Raptor Platform Setup Tool & Multi-Depth Grinding Jig Guide

If there is one thing every woodturner learns early on, it is that time spent struggling at the bench grinder is time away from the lathe. Even worse, whenever your sharpening angles drift by just two or three degrees, you wind up grinding away valuable tool steel just to re-establish your bevel.

To solve this, I originally made my own wooden setup jigs in the shop. After seeing how much time and hassle they saved, we decided to elevate them: we upgraded the design to laser-cut metal and officially added them to the Raptor line.

Here is a closer look at two game-changing additions to our sharpening workflow: the Raptor Platform Setup Tool and the Multi-Depth Grinding Jig Guide.

1. The Multi-Depth Grinding Jig Guide

Consistency is everything when sharpening gouges. If your gouge sticks out even a fraction of an inch further from your grinding jig (like a Vari-Grind) than it did during your last session, your bevel angle changes entirely.

Previously, turners had to buy individual jig guides for each protrusion depth. The Multi-Depth Grinding Jig Guide combines all four essential protrusion depths onto a single steel plate.

The 4 Protrusion Depths Explained:

1. 1-3/4” Protrusion: Designed for turners using 6-inch grinding wheels.
   
2. 2” Protrusion: The standard setup depth for standard 8-inch Raptor grinding setups and most gouge sharpening jigs.
   
3. 2-1/2” Protrusion: Used for grinding a secondary clearance bevel (grinding off the heel of your gouge) so the back of the tool doesn’t rub or score your workpiece inside deep bowl turns.
   
4. 3” Protrusion: The exact stick-out depth required for setting up the popular 40/40 grind.

How to Use It:

Loosen the clamping knob on your gouge sharpening jig (such as a Vari-Grind). Insert the gouge through the leg collar and push the tip into the desired slot on the Multi-Depth Guide plate until it bottoms out. Press the jig body firmly against the guide face, lock the knob down, and your protrusion is set accurately in seconds.

2. The Raptor Platform Setup Tool

While gouge jigs handle bowl and spindle gouges, platform setups for skews, scrapers, and negative rake scrapers have traditionally required manual eyeballing or protractors.

The Raptor Platform Setup Tool solves this by establishing two solid points of contact on your grinding wheel, letting you set your platform rest to a precise, repeatable angle in seconds. Because you achieve the exact same angle every time, you only remove a micro-layer of steel during resharpening—saving your tools and saving you money down the road.

Features 4 Calibrated Angles:

• 22° (Skew Chisels & Bedan Tools): Skews have long, thin bevels that require frequent touch-ups. Setting a repeatable 22° angle prevents multi-faceted edges and extends the life of your skew.
  
• 35° (Negative Rake Scrapers): Sets a 35° top and 35° nose bevel (yielding a 70° included angle). This is the exact profile favored by master turner Glenn Lucas for ultra-clean finish cuts on dense grain.
  
• 40° (Spindle Roughing Gouges & 40/40 Platform Grinds): Perfect for establishing a sturdy 40° edge on spindle roughing gouges without needing a gouge jig.
  
• 70° (Standard Scrapers): The “sweet spot” for box scrapers, round nose, and square scrapers. An angle under 60° can get grabby on dense hardwoods, while 70° offers the ideal balance of aggressive cutting power and smooth control.

How to Set Your Platform Angle:

1. Turn off your grinder and ensure the wheel is completely stationary.
   
2. Place the flat reference edge of the Raptor Platform Setup Tool against your grinding platform.
   
3. Adjust the tilt and distance of your platform until both contact points on the Raptor tool touch the face of the grinding wheel simultaneously without gaps beneath the base.
   
4. Lock your platform assembly securely in place.

Sharpening Tips & Techniques

Sharpening a Skew Chisel (22°)

• Remove the Handle (If Applicable). Removing unneeded handle length makes short skew blades easier to maneuver across the rest.
  
• Start at the heel of the cutting edge and smoothly sweep toward the long point. Stop before going past the long point so you don’t draw back or round over the tip used for V-cuts and tenons.
  
• Check both sides frequently to keep the bevel lengths equal.
  

Sharpening a Spindle Roughing Gouge (40°)

• Ground wings should remain flat across the front to excel at peel cuts. Avoid swinging the handle excessively, as this creates convex wings.
  
• Grind the straight wings first, then lightly roll the tool across the nose to blend the profile smoothly.
  

Sharpening Negative Rake Scrapers (35°)

• Grind the bottom bevel first, then flip the tool upside down to sharpen the top 35° secondary bevel.
  
• Finish by making your final light pass on the bottom bevel so that the cutting burr points upward toward the top surface where it cuts best.
  

Final Thoughts

The goal of the Raptor setup line is simple: spend less time adjusting jigs and more time making shavings. Whether you need quick protrusion checks for bowl gouges or rapid platform alignment for skews and scrapers, these two tools bring professional-grade repeatability to your shop setup.