Simple jig puts the grind on curved cutters

Many turners use only a bench grinder to sharpen their chisels and gouges. I find that I have to do less honing when I use my disc sander with a 320-grit disc instead. But to grind a perfect edge on a rounded profile, such as a bowl gouge, I needed a jig to hold the tool steady and at the correct angle.

My design is simple: I made the base from ³⁄₄ " plywood with a hardwood runner to fit the sander's miter-gauge slot. After drilling a hole through a hardwood block to snugly hold the shaft of the gouge, I mounted it to the base at the same angle as the bevel of the tool's blade.

To avoid overheating the blade, slide the jig toward the middle, where the disc turns more slowly.
—Bill Wells, Olympia, Wash.