Messages

What is the availability and cost of the SHV-60?

Ken

Hi Ionut,

I have had my Tormek about a year.  It came with the newer SE-76.  I had known there was an earlier model, but had not paid much attention to it.  Using the older jig for your thick mortising chisel is very clever.  It seems a case where the "new and improved" model actually is improved most of the time, but not in all cases.  Having the fixed plane (the top of the jig) against the back of the chisel seems logical.  Keeping the opening small to allow the tool to protrude less also seems logical.  Your mortising chisel is a case of something which doesn't work well without some thought.  You have added the thought.  The older jig clearly has more potential for thicker tools.

I think the tormek is a marvelous machine.  My hands like it, too.  The Tormek lets me keep my chisels and planes razor sharp without all the wear and tear of my hands.  The Tormek is not an industrial surface grinder.  However, with creative users like you the Tormek becomes more versatile an like a surface grinder.

Keep up the good work.

Ken   

I clamped my 1/2" mortising chisel (Marples) in my SE-76 jig.  It fits nicely in the side of the opening with the square edge.  I discovered that if I slide the chisel over the other side, I can gain several millimeters of thickness.  The other edge is not square; squareness would have to be checked.

If your chisel fits that way, it would be a very simple solution to your problem.  If that still is not thick enough, you could file a slot near the far side of the jig (away from the square edge).  This would not interfere with squaring narrow regular chisels.  The slot would not have to be very deep, only deep enough to accommodate the thickness of your mortising chisels. The less deep, the better. The width of the slot should only be wide enough to fit your widest thick mortising chisel.  Spending the time to make sure the edge of the slot was square would be well spent.  If your chisel required a deep slot, you might want to file some of it on the main part of the jig, and some on the movable part, to spread the stress.  Using a file with safe (no teeth) edges would help.

This would allow you to use your SE-76 jig for your mortising chisels, without interfering with regular chisels.  It should require no extra parts.

Ken

Ionut,

The threaded pin screws in the SE76 appear to be standard 6mm threaded set screws 30mm long. (They are loosened with a 3mm metric allen wrench.)  I checked in my Reid Tool catalog.  They show only shorter set screws in the 6mm metric thread.  A specialty hardware store carrying an extensive metric inventory might have the set screws in a 40 mm length.

Reid carries a variety of studded knobs in inch thread sizes.  If you redrilled and tapped the bar for possibly 1/4 or 5/16 threads, you could use knobs.  (The 1/4 inch thread might be too close to 6mm to have much strength.

Reid does carry metric socket head cap screws in longer lengths.  Matching a screw length to your application might require using more than one washer.  This method would require using an allen wrench.  It would be a bit of a Rube Goldberg, but it should work.

If you ground the support bar thinner, would it be rigid enough to hold the thicker mortising chisel without bending?

If you ground the support bar from the inside, you would not need longer screws.

Ken

Kudos on a very useful post.

Is rounding over the edge with the leather honing wheel part of the nature of the beast or the result of less than careful technique?

I can certainly see the benefit of using a microbevel with stones.  The benefit seems less so with a machine like the Tormek.

I am surprised no one has addressed the differences between the T3 and T7 machines.  I have only used the T7, so I really cannot comment on the T3 based on actual experience.

The T3 has a smaller diameter grinding wheel (and leather hone).  Instead of a ten inch wheel, it has an eight inch wheel.  That would make more of a hollow grind.  Whether or not this is a problem in the real world I am not sure.  With dry grinders, an eight inch wheel is quite often larger than most.

The housing on the T3 is plastic instead of metal.  The implication is that it is less rugged.  Tormek seems a very customer oriented company, so I would think a replacement housing would be available at a fair price, if needed. 

The T3 is about half the weight of the T7, and noticeably smaller.  In a larger shop, this might be a disadvantage.  In a small shop, it might actually be a benefit.

I am quite happy with my T7.  If I did not have it, I believe I would also be quite happy with a T7.

It would be nice to hear from forum members who have experience with both models.

Ken

Rhino,  Like so many of us, you are paying the piper for all the years you did not sharpen your knives.  I would suggest focusing on three knives, the ones you use the most.  In my case, that would be the chef's knife, the paring knife, and the six inch slicing knife. (The most used knives will be the ones with the smallest remaining traces of the manufacturer's printing left on the blades.) That would make cooking the day's dinner more pleasant.  It would also prevent you from having a mindset of having to hurry.

I recall a comment in one of James Beard's book about a fine set of knives being at least as valuable as the good silver, and should last as long.  I have enjoyed using Hinckel knives for more than twenty years.  I use them daily, much more than any of my Kitchenaid or Cuisinart.  They are a joy to use, and I remove steel very carefully.  Do not make a chef's knife into a paring knife in haste.

Ron Hock's book on sharpening has a well written section on knife sharpening (including thinning the bolster).  I recommend acquiring a copy.

Sharpwoman, can it be that you are the only female on this forum?  (I would be surprised.)  Since none of the women are offering advice, I might chime in.

In thirty-five years with the telephone company, I noticed that the best technicians, both male and female, usually had either a mentor or access go good training.  Having both is ideal, as well as some internal drive.

I believe finding a good teacher, either one on one or in one of the several small schools available would speed your learning process.  Doing some online poking around, I have found several in different areas of the country.  If you could find a one or two day training class which specialized in your area of interest, that would seem ideal.

The classes I have found (in Cleveland and Texas) also sell equipment. I am sure there must be others. If attending a class was not possible, these people have also written books and perhaps videos.

Apprenticing with a sharpener could be a very good choice.

In my opinion, Tormek has done a very fine job of providing educational material for woodworking tools.  In comparison, the offerings for the various types of scissors/ shears seem lean.  Given the large number of scissors users, this seems odd to me.  It seems a fertile area for Tormek to expand its training offerings.  The SharpTools video mentioned elsewhere is very good, but could be expanded to include more specialty scissors.

Good luck in your endeavour.  Please keep us posted.

Ken

I just purchased the scissors jig.  I have not seem scissors disassembled before sharpening with the Tormek.  Is this the standard practice?

Also, for scissors which are in need of minor sharpening, is it advisable to start with the course grade?

Thanks.

Ken

Welcome, sharpwoman.  I just purchased the scissors jig (it arrived today).  SharpTools has a well done you tube on sharpening scissors.  I hope you get lots of helpful replies.  I would also benefit from good suggestions.  Scissors are indeed as much tools of the trade for cosmetologists and seamstresses/ tailors as chisels and planes are for woodworkers.  Having more female sharpeners on the forum would be interesting.

Best of luck in your new venture.

Ken

I would suggest building the box with a space to securely store the grinding wheel beneath the T7.  It would give a low center of gravity and keep things from tipping over.  The new quick change shaft would seem like a nice idea with this arrangement.  Accessories could be stored beside the T7.

Two suggestions: 

A quick check with machinist's inside calipers would tell the tale.  If the feel on the right side between the stone and the bar seems the same as the left, you are parallel.  No need to get fancy; simple inside calipers
will suffice.

An old woodworker's trick is using winding sticks.  These are two parallel sticks placed on a board to be planed.  Sighting through the two sticks shows any "wind" (long "i") in the board which needs to be planed. (They should look parallel.) In good light, look through the gap between the wheel and bar from an angle which makes the gap small.  Your eyes will tell you of the gap is not parallel.

As a very full time grandfather of two pre-schoolers, my shop time is almost non-existant.  I am able to sneak in some computer time early in the morning.  I have been enjoying the training/demonstration videos that Jeff posted on his site and those in the turner's information kit.  Well done, Jeff.  It's easy to be a cheerleader for a fine product.  You went beyond that and provided some very solid, practical user information.  Thanks.

Ken

Good suggestions about using the foot switches.  I had the opportunity to try flattening an old plane blade and a 3/8" chisel. (I am very new to the Tormek.) The switch would have helped with the narrow chisel blade.  It certainly would not have hurt with the wide plane blade, although its width made it easier to align.

Using the side of the Tormek wheel strikes me as more like getting onto a moving escalator than jumping onto a moving train.

I will continue practicing back flattening with my Tormek.  The Tormek is certainly the cat's meow for many operations, and I am very happy with my decision to purchase it. However, I do not expect any tool to be "universal". This may be a situation where my old glass plate and sandpaper may be more practical for me.

Thanks for the replies.