I have a workshop 3000 that has been good for chisels and plane irons. I recently got into wood turning and have been using the worksharp for lathe tools, but haven't been happy with the results. Practice hasn't really made getting sharp tools much better. I do not have the optional bar, which has, unfortunately, been discontinued.

So, I am looking at my options for a sharpening upgrade. I have considered building additions to the worksharp that include some kind of tool bar similar to the one stumpy nubs has plans for I have also considered an ordinary bench grinder, a swell as a slow speed grinder. I'm not crazy about the cost and single use tool, but I am open to a wet sharpening system that would likely be some kind of Tormek clone.

I really want to balance performance, ease of use, versatility, and cost, probably prioritized in that order. This board has been helpful in the past, so I am hoping for experiences and thoughts of others.

When I did turning I had a Tormek...lots of attachments, worked great.

grinder, CBN wheel (180 or 220) and varigrind jig. I prefer the varigrind over the varigrind 2.

and I'm a big fan of Thompson lathe tools.

Thanks, those answers are helpful. Do you recommend any particular specs on the grinder? I've heard that slow speed is preferred, I suppose because it would be slower to overheat the tools. Is that really a big problem? I'd assume that it might be while establishing your bevels, but after that, it should be too much of a problem.

I like the looks of the varigrind. I have access to some tormek jigs and a tool bar for them, but I don't know how well they would work with a standard grinder. I spoke up for them, but after looking at them, I'm not overly excited. I don't want to break the bank, but I really want to do this once and be done. I might have to wait to upgrade to CBN wheels later, but I don't have any intention of changing systems anytime soon once I settle on one.