Mounting BGM-100 Set on my Grinder?

[paulkane1]

I have just purchased 2 BGM -100 Sets ,to place on my 6 inch grinder,on which ,I have a 6 inch CBN Wheel,and a O,Donnell red stone for shapening or grinding my woodturning tools.(CBN Wheel is for sharpening).  On the instructions that came with the BGM-100 Set,it states that if one is mounting on both sides of ones grinder,,the recommened lengths on the Left and Right sides differ ,due to the asymmetrical Gouge Jig SVD-185,The Left side is 190 mm from (I presume ) looking at the diagram ,outside of your left wheel too the outside of your Height Adjustable Block,and it's 160 mm from outside of your Right wheel too the outside of your Height Adjustable Block. Could someone kindly clarify something for me please? Can I use the Gouge Jig SVD -185, both on the Grinding Wheel side to shape my profile,then over to the other CBN Wheel to Sharpen my tool? even tough the 2 Height Ajustable Blocks are set at different distances? or is this irrelevant ,the important measurement is the actual height of the adjustable block ,so that your TTS-100 tool setter,sits perfect on the Arc of your wheel. I hope I have not been too long winded,on this matter,but I want to set it up right.

                                 Yours Kindly Paul

[Rob]

I've got my BGM setup on only one side of my dry grinder but I see no reason why the gouge jig wouldn't work.  The critical factor in use with the gouge jig (because its producing an elliptical grind) is that when you swing it from side to side it can have a tendency to fall off the side of the wheel (and that's on my Tormek which has wide wheels).  6 inch dry grinders wheels are typically even narrower than the T7.  But all the adjustment needed to setup the gouge jig is in the protrusion setting beyond the shoulder of the jig coupled with the knuckle setting (1 through 6) and finally the distance of the support bar (upon which the jig is held in sliding mode) from the wheel.  As long as the support bar crosses the full width of the wheels on either side plus a bit more then I see nothing stopping you from being able to make those adjustments.

You will need to be careful when swinging it that it doesn't fall off either edge at the max of its swing.

[paulkane1]

At the moment I do not have a Tormek T7 ,(I hope the family will buy me one for Christmas ),that is why I am using the BGM-100 on both sides,one for grinding the shape,and the CBN Wheel for sharpening the tool. Thanks kindly for your help,What's your view on the Tormek T7,they say it's the bees-knees for sharpening your woodturning tools? It is expensive,but the feedback seems to indicate that it's a very sound and we'll made system.

                         Yours Kindly Paul

[Rob]

The easiest way to summarise the Tormek at the helicopter level is that its good at sharpening and terrible at shaping.  It's certainly very well made, robust etc and will go on for many many years with only minor faults every now and then.  They give it a 7 year guarantee because they're confident in its ability to not break and that experience is largely borne out on this forum's membership, many of whom are very advanced users.

I am a woodworker and turner also who started with a T7 because I already had one for bench tools and knives.  I became frustrated at trying different grinds, particularly on bowl gouges but also on detail spindle gouges and immensely frustrated with skew chisels. What has always frustrated me is a sharpening operation that takes too long and keeps me away from the lathe.  I found that any operation that requires removing a lot of steel on the Tormek (especially HSS) to be long, laborious and painful to the fingers.  That includes, skew chisels (in fact anything with a large surface area bevel), experimenting with different bowl gouge grinds etc.  So I got a dry grinder and a BGM to try and marry the speed of the fast grind with the precision of the Tormek jigs.  It has sped things up but of course you then start bumping into overheating problems.

In the end I started seeing belt grinder/linisher style systems at wood turning shows and plumped for one and have been very happy with the compromise between speed and coolness.

So now my personal setup is somewhat eclectic in that I have my T7 setup for my favourite bowl gouge with the elliptical jig you refer to (I only ever sharpen on the T7 rather than shape).  I have the Torlok toolrest setup on my BGM for round nose scrapers and I use my linisher for everything else, especially skews and also I do my detail spindle gouges and roughing gouge on the linisher (and bedan and other square type scrapers).

The Tormek is refined and good quality for sharpening but the huge variety of jigs for different turning tools is time consuming on the setup and it really is awful at shaping anything but the smallest of tools ie minimal steel removal.  The need to keep regrading the stone to keep it cutting also drives me insane.

But on the plus side its very versatile in that you can handle everything from lawn mower blades, kitchen knives and many other edge tools and in the main Tormek's jigs are superb quality.

If I had my time over again, although I definitely value my T7, I wouldn't be happy paying the new price for it.  I would buy 2nd hand (because they're so robust).  But given the advent of these much cheaper linisher style tools, for turning specifically, they would be my first choice.  Not as slick as the Tormek for that pin sharp edge but easily good enough for turning, much quicker to setup and use, half the price and require very little learning and skill ramp up to use effectively because they're brilliantly designed.

[Herman Trivilino]

Excellent review, Rob. Thanks for that information.

[Rob]

you're most welcome Herman.

[paulkane1]

The easiest way to summarise the Tormek at the helicopter level is that its good at sharpening and terrible at shaping.  It's certainly very well made, robust etc and will go on for many many years with only minor faults every now and then.  They give it a 7 year guarantee because they're confident in its ability to not break and that experience is largely borne out on this forum's membership, many of whom are very advanced users.

I am a woodworker and turner also who started with a T7 because I already had one for bench tools and knives.  I became frustrated at trying different grinds, particularly on bowl gouges but also on detail spindle gouges and immensely frustrated with skew chisels. What has always frustrated me is a sharpening operation that takes too long and keeps me away from the lathe.  I found that any operation that requires removing a lot of steel on the Tormek (especially HSS) to be long, laborious and painful to the fingers.  That includes, skew chisels (in fact anything with a large surface area bevel), experimenting with different bowl gouge grinds etc.  So I got a dry grinder and a BGM to try and marry the speed of the fast grind with the precision of the Tormek jigs.  It has sped things up but of course you then start bumping into overheating problems.

In the end I started seeing belt grinder/linisher style systems at wood turning shows and plumped for one and have been very happy with the compromise between speed and coolness.

So now my personal setup is somewhat eclectic in that I have my T7 setup for my favourite bowl gouge with the elliptical jig you refer to (I only ever sharpen on the T7 rather than shape).  I have the Torlok toolrest setup on my BGM for round nose scrapers and I use my linisher for everything else, especially skews and also I do my detail spindle gouges and roughing gouge on the linisher (and bedan and other square type scrapers).

The Tormek is refined and good quality for sharpening but the huge variety of jigs for different turning tools is time consuming on the setup and it really is awful at shaping anything but the smallest of tools ie minimal steel removal.  The need to keep regrading the stone to keep it cutting also drives me insane.

But on the plus side its very versatile in that you can handle everything from lawn mower blades, kitchen knives and many other edge tools and in the main Tormek's jigs are superb quality.

If I had my time over again, although I definitely value my T7, I wouldn't be happy paying the new price for it.  I would buy 2nd hand (because they're so robust).  But given the advent of these much cheaper linisher style tools, for turning specifically, they would be my first choice.  Not as slick as the Tormek for that pin sharp edge but easily good enough for turning, much quicker to setup and use, half the price and require very little learning and skill ramp up to use effectively because they're brilliantly designed.

.  Thanks for your post, Is it the Robert Sorby type system ,that you would be referring to, or is there another type belt system,    Yours Kindly Paul

[Rob]

Hi Paul

Forum rules mean its not appropriate to discuss specific competitive product which is understandable given this site is owned by Tormek.

[SharpenADullWitt]

If I had my time over again, although I definitely value my T7, I wouldn't be happy paying the new price for it.  I would buy 2nd hand (because they're so robust).

As someone who bought his second hand, I want to modify this a bit.  I am happy with my setup, as it was very cost effective.  Mine is a Tormek 2000, from around the time they switched to the stainless shaft.  It didn't take much to upgrade my machine; my biggest cost was the jigs I wanted weren't with it (former owner had more of the turning stuff).
Now, there is the third Tormek on my local CL that I have seen.  (mine, a T 3 NIB unused, and now the older square frame 2000 model) Since the one on there now costs more then mine did (listed for $250 now, after dramatically dropping over the last couple months), has fewer, older, jigs, and has the square frame, the cost to make it current, would be too close to new. (without the warranty)
You can do better, if you know what jigs you need and how far along the one your looking at is.

[Herman Trivilino]

Just keep in mind when comparing prices that a new Tormek comes with only the square edge jig and the truing tool.

[SharpenADullWitt]

Just keep in mind when comparing prices that a new Tormek comes with only the square edge jig and the truing tool.

Wrong, try again. The grading stone, the larger water trough, the stainless steel shaft (and a new stone, compared with what size stone is on a used one and the possibility of breakage, when swapping shafts) a possibly newer angle jig (shows lower degrees for some things), and a FULL tube of honing compound.
Those all need to be figured into the cost, new verses upgrading. It can be done (I did it, sub $190 for my Tormek), but I didn't also need the newer frame and stickers, that the square frame model would to bring it up to date. (also need to know the time frame one has to wait for one, I waited 7 years from the time I saw one and couldn't afford it, till I found a deal)

[Rob]

good points there...its easy to overlook the smaller things and actually that was quite a list wasn't it.  In particular the wear of the wheel.  My silicon blackstone wheel cost over a £100 so its not cheap.

[Terry Tjader]

T-7 also come with the new handy dandy spiral book ;

[Ken S]

Don't underestimate the "handy, dandy spiral book". Each time I read through it I learn something new. My pre-spiral edition is now several years old. I also have the latest edition downloaded (no charge from the Tormek website) in ibooks on my ipad.

A different tab on this same website lists the tech support email address for Tormek in Sweden. That's the next place to try for unusual questions which we can't answer. (It is listed with warranty information.)

Ken

[Terry Tjader]

I wasn't making light of the book. I think it is a valuable asset; I was just adding it to the list of features.