Tormek Bloopers anyone???

[Y-Not]

Hey Folks,

A new member posted a comment that Ken S responded to that got me thinking that it might be fun (and perhaps educational) to hear about the various flubs/bloopers that we've experienced. Especially when getting to know our new machines.

While mine is not all that funny, looking back at it I have to laugh at myself so...I'll start it off with my lame excuse for a blooper.

As some may know, I'm about a month into my Tormek experience and I'm getting ready to be a sharpening vendor at a Farmers Market.
With that in mind, I'm wandering about my shop, garage, kitchen, neighbor's houses, etc..looking for things that I can try to sharpen.

I came across a Woodsman Pal. It's got a somewhat curved edge as well as a hook at the end.  The backside of the hood needed to be ground flat. Like you would with a chisel. No problem I thought. My mighty Tormek was made for this.

So I go to flatten the back of the hooked part of the blade. It's going along rather well. Albeit somewhat slow.  So I'm pressing a little firmer than I had with the chisels. It's progressing and finally it's all nice and smooth.

I go to wipe off the part of the blade that I was focusing on and there's this red substance on the blade.  What the hell?
I wipe it off again. And it's still there.

Bewildered, I go to grab a clean shop rag and when I reached for the rag, I see that my index finger was dripping blood. Not gushing. Just dripping a bit.
I guess for some reason I figured that my skin was tougher than metal and would be unharmed while the stone had other ideas and tried to sharpen my index finger between the first and second knuckle.

Oddly enough, it was never even the least bit uncomfortable while it was happening.  Just the cool water running over my finger.  Never even thought about it grinding away at my skin.


Like I said earlier, it's not nearly as entertaining as Ken's post but still...
It's been part of my learning curve.

[Ken S]

Y-Not,

Your blooper post is most interesting. In my opinion, it goes far beyond mine because it makes me think. My post just relayed the problem I had from neglecting to tighten a locking screw. As most of us true rarely, I think the logical solution is to keep a check list with the truing tool. I think the best check list in this case is the simplist. Just something like a small index card. We are too often obsessed with production speed. (How do I shave fifteen seconds off the time it takes to sharpen my three kitchen knives? While this is a legitimate concern for farmers market sharpening, for a home sharpener like me who enjoys sharpening, it seems like seeing how quickly I can devour a gourmet meal.) I digress; the check list should be simple and quick enough that one is not tempted to omit it.

As moderator, I am always concerned with how readily future readers can access information. With that in mind, I will start a new topic inspired by grit and grinding pressure thoughts generated by your post. Thanks for making me think.

Ken

ps you have been doing a good job of preparing yourself for the farmers market.

[Grizz]

I have a new T-8 and I have a planer. so I decided I need the SVH-320 planer/jointer attachment. had to try it out soon as I unpacked it. took the planer blades off my planer and clamped it down to sharpen. the blades were less than the minimum 13mm width in the svh handbook. mine were 12mm, so my owners book for the planer says they are disposable blades !!!!.. now stuck with a new SVH-320. MORAL of the story  "look before you leap" !!!

[Ken S]

Wise advice, Grizz.  "We are too soon old and too late schmart."

I wish we had more posts in planers. Would you please post a caveat there for us?

Ken

[Fernando]

Hey Folks,

A new member posted a comment that Ken S responded to that got me thinking that it might be fun (and perhaps educational) to hear about the various flubs/bloopers that we've experienced. Especially when getting to know our new machines.

While mine is not all that funny, looking back at it I have to laugh at myself so...I'll start it off with my lame excuse for a blooper.

As some may know, I'm about a month into my Tormek experience and I'm getting ready to be a sharpening vendor at a Farmers Market.
With that in mind, I'm wandering about my shop, garage, kitchen, neighbor's houses, etc..looking for things that I can try to sharpen.

I came across a Woodsman Pal. It's got a somewhat curved edge as well as a hook at the end.  The backside of the hood needed to be ground flat. Like you would with a chisel. No problem I thought. My mighty Tormek was made for this.

So I go to flatten the back of the hooked part of the blade. It's going along rather well. Albeit somewhat slow.  So I'm pressing a little firmer than I had with the chisels. It's progressing and finally it's all nice and smooth.

I go to wipe off the part of the blade that I was focusing on and there's this red substance on the blade.  What the hell?
I wipe it off again. And it's still there.

Bewildered, I go to grab a clean shop rag and when I reached for the rag, I see that my index finger was dripping blood. Not gushing. Just dripping a bit.
I guess for some reason I figured that my skin was tougher than metal and would be unharmed while the stone had other ideas and tried to sharpen my index finger between the first and second knuckle.

Oddly enough, it was never even the least bit uncomfortable while it was happening.  Just the cool water running over my finger.  Never even thought about it grinding away at my skin.


Like I said earlier, it's not nearly as entertaining as Ken's post but still...
It's been part of my learning curve.

I have laughed dramatizing it in my mind, not because of what happened to you, it is to remember all the times I cut myself in the process of sharpening, anyone would think that manipulating a single blade of a scissor with a 60 ° angle should not be something dangerous .... because it is, it can be as sharp as a razor.

Tormek already thought about this when he sent us the Band-Aids as part of the sharpening kit.

[RichColvin]

I guess for some reason I figured that my skin was tougher than metal and would be unharmed while the stone had other ideas and tried to sharpen my index finger between the first and second knuckle.

Oddly enough, it was never even the least bit uncomfortable while it was happening.  Just the cool water running over my finger.  Never even thought about it grinding away at my skin.

I've done that too.  I'm not proud to admit this, but but more than once.

Kind regards,
Rich

[cbwx34]

...
...I see that my index finger was dripping blood. Not gushing. Just dripping a bit.
I guess for some reason I figured that my skin was tougher than metal and would be unharmed while the stone had other ideas and tried to sharpen my index finger between the first and second knuckle.

Oddly enough, it was never even the least bit uncomfortable while it was happening.  Just the cool water running over my finger.  Never even thought about it grinding away at my skin.
...

I was told early on that abrading off your finger tips and bleeding on a stone was Right of Passage. 

Here's a little Oops, I did the other day... moral, pay attention to your tips! (Whether you "lift" or "rotate").   



Pics were taken under a 10x loupe, so really not that bad... but still... 

Another "blooper" more funny than anything else, is when your shirt rubs against the stone, and starts soaking up the water and running down your shirt/pants/etc.  (Am I alone in this?) 

[Fernando]

Another "blooper" more funny than anything else, is when your shirt rubs against the stone, and starts soaking up the water and running down your shirt/pants/etc.  (Am I alone in this?) 

LOL that happens to me all the time.

[RichColvin]

Another "blooper" more funny than anything else, is when your shirt rubs against the stone, and starts soaking up the water and running down your shirt/pants/etc.  (Am I alone in this?) 

OK.  I've done that one also.

I often tell my pastor, "say that again, but this time do it like I'm not smart".  Maybe I should start my Tormek responses with :

"say that again, but this time do it like I'm not a sharpener"

Kind regards,
Rich

[Grizz]

cb, I get my shirt wet often by leaning over the stone to sharpen my kitchen knives, seems the roll of the wheel contacts my roll !!!!!!!!!!!  lol

[Wyo6050]

First blooper is that I got a T4 and realized after using it for a few weeks that I should have gotten a T8!

Second blooper is thinking the bandaids that came with the Tormek were for when you get cut by the item you are sharpening.  That wheels' edge's are relentless against raisined finger tips and I am already out of those bandaids.

[cbwx34]

First blooper is that I got a T4 and realized after using it for a few weeks that I should have gotten a T8!

Second blooper is thinking the bandaids that came with the Tormek were for when you get cut by the item you are sharpening.  That wheels' edge's are relentless against raisined finger tips and I am already out of those bandaids.

Always being curious... what do you find lacking in the T-4? 

If I understand your 2nd blooper... you can take the grading stone fine side and hold it against the edge of the wheel for a few rotations... this should knock off the sharp edge.  (Also keeps that edge from 'digging' into some knife shapes, like recurves).

[RickKrung]

Another "blooper" more funny than anything else, is when your shirt rubs against the stone, and starts soaking up the water and running down your shirt/pants/etc.  (Am I alone in this?) 

Interesting. This does not happen for me.  I think for two reasons. 

First, I sharpen knives (on the vertical USB grinding into the blade) from the front (horizontal USB) side, from a sitting position, rather than from behind (vertical USB).  I do not do well standing for long periods, so opt for the sitting position.  I initially started grinding from the front while standing or sitting on a very tall stool, but found I didn't like not being able to see the blade/stone interface very well.  I really like seeing it all from the front as i think it gives me a better view while lifting the blade along the tip/curve. I have had to learn to hold the jig/knive assembly firmly on the USB as it is pulled up and away, but that has come with experience. 

Second, I use a second USB on the front, horizontal position for holding a laser module for lighting the LOC, so my shirt/roll is somewhat blocked from contacting the wet stone.  The sitting position helps greatly in that as the exposed stone is more at chest height and my "man boobs" are not so great as to create a hazard. 

Rick

[cbwx34]

Interesting. This does not happen for me.  I think for two reasons. 

First, I sharpen knives (on the vertical USB grinding into the blade) from the front (horizontal USB) side, from a sitting position, rather than from behind (vertical USB).  I do not do well standing for long periods, so opt for the sitting position.  I initially started grinding from the front while standing or sitting on a very tall stool, but found I didn't like not being able to see the blade/stone interface very well.  I really like seeing it all from the front as i think it gives me a better view while lifting the blade along the tip/curve. I have had to learn to hold the jig/knive assembly firmly on the USB as it is pulled up and away, but that has come with experience. 

Second, I use a second USB on the front, horizontal position for holding a laser module for lighting the LOC, so my shirt/roll is somewhat blocked from contacting the wet stone.  The sitting position helps greatly in that as the exposed stone is more at chest height and my "man boob" are not so great as to create a hazard. 

Rick

Yup... that would make the difference.

I thought of another 'blooper' that happened a while back... a bit more serious.  Early on I started using DMT-XXC diamond stone to keep the wheel true.  I would just brace it against the USB, and tip it down until it contacted the stone.  (Works well.)  Anyway, one day I set it up, but put the USB closer to the stone, to the point the DMT just fit in the slot.  When I hit the power, the stone pulled that stone (and almost my hand) right thru the slot.

THAT was a lesson learned. 

[Wyo6050]

Ken,

The T4 works, though I think I'd get along better with the SB wheels that are offered for the T8 for my turning tools.the extra lip on the water trough isuseful too, as when I'm going to town on my hand plane blade I tend to fling water like an orca in a seaword tank.

I've adapted my own magnet system, which is pretty ingenious because it involves magnets from hard drives and duck tape.

Iir would be cool if a worn down SB wheel could fit into he T4.  Has that been done?