Tormek 1200 - woodturning

[justthisguy]

I got a Tormek 1200 with the second-hand lathe I bought recently.

I've been looking at the various jigs available, particularly for bowl and spindle gouges, and they all show the jig attaching to a support bar sticking out to the side of the machine.  The 1200 only has vertical attachment points, so I suppose if I were to fit the jig[1] then the butt of the gouge would be sticking right up in the air and I'd have to climb on top of the bench to look down on the machine to sharpen it on the backside of the wheel, which doesn't seem very practical.

Is there a suitable solution?

Thanks,

[1] https://www.tormek.com/uk/en/grinding-jigs/svd-186-r-gouge-jig/

[petermik]

It should have been fitted with the horizontal base according to the pictures in this article https://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/woodworking-crafts/kit-tools/ancillary-equipment/sharpening/tormek-1200/

But maybe the previous owner took the hotrizontal base off? Are there tapped holes for it?

In any case, I would recommend that you acquire the XB-100 horizontal base (https://www.tormek.com/international/en/spare-parts/other-spare-parts-and-upgrades/xb-100-horizontal-base/) and mount it as indicated in the article pictures. The horizontal base is reeally needed for your Tormek to be useful for turning tools 

best, peter

[justthisguy]

It does not seem to have any place to attach a horizontal base.

https://i.imgur.com/fT9d7UK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eKja6N4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bTW0Pbz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5yvHhxb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mX8CRlt.jpg

I hope I'm missing something though and it really is as simple as fitting the base.

[Ken S]

I would really recommend that you email Tormek support about this. (support@tormek.se). Support has handled questions like this many times over many years.

Ken

[cbwx34]

It does not seem to have any place to attach a horizontal base.

...

I hope I'm missing something though and it really is as simple as fitting the base.

The instructions on the page petermik linked, show it being mounted on a 1200..

https://www.tormek.com/media/104077/mounting_xb100_en.pdf

[justthisguy]

Oh yes, so they do, thanks.

"Drill holes into your machine" was not what I was expecting 

[Ken S]

BE ADVISED: The XB-100 was also made in an earlier version. The earlier version had a locking knob on only one sleeve. You will want the newer version with locking knobs on both sleeves. (I speak from experience, although this "bargain find" was many years ago.)

Accurate placement of the holes is critical. If the XB-100 is not parallel with the grinding wheel, everything you grind won't be quite right. Unless you are skilled with precision work, I would recommend having a machine shop do the job. It should not be very expensive, and would be money well spent.

Again, I recommend contacting support first.

Ken

[jeffs55]

I agree with having an "expert" do the job. It is not easy to drill precisely. Along those lines skilled machining is not going to come cheaply. Although I have no experience in this field I am wild guessing at $100 for a machine shop to do it. I hope you lot us know what the cost was if you choose a machine shop.

[Ken S]

I agree with Jeff that skilled machining should not come cheaply. However, I would check with a couple machine shops before you believe the $100 figure. Look for a small local machine shop, a "diner" of a machine shop. The tools and room may not be fancy, but the skill is probably solid. You may get a better price if you are flexible about a completion date. For a simple job like this, fifteen minutes will probably see it completed or at least well along. That shouldn't be a problem unless the shop is busy.

Don't write it off as being too expensive without a visit and discussion.

Ken

[John_B]

I would also ask your friends if they know anyone that has machine shop tools at home. I have a few friends that will do work for me when I do not have the equipment. They give me a couple of knives to sharpen to make me feel like I am not imposing on them. A couple of times a year we make a day of it and reload rifle ammunition for target shooting. Once every few years we do hunting loads; these last a long time as only a few shots are fired each year when hunting.

[Ken S]

Good thoughts, John.

Ken