For the turners out here who own and are using a Wolverine jig I need some help. I am installing the jig under a 6" grinder WITHOUT wheel guards. The instructions state "The base must be approximately 1/2" or less from the front of the mounting board". Are they referring to the Wolverine base or grinder base?

The directions also recommend 6 1/4"-6 1/2" from the mounting board to the centerline of the grinder shaft. Is this clearance necessary for a grinder WITHOUT guards? Directions " This will be necessary if any part of the base interferes with the wheel guards and when using the ONEWAY Dressing Jig", which I also purchased.

I know that using a grinder without guards is not a very safe practice but my grinder did not have any at time of purchase. I am looking for some, but they are not readily available for a Cincinnati grinder from 1955.

 

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My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist

I have the Wolverine Jig set up on my 8" grinder. The guards are of no issue for the jig itself but for your safety to keep flying metal from hitting you and your hands away from the spinning wheels. I do not have the installation instructions on hand, so here are photos of my set up which hopefully will help you out. The important thing is that the jig bases are in perfect alignment with the center of the wheel and that you have enough space for the locking handles to move freely so as not to bump into the grinder (especially since you have no guards as that could scrape your hand up pretty badly). I had to raise my grinder up a bit higher so as to have the proper clearance but your installation may be different. You want to make sure that you have the jig base mounted so that it is held firmly in place by all the screws/bolts necessary and that the jig accessories can slide in and out of the jig bases fully and be supported and that the locking handles (or your hands) will not come into contact with the wheels as you will have to make adjustments while the wheel is spinning (note: you can adjust the locking handles by using an Allen Wrench to loosen the screw that holds the locking cam to the handle). The installation is not rocket science and should be pretty straight forward. Not all grinders are the same in design or in wheel size so you just have to play with it a bit until you are satisfied with the placement and your safety.

 

I really have enjoyed my Wolverine jig as it works well. Make sure that you put good quality wheels on your grinder and that they are balanced.

 

 

 

To follow up.

 

When I turn I use both gouges and skews most often. Since the skew sharpening attachment (if you purchased it) attaches to the gouge attachment you have to swap it back and forth to sharpen both. But when I swithc them back and forth I have to re-adjust the settings every time as the skews and gouges have different distances from the wheels. So I made myself another gouge attachment out of wood (no, not my design but I saw another woodturner do the same thing) so that I can have both set up on the grinder at the same time so I don't have to change the angles on either one. It works real well but you will notice a bit of burning on the shaft of the gouge attachment as it got a bit hot when I was working on getting a really messed up gouge back into shape. The wooden gouge attachment was made from scrap wood and was easy to make. Not need to fork out $$$ for another one from Wolverine.

 

 

Thanks Allen. For wheels I have some new Nortons. My main concern was distance from the mounting board to the centerline of the grinding wheel. I am at 5 3/4 and adding another 3/4" will be a major PITA. My grinder is on a pedestal with a magnetic starter mounted on the rear of the grinder and it covers the rear mounting bolt of the grinder itself.

 

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My job is to give my kids things to discuss with their therapist