Topics

Be sure to view the new video posted on the Tormek website (same site as this forum).  I have found the videos fascinating, and represent real world uses for the Tormek.

http://www.tormek.com/international/en/about-tormek/tormek-friends/

The imp in me thinks the horse factory sharpener might be just as proficient with an HK 50 jig!

Ken

In the Tormek section, Herman and Rob have been discussing the woes of properly setting up planers and jointers.  I count myself among those who would have such difficulties.

However, one tool I feel quite fluent with is the bandsaw.  i don't mean to brag.  I was fortunate enough to have had a day long seminar with Mark Duginske at the Conover Workshop twenty years ago.  Part of the class was a thorough demonstration of changing blades and setting the saw guides, etc.  Ever since then I have felt confident changing blades and my bandsaw runs quite well.

For those of you not fortunate enough to be able to study with Mark, I would recommend his bandsaw books and DVD. 

When I need to tune my jointer and planer, I will search for similar training aids, perhaps online.

Ken

For those of you who have decided to adapt your Tormek jigs to a dry jig, I believe you will find this article useful.  The authors, Williams and Clark, are two of the premier plane makers.

http://www.planemaker.com/articles_grinding.html

Enjoy.

Ken

I recently completed an on again off again project lasting several years.  I inherited a very cupped Indian stone from my grandfather.  Over the years, I have spend an hour with 90 grit carborundum powder; at least a couple hours with wet and dry paper; and finally about an hour with a Dia flat lapping plate.  It is finally flat.  I would not have bothered without the sentimental value.  Since I began using my Tormek, the oil stones get very little use.

The moral of this story is, regardless of whether you use oilstones, waterstones, or a Tormek, keep the stone surface regularly dressed and flat.

Ken

Be sure to enjoy the recently posted videos on this Tormek website.  Well done, and very interesting, Tormek!

Ken

[Both failed to function properly on my cutting board.]

I have sharpened two of my kitchen knives (8" chef and 6" slicer) on my Tormek.Both easily caught on my thumbnail and cut paper.

Both failed to function properly on my cutting board.

Ron Hock addresses the problem in his sharpening book.  Leonard Lee and Steve Bottorff do not.  The Tormek Handbook does not include it.  Not even Jeff's otherwise well done knife demo video mentions it.  (Sorry, Jeff.)

The problem is quickly and easily diaganosed.  The knife is held with the cutting edge against the cutting board. The blade is allowed to rock back and forth.  Any light shining through between the edge and the cutting board indicates a hollow spot in the blade.  That part of the blade will not cut completely; things like green onions will not be cut through.

Such a knife will probably be returned to the sharpener as unsatisfactory or taken elsewhere.

The problem is the curve of the blade has been compromised by incorrect sharpening.  This creates the flat or hollow spot.  The bolster may also need to be ground back.

I followed Ron Hock's suggestion of repairing the first knife using a belt grinder.  This method is quite satisfactory.  I repaired the second knife (with less of a problem)using my Tormek.  I am not an experienced knife sharpener.  I consider my Tormek repair to be barely satisfactory and somewhat hit or miss.

I believe the Tormek is capable of handling this problem better in more experienced hands.  I would welcome suggestions.  (A more in depth knife sharpening video would be most welcome.)

I believe mastering this problem is essential for anyone who wishes to sharpen kitchen knives for professionally,  as a restaurant owner, or for a home kitchen.

Please help.

Ken

I did some poking around the tormek site (same site se this forum, I'm a slow study).  Two places caught my eye:  "About Tormek" has some interesting reading about the history and philosophy of the Tormek company.  "News Archive" has a chronological listing of the various improvements.

The Tormek really is quite a remarkable product.  The website is worth a look.

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

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

Sorry, I thought this might paste with the photos.  I will find the link and post.  The photos include a portrait of Geoff Brown.

Ah ha....i was able to modify the post an include the link:

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/Ezine/Articles/Tormek-Sharpening-System-3718.aspx

Ken



Tormek Sharpening System
Issue: Issue 5.06
Posted Date: 11/4/2003
Online Editor

 
   


The Tormek Sharpening System is based on this simple proposition: any woodworker should be able to keep his or her own woodworking, carving, or woodturning hand tools razor sharp. Starting with the basic system and detailed guidebook, different jigs allow users to put the perfect edge on everything from turning tools, to axes, to whittling knives, to planer blades, to curved gouges, and more.

It wasn't always so. Some of us remember seeing our grandfathers or fathers expertly sharpening tools on a big, water-cooled stone wheel that ran with a treadle, crank, or perhaps an electric motor. As long as it was part of everyday life, the skill of sharpening was handed down father to son. And they had half their lifetime to learn. But when amateur woodworking got serious in the late 1970s, direct connections to the farm, butcher shop, or forge were long gone.


Geoff Brown

According to Geoff Brown, Tormek's international marketing manager, that's about the time a young Swedish design engineer named Torgny Jansson returned from working in Liberia. He went to work for a manufacturer, but decided on the side to design a grindstone that ran off an electric drill. Growing up on a farm, he was familiar with traditional sharpening stones, but his concept maximized the torque on the stone by reducing the speed of the drill.

"Torgny eventually gave up his employment to concentrate on designing and building the machine and eventually founded Tormek," Geoff explained from his office in the United Kingdom.



Due to the relatively small Swedish market, Tormek began exporting first to Austria, which has a strong woodworking market, and of course to the other Scandinavian countries.

The product was originally designed to be suitable for knives, axes, and relatively simple woodworking tools, such as chisels and plane blades." Geoff recalled, "There were no jigs, everything was done freehand off a simple support. Very primitive support in comparison to what we have these days."

As sales volumes grew, however, the company put more and more effort into the development of specialized jigs. Geoff first encountered the product and Torgny at a big tool show in Cologne, Germany. With a long background in the tool and woodworking markets, Geoff recognized Tormek's potential and eventually started marketing the product in the United Kingdom.

Tormek's Multi-Jig for turning skew chisels, parting and beading tools and roughing gouges.

"When I got involved," Geoff recalled, "We started showing the product at the exhibitions and this led to more feedback from the end-users. In those days we had both the natural stones and man-made stones. But natural stone wore rather quickly and took a long time to remove metal, so our customers became dissatisfied with them and we switched to all man-made stone & that optimizes metal removal and minimizes stone wear."

As feedback came back from customers, the company began to specialize in cabinet making, woodturning, and woodcarving, developing special jigs for the tools involved. And eventually the drill driven option was dropped in favor of today's motorized Tormek

Nine years ago, they started to introduce the product to North America, Geoff and his wife drove around showing the machine to potential retailers. Competition at the time was mostly from the Japanese horizontal water-cooled grinders. As acceptance of the Tormek system grew in the United States and Canada, Geoff found similar woodworking markets in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa. And all the marketing material could be printed in the same language.

The market still guides the development and refinement of jigs and accessories. The heart of the system, however, is the Super Grind Stone, which is composed of aluminum oxide using a ceramic binder. This makes it wear resistant, while offering fast metal removal, and years of use.


Tormek Sharpening Handbook

Tormek now has nine jigs to sharpen all the various types of tools. According to Geoff, these jigs turn woodworkers into instant sharpening experts. The company also takes great pride in the enormous amount of help it gives people on how to use the product. The Tormek handbook -- which is always up-to-date on their web site -- is 150 pages with 509 drawings!

Today, Geoff and his wife keep customers up-to-date on product developments, still spend three months of the year visiting their overseas market, and are very active in exhibitions.

"U.S. retailers buy directly from the factory and distribute it to their stores," Geoff explained, "And we have a service center called Tormek USA, where anyone who has a question can ring -up and get instant advice on a machine they bought."

Though he can't discuss specifics on new products in the works, Geoff admitted that two new applications were in the pipeline. And like all Tormek's jigs and accessories, they will increase the versatility of the system and further simplify the complex task of sharpening.

Congrats, Mike 40!  I believe Jeff is correct in stating you are the fastest new member to reach 100 posts.

When I first joined this forum in 2009, no one had even reached fifty posts.  That would not happen for a while after that.  The most new posts was 17, and twenty replies would have placed a thread in the upper part of the top ten.

Not only are the numbers up, recent posts seem generally more interesting.  We had some good posts before, but not nearly as many as we do now.

I'm pleased to be a part of this forum.  i look forward to many more interesting posts.

Ken

Mike raises an interesting thought about the difficulty of seeing precise measurements.  I ran into the same situation when I was learning how to mount photographic prints and cut the openings in over mats. When people inspect a matted print closely, any miss measurement becomes very apparent.

My solution was not to measure.  By that I mean not to use a rule with a scale any more than necessary.  Story sticks are a very good step in the right direction, but only a step.

In the machinist/toolmaker world, gage blocks are a common tool with uncommon accuracy. They are often called Jo blocks, Swede blocks, or Hoke blocks ( they were invented by Johansen and Hoke.) Johansen made the first very expensive blocks in Sweden.  Hoke devised a was to mass produce them in the US.

Woodworkers don't need this laboratory precision.  The use of an open end wrench for "measuring" the diameter of round tenons turned on a lathe works very well and very consistently.  (Mike, borrowing your term, "Braille" measuring.)

Tormek uses the same concept with the three tool projection slots in the TTS-100.  The same tool allows setting the USB distance consistently with no measuring.  I have long thought regular chisel sharpening would benefit from this approach.

"gage blocks" do not have to expensive.  Hardware stores carry steel blocks for motor shaft key ways.  They are very inexpensive and more than accurate enough for woodworking.  A half inch today or next year with no measuring.

Once a combination square or set of calipers is set, the dimension will remain consistent.

This post could be a lot longer.  I think everyone gets the basic idea.

Ken

ps Lee Valley sells a very nice, inexpensive (at least for those of us who line in North America) desk light with a built in large magnifying glass.  I would think such a lamp would also be available in Norway.  We certainly don't have a monopoly on older eyes in this part of the planet!

I found an interesting video produced by Tormek.  Hakan Persson discussed the Tormek philosophy.  I started to post a link to it.  However, I am using a borrowed iPad.  This old dog has learned "copy" but not "paste".  I have not been able to locate the video again.  It is worth watching.  Any help from the forum would be appreciated.

Ken

ps I am in the process of learning how to use the iPad.  It is a fascinating device.  It would be a fine reference to see the Tormek Handbook produced an an e book with built in links to instructional videos.  Sweden, if you are monitoring this, how about adding the Hakan Persson video to your website?  The video is very well done.

Mike's comments about this part of the forum including general woodworking as well as sharpening has inspired me to revitalize an old, but good posting idea.

We all have different working experiences.  I believe sharing some of our thoughts on favorite tools and techniques would benefit us all.  So, here is one of my favorite tools.

Recommending the six inch (or 150mm) Starrett rule is not original.  However, I have found other recommendations lacking in useful information.  There are many rules made.  Some are more useful than others.  Even some of the extensive lineup of Starrett rules are less useful.

For those in Europe and other areas, there may be other brands just as suitable.  I would recommend using the Starrett as an evaluation standard.

First of all, Starrett does not photo etch their rules.  The marks have sharply delineated v shapes.  This causes a definite increase in accuracy.  I have read that the sharp v shape allows a skilled user to work within about three thousands of an inch, not bad for a rule divided in eighths to sixty
fourths.  The rlue manufacturing equipment is periodically checked by the National Bureau of Standards.

Each model of Starrett rule has a code to designate length, graduation, features and finish.  The finish code is very important.  "C" indicates that the rule is satin chrome.  Satin chrome is noticeably easier to read than the standard steel finish.  I don't know why Starrett continues to also manufacture standard finish rules.  Make sure the first letter in the code you look at is C.

Starrett makes rules in various thicknesses.  The three hundred series are either flexible or semi flexible. The semi flexible rules have the designation "SR" in the code.  The six hundred series are spring tempered, and slightly thicker.  I use rules in all three thicknesses.  All work well.  I would recommend starting with the spring tempered thickness.  (I would not turn down any thickness found used at a good price.)  These rules also make a reliable straight edge.

The rule I would recommend is the C604RE-6.  The code indicates satin chrome (C); spring tempered (6); 4R graduations; end graduations (E); and six inch length. 

4R graduations mean the rule's four graduation lines are graduated in quick reading (longer hash marks for coarser increments) eighths, sixteenths,  thirty seconds, and sixty fourths.  Having the accuracy of sixty fourths is nice.  Much work can be done with the eighths or sixteenths.  Starrett also makes several other graduations for different applications.  A common one is 16R: meaning 50th, 100ths, 32nds and 64th.  These rules would be more useful in industries using decimals rather than fractions.

End graduations are very useful.  The ends of the rule are graduated in thirty seconds.  This allows the rule to fit into tight places.

The six inch length is handy for many applications.

The metric equivalent of this rule is the C635E-150.  Satin chrome, spring tempered; 35 graduations (each side graduated in millimeters and half millimeters; two scales left to right and two right to left); end ruled; and 150mm length.

Starrett also makes combined inch and millimeter rules.  It's just a personal preference; I prefer separate rules. Combining measuring systems on one rule adds too much information for me.

These rules sell for around twenty USD new.  I have purchased several, both new and used.  I use them all the time, and they make very nice gifts.

I encourage the forum members to share their favorite tool thoughts.

Ken

Yesterday I sharpened three block plane blades.  Two things struck me: 

The first was how nicely the leather honing wheel polished the back or the blade (I just did the last half inch).  This is part of my ongoing project to become more proficient with the honing wheel.

The second thing was how efficiently the angle master worked.  I just popped it off the magnetic front of the Tormek, bottomed out the one edge on the stone, and quickly adjusted the usb.  That may seem old hat to some of you.  However, life was not always so pleasant with the angle master and me.  I had a lot of difficulty using it until I finally diagnosed the problem.  My former shop (unheated garage) had poor lighting.  Once I happened to set up the Tormek outside in very good light, the angle master magically started working.  (I know, this is recommended in the handbook........)

increasing the quality of light = increasing quality of work done on Tormek and lessens stress

Ken

I remember a question as to whether the revolving base allowed the use of the magnetic feet to "unlevel" the Tormek.  (This makes water retrieval more efficient with the new trough.)

I finally installed my RB-180 yesterday.  It works fine with the magnetic feet.  No difficulty being "unlevel".

My RB-180 was part of a package deal with my replacement T7.  (For new readers, my original T7 was stolen during a break in.)  It's one of those things which might seem a luxury.  I might not have paid the price to order it alone.  However, I must admit, it is luxurious to use.  I don't regret having it.

Ken

Lee Valley offers a week of free shipping (for orders of more than $40) several times a year. (This one just ended; get on their email list.) I keep a list of the small stuff I would like, but don't want to pay shipping to get.  Things like their super fridge magnets fall into this category for me.

This last week my order included one of their Veritas striking knives.  Here it the link:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=69870&cat=1,42936,42949&1

For less than ten dollars, this is a terrific marking knife.  Essentially it is like the seventy dollar premium marking knives with a composite handle instead of rosewood.  The steel is A2 and it arrives razor sharp.  I'm quite sure any refining I would do to the blade would only detract.  The blade is long and thin with a single bevel ground in both directions.  It should be a superb dovetailing knife.

It is a combination of first quality steel very well machined and ground with a perfectly functional and ergonomic handle which is not beautiful.  I recommend it highly.

Ken

I have found Chris Schwarz' writings and DVDs interesting.  I thought the forum might find this blog entry interesting.  The theme of starting (to learn to sharpen with the Tormek) with a single chisel, either 1/2" or 3/4" dovetails well with Chris' thoughts.

Enjoy.....and please post your reactions.

Ken

Rob,

I was reading Christopher Schwarz's Handplane Essentials.  Page 110 is an article called "Blesses are the Grinders".  The article discusses sharpening the blades of Record plough planes.  Chris refers to one of his favorite books on toolmaking, Memories of a Sheffield Tool Maker, by Ashley Iles.

Knowing you are from that area, I thought the book might interest you.

Ken

For you history buffs, in the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes episode, "A Scandal in Bohemia", there is a scene with a traveling knife sharpener using a hand cranked wet grinder reminiscent of those which came before the Tormek.  Fascinating!

Ken