Id kind of like to see you think up a set of jigs to use with your stones. It seems like it would be a cool project to get creative with and an exercise in precision. Whether or not it becomes your primary method isnt important at all.

[@WoodByWright]

it does sound like fun. I am not a fan of jigs, but it would make an interesting video.

[@rick91443]

Almost done James! Wonder what you're going to do next month; two videos a day, kidding...cheers rr

[@WoodByWright]

LOL sounds like fun!

[@jessedavidson9726]

Hi, great video! Can you please link to the sharpening paddles? Thanks!

[@WoodByWright]

Sorry. I thought I did. I'll have to check that when I get back if you do an Amazon search for DMT diamond paddle you'll find them.

[@woodeater4827]

Interesting way to sharp

[@WoodByWright]

+Wood Eater thanks.

[@caroleoldham6217]

Not sure if your still responding to these videos as they are a few years old but do you need a good edge to begin with to use the paddles mine have been mis-sharpened somewhat to begin with. Carole

[@WoodByWright]

Yes. Reshaping an edge with fine paddles like these will take forever. usually at that point I would use some very heavy sandpaper or by the bullet and take it over to the grinder.

[@caroleoldham6217]

@@WoodByWright Thank you for the quick response. I think I might take them all to my turners group when they can finally start up again and get one of the fellows there to show me how to sharpen properly then buy some paddles. Thanks again

[@kristianmller3913]

What kind of lathe is that you have in the video? Could you make a video about it? And thanks for very informative videos.

[@WoodByWright]

that is a spring pole lathe. I have a full series on making it if you want to see more. here is the first one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4K0gIuIebNki8k

[@ubbur7985]

Hey I am new to woodturning and I am wondering if you have to sharpen every 10 minutes or if you don’t have to sharpen them so often

[@Livingreciever]

great advice thankyou! any vegetarian options for the leather honing strop?

[@WoodByWright]

sure. a lot of people use MDF or a paper bag. most anything that can hold the buffing compound.

[@NikonErik]

Color the bevel with a Sharpie marker to see if you are following the angle!

[@matthewpower2672]

One important thing is not clear to me. Is this about maintaining an edge on tools that already have a hollow grind, or dispensing with a hollow grind altogether and only using diamond paddles? So, for example, could I take new gouges out of the box and only ever use diamond paddles without them ever seeing a grinder?

[@WoodByWright]

oh there is it sorry I just now got around to answering the comments. I sent you an email back. let me know if you id not get it.

[@rsauve999]

@@WoodByWright I'm looking for the answer that you sent to Matthew [e-mail] Thanks.

[@gavindoughty]

I have the same question. Can you avoid a grinder for ever with the paddles? Also interested in how often you use these. Before working, during working?

[@clydedecker765]

It seems that yours have an offset handle but looking on Amazon, they do not show an offset ... am I missing something. I LIKE the offset idea.

[@WoodByWright]

sorry Clyde, you got me on that one. I am not sure what an offset handle is?

[@clydedecker765]

Handle is not flat but raised away from the plane of the sharpening surface but parallel to the direction of the surface (Looking from the side across - down - across). That's Offset from the direction of movement - fingers further away from the plane of sharpening.

[@WoodByWright]

Interesting. I have never come across those. But no these are not that way.

[@JeepTherapy]

Not bad. I like those little sharpeners. I still prefer however... to vise my tool and use my stones with my hands. ( I just read what I typed... as literal as it is... it still doesn’t sound right.)

[@WoodByWright]

LOL thanks man!

[@ScabbyCrab]

We all need to stick our tool in a vice and rub our stones with our hands sometimes dude.

[@12kevinnivek21]

It looks like you are moving the sharpening tool over the lathe tool in the the opposite direction that a grinder would move over it, is this correct?

[@WoodByWright]

yes. when gettign a fine point you want to bush a bur out rather then pull it back. the grinder is so coarse a grit that it really does not matter.

[@12kevinnivek21]

thanks!@@WoodByWright

[@rthde]

Que foot powered grinder build now. :)

[@WoodByWright]

LOL it is on the list but it is all about the shop space. I really need more.LOL

[@piousminion7822]

What about fixing a really beat up edge by hand? :/

[@WoodByWright]

If it's really beat up and needs a lot of work, I'll take it back to some really core sandpaper. Possibly. His course is 50 grit if the edge is really bad. But most of the time hunter grit will do fine.

[@yuyo57]

I just use a belt sander done in no time.

[@WoodByWright]

Lol that would be fun.

[@codiemcleod6302]

Foot powered grinder?....

[@WoodByWright]

Yep. There's a few of those out there we're off in their hand powered but they are around.

[@reforzar]

Twenty-six, ha ha ha.

[@WoodByWright]

+Brian Prusa oh ya.