Which jigs?????

[Stickan]

Hi,
Sounds much worse than it actually is.
On page 49 in the handbook you have detailed info for tools for woodcarving.

You have the answer in your questions, you need the SVD-186 for curved gouges/swan necked tools or back bent gouges/shallow bent, straight tools under 38 mm are sharpened on the SVS-38 and Square chisels with SVS-50.

Sounds like your set-up of jigs would be SVD-186, SVS-38, SVD-110 and maybe the SVS-50.

If you have carving knives you need SVM-45 and maybe SVM-00 if you have knives with small blades.

In general I think its lazy by a retailer to say that someone should sharpen their tools freehand. If the clerk has the experience himself he/she should not think that someone else can do it. It takes years to learn doing it freehand and have ruined many dreams of becoming a good wood artist. Even most professional turners/carvers this days are using jigs. The cost of jigs are cheaper in the long run than buying new tools that you are removing a lot of steel on during freehand sharpening.

Read the manual, sharpen some tools by following our guidelines and its like learning to ride a bike. When you know how to do it, you don't forget.

Sincerely,
Stig

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, Rusty1.

I have had a T4 for almost two years (and a T 7 for seven years). I like both. In my opinion, the T4 is very well suited for carving. It has much more power than a carver will ever need, and it is light and compact. I purchased a thirty dollar single ball bowling bag for carrying it, which makes it extremely and pleasantly portable. (If you would like to learn more about using the bowling bag, post a new topic. I will gladly share my ideas on this.)

Any grinder, wet or dry, needs a method of truing and dressing the grinding wheel. In my opinion, no T4 should leave the store without a TT-50 unless the owner already has one. The TT-50 is a very well designed essential tool. Too many "gremlins" have snuck up on me because of a wheel worn untrue. Truing the wheel takes very little time and very little wheel diameter. It is a skill easily learned and will pay a nice return in your sharpening.

No Tormek should leave the store without a turkey baster.
I thought the SVD-185 used with the TTS-100 was Tormek's pinnicle combination. It was until the SVD-186 replaced it. The SVD-186 is the one Tormek jig I have used which I recommend purchasing to replace an existing jig. You will be pleased with it.k

As you sharpen your carving tools, keep a little notebook noting how much the tool protrudes from the jig and the distance between the top of the universal support and the grinding wheel. Also note the bevel angle.

The next time you sharpen that tool, you can use these settings for exact repeatability.

Keep your grinding wheel graded fine; you don't want to "convert your chef's knives into paring knives".

Keep posting.

Ken

[RichColvin]

Ken,

I have found the Tormek profile labels to be a great way to quickly resharpen a tool.  When I use a jig other than the SVD-185/186, I simply write the jig's designation (e.g., SVS-50) on the label also.

The ones I use are from Tormek and look like the picture below.  I tried using a label maker and taping them onto the tool, but they always came off.  The Tormek ones stick on very well to the grommet.



Kind regards,
Rich

[SharpenADullWitt]

The Tormek labels are the one item that is a bit harder to find, as they don't carry them in the stores where I saw the jigs and such.  They are an easier find online.

[Ken S]

At the risk of giving the store away, I think replacement labels would be great "goodwill" candidates to be given by importers and/or dealers to customers. They are inexpensive and can be mailed in a standard letter envelope?

As a temporary substitute, masking tape will do the job.

The labels are a great idea.

Ken

[Hatchcanyon]

Its true the labels are not that easy to find.

The shop where I purchase often did not have them. I asked why? Now they added these little things.

Normally I use them for turning tools.

Rolf

[RichColvin]

I get them from Amazon.  With Prime, there is free shipping.

[Ken S]

Useful post. Thanks, Rich.

Ken