Sharpening angles

[Displaced Canadian]

I have a Worksharp sharpening machine. I am thinking about building a jig for sharpening my lathe tools because the free hand thing isn't working as well as it could. My question is what is a good all around angle to sharpen a skew to and also a gouge?

 

[Woodlvr]

What kind of gouge are you using? I know others will ask also. I read on Wood Central dot com about 60 degrees being middle range for a bowl gouge for example. I used to use a 3/4" spindle gouge which had an angle of 35 degrees. I am in the process of buying a Work Sharp 3000 so I am interested in finding out what everyone's answers are.

 

[Displaced Canadian]

This is the set. The picture of just the three is the main ones I use. After gouge, skew, and parting tool I don't know what to call them. At this point pens are the only things I turn but that mat change soon. I bought this set of Freud chisels 22 years ago and a home built lathe that was a hazard to everyone that was standing near it. I "lent" the tools to a guy who had a lathe and wanted to turn and left the state and they sat unused in a unheated shop for 8 years and only came back into my possession 2 years ago. I had to say all of that because at least one of you is wondering about the rust.:redface:

 

[phillywood]

Go to Tormek site and pull out one of the manuals for tools it would have the angle of all the tools listed in their manual.
http://www.tormek.com/en/

 

[Displaced Canadian]

First prototype of gouge sharpening jig.

 

[JimBellina]

Neat old set. They are almost certainly made of high carbon steel and will therefore get dull quickly in use. Great for developing sharpening skills!

I can't tell the dimensions, but it looks like the tools you may not be familiar with are 2 continental style spindle gouges, these are shaped from flat bar stock rather than being ground from round bar stock, and they are great for long curves. Can use them for roughing in a pinch but a roughing gouge or skew is better for that.

Nice jig. You'll find it will work well on the standard spindle gouge because you just rotate it, but for the fingernail grind you need to both rotate and pivot, take a look at the One-way wolverine jig or the Ellsworth bowl gouge jig to get some ideas. Looks like your jig will be easily configured for skews too which is nice.

Have fun!
Jim