the different variety of universal support bars mystery solved.

[Ken S]

I remember an earlier post on this forum where the poster ended up having the wrong universal support bar. His bar was too short and he had trouble with the grinding not being square.

This had puzzled me until I had the chance to look at both models support bars, the T3/4 model 103 and the T7 model 105. Held side by side, they are remarkably similar. The difference is that the 105 is about a half inch longer.

Why the difference in length? Either will fit on either model Tormek.

I received an email this morning from a Tormek rep which solved the mystery. The T3/4 require a slightly shorter length horizontal bar in order for the screw in stop to stop the square edge jig before the chisel falls off the slightly narrower grinding wheel. The 200 mm wheel for the T3/4 is not only smaller in diameter, it is also 10mm narrower.

That makes good sense. I have not used the end stop for a long time.  However, I do remember a chisel occasionally falling off the edge of the wheel. The screw in stop is a good safety idea.

I am one of a very few people on this forum who would like to have the option of a taller and longer universal support bar. However, I concede that the present model is more logical for anyone learning how to use the Tormek.

Ken

[SharpenADullWitt]

There is a tool that I did, that I would have liked a longer bar, or the bar drilled for the stop. (mine is prior to that)
After searching this forum, I found Jeff's suggestion to use a rare earth magnet, and picked up one between a nickel and quarter size and retried.  That made a difference.
It is an old suggestion that I don't see much, since the bar changed.