First thoughts

[Wybrook]

After several months of debate I finally took the plunge and got a T-7 last weekend.  I'm only starting to get it grips with it, but it certainly feels like a quality piece of kit.  However, there's a couple of points I think Tormek should look at.

1) Why not supply a second universal support to save having to swap back and forth ? e.g. I've been trying to re-shape a skew chisel a bit and have needed to dress the wheel a coupe of times.  Doesn't take long to swap over, but it just seems to be a bit of a reduction in the overall quality/useability of the product. Yes, I'm sure I can buy another one, but that's bound to  be more expensive than just having it from day one.

2) Oil for the honing wheel.  I was about to use 3in1 oil until I read the forum last night and decided to wait and get some sewing machine oil - which cost £2 and came in a bottle that was just the right size (20 ml but I've got the woodturning kit with god extra wheels).  But given it would presumably only cost Tormek a few pennies to add a bottle of oil alongside the honing paste, why not ditch the plasters and provide something you will need.

3) The plasters. Probably the most intimidating part of the package! Guess I won't be able to say I wasn't warned when the inevitable happens 

However those are just minor niggles, overall I'm impressed by the quality and thought that's gone into the T-7 and very happy I finally took the plunge 

[and I was so impressed with the quality of the machine that I even ironed the cover before I put it on  ]

[Herman Trivilino]

A small disposable tube containing just the right amount of oil is a good idea. 

The extra Universal Support would up the cost of the machine significantly.  Personally, I wouldn't get much use out of it.  I don't understand your comment about dressing the grindstone.  How is that connected with the use of the US?

Plasters?  I have no idea what that is?     (Edit: Never mind, I had to google it, and here I thought I knew all the British terminology!)

Anyway, welcome to the forum and I'm glad you're enjoying your new T-7.

[Rob]

What do you call Plasters then Herman, is it band aid? If so, that's a brand.  Bit like we call a vacuum cleaner a hoover over here :-)

[Herman Trivilino]

Bandage, or band-aid. 

[Mike Fairleigh]

That does it.  From now on I'm calling them plasters.  That is just brilliant.

[Rob]

Nooooo...a bandage is a big white length of cloth that you wrap big wounds in!!  You Americans haven't got this language thing sorted at all have you??  The full name is "sticking plaster".  We do get band-aids here too, they're a (very popular) form of plaster :-)

Bob's yer Uncle :-)

What's the adage:  2 nations separated by the same language :-)

Now......I just fancy a couple of faggots for dinner tonight.......

[grepper]

Maybe we can settle this kerfuffle and plaster it with a band-aid.

Here we have standardized calling a band-aid an adhesive bandage.

[Wybrook]

Reminds me of the piper who used to operate near Waverley station in Edinburgh.  He had a sign that read "English spoken, American understood".

Mind you I heard at the weekend that at least one Scottish school no longer teaches "English" as a subject, it's now called "Language".  That would make a bit of a mess of the piper's sign .....

[Herman Trivilino]

Nooooo...a bandage is a big white length of cloth that you wrap big wounds in!!  You Americans haven't got this language thing sorted at all have you??  The full name is "sticking plaster".  We do get band-aids here too, they're a (very popular) form of plaster :-)

Sticking plaster, huhh?  As opposed to a non-sticking plaster?

On this side of the pond our plaster sticks to walls, not people.  Well, it does stick to people, but we don't do that on purpose.

[Rob]

 

[SSteve]

I agree that it would be great if they included oil for the honing wheel. I bought my Tormek about a month ago and on Sunday was finally able to get it out of the box. I was excited to try it out, but didn't have any sewing machine oil on hand. I went to my local hardware store but the closest they had was 3-in-1. I didn't get it because I wasn't sure it was the right thing (and I guess it turns out that it isn't). Now I have to figure out who in my rural area sells sewing machine oil. In the meantime, I've yet to use my Tormek because of my trip to go look for oil. My first-use experience would have been greatly improved if the oil was in the box.

[Jambe]

I used 3 in 1 oil.  Probably not enough though, after reading here about being careful not to use too much. 





(P.S. I read the messages on this forum every day, hoping to become more knowledgeable and proficient.)

[Rob]

Just for future ref 3in1 isn't ideal because its too viscous.  Really what's wanted is a light machine oil like mineral oil or camelia oil or sewing machine oil etc.  Oil for very delicate parts is the order of the day.  I think regular household baby oil is ok but I wouldn't be comfortable recommending it without Jeff corroborating that.

But recall what Herman mentioned, the initial oil is only to get past the new dry wheel.  After a few sessions the oil in the honing paste will have taken over anyway.

[Jeff Farris]

Baby oil is perfect. It's mineral oil with fragrance added. Makes the shop pleasant. 

[Rob]

There y'are....what he said :-)