Seeking used T-7 or T-8 housing

[Garrett47]

Ideally with a working motor. I can buy a new or used motor separately, if need be. I live in Pennsylvania, USA. Any guidance appreciated. Thank you.

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, Garrett.

Good luck finding a used T7 or T8 housing, especially with a working motor, at a reasonable price. You might have better luck just purchasing a used SuperGrind model. The parts are almost all identical. The motor is the same. The housing is interchangeable, although not quite identical.

Unless you are wanting to restore a Tormek with much sentimental value, the most Tormek for your money is probably a new Bushcraft Edition T4. New, they sell for just over $400US. You would have to be very fortunate to find a well worn used Tormek for that price. Unlike automobiles, Tormeks do not seem to depreciate.

I hope this forum will be a continuing source of shared information for you. As moderator, I would politely suggest that out of courtesy for our host, Tormek, we are not a swap meet. You would probably be more successful with sites like craigslist.

Good luck in your search.

Ken

[Garrett47]

Allow me to back up. My goal is to add a machine so I can have a separate unit with a Tormek Japanese water stone wheel. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much. I've owned my T-7 for 18 years or so.
Best,
Garrett

[Ken S]

Ah ha! Now I understand. I do have one piece of advice for you......If you are lucky enough to hear about a good used Tormek, Get there before we do! I wish you well in your pursuit. However, be advised that many of us have the same idea. The early bird gets the Tormek!

The other suggestion I have is to consider an EZYlock shaft replacement for your present Tormek. Once you get used to it, EZYlock makes changing wheels quick and easy.

Good luck in your search and please post some of your seventeen years' experience with your Tormek.

Ken

[jeffs55]

Allow me to back up. My goal is to add a machine so I can have a separate unit with a Tormek Japanese water stone wheel. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much. I've owned my T-7 for 18 years or so.
Best,
Garrett

I have a separate Tormek with a Japanese water stone. I find it unnecessary, all you need is the finely graded regular stone. Sharpening to a more acute angle (less than 25 degrees, like around 20) and honing on the leather wheel with adequate polishing compound on it is all you need for razor sharpness. You do know that the more acute the angle the more fragile the edge, right?

[Ken S]

Jeff,

The unknown variable is whether Garrett already has the SJ-250 grinding wheel.

Switching back and forth with grinding wheels is much easier with the EZYlock. I consider it the most important upgrade over the years to the SuperGrind. (The microadjust support gets my vote for the other upgrade worth doing.) Having an EZYlock might either suffice or at least make the looking around period more pleasant.

Depending on the intended use, the SG graded fine and leather honing might or might not be a good substitute for the 4000 grit SJ-250. That's another unknown. Garrett, which tools are you sharpening?

Ken

[jeffs55]

Jeff,

The unknown variable is whether Garrett already has the SJ-250 grinding wheel.

Well, I sort of figured that he has at least one SJ-250 and why would he want another one? He must want a new housing which we all agree is not going to happen to buy a stand alone housing to put a different stone on. I suspect he wants another Tormek with another stone other than the SJ-250 to be mounted. I may have misinterpreted his desires. In any case, I find that a separate Japanese water stone mounted in a Tormek is totally unnecessary if all you want is a sharp edge. It only polishes it does the most minimal amount of sharpening imaginable. The honing wheel impregnated with polishing compound is your better sharpener. So, in my experience it is unnecessary to own the Japanese 4000 grit stone to achieve a greater degree of sharpness on a PRACTICAL level. How sharp do you need?

[cbwx34]

Well, I sort of figured that he has at least one SJ-250 and why would he want another one? He must want a new housing which we all agree is not going to happen to buy a stand alone housing to put a different stone on. I suspect he wants another Tormek with another stone other than the SJ-250 to be mounted. I may have misinterpreted his desires. In any case, I find that a separate Japanese water stone mounted in a Tormek is totally unnecessary if all you want is a sharp edge. It only polishes it does the most minimal amount of sharpening imaginable. The honing wheel impregnated with polishing compound is your better sharpener. So, in my experience it is unnecessary to own the Japanese 4000 grit stone to achieve a greater degree of sharpness on a PRACTICAL level. How sharp do you need?

"On a PRACTICAL level"... I could argue that anything beyond the sharpness achieved directly off a coarse ground wheel, is beyond what most people "need".

But that wasn't the question the OP had... (nor was there enough information provided to determine what the "need" was).  Heck, it may be a "want" for all we know, (or should even care at this point).  But in some cases, the need for higher sharpness may be warranted.

One thing that Tormek (as a company) does not strike me as... is a company that comes out with a product that they don't have some identified need for...

If nothing else... take a scroll thru an Instagram search on knife sharpening... "mirror polished" bevels is definitely an "thing"... whether or not it's actually a "need"... it's definitely a "want".

My goal is to add a machine so I can have a separate unit with a Tormek Japanese water stone wheel. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much. I've owned my T-7 for 18 years or so.
Best,
Garrett

I would make eBay your friend.... I've run across several machines over the years where the stone was gone or used up, and the owner was basically just selling off the machine.  Chances are good you'll get one in decent shape... even if it's in the old "Supergrind" era.

[Ken S]

How sharp do we need?

Early in my telephone career, I was fortunate enough to work in small town/rural areas as the very junior man in crews with a number of old timers. These generous old guys taught me so much. One told me of a company pledge he signed when he hired in never to drive a company truck faster than thirty five miles per hour.

Most of my driving is between thirty and fifty miles per hour. However, my vehicle is more efficient and safer because of the technology gleaned from racing.

We all benefit from those who have gone beyond just what is needed. I learned a lot about bandsaw safety from Mark Duginske. As a young man, Mark worked as a nurse in an emergency room in Wisconsin. Mark knew first hand what can happen from logging accidents. Following his teaching, I have never been hurt using my bandsaw.

Ken Stewart, who concocts some marvelous diamond honing compounds, also works on a surgical team, selecting the correct scalpels for the surgeon to use during each phase of surgery.

On this forum, we are all benefitting from Wootz' pioneering work with extreme sharpness and better edges for the meat industry. I will never do the kind of industrial sharpening he does, however, my edges are sharper because if his work.

I think Garrett has a good plan in seeking a second Tormek to use with his SJ-250 wheel. The idea is certainly not original. How many of us would have passed up a really good deal on a used Tormek? Whether the plan is to use two SG wheels, one graded coarse, the other fine, or to be able to use either an SJ or SB, how many of us have not "been on the lookout" for an inexpensive extra Tormek?

In my case, even with more than one Tormek, I could not pass up a good used SuperGrind or T7 for under $200US. To be honest, the only reason that I do not have such an extra Tormek is that I have not found one for sale in a rational price range.

Ken

[Ken S]

I agree, CB.

Ken

[jeffs55]

I fully agree that wants and needs are not necessarily the same thing. If all we ever had or wanted was "needs", what a sad life we would be leading. It is the "wants" that give us joy, if we can obtain them that is. For instance, I want to know how to use the "quote" feature but I do not "need" to know. I "want" the forum to have a delete feature but I do not "need" it.

[Ken S]

Good thoughts, Jeff.

My one concern with the SJ is I wonder how many of us believe the SJ is the magic bullet before we have really mastered using the SG graded fine and/or the leather honing wheel.

Ken