Vari-Grind jig setup is easy and straightforward, but a couple key factors must be addressed before sharpening a bowl gouge.
When the Vari-Grind Jig Setup arrives, it is not ready to immediately use. A properly adjusted base needs to be created. This base may be portable or fixed to a work surface.
Why Vari-Grind
You may be like me when I first started. I thought “do I really need this vari-grind jig system?” After all, some top woodturners say you can learn to sharpen bowl gouges by hand.
Watch Glenn Lucas do his bowl gouge mating dance at the grinder, and his gouge is perfect after only a few magical shifts of his hips. How hard can it be, right?
Well, I do think freehand grinding is possible, but most likely only if you turn every single day, all day, for many years, and most likely on a professional basis.
For the rest of us mere mortals, this Oneway Vari-Grind Jig System is the answer to getting a consistent sharp bevel angle every time.
The Vari-Grind sharpening system is about making the same repetitive angle and quickest grind possible with the least waste. It’s that simple.
What angle your bowl gouge bevel angle is not as important as some people believe. If you’re having questions about what angle your bowl gouge should be, please read my Bowl Gouge Sharpening Angle article. It might be a real eye-opener for you.
The Right Parts
Let’s take a look at what you need to get started before we dig into setting up the Vari-Grind Sharpening System.
I need to say from the start, I like the products Oneway makes, but the way they market them is not so great. There are many individual parts available, and that muddies the waters of what to get and why.
Perhaps there are many parts because of progress through the years, which is great, but for a beginner, it can be confusing.
To clear up the confusion, I recommend getting the Oneway Grinding Jig System. I have provided a link here to the specific Oneway Vari-Grind Sharpening System we will be configuring.
This system comes with two guide bases, an adjustable platform, an adjustable “V” arm attachment. you will need to also purchase one Oneway Wolverine Vari-Grind attachment.
Oneway Wolverine Vari-Grind Attachment
The Oneway Wolverine Vari-Grind Jig attachment is the part that holds the bowl gouge at just the right angle to quickly repeat a specific grind angle on your bowl gouge.
The reason Oneway sells the Vari-Grind Attachment separate is that many people like to use more than one attachment for each particular bowl gouge sharpening angles.
Even though the Vari-Grind Attachment is adjustable, believe it or not, it becomes clear that having a dedicated Vari-Grind Attachment for a particular bowl gouge grind angle is more than convenient, it guarantees the exact angle each time.
After grinding away precious metal material and struggling to regain the exact same angle, it’s easier to leave one fixed Vari-Grind Attachment for each bowl gouge bevel angle.
For now, start with one Wolverine Vari-Grind attachment. You can always add an additional Oneway Wolverine Vari-Grind Attachment at any point later.
I have an article that specifically explains how to use the Wolverine Var-Grind Jig with illustrated details, check it out.
Slow Grind
Of course, you will need a grinder for the sharpening station. The Vari-Jig System does not include the grinder, but it is at the heart of this operation.
I recommend this eight-inch slow speed grinder. High-speed grinders are not needed or recommended and can be dangerous for this type of sharpening.
Grinding Wheels
Despite the one-time expense, I highly recommend using CBN wheels instead of aluminum oxide grinding wheels. The CBN wheels require no dressing or balancing and do not potentially blow apart or produce toxic dust themselves.
The two CBN wheels I use are an 80 grit CBN wheel to shape or to form the tool more quickly and a 180 grit CBN wheel which is used to apply the final sharp edge to the tool bevel.
The other part I recommend getting for your new woodturning and bowl gouge sharpening station is a set of strong mountable magnets. We’ll talk more about these in a minute.
Grinder Setup
Start by setting up the grinder with the two CBN wheels. Install the wheels and be sure to tighten the outside nuts properly.
I found that the CBN wheels do not fit very well inside the grinder’s protective safety housing. Because of that, I chose to not use the safety cover.
Using or not using the protective cover is a personal preference. You need to decide if you want to use the cover or not.
My reasoning for omitting the safety cover is that I feel the odds of the CBN wheel breaking apart are next to zero.
Please don’t do what I do if you’re not comfortable. Do what works for you. And if you’re using white aluminum oxide wheels, definitely use the grinder’s protective covers.
Aluminum oxide wheels have and can always fracture and break apart. Be cautious when working with these sharpening wheels.
Vari-Grind Jig Setup
Two measurements are critical to setting up the Vari-Grind Jig; the distance below the center of the grinder wheel, and the alignment of the front of the base to the wheel.
Depending on the height of your grinder, you may need to add a spacer to elevate the grinder to the proper height.
The mounting surface for the Vari-Grind Jig base needs to be between 6 1/4” to 6 1/2” below the center of the grinder axle.
For my particular setup using the grinder I recommend above, I needed to make a spacer that is approximately 7/8” thick. I used a piece of scrap cabinet plywood to create a lift for the base of the slow speed grinder.
If the plywood thickness is not enough to reach the 6 1/4” to 6 1/2” space required, try shimming under the grinder with several washers.
Vari-Grind Jig Location
With the spacer under the grinder complete, you need to decide if you want to mount the Vari-Grind Jig sharpening system directly to a work surface or make the unit portable.
The whole Oneway Vari-Grind Jog Sharpening System needs to be set up at comfortable working height and away from any other obstacles. It’s important to have enough room to move freely while sharpening your turning tools.
I decided to make my portable. So I used another larger piece of plywood to form a base. I then bolted the grinder and spacer to the underlying base.
To keep the whole base secure and prevent it from vibrating and moving, I attached rubber feet to the bottom of the base.
The base units that will receive the V-bracket and grinding platform need to be flush to the front of the grinding wheels. Position the base units inline with the front of each wheel.
Vari-Grind Jig Mounts
With the base surface now complete, attach the two Vari-Grind Jig bases directly centered under the CBN wheels centers.
Be sure the front of the base is flush with the front curve of the grinder wheel. Look straight down or use a triangle to confirm the edges are lined up.
There are three countersunk screw holes in each base, ready for wood screws. I found I needed a narrow drill extension to get the screws down into the predrilled mounting holes.
Once the grinder is secured to the base, and the Vari-Grind base tubes are anchored to the base, the Oneway Wolverine Grinding Jig is almost ready to use.
Vari-Grind Jig Depth Gauge
The final critical measurement will need to occur each time you sharpen your bowl gouge.
To maintain consistency, the bowl gouge must be mounted in the Oneway Wolverine Vari-Grind Attachment in the same exact location each time.
The distance the bowl gouge cutting end extends from the Vari-Grind Attachment needs to be precisely two inches each time.
A simple depth gauge can be made from a piece of scrap hardwood. I say hardwood because I made one with cedar and the softwood did not work so well.
With a block of hardwood approximately, 2 “x 3” x 1 1/4”, measure exactly two inches from one end. With a Forstner bit drill a one-inch hole with the back edge on the two-inch line. Make the hole about two thirds the depth of the block.
From the end, drill a hole wider than your widest bowl gouge shaft diameter. This hole should match the bottom depth of the first hole and be drilled to meet the first hole.
Now you have a depth gauge to quickly determine the required two-inch bowl gouge extension from the Wolverine Attachment.
When you’re ready to use the Wolverine Vari-Grind Jig to sharpener your specific bowl gouges, read this article to learn about that process.
Magnetic Assistance
The grinder will produce very fine metal dust. This metal dust, coming from the turning tools is much more dangerous than wood dust, and that’s saying something.
Please, do yourself a favor and always wear adequate breathing protection when working at the sharpening station.
Another simple idea is to install strong mountable magnets under the grinder wheels.
I recommend only mountable magnets because…well, I learned something the hard way. Loose magnets will jump up and attach to a CBN wheel. Luckily the magnet I had was strong enough to stay attached.
Attach this mountable magnet to the wood base next to the Vari-Grind Jig base with a wood screw.
To make clean up easier, wrap an additional magnet with wax paper and attach it to the mounted magnet. The metal dust will cling to the wax paper.
When the area is coated with metal dust, you can pull the top, wrapped magnet off and unwrap the wax paper over the garbage can. The metal dust does not stick directly to the magnet this way.
Conclusion
To recap, when making the base for the Oneway Vari-grind Jig Setup the three critical measurements are:
• 6 1/4” to 6 1/2” distance between grinder axle and base
• Vari-Grind Jig base face flush and centered with the grinding wheel
• 2” bowl gouge extension from Wolverine Attachment
Setting up the Oneway Wolverine Vari-Grind Jig System is not complicated, but attention to details is essential.
Once the Vari-Grind Jig system is complete, making consistent sharpening angles at the grinder is a piece of cake.
Sharpening your bowl gouge is a simple, quick, and effortless process with the right setup.
Check out these articles to learn more:
• WOLVERINE VARI-GRIND JIG – ILLUSTRATED SHARPENING GUIDE
• BOWL GOUGE SHARPENING TECHNIQUES STEP BY STEP
• BOWL GOUGE SHARPENING ANGLES – SURPRISE ANSWER
Always Happy Turning,
Kent
Comments
Question. Your instructions on the Vari grind jig state to use a 2” protrusion of gouge but the Vari grind manual says set at 1 3/4” and this is ideal. How did you arrive at 2”?
Steven,
Good question.
The 2″ distance gives you the ability to make the deeper swept-back wings. Either depth is ok, just pick one and use it consistently when sharpening. Don’t switch between 1-3/4″ and 2″ as that will cause issues.
Happy Turning!
Kent
Thanks for all your online information and videos!!!
I’m just beginning to learn to turn and am in the process of acquiring equipment. I want to duplicate your above pictured sharpening setup. Your photos show the grinder set up with one radius and one straight CBN wheel. I’m wondering why you chose each .. and which is which? Is the 180 the radius wheel?
Bob,
The left wheel is 80 grit for shaping, and the right is 180 for sharpening. The radius edge was available and I thought I’d give it a try. Honestly, I don’t use that radius edge all that much. 😉 Both work fine. The more important feature is the width. Get wider wheels like the 1-1/2″ because you have more area to use when sharpening.
Happy Turning!
Kent
Okay, having just submitted my question, I scrolled up and now the pictures are there. Hmmmm.
OK, thanks for letting me know. Hm? This interweb, at times? 😉 All the best to you and Happy Turning!
I am new to your site (excited to learn from you) and have noticed that when I open some articles (such as this one) the embedded pictures do not appear, yet they do appear on others. Since (I think) the pictures are often important to understanding the article, I get frustrated. Do you know of any reason why the embedded pictures only show up in certain articles?
Tom,
Thanks for writing. I’m not sure why that might be happening. I’ll check into it. Can you check a different device or different web browser? I’d be curious to know if it is happening on all your devices. Thanks.
Happy Turning!
Hello Kent
I’ve just purchased your e-course on gouge sharpening and ordered the One Way Wolverine Sharpening System with the Vari Grind attachment.
However I’ve only now noticed that the seller’s website (Dictum.com) mentions ‘Max. intake Ø 19 mm.’ for the Vari Grind. Does this mean that I cannot use Vari Grind to sharpen my 25mm wide roughing gouges? If not, then how am I to sharpen these in an accurate and consistent manner? As far as I can see, you don’t mention this limitation in your website articles on the Wolverine and Vari Grind equipment…
Thanks for terrific videos and your unique clarity and lack of verbiage!!!
Peter Hoare
Hello Peter,
Thanks for writing. Good Question.
The only gouges you will use the jig for are the bowl and spindle gouge. The spindle roughing gouge uses just the platform for sharpening.
You can see how all the tools are sharpening in my online Course, check it out http://www.TurnAWoodBowl.com/sharp
Happy Turning,
Kent
From what I’m reading here you don’t necessarily need an 8 inch grinder. I’ve got a 6 inch grinder which I could use I just need to adjust the angles. Is that correct.
Bob
You are correct. However, you might not be able to find all the wheels you’d like, especially in CBN. Also, the smaller radius of a 6″ wheel can create more pronounced concave areas in tool bevels. But overall, you can sharpen with 6″ wheels.
I was wondering: Does the angle of the V from the V-arm matter?
and are there some dimensions somewhere? I’m a student a bought the Vari grind, but the base was too expensive for me to buy, so I thought maybe I can make the base with the V-arm myself.
Hello Jelle,
Thanks for writing, and great question.
The angle doesn’t matter so much, but the resting point for the jig needs to be centered. I just measured my set up and the V-arm resting section is about 4.5 to 4.75″ below the center axis of the sharpening wheel. It will need to capable of moving toward and away from the wheel of course, in order to adjust your bevel angle.
Good luck with it and let me know how it turns out.
Happy Turning,
Kent
Hello Kent,
Thank you so much for the reply.
So about the distance between de V-arm resting section; So in your case it is 4,5-4,75″. I did some searching on the internet and found the following website: http://www.carlford.info/pages/jigs_tools/Sharpening_Templates/Sharpening_Templates.pd
here you can see some templates this woodworker uses to set his “settings” for grinding. (page 5 out of 7)
In his case, the distance between V-arm resting section and the center axis of the sharpening wheel is 5 1/4″.
So my question now is. what is the right distance in your opinion? 4.5 to 4.75″ or 5.25″?
And maybe its because of the difference in grinder wheel size? He recommended an 8 inch grinder instead of a 6 inch (my case).
Hello Jelle,
Thanks for the detailed question.
I have found numerous different distances, angles, and settings for sharpening woodturning tools.
The trick is this, pick one and try it out. If it works stick with it.
As I mention frequently in my articles there is no ONE way to do things. Many times there are a variety of ways to accomplish the same task. However, as you explore it is common to find people staying “this is THE way to do it.” I don’t subscribe to that limited thinking.
For example, there are people that set there bowl gouge sharpening depth to 2″ and others that set it to 1 3/4″. Is there a difference? Yes, but it’s so subtle it will not make a significant difference.
As for using a 6″ sharpening wheel, you will need to make some adjustments to the extension of your V-arm, but that should be all. These adjustments will be to extend or retract the V-arm to make the front bevel angle match the desired bevel angle you will be grinding.
Set up your system with whichever settings you’d like to use (of course, I’d like to recommend my settings) and give it a try. If you aren’t happy with the sharpening results, make adjustments.
Happy Sharpening,
Kent
Ha Kent,
Thanks for replying so fast! Much appreciated!
I will give your settings a shot!
Happy Woodturning!
Jelle
Thank you for the clarity! I found the article quite helpful.
You’re welcome, Nick!
Happy Turning,
Kent
Thanks for the input…
Old brain was thinking on the aluminum oxide wheels getting smaller as you dress them over time. This then would change the angle of the vari-grind and other tools as you sharpen. When the wheels wear out.. which is at what diameter on a new 8 inch wheel. How small do you go before changing , an as they get smaller they also get faster..
That’s a great question. I think the reduction in the wheel size might affect the sharpening angle a small bit. The front bevel angle is determined by the distance the V-arm is moved forward. So, that angle should not be affected. The side wings might be changed with a narrower wheel. I use CBN wheels, so I can’t give you an answer on how long to use the oxide wheel. Perhaps someone else can comment. Thanks!
Question : New 8 inch grinder has the white wheels.. if you mount the grinder as instructed being flush with face of wheel. Then down the road change to CBN Wheel.. will you have remount the grinder for either the CBN wheel an or usage of the white wheel getting smaller because of wear and dressing the wheel ?
Good question.
If the CBN wheels are also 8″ in diameter, they should be in the same location as the white oxide wheels. If they are different, it would only be minimal and there’s no need to unmount and remount the Vari-Grind rail channels. And yes, if the aluminum oxide, white wheels are greatly reduced, you might move the rails mounts forward, but wait, now that I think about it, it should not be necessary as the V-arm pocket that holds the Vari-Grind Jig leg is the only critical factor. Let me know if that makes sense. Thanks and Happy Turning!