Turning the machine

[Hatchcanyon]

May I ask who turns his Tormek regularely and why?

Having the machine for half a year and sharpening chisels, knives, router irons and turning tools I never had the wish to turn it around, was always comfortable with the stone on the right side.

Rolf

[Rem]

Being a total neophyte in all matters Tormek, I find it convenient to do a 180 for ease of access to the honing wheel moving away from you.   But I could be missing something here.   R   

[jeffs55]

I turn the machine so that the honing wheel is on the right side as my right hand likes to be on the same side as it. I could walk around to the back of the machine though and in up in the same orientation.

[Ken S]

Before we get too far away from this topic, I would like to throw out a suggestion for new users. I suggest keeping a sheet of paper and a pencil near your Tormek. Note the start date. Each time you turn your Tormek, make a counting mark. Groups of five, four vertical lines and a cross mark, are an easy method. By tracking the number of times you actually turn your Tormek, you will have a cost vs concenience base to make your decision.

Ken

[SharpenADullWitt]

I have walked around, or for one item that might need just a little, did the polishing wheel without turning it around.  Then I bought the rotating jig, after I pulled an old injury and spilled some water turning the machine around. (in my shoulder blade)

With two, I could just swap the stone and leave one facing each way, but I think it is better at least with the SG stone, to have it rotatable.

[Ken S]

You make an excellent point, SADW. The cost of a rotating base is cheap compared with the pain of aggrevating or causing an injury. You have presented the first case which would convince me to just buy the base and use it.

Ken

[Hatchcanyon]

Here a picture of how I work chisels (and plane irons too).



The hands rest on the universal support and the thumps produce the pressure. The tool is easy to look at.

Doing it the other way round is much less comfortable for me. And I wonder why the cable runs toward the user. For me as an electronics engineer this is an absolute no-go or a flaw.

Rolf

[Ken S]

Rolf,

You bring up two very good points.

The Tormek engineers must have agreed with you about the power cord. On the T8, the cord projects from under the leather honing wheel. I never thought much about it, however, relocating it does seem a smart move.

Your photo showing your hands putting pressure on the chisel seems very logical to me. By eliminating the need to work and look over the machine, an operator would be comfortable using a slightly higher table. Visibility is certainly improved, and checking for a burr involves just sliding one thumb down.

I would not be surprised if facing the jig away from the operator was inadvertently popularized by demonstrators at woodworking shows. If the jig pointed away from the operator, the audience could easily see the grinding. Home use might have been an unforeseen consequence.

The Tormek has always been designed to allow the operator to work from either side. That's a lot of flexibility!

Ken

[Hatchcanyon]

I would not be surprised if facing the jig away from the operator was inadvertently popularized by demonstrators at woodworking shows. If the jig pointed away from the operator, the audience could easily see the grinding. Home use might have been an unforeseen consequence.

Ken, thats an interesting and logical interpretation!

Rolf

[Jan]

Here a picture of how I work chisels (and plane irons too).



The hands rest on the universal support and the thumps produce the pressure. The tool is easy to look at.

Rolf

Rolf (Hatchcanyon), thanks for the picture showing how you sharpen/polish chisels. 

White colour of your nails reveals that you press the chisel on the grindstone very strongly. Is this your common practice? 

Jan

[Herman Trivilino]

Doing it the other way round is much less comfortable for me.

But it's much much faster. This is especially advantageous when a lot of metal has to be removed or the steel is very hard.

[RichColvin]

When I sharpen against the direction of the wheel (using the vertical position), I do it the same way Rolf shows. 

Kind regards,
Rich

[Ken S]

Herman,

I don't understand why turning the machine would be any faster than Rolf's method. Both methods work with the grinding wheel coming into the tool. Both methods allow downward pressure by fingers. (If I say digital pressure, it is correct, but could be confusing.)

Am I missing something?

Ken

ps Thanks for your comment, Rolf. The inspiration for that thought was attending a class where the company demonstrator sharpened a turning gouge from behind with the grinding set up facing the audience.

[Hatchcanyon]

Doing it the other way round is much less comfortable for me.

But it's much much faster. This is especially advantageous when a lot of metal has to be removed or the steel is very hard.

That is not logical to me! Pressure is the key nothing else and I can build up more if it is comfortable for my hands. Do I miss an argument?

Rolf

[Hatchcanyon]

White colour of your nails reveals that you press the chisel on the grindstone very strongly. Is this your common practice? 

Not usually! But sometimes the SJ stone needs more pressure to shorten the polishing time. Might also have been that I was nevously waiting for the flash. The camera was on a tripod and triggered by delayed shutter release.

Rolf