How to Sharpen a Detail/Spindle Gouge 

Glad to hear you find them helpful. Best of luck!

Thanks for the kind words. Glad it helped.

Glad to be helpful and thanks for the compliment. Whenever I make a video I try to remember what it was like when I started out and knew nothing. I also rely on on the skillset I developed as a school teacher for over 40 years. I try to break things down into parts that can be easily learned. Best of luck with your turnings.

Hi Darrell. Because of your avatar I'm going to admit that turning a light saber hilt did occur to me, how about you (even if 4 years ago)? :)

@@OtterLakeFlutes lol even if it’s four years old the lightsaber hilt sounds like a good idea. I’ve turned a few billy clubs and I could just modify that design.

Thanks, glad it helped you. No, I do not have a video about how to re-shape a pointy spindle gouge. In hindsight I could have included it in this video. Check out my video on sharpening a bowl gouge. I describe a process similar to what you are asking.

Been there, done that. That's why I post these videos. Just use your coarse wheel to re-shape the tool and start over again. It is best to start out with cheaper tools like Benjamin's Best from Penn State industries. Practice on these, make your mistakes and learn how to use the tool without fear of destroying a big investment. Once your confidence and skills grow you will get to a point where you can move up to a higher quality tool with little fear of messing up. Good Luck.

Ideal recommended between 30 and 40 degrees. I split the difference and go with a 35 degree angle.

Great question. I have both. I really never use the 2. The original is that much better in my opinion.

No! If you were to re-grind a roughing gouge into a bowl gouge it would be very dangerous to use. The tang, where the steel meets the handle on a bowl gouge is much thicker. If you were to get a catch, and you will, the tool will snap and become a projectile. The wings on a roughing gouge are way to high to be ground into a spindle gouge. When it comes to woodturning you should always use the correct tool.

Not at all. It does not seem to effect any of my cuts.

Glad the video helped to eliminate the point and you were able to obtain a better shaped tool. As for as the sparks go..... what type of wheels do you have on your grinder? My wheels are CBN so it's metal on metal thus it produces sparks. If your wheels are stone then not so much.

You can change the angle of your tool. Using a course grinding wheel will make this easier. do it in small increments to avoid removing too much material. get a gauge to check your angle. Once you get your wolverine jig dialed in you will be able to replicate your desired angles with subsequent sharpenings.

The wheel on the right in the video is a Woodriver CBN wheel from Woodcraft. The wheel on the left is a Norton stone wheel. I have since upgraded both wheels to D Way CBN wheels.

The wheel on the right in the video is a Woodriver CBN wheel from Woodcraft. The wheel on the left is a Norton stone wheel. I have since upgraded both wheels to D Way CBN wheels

Recommended range is 30-40 degrees with 35 degrees considered optimal/most popular. That is exactly the angle I have ground on all of my spindle gouges, 35 degrees.

I believe you can in but it is not recommended. The tighter arc of the smaller wheel will affect the profile of the tools.

Your spindle gouge will come with a pre-determined angle. If you are happy with it just move the vari-grind pocket in or out till the angle of the tool sits flush to the wheel. If you want to increase or decrease the angle you would move the pocket closer or further away accordingly. You can purchase an inexpensive tool to accurately measure the angle on the tool. Once you find an angle that you are happy with you can make a mark on the pocket extension so that you can replicate the angle or you can build/buy a jig that will allow you to replicate the pocket's distance from the wheel.

My grinder wheels are 8 inches. A 6 inch is not recommended as the radius is too tight to do the job properly. Thanks for the kind words about my teaching skills. I was a school teacher for 40 years. Once a teacher ........

@@daveswoodshop782 Thanks a lot. Keep teaching.

Thanks for the kind complement.

You idiot. He would be so much better during St. Patrick's Day.