Recent posts

#51

Tormek T-1 and T-2 / Re: The T1. Should I get one?

Last post by Rob - April 22, 2024, 11:49:24 PM

Brilliant Ken. I'm so glad you kept the item your Father made. That's a lovely memory.

I'm liking the direction of this thread

#52

Tormek T-1 and T-2 / Re: The T1. Should I get one?

Last post by Ken S - April 22, 2024, 01:53:49 AM

Herman,

Thanks for reminding me about one of the magic places in my life. I grew up in Camden County, New Jersey, about ten miles from Edmund Scientific Company in Barrington. Edmund's started in 1942 selling surplus optics. Edmund's used to have a barrel of free stuff. Dad made me a periscope from two free surplus tank prisms as a Christmas present. I still have it.

I visited Edmund's several years looking for a set of scales for my photo darkroom. I found a nice Ohaus triple beam balance. While there, I enjoyed "The Mad Scientiist Room" filled with all kinds of used and surplus lab equipment, a tinker's paradise. They also carry an impressive variety of optical gear and science projects.

Definitely a magic place. . . .

Ken

#53

Planer Blade Sharpening / Re: Keep T-3 or located newer ...

Last post by MLDay - April 21, 2024, 06:46:28 PM

Thank you all.

I found this great comparison chart from Highland that's helped me see the differences.
https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/Tormek-comparison-T8-T4.aspx

After seeing that I think I'm going to be hunting for a used T8. Hopefully I can find one with light use for a good price. I can see myself at some point sharpening a dozen plane blades in one session, so I like both the continuous rated motor and the wider strop that I can use the se77 on.

Now need to decide if I just sell the t3 and turners kit now or wait until I find a T8. I should probably wait.

Thanks again.

#54

Tormek T-1 and T-2 / Re: The T1. Should I get one?

Last post by Herman Trivilino - April 21, 2024, 04:58:08 PM

Rob,
  Good to hear from you and that you are doing well! Thanks for inquiring. I'm doing well. Have been staying busy with other things such as gardening, etc. Haven't used the Tormek for quite sometime. Have done a fair amount of chainsaw chain sharpening but that has slackened  off since my son got out of the tree service buisness.

Ken,
  Thanks for the message alert! It's a good thing that I had the password recorded as I didn't remember it.

Elden

Hi Elden. Good to know you are still around. Get that old Tormek out and freshen up the edges on your gardening tools. Even the lowly shovels and hoes benefit from a fresh edge. Roots are always getting in the way!

#55

Tormek T-1 and T-2 / Re: The T1. Should I get one?

Last post by Herman Trivilino - April 21, 2024, 04:53:28 PM

Herman,

Thanks for posting. I have always appreciated your mixture of an experienced college physics teacher and practical home shop workshopper.

Thanks, Ken. I don't know if I ever told you this. I think I recall correctly that as a youngster you were able to haunt the stockrooms of Edmund Scientific. I hope you realize what a special experience that was. Physics instructors have always held Edmund Scientific in the highest regard. Always providing quality equipment at fair prices. Their Astroscan teflecting telescope was an especially good contribution to the collection of equipment that any good teaching laboratory should have. That's a telescope we could lend to students with little fear of damage. I suspect you could drop it out of a moving vehicle on a country road and it wouldn't suffer any significant damage.

My apologies for hijacking this thread.

#56

Tormek T-1 and T-2 / Re: The T1. Should I get one?

Last post by Rob - April 21, 2024, 10:55:43 AM

Rob,
  Good to hear from you and that you are doing well! Thanks for inquiring. I'm doing well. Have been staying busy with other things such as gardening, etc. Haven't used the Tormek for quite sometime. Have done a fair amount of chainsaw chain sharpening but that has slackened  off since my son got out of the tree service buisness.

Ken,
  Thanks for the message alert! It's a good thing that I had the password recorded as I didn't remember it.

Elden

Hi Mate

Dam good to hear from you too. Crikey, at this rate, Jeff Farris will poke his head round the digital door any minute now 😂.

I too spend a fair time in the garden Elden and built a greenhouse 2 years ago which I absolutely love. I also have a wood burning stove so regularly sharpen my chainsaw blades too. In fact just last October I treated myself to the Stihl MS 550 which is the fuel injected model. My word that thing is an animal, especially with a 20" bar. So much power and a doddle to start. I've long had the Oregon sharpening tool for chains and I will buy an Alaskan mill once my kids are at University. I can't wait to mill my own lumbar. I think underneath it all I'm a frustrated horticulture lumberjack!  The two things I like doing the most are gardening and cutting logs!

#57

Planer Blade Sharpening / Re: Keep T-3 or located newer ...

Last post by Ken S - April 21, 2024, 03:55:56 AM

Matthew,

I cannot fault CB's comments; however, I do believe you T3 can handle your light duty home shop needs. I don't think you would go wrong either way. CB is correct about the thirty minute duty cycle, although, I don't think it will be a real world constraint for for. I don't recall any problems being posted on the forum with overheating or inaccuracy. If you are concerned about these, the safe play is a new T4 with an eight year warranty.

Ken

#58

Tormek T-1 and T-2 / Re: The T1. Should I get one?

Last post by Ken S - April 21, 2024, 03:41:47 AM

Posts from Rob, Herman, and Elden within a week! Three of our stalwart members
It is a good week!

Ken

#59

Planer Blade Sharpening / Re: Keep T-3 or located newer ...

Last post by cbwx34 - April 20, 2024, 05:32:59 PM

Hi all. New here and to the Tormek world. I'm sore these types of questions have been asked before but I was hoping for some direct advice.

Today I picked up a T-3 with some nice accessories for a good deal. Could easily make money selling it. I don't turn and it came with a TNT-808 turning kit which I'll likely sell.

What's the difference between this and a T-4 or T-8?  Wheels smaller? 

Wondering if I should invest in this T-3 or hold out for a different model.

I'd like to use this mainly for planer blade and chisels. Was hoping to located a cheap rough shaping wheel to remove defects/material. Heard about sourcing from China made sharpeners.

Thanks! 

If you can sell the T-3 for a profit, and invest that money into a T-4 or T-8, that is the route I would take.  The T-3 had issues with the "plastic" casing, for example, it was from a Tormek rep that...

T-3 had a plastic housing witch was not as stable (compared to the T-4) with its vertical and horizontal sleeves.

... the result being that the T-4 is advertised as "Precision improved 300%".

There's also an issue with heat and the casing, so the 30 min. "duty cycle" applies to the T-3, which was eliminated with the T-4's zinc casing.

Sizewise, the T-3 and T-4 are the same, the main (and important) difference is the change in casing.  The T-8 is a larger model.

I'd only keep the T-3 if you only plan on using it for light work.

p.s.  I don't think registering your Tormek gives you access to the manual yet, (the link was broken in the website update), but you can access it HERE

#60

Planer Blade Sharpening / Re: Keep T-3 or located newer ...

Last post by MLDay - April 20, 2024, 05:29:19 PM

Ken,
Thank you very much! 

I like to collect old tools such as Stanley planes and chisels, so I get a lot of really beat up blades. I do have a standard 8" slow speed grinder with the Veritas sliding thing, so maybe that's the best place to get the beat up blades back to straight new metal.

I will definitely register to get the manual and look into the video series.

I'll plan to keep this until I come  across a deal on a newer model, hopefully T8.

Thanks again!