I found the 8” HF grinder with the lamp for about $50 a month ago and gave it a shot.  I can manage to put a reasonable edge on roughing gouges, skew chisel, parting tool, but I am not having luck with the bowl gouge I have.  That grind is a problem and I just keep screwing it up worse and end up with an uneven edge and discolored metal.

It’s good to have a high speed grinder and I think I’ll keep it, it certainly does what it is supposed to do, just that I am trying to do something that is better served by using a different grinder.  Will probably get a buffing wheel for one side.

So I have read about 8” slow speed type and found the Rikon model is on sale for $99.  That seems a good price, what is everyone’s opinion on this one?  Anybody use it?

Opinions on the Wolverine Grinding jig system?  I like the Irish grind on my bowl gouge, will the Oneway VariGrind system be a good choice?

Any other systems to look into?

Jeff, I am also a beginner here but will give you my thoughts.  I bought the Power Tech slow speed grinder which I believe is the exact same unit as the Rikon. I am pretty sure these are all made in the the same Chinese factory and they just put different name plates on them.  I also bought the Wolverine set up.  So now when I sharpen I get uneven edges and discolored metal........ I don't believe it is your equipment.  Sharpening is much harder than turning.  I am going to request a lesson from my woodturning club because no matter how many times you look at a youtube video, hands on training is better.  You do probably need one of the systems.  PSI has one similar to Wolverine for a bit cheaper.  I will probably end up with at least one CBN wheel but I will need to feel a bit more comfortable that I know what I am doing since results are technique oriented and not equipment/

I do not know what is the "best" but I do know that the slow speed grinder and the one way jig will produce good results on most tools.  I also think that if you are going to run the very hardest steel tolls that some of the small sellers are making now you will want a can wheel.  I so far have chosen to just put the one tool I bought that I cannot sharpen well away.  Eventually I will upgrade the wheels.

Most of us use the slow speed grinders, but high speed works. Biggest difference is that you need a very gentle touch with the high speed grinders or you loose a lot of metal without it going dull first. Burning can come from a dirty wheel, and/or too much pressure, and too long of time on the wheel. Even when I used gouge jigs, I would get uneven wings and nose shapes, and still do some what. I do all of my sharpening on a platform rather than the gouge jigs, so not much help there other than the Wolverine system is by far the most popular system out there.

That Rikon grinder is a fairly good deal, but for my tastes, it is a bit under powered, especially if you are using the steel CBN wheels. It is adequate for the aluminum wheels, but I prefer tools like this to be overbuilt. The 1 hp Rikon has plenty of power, and is an excellent deal for the money.

If you check with the club, odds are that they have members in your town or area, which might help with car pooling and mentoring.

I have several videos up on sharpening. There are links in the video section here, or type in robo hippy on You Tube.

robo hippy

The gray wheels that come standard with most grinders are wrong for lathe tools, and are prone to cause overheating.  I can't quote the specifications for the proper grinding wheel but they are offered by Craft USA, Packard, and I expect other reputable woodturning catalogs.  As mentioned, the other option for grinding wheels is CBN, which it is reported will last a lifetime if not used on the wrong metals.  Second, composite (?) grinding wheels have to be cleaned regularly - buildup will cause them to run hot and burn tools.  Finally, too much pressure on the grinding wheel will cause them to run hot and burn tools.

A local woodturning group can help with all of this.  I also have a library of the Richard Raffan book/video combinations where this information can be found.