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Page 49 of the Owner's Handbook (Version 7.1) shows the method for clamping a short spokeshave blade.  Clamp the very back edge of the blade, using a square to align the blade to the jig.

Ensure that the index pins in the wheel are engaged in the holes in the drive wheel.

Where did you buy your machine?  If it is from us, and it is within 6 years of purchase, I think we need to send you a new motor.

You guys have just touched on the most common problem faced by new users.  It is critical that the back of the chisel set flat on the bottom of the jig, and that the clamping bar should come down perfectly parallel to the bottom.

Further, should the top and bottom of the tool not be perfectly parallel, or the stone be ever so slightly out of parallel to the stone, you can still cut a perfectly square tool with a little bit of manipulation.

After grinding for a moment, check the squareness of your tool with a small square (I use a Starret 4" combination square).  If the tool is out of square, tighten the clamp on the long point and loosen the clamp on the short point.  Small adjustments (1/8 turn or so) will have a significant impact on the squareness of the grind.  The narrower the tool is, the more critical this adjustment is.  

When the stone grader fractures the aluminum oxide crystals, it does not pull them out of the binder that holds the stone together.  You will notice that the smooth side of the stone grader will wear.  In fact, it works better once it has the curve of the stone cut into it.  If you are still seeing heavier scratches after using the grader, there are two possibilities.  One is that you need to spend a bit more time using a bit more pressure with the grader.  The second is that you need to spend a bit more time with the fine cut on your tool.  

As for how long the graded surface will last, it depends on the tools you are sharpening.  On flat surfaces (chisels, plane irons, skews, etc) the surface will stay smooth until you use the opposite side of the grader to open the surface up again.  On gouges, you have a couple of minutes of light pressure grinding before you push through the polished surface and reach the more aggressive, larger crystals.  

If it is convex, you are spending too much time on the sides and not enough in the center. Your "flatter in the middle" comment would tend to support that.  While the SVS-32 limits the side-to-side movement, it should not be enough to cause a problem, and the fact that you are getting a convex shape would indicate that you are over-grinding the sides, not under-grinding them.  If you have a digital camera, post a pic of your gouge, and diagnosis of the problem will be easier.

It sounds like you have the right jig and the wrong technique.  The SVS-50 won't do anything different than the SVS-32 and the SVD-185 would only be necessary for bent gouges.

First let me say that although many companies put a spear point scraper in their sets, I have yet to see any turner worthy of the title that uses one.  

That said, sharpening it is a matter of freehand alignment of the two bevels to the grindstone.  Use the SVD-110 for support.

Yes.  The mineral oil will condition the leather and minimize the amount of honing compound absorbed by the leater.

Try applying slightly more pressure to the tool.  I think that will do it.  If not, reply back here and we'll explore some other options.

I doubt you have a serious problem.  Try the following procedure and see if it minimizes the problem.

Remove the stone and pull the shaft from the drive side.

• Remove the stone and pull the shaft from the drive side.
  
• Clean the plastic bushings and lube them with a Teflon lubricant.
  
• Reinstall the shaft.
  
• Treat the drive tire with automotive belt dressing.
  
• Reinstall the stone.
  

If that doesn't tame it, call us.

As asked on the Yahoo mailing list....

Here you go!

http://www.sharptoolsusa.com/demo.php  Now includes Scissors.

Mineral oil from the drug store is best.

Let's go over a few points to make sure that you did the set up correctly.

Fiskars (the orange handled scissors) are what I demonstrate with all the time, so we obviously have some confusion someplace.

Fiskars (and most scissors for that matter) should be ground at 60 degrees. The TORMEK Owner's Handbook suggests that you measure that angle with the support plate mounted to the Universal Tool Support and the blade clamp resting against the support plate.  I find this quite difficult, because the top of the clamps obscure your view of the AngleMaster.  You can measure the angle relative to the support plate, but the wedge shape of the blade clamp must be taken into account.  The back section of the blade clamp is a 10 degree wedge.  If you set the AngleMaster to 70 degrees (instead of 60) you can set the angle relative to the support plate.  

I hope this was your problem.  If not, we can dig a little deeper.

Did you get the DVD?  Full saturation is in order and is shown in the DVD.