# Versatile, Affordable Sharpening System



## dbhost

Thanks for the review…

I am curious. Will that work with skews as well?

You've got your rig set up for around the same $$ I have in my Ryobi 8" grinder, good wheels, and the Wolverine system. I got my Wolverine second hand though. And I had to add another $30.00 in bushings to get it to stop trying to dance off my bench…


----------



## TheDane

dbhost-I don't see a way to use it with a skew and get decent results. One Way (Wolverine) makes a separate skew attachment that retails at about $30. I have a DMT diamond plate that I use to sharpen the skew.

I priced out Wolverine … to get what I've got (2 bases, 2 V-arms, 2 arms with elevated baskets, and 2 tool holders) would have cost me just about double what I spent on the Blackhawk.

I would like to have a flat tool rest … for now, I just bolt one of the ones that came with the grinder back in place.

-Gerry


----------



## dbhost

Like I mentioned, I got my Wolverine second hand… I know they are spendy new…

I am really liking the Accu Set device idea. I wonder if they fit the Wolverine jig…


----------



## TheDane

I have a hunch they would … I believe the Wolverine systems (check me if I'm wrong here), use a 3/4" bar, which is what Blackhawk uses.

-Gerry


----------



## TheDane

dbhost-Here's the deal … I'll drop one of the Accu-Sets in my bag, take it to class with me tonight, and try it on one of the Wolverines. I'll post a followup Tuesday 30Aug11.

-Gerry


----------



## GregInMaryland

How do you like the grinder? I picked up one last week, but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

Greg


----------



## TheDane

Grinder is terrific! Had a great out-of-the-box experience with it.

-Gerry


----------



## Ken90712

Nice review and congrats to getting into turning as well.


----------



## TheDane

Quick followup to dbhost's question on the Accu-Set devices … they do, in fact, fit the arms on the Wolverine sharpening rigs. I tested them last night in the shop at Western Technical College in La Crosse.

-Gerry


----------



## SSMDad

Same here Greg. Mine should arrive tomorrow. I have the Grizzly wet grinder which is ok but wanted something specifically for turning tools and thought this might be a good option.

Gerry, thanks for posting. This seems to be considerably less than the Wolverine so if it does as well, why not! Though $20 for shipping and handling seems pretty high. I'd rather he just charge more for the jig instead of trying to make money on the shipping.


----------



## TheDane

Chris-You ought to see how he packs it! It comes in a heavy cardboard tube with turned wood plugs screwed/glued in the ends (mine had rosettes). To open the tube, I needed a hacksaw.

I can't criticize him too much for the shipping costs. My company charges a flat $21.95 to ship a box in the lower 48 that weights less than 8 ounces (contains a CD)! There is a method to our madness … we try to push our customers to take electronic delivery of our software. We would like to be out of the printing/packaging end of the software business.

I tried to download Eddie's sharpening jig, but my hard drive just wouldn't allow it (LOL).

-Gerry


----------



## SSMDad

haha 

In that case I guess I should give it a shot. I'd still rather pay someone a bit more for their own work vs. something made by cheap labor for a company somewhere in the world.


----------



## TheDane

I think as I get further/deeper into turning, I may try some of his carbide cutters as well.

SWMBO informs me that my allowance is temporarily tapped out, but I'm saving pop cans here at the office and expect to cash in big on all of the Mountain Dew that the programming department goes through.

-Gerry


----------



## MartyFromNC

You've got to love Captain Eddie! His Youtube channel is one of my absolute favorites.

I've been considering buying one of these rigs since I'm too lazy to build one myself…this review may just seal the deal.


----------



## cajunpen

Just ran across your review. Eddie is a friend of mine - in fact I saw him yesterday. I'm also a big fan of his videos, he shares a ton of information and is truly a great guy. If you check out is site http://eddiecastelin.com/ you can find some nice bargains on your turning needs.


----------



## deparrott

I just read your review and I'm thinking about the same setup. It looks like the review is a couple of years old and I was wondering if after this length of time you would do it the same way again.
There are just so many choices…


----------



## TheDane

deparrott-I probably would … Eddie Castelin's system works as advertised and it is an economical way to get into decent, repeatable sharpening setup.

That being said, I sold my Blackhawk rig last year. When I retired (two years ago) a bunch of the guys chipped in and bought me a complete OneWay Wolverine system and a set of Raptor setup tools. I packed up the Blackhawk system when we moved and had it in storage for almost a year and a half. I 'found' it last summer and sold it to an LJ in Michigan.

I use the Wolverine system for gouges. Skews, scrapers, parting tools, etc. are sharpened on a Harbor Freight belt sander that has been converted into a sharpening rig. LJ HorizontalMike built one and wrote an excellent review: http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/3179 . Here's a link that describes some mods I made: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/45541


----------



## deparrott

Thank You Gerry. I appreciate your time in answering. I'm still thinking about what to get and like the sander setup but I really don't have room right now for one more tool. Decisions decisions. Sometimes I think the internet makes it harder to decide what to purchase by the time I research products, prices, and reviews. thanks again
Dale


----------



## deparrott

As a follow up Gerry I placed an order for the Wolverine system. One of the things I liked was the the extra base for a platform. Easy to switch the arm between course and fine on the wheels. I wasn't going to get the skew attachment but if I added it in Oneway offered free shipping so it made it worth getting it. Also ordered the vari-grind.

Now I wait..


----------



## TheDane

deparrott-You won't be sorry … one thing you can say about OneWay is their products are superbly engineered for fit, finish, and functionality.

Stay sharp!


----------



## ibewjon

if anyone is still following this post, i am also new to more than just play turning, and need advice on sharpening wheels… pink? white? norton blue? diamond from craft supply? or the cubic boron from woodcraft? looking for quality and long life…would the diamond or boron be a better LONG TERM investment?? i have a slow speed grinder, but with the gray wheels, and i need the proper wheels before i invest in a guide system. thanks for any help u can offer ibewjwjon


----------



## TheDane

I replaced my friable wheels with CBN wheels from http://www.woodturnerswonders.com/#products

They are a terrific upgrade … here's a review I wrote on them a few months back:
http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/3742

The only thing I would add to the review is that after almost seven months of use, I am still absolutely satisfied.


----------

