Lathe mounted sanding disc sharpener.

[Russianwolf]

Some of may recall my PSI bought sharpeing disc trying to kill me recently by exploding with me standing at the lathe (yeah, it was my fault). http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36149

okay so today my chisels were getting pretty dull and I had been vetoed on getting a belt/disc sander from HD, so I had to put on my thinking cap.

I was looking around the shop at what I might be able to use as a disc to replace the one that tryed to kill me. 3/4 inch Maple Ply? Too thick. Half inch Sandply? Still too thick. 1/4 inch sandply? Too flexy. Then I saw it.Laying half buried in a pile of offcuts from other projects.

So out it cam and too the bandsaw to rough out a blank a little over 7 inches square (in hind site I shoulda took off the corners too). Then over to the Drillpress to drill a 1 inch hole through the center. Mount it on the lathe using the 1x8 nut that I still have and get it spinning. Used the parting tool to make a nice new disc that actually a bit larger than the original (I may have to trim it down a bit more). Then made the final cut with the skew. At this point the corners flew in all directions and scared the bejeezes out of me (I think it's a consiracy I tell ya). Took it off the lathe and stuck a 6 inch 400 grit sanding disc to one side and a 260 grit to the other and I was back in business.

So I bet you're wondering what I used to make the new disc? Believe it or not, It's a piece of laminate flooring. It's about 1/4 inch thick and alot more ridgid than the ply and nice and smooth on the two surfaces so the paper sticks nice and easy.

So if anyone wants to make one fore themselves and save the $25 that PSI wants, have at it. Just remember to trim the blank a bit better than I did so you don't need fresh shorts. (only $.25 each time you use the idea :wink

 

[marcruby]

I hope you won't mind me pointing out that other than sticking a finger or two into a spinning narrow mouthed vessel to see how it feels inside, there isn't anything more dangerous than trying to sharpen a skew on a spinning lathe. The old geezers who used your trick used to walk around to the other side of the lathe to avoid a major catch. That was before lathes had reverse.

 

[Russianwolf]

I can't see it as being any more dangerous than using a disc sander to sharpen. I always use the lower half of the disc on the "correct" side of the lathe for sharpening, so the sander is pushing down and in towards the lathe and pulling material from the cutting edge.

If you used the upper half the rotation would be pushing into the cutting edge and back towards the user and that could be bad.

 

[marcruby]

Is the disk there while you are turning? I may may have misunderstood your description. I've have an MDF wheel I use on my drill press for honing and my grinding wheel is right next to the lathe. Alan Lacer used to show people how to make a lathe based grinding wheel. He spent most of the time explaining what not to do.

I just figure I'm naturally dumb. Sooner or later my mind will decide that I'm 'turning' not 'sharpening' and subsequently fire a skew over my shoulder. If you're ever in Michigan I've got a spare two-wheel grinder with a slight wobble on one side that you can have for the hauling away. Don't ask me to explain why it has a wobble on one side.

Marc