Messages

Mugs, I don't think most people realize the number and extent of the improvements to the Tormek.  I bought an earlier version of what would become the BGM-100.  It had the two slots, but only one tightening screw.  The double locking screws are a real improvement.  The adjustable metal bracket seems another improvement over making a wooden block.  The block would certainly work, but the new metal bracket is quick and easy.

I believe the Universal Support Bar has undergone several improvements over the years.

The EZYlock shaft is certainly an improvement over the older, especially the non stainless steel shafts.

With Ionut's help, I purchased one of the older plane and chisel jigs through Big Bear.  (It can handle a large Ashley Iles mortising chisel, which the newer SE-76 can't.  The newer jig is generally a real improvement.)  I was pleased with the service. 

Keep us posted.

Ken

Good post, Mike.  Lots of useful ideas.

Ken

Welcome to the forum, Mike.  I'm not a turner, so can't help you.  I did want to compliment both you and Rob on the fine quality of your photos.

Ken

I have noticed that many of us on the forum are either senior citizens or fast approaching it.  We may also have some younger members who are beyond their years in eyesight or arthritis.

Sooner or later, we must all face the fact that the time will come when we are no longer able to enjoy using the Tormek or do woodworking.  I believe our best defense against this time is sharing the ways we have devised of dealing with declining eyesight, diminished strength and arthritis.  We have a wealth or experience in this area, and sharing it can only help all of us.  Even those of us who do not yet qualify for senior citizen discounts (I'm thinking of you, Jeff) may have experience coaching older Tormek users.

I'll start the ball rolling with a couple thoughts, and hope others will chime in.

My "shop" in my former house was an unheated garage with terrible lighting.  Setting up my Tormek outside improved the light greatly, both in quantity and quality. 

My present basement shop has a finished ceiling and lots of fluorescent lights installed by the former owner.  The lighting looks fine at first glance.  The quantity of the light is fine; the shop is nice and bright.  The quality of the light is not so good.  There is no directional task lighting. It is difficult to see fine details.

Eventually I will probably have more task lighting installed.  For the present, I have several old Smith Victor lights left over from my photo side business days.  They are designed for 500 watt bulbs, but work remarkably well with ordinary 100 watt bulbs.  Placed on their light stands, they are  quite flexible.  They make seeing the angle master much easier.

I will pass the ball off to the next poster.

Ken

Maybe that's the origin of the inside radius..... my tormek must be an earlier version; it came without bandaids, but with a tourniquet.

Ken

ps, Whenever I use the coarse grading stone now, I take a pass or two at the inside corner of the stone.  it's a micro radius which will grow to a small radius.

Good thoughts, Rob

Ken

I have done some further work in this method, and will be modifying my original post to correct for a couple errors and add some new thoughts.  I place this notice here so that readers will not be confused by the earlier posts by Mike and Rob.

Ken

Thanks for your responses, Mike and Rob.  Even before I read them I realized I had made an error and needed to modify the post.  I happened to watch Jeff's demo videos on sharptoolsusa.com.  I realized I probably forgot to adjust the anglemaster for the difference in the diameter of the leather honing wheel (220mm).  That may be the culprit for the discrepancy in the TTS-100 settings.  I will check that later this morning when I have access to my shop.

You are correct, Mike, in stating when you use the anglemaster gage the bevel angle will remain constant.  Within useable ranges, any combination of compatible wheel/bar distance and blade projection distance will give the same bevel angle.  My idea was to be able to standardize them in order to eliminate having to reset one with each new tool inserted in the SE-76.  This may turn out to be more of a theoretical gain than something of practical value.

Rob, you point is well taken.  The difference would seem to be a senior moment in forgetting to reset the wheel diameter setting on the anglemaster.

I divide stropping into two operations.  The first is polishing the bevel to remove the scratches from the 1000 grit wheel.  The second is removing the wire edge.  Jeff actually does this in the demo, although he states that with his experience he would do both freehand.  Given his experience, I would probably do the whole operation freehand, as he does.  Most of us, myself included, will never log that many hours on the Tormek.  It seems logical to do as much of the total sharpening operation jigged.  Doing the final bevel polishing in the jig lessens the window of opportunity to round over the edge.

I had no expectations that the original post would be the final copy.  That's why I posted it in the early stages.  It will grow better, either sink of swim, with input from the forum.  I appreciate the input.

Ken

A lot of good information and some humor here.  Nice well thought through description of stropping.

Interesting observation of our "new" tools, Mike.  It reminds me of "New College", the theology school at the University of Edinborough.  It was founded around the fifteenth century.

Good point about some chisels not being ground parallel.  For chisels where being square is important, a simple check of parallelism with calipers would solve the mystery.  If the edge to edge dimension is consistent from the bevel back, the chisel is ground parallel.

Nice idea using the car mat to catch the water spill.  Some spillage seems inevitable.  By the way, when drying off after sharpening, I life up the Tormek and dry off the revolving base unit.  By doing so, I'll never know if leaving it wet might cause any rust inside. i also let the unit run for a minute with the tray removed to let centrifugal force wick any moisture toward the outside of the stone.  I have no idea if there is any scientific basis for this; it just seems to make sense.

Ken

Obtaining a correct and consistent bevel angle with the Tormek and SE-76 depends on two adjustments:

1) The distance between the grinding wheel and the universal support bar

2) The projection distance of the tip of the blade to the SE-76.

Varying one of these will necessitate compensating with the other to maintain the same angle.

Maintaining consistent distances with both of these will insure consistent, repeatable bevel angles.

The usual Tormek technique involves using the anglemaster and varying the wheel/usb distance to compensate for whatever the blade projection distance happens to be.  While this produces accurate work, it involves needless steps.

The TTS-100 allows more efficient setup for turning tools.  There is no reason the same technique cannot be applied to bench chisels and plane blades.

The wheel/usb distance may be set using several techniques.  Using the "A" distance setting with the TTS-100 provides a very quick, accurate setting.  I happen to have a TTS-100.  This is the method I use.

The method of using wooden set up blocks as described in the Handbook also works well.  This method may also be used in conjunction with the TTS-100 when different spacing might be required for special jobs.

Using a second adjustment nut as a lock nut provides a simple way to "lock" the adjustment.  It is also easily removable for other uses. After adding the second adjusting nut, I have decided to leave it on.  It works very well.  The nut is available from sharptoolsusa.  (US-105N Adjusting nut with scale for universal Support $7.00)

The TTS-100 provides three slots for different projection lengths of turning chisels.  None of these three lengths corresponds to bench chisel length.  What I have done is put a short length of white label tape in one of the slots.  After checking the correct blade projection with the anglemaster, I hold the bottom of the TTS-100 against the SE-76 and mark where the tip of the blade is on the label tape.  That line is identified with the bevel angle.  The same thing may be done with a 3x5 card.  The edge of the card is placed against the SE-76 and the line is drawn and labelled.  Be sure to note the reference edge on the card.

With the wheel/usb distance set and the blade projection checked with the projection gage, future chisel sharpening will have the same bevel angle.

I believe using the leather honing wheel with the tool in the SE-76 jig is an efficient way for most users to remove the scratches left from the fine graded wheel.  I happen to have a second universal support bar, which I leave set up in the horizontal position for the leather honing wheel.

The TTS-100 can be used with the usb and leather honing wheel.  When checking an angle on the leather honing wheel with the anglemaster, be sure to reset the diameter to 220 mm. 

Initially results indicate to me that this spacer adjustment stays consistent when bevel angles are changed.

This allows the blade to be held in the jig for the removal of the scratches from the grinding wheel.  The only need for freehanding is now very light removal of the burr.

For those who do not have a TTS-100, there is a simple workaround.  I cut a piece of plastic conduit to 18mm length. 

First, set the usb distance to the leather honing wheel (not using the plastic spacer).  locking that distance setting, remove the usb from the horizontal support and place it in the vertical support, placing the spacer between the adjustment nut and the locking support on the Tormek unit.  This spacer happens to place the usb distance to the grinding wheel to the same as the distance to the leather honing wheel.

Once these distances are set, adjust only the projection length of the blade to obtain the correct bevel angle. note the projection length with a line on a card.

I realize this may sound complicated.  It is a work in progress.

Ken

Wise answer, Mike...... I like the humor on this forum.  Rob, I should have offered to share my recipe for dollar coffee for your dinner.

By the way, Mike, I'll trade you a spare adjusting nut AND a Lee Valley marking knife for a new Volvo.....What a deal.

Ken

Jeff, as one of the chattiest members of this forum, I understand your point.  Yes, there is an element of chat board in this forum.  However, I have noticed that although the volume of chat has increased I have also noticed that the amount of valuable information has also increased. 

I don't see where the two are incompatible.  As to the titles, I don't think people take them very seriously.  I certainly don't.  I would mention it in my obituary right next to being a member of the National Geographic Society.  (For those who might not be familiar with this, being a member means your check for the magazine cleared.)

I suspect as a very frequent poster I have probably learned more about using the Tormek than those members who have never posted.  I would like to see more members posting.  I'm sure we have much valuable knowledge and experience which goes unposted and unshared.  Too bad; we could use more input from many directions.

Ken
"hero member"

I like the small community idea, although I would welcome participation by more of the 2000 members.

Ken

I met chip carver, Wayne Barton, years ago at a workshop.  The workshop was two days (a weekend). Unfortunately, I had a back injury Sunday morning, and missed the second day.  It was a good class.

Wayne uses and sold two ceramic sharpening stones.  The more coarse stone was for actual sharpening.  He described the finer stone as "refreshing" the edge.  That sound like what your local carver was doing, Mike.

Incidentally, chip carving is a good choice to add a bit of carving to projects.  The basic techniques are straightforward and Wayne only uses two tools for his work.

Ken

The video featured the CEO of Tormek, Hakan Persson, talking about the history of Tormek with some footage of the area and factory.  The use of the Tormek was included, but it was more of a soft sell approach.  I really am surprised Tormek has not included it on the website. It was well done.

Ken