Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  How long does the belt last?

A.  At least 1000 sharpenings. It depends on the size of your chisels and the type of steel.

 

Q.  Can I sharpen woodturning scrapers too?

A.  No.  Scrapers are best sharpened on a platform jig and wheel.

 

Q.  Can I sharpen skew chisels as well as gouges?

A.  Yes. This system is ideal for skew chisels.

 

Q.  Can I sharpen curved skew chisels too?

A.  Yes.

 

Q. Can I sharpen skew chisels with oval or round cross section?

A. Yes.

 

Q. Do I have to shift the position of the vee block from left to right when I sharpen skew chisels?

A. No. You only have to do that when you use a wheel (because it's curved.)

Q. Can I also obtain side grind on my bowl gouges

A. Yes, if you own a side grind attachment, the leg will fit in the Versa Jig.
Following are some side grind attachments on the market: (prices 11/07)
• OneWay Wolverine Vari-Grind Jig $48
• Woodcut Tru-Grind $63
• Ellsworth (for 5/8 only) $45
• Packard Woodworks house brand (3/8 to 5/8) $30

 

Q. Besides turning chisels, what other woodshop tools can I sharpen on this machine?

A. Using the vee block for long chisels, and the Versa Jig for short chisels and plane irons, this machine will sharpen all chisels, and many other tools in your shop. The list of tools that can be sharpened on this machine is too long to mention here, but includes: cabinet chisels, carving chisels, knives, cabinet scrapers (card scrapers), etc.

 

Q: Can I buy a belt sander and build my own system?

A. Sure. We'll even help you. You can get any of the conversion components that you need from us (such as buffing wheel adaptors). If you build your own machine, it will take you a long time, and you're not likely to end up with as good a result. When we receive the machines, we disassemble them completely and remachine all of the pulleys (for the abrasive belt and the v-belt). We replace the v-belt, manufacture the buffing adaptors with a 10 mm bore, and make the vee-blocks with the bullet shaped pins. Most important we drill the pegboards with a precision drilling jig that maintains the hole spacing to within .002 inch accuracy to assure that the block fits smoothly in every position. You could do all these things, or you could be sharpening five minutes after unpacking our system.