The symptoms of dull
Dust rather than shavings. A surface that tears no matter how you present the tool. Having to push. And catches, which are frequently blamed on technique when the edge is the cause.
What a jig buys
Repeatability. Freehand grinding changes the bevel angle slightly every time, and a changing bevel means a tool that presents differently on every sharpening. A jig reproduces the same grind in seconds, which is what makes frequent sharpening practical.
Grinder, not stones
Turning tools are sharpened on a grinder and used straight from it. The wire edge a grinder leaves is removed by the first cut. Honing is for chisels and plane irons, where the edge has to last.
Carbide as an alternative
Carbide-tipped tools are rotated rather than sharpened. They scrape rather than slice, so the finish off the tool is not as good — but they remove sharpening from the learning curve entirely, which for a beginner is a real argument.
This does not replace your machine’s manual. Guards, riving knives and safe working procedures differ between machines, and the manufacturer’s instructions for yours take precedence over anything written here.
What comes up most often
How often?
Far more often than feels reasonable — minutes of cutting, not hours. Experienced turners sharpen several times within a single bowl.
Last reviewed 2026-08-12
