call me crazy...
GaryG in MD
...but I don't like sharpening my blind hollowing (Oland) scraper bits by hand. I'm not very good at it, and I waste too much metal. So I decided to see if I could use the Wolverine/VariGrind for the ones that aren't glued in.
Answer = Yes!
I take the bits out of whatever bar they may be in (usually angled in some way) and put them into a straight bar -- I use my John Jordan 1/2" without a handle. I find that, for my bits, I can get a decent shape around the cutting tip by setting the leg all the way to the bottom (as far as it will go past '6') and using a very short extension of the tool out of the jig -- say one inch or a tad more. After setting those two things, I adjust the v-block arm to match the tip to the stone at the existing nose angle -- I'd guess typically something on the order of 70-75º by eyeball. It works great for me. After the first time, the shape will match by definition. If your bits are initially shaped differently from mine, you'll have to play around and find your own best combination of settings to get the shape you prefer. The point is, it can be done.
From now on, I'll be removing just a whisper of metal from the bits -- not the case when I do them by hand. I will now be much more prone to sharpening more frequently, and that's a very good thing. The piece of fairly dry black locust I've been hollowing has been laughing at me. No longer! ...GG
I hate moving any of the jig settings-its a problem for some people, so I came up with the little sharpening jig. The small tips aren't quite so critical as the bowl gouge, and one's eyeball is usually adequate. Good job!