If you own a T2000 ...

[RichColvin]

... then you are in the same camp as me.   Mine is 16 or 17 years old and runs like a champ.  No pasture for this stallion !

But, I have made some improvements to mine that I recommend highly :

• the shaft was upgraded to stainless steel with the EzyLock nut (MSK-250)
• the universal support was replaced to have one with the micro adjust (US-105)
• replaced the truing tool, upgrading to the TT-50
• glued a rare earth magnet to the outside of the water tray to collect as many iron filings as possible

I like the way the T8 allows the water tray to be lowered, making it easier to empty the water without spilling it.  I am thinking about some way to put a spigot and drain pipe onto my water tray so I can drain it (at least somewhat) before removing the tray.  If anyone has an idea, please post a reply.

Kind regards,
Rich

[Ken S]

Rich,

Thoughtful and useful comments from someone who has spent many years in the Tormek trenches.
I think you have identified the key upgrades.

Watching you this afternoon with the copper tube gave me an idea on the drive home. I saved a couple syringes (without needles) from my grandchildren's early medicine. (They looked handy for my photographic darkroom.) The plumber used a much larger"syringe" to get all the water out of the toilet he changed for me, as does the generator man during annual oil changes. Surely there must be such a syringe sized right for removing most of the water from the Tormek water trough. If anyone knows, please post.

Ken

[grepper]

There are all sorts of fluid pumps/extractors/syringes, etc.  For reference:

fluid cup =  ~237 ml (cc) / 8oz

You can get 'em at auto parts stores.  You can even get motorized pumps or larger hand pumps that attach to a tank or even a 50 gal drum so you don't have to empty it very often.  Hint- 1 gallon water =  ~8 lbs.

I'm sure if you are industrious or lazy, an auto-empty / refill contraption could be made and operated with a remote or to go off on a timer whilst you slept. 

Search around for oil extractor, oil syringe, that sort of thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Plews-30-740-UltraView-Suction-Tube/dp/B008ZE1GPG/ref=pd_sbs_263_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=31J5fwZGVwL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR95%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=E228YW3S764G8C06X1JR

https://www.toolsource.com/fluid-evacuators-c-370_766/automotive-fluid-filler-extraction-syringe-1500cc-p-147048.html?sourceid=googleps&gclid=CMGk5Ib1yc0CFQkNaQodWNAL9Q

https://www.toolsource.com/fluid-evacuators-c-370_766/automotive-fluid-filler-extraction-syringe-200cc-p-147047.html

[Stickan]

Hi,
A drain pipe will get clogged from the remains of stone and metal though.

Best,
Stig

[Ken S]

I think the motorized model with a 50 gallon drum would be just the ticket for my T4!

Actually, I think something (the pump) in around a liquid cup (250ml) would be useful. Not all the water would be removed, leaving only the very heavy gritty water to clean with a paper towel. A holding bucket, perhaps a quart or liter would be adequate.

Ken

[Ken S]

Rich,

If I look at myself totally honestly, if I had bought a SuperGrind 2000 many years ago like you did, I would probably be using it today. Most of my bench planes date from 1909. (I am the second owner.) My grandfather's jack plane is a 1891 Stanley. My table saw is my other grandfather's 1931 Delta tilting table model. Even my favorite hammer is Dad's leather handled Estwing, and is as old as I am.

My original Tormek T7 (from 2009) was one of my newest tools. Before it was stolen, I had upgraded to the EXYlock shaft and Advanced Water Trough. So, I think I can honestly state that if I was in your shoes, I would still be using my T2000 with the upgrades you have made. I do believe that someone beginning today is best served by the latest model, however, I certainly understand staying with reliable tools of many years service.

Ken

[jeffs55]

How about a simple hole with a cork or rubber stopper. Drill the lowest point, plug with stopper, fill with water and go to town. When fininshed remove stopper and drain into something that will fit under the trough to prevent a mess. OR, simply do not fill to the rim to begin with and this will allow much easier and less messy removal.

[SharpenADullWitt]

Where are you located?  What sort of holiday's do you have?

Here in the USA, every year around Thanksgiving, you can find basters for $1, which would be good for sucking things up.  Then there are also things like large automotive sponges, or old t shirts, rags, etc. but you will have to worry about dripping.  Also, there are inexpensive transfer pumps sold at lots of these places.

The problem with any pipe is to fully drain it has to be at the lowest point.  To do that, the Machine needs to be larger, so the pipe is lower then the install setting on the machine.
Any pump, could get clogged up, as well as the drain.

[grepper]

If spillage is a problem just removing the trough, it's probably filled with more water than needed.  You really only need to have about ½" (13mm) of the wheel hitting the water.  Just enough so the wheel draws up water evenly over the surface of the wheel.

This will also reduce general splashing and mess.

[Ken S]

Excellent post, Grepper.

I noticed Steve Bottorff had the two Tormeks set up at the Hartville show with just enough water to have a little flow over the top of the grinding wheel. That was less than I usually use, and probably the reason so little spilled!

We need to maintain a certain level of water in the trough. The total amount of water needed is the amount of water absorbed by the grinding wheel plus the water in the trough. If we fill the trough using a graduate (a kitchen measuring graduate works fine) and allow the grinding wheel enough running time to fully absorb, we will know how much water is required. Assuming the amount of absorption will be fairly constant, if we use the same amount of water we measured in future sessions, we should always have the ideal amount or water. We will have enough to do the job with minimal spill.

I reuse plastic juice bottles to fill my Tormek. If we fill the plastic jar to the same amount of water using the same graduate, we can use a marker or a triangle of black tape to note the level.

Ken

[RichColvin]

You guys are WAY too scientific for me !  I dump water in the trough to the full line, add then more as it gets absorbed into the stone.  When it stops going down, I get to work.  I am too lazy to measure out the water.

Heck, I simply wanted a drain that would let out ½ the water or so.  Just enough that it didn't splash as I clumsily let the trough down.

But, maybe that's why I'm a wood turner and not a furniture maker !!

Kind regards,
Rich

[Ken S]

SADW,

You get the Popular Mechanics Home Workshop award for your turkey baster idea. Practical and cheap! Just what I was looking for!

Rich, you may be right about being too scientific. I do think the idea of measuring the water might be worth pursuing. I'll give it a go, for T4,7, and 8 and post the results.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

You guys are WAY too scientific for me !  I dump water in the trough to the full line, add then more as it gets absorbed into the stone.  When it stops going down, I get to work.  I am too lazy to measure out the water.

I do the same thing.

Heck, I simply wanted a drain that would let out ½ the water or so.  Just enough that it didn't splash as I clumsily let the trough down.

I'll try the turkey baster and let you know how it works. I agree with Stig that any sort of valve would quickly get gummed up.

By the way, I'm still using the SuperGrind 2000 that I bought back in 2002. I agree with your list of upgrades and have done them all except for the truing tool. I want to do it, but I just can't pull the trigger to justify the cost. Maybe if I were more than just a casual user.

And, oh yeah, I didn't buy a new Universal Support. I simply threaded the one I had and embedded a nut into a plastic cap from a juice bottle.

And I've painted mine black because the original green finish had flaked away in many places.

http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=1886.msg9734#msg9734

[Ken S]

Herman,

The new truing tool is made in two models, the TT-50 and the TT-50U. The U stands for upgrade, and means that the diamond tip is not included. The idea is that someone with the older model might prefer to reuse his diamond and save roughly half the price. I consider this customer considerate marketing.

Ken

[SharpenADullWitt]

Herman,

The new truing tool is made in two models, the TT-50 and the TT-50U. The U stands for upgrade, and means that the diamond tip is not included. The idea is that someone with the older model might prefer to reuse his diamond and save roughly half the price. I consider this customer considerate marketing.

Ken

I had to look that up, as I remember you could buy a replacement diamond, but forgot about the "upgrade".  The Truing tool, the book and the paste were the items that the prior owner couldn't find, when I bought my 2000.  He later found the book and brought it out to me.
Also the support bar has been upgraded, TWICE.
I think if you bought a Supergrind 2000 within a year of the threaded bar, they gave you an upgrade.  (from memory, but might have been something Jeff did at the shows)   I have the first bar (not threaded) and the second bar, but not the third bar.  If you have the old SE-60 as well as either the SE-76/77, then you will notice an extra knob.  That knob goes in the end of bar number 3, as a stop (see the jigs webpage and you will notice it).  I use an old trick that I read in one of Jeff's posts (put a magnet on the end of the bar)
The Prior owner bought a new stone after chipping his getting it off the shaft, so I did upgrade the shaft first thing.  I also bought the Truing tool, paste, and missing jigs.  The next upgrades were the newer water tray, and the swivel base.  I haven't upgraded any jigs to current ones, so I am one generation back on those now.  The one upgrade I would like to do, is upgrade from the single knob XB-100 to the double knob one, and use the single with the non threaded bar for a BGM setup.

I still would like to get a second one, current model with the blackstone, but life recently got very much in the way, so fun stuff is well on standby.  (standbuy might be just as adequate )