Wolverine Grinding Jig

Woodturning is an expensive hobby, and at first glance purchasing the Wolverine jig seems to be an expense that could be avoided. For several years I made do with a homemade version of this jig -- after all its not too complicated. Finally I got frustrated and ordered this because of its reputation as the very best of the grinder-based sharpening jigs. Wow! It has a simple, but very well thought out design. All the cams lock solidly and easily without changing the distances and angles while tightening. While I could (eventually) set everything with my homemade jig, it would often take me several minutes to make even a very small change, and tightening down everything would shift the settings and make me try again. With the wolverine system I can adjust things in a few seconds that would have taken 30 minutes or so to get right on my homemade one. As a result, I am not tempted to "make do" with settings that are "sorta close". So it saves both time and tool steel that would get ground away by imprecise settings on my old system. Now that I am more experienced, I would recommend starting off right by buying this. A good sharpening system is probably second only to a good lathe for both ease of working and quality of work. In expensive chisels, sharpened well, out-perform much more expensive chisels sharpened poorly. I would therefore buy this before spending big bucks on lathe chisels, a top-end grinder, or even a top-end lathe!Note: Even an inexpensive grinder works well with these. With CBN wheels (mine were from Woodturners Wonders) it is even better, and sharpening has gone from a hit and miss frustrating affair to a joy!

I know some people want to still learn how to do this the old fashioned way..and that's cool...but not me. I rather spend my time, when I have it, turning wood and refining that skill. So... using the Wolverine jig and the other tool grinding attachments just makes this aspect easier and very repeatable...and eliminates one more thing I do not have to obsess over getting perfect.Don't get me wrong...I would not mind learning how to sharpen without the jigs and maybe one day but today isn't it. I like the jig...I am jiggy with the jig. Have mine mounted on a Wen 8" slow speed grinder...yah spent more on the jig than the grinder...don't ask. But it works great and sharpens my chisels just fine.

I'm updating my review, having purchased a second one this past week:I've had this jig for well over a year now and it's great. I bought a 2nd set to go with a new grinder, and so that allows me to grind from 80 grit up to 600 on CBN wheels. I have two setups for sharpening gouges on a 180 and then a 600 wheel and it works great. My only knock is that the mounting holes are a bit of a hassle for screwing the base to a surface. Big whoop, right :-)So the fit, finish and build quality are excellent and I highly recommend this to use with a Wolverine gouge setup for reputable profiling..------------------------------ Previous review ------------------------------Turns sharpening into a simple process for my bowl gouges in particular. It's well made and heavy..Some indexing marks on the slide mechanism would be helpful, and the locking mechanism can cause the slide to shift a bit if you aren't careful. But overall I'm very pleased.I bought to use with a 10" slow speed grinder and had to mount the grinder on a riser to put the jig directly under the wheel. But that isn't a problem; just a heads up for anyone with a 10" wheel on their grinder

This is a great tool. It produces a consistent grind for sharpening my wood-working tools. However, a word of warning for those that own a Craftsman 6-inch Variable-Speed grinder as I do, OR a grinder with a base that extends to below the wheel(s) (if neither of these apply to you, disregard everything after this); This thing will NOT fit under your grinder without SIGNIFICANT modification. The base on my grinder extends all the way to the outside edge of my grinding wheels. As a result, the mounting base for this jug will not fit. I had to mound my grinder on a support platform, high enough for the mounting base of the jig to fit underneath. The instructions that came with the jig stated that the "critical" measurement was 6-1/4" - 6-1/2" from the base to the center of the wheel. With my modification, it was well over that. After a call to the manufacturer (One-Way in Canada - EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE...talked directly to the engineer that designs this !), he stated that the "critical" distance was ONLY if you were to use the One-Way wheel dresser tool. Also as a result of my necessary modification, the platform is now useless unless I break the welds, extend, and offset it to work for my height / clearance requirements. But, in spite of my challenges, it's well-made, works as advertised, and is worth the price. And a bonus is the great customer service from the manufacturer.

If you own traditional turning tools, this kit is so nice to have for repeatable sharpening! Packaging was great and everything arrived in tact without defect.