I'm looking for something that's let's me set at least every 5 degrees. The jigs I make let me duplicate a known angle on my tools but if I want to start from scratch and pick 40 or 45 or some other angle. The Tormek jig is similar to what I want but only works with their tool rest.
Sorry for joining the party so late. BTW the patent has expired! Let's review our math, geometry, trig, and algebra in order to incorporate all the variables you will need to find or make such a device for woodturning! LOL
I remember enough math etc. to accurately calculate a given gouge nose angle by presenting the nose tangental to the wheel, in theory. In practice, it's not so simple to do. A universal solution has to consider various wheel sizes, grinder setup, platform or slide height, and even gouge diameter, and I probably left out a few variables. If I were at your shop, I would be able to troubleshoot your 50, 40, and 32-degree readings. It could be simple or complicated. In either case, it is not easy enough to explain to your students. The simplest solution is to do what you are doing with your tools as models. Don Gieger of GiegersSolution taught me that by providing a standard sixty-degree rod in his Varigrind supplement kit, you match the nose angle on the grinder to the standard first, then add the X-inch(2") spacer, set the angle, and move the slide to accommodate the setup. I didn't buy his kit, but a friend did and I helped him set up the jig. It was ingenious how he simplified the setup, realized that a height adjustment may be needed, and copied the machinist concept of using standards to set angles. After returning from my friends, I immediately started cutting up wooden 1/2" dowels of various angles for setups. Later I switched to aluminum dowels and I cut PVC to specific lengths for repeatability. I added flat standards of various angles out of 2x4s for the platform. To consolidate the two sets, I am thinking of offset turning some dowels from squares so that the top and bottom have flats. For the gouges, I forgot to mention, that first I mark the angle halfway and initialize by grinding an imprint of an arc from the grinder. This makes it easier for subsequent setups.
To summarize, I started with the Elsworth Jig which said the slide should be something like 4" from the wheel then 7 inches out. I asked David at his course, "what angle is the gouge supposed to be?" He replied, " I don't know maybe 55 degrees". That was ok then, but now I set the motion by putting a 60-degree standard in and setting up everything else around that. The dog and the tail thing.