Messages

Ken, Seriously? I think by your post, we need a head in the sand icon.
Your post makes me think that a company must run and  hide and try to cover things up, rather then step up and say, "whoops, we didn't realize, and we screwed up".

Fineline you asked and I looked at mine today, my 2000 says S1 on the label on the top, and on the motor it says S6.  I think mine is an early tilt top verses the square frame, so I would expect that is a mistake that was never noticed.
I don't doubt that this will be brought up over there and  corrected.
Don't you long term posters, think that Tormek gains from this feedback, as well as us posters?

1) A soon to open commercial sharpening business which cannot operate without a working Tormek. I am looking at this from a business perspective, not a Tormek perspective. If a business cannot operate without any one product, the solution would seem to be purchasing a second, backup product. If your business were already running, would you close if someone stole your Tormek until you received an insurance settlement?


The second problem is your Tormek itself. At this point, we have no definitive answer as to what the actual problem is. Tormek appears to be standing firmly behind its warranty. I hope the full report will eventually be posted.

In this case, we have 100% failure. We also have a sample size of one unit. I might add, with no disrespect, that in addition to a new Tormek unit, we also have a new user. Your posts seem well thought through. I have not detected any obvious "operator error". However, in good faith, we cannot make any judgements at this point.

I have read every post on this forum since August of 2009. Your post is the first I have seen describing this problem. I do believe there is a problem of some sort, however, I cannot believe that it is the result of an ill advised factory choice of motors. If I had read twenty or thirty similar complaints, I would think differently. Many of the forum posts are from members with Tormek units long out of warranty. I remember a couple posts where there was difficulty in starting the motors. (The poster had to spin the wheel to help get the motor running; a result of a worn out starter unit.) Even these posts are quite rare.


Tyler, please keep us posted with your Tormek unit and your sharpening business.  Best of luck on this new enterprise.

Ken

When your starting out, capital and your equipment are major expenses.  For years my friends pizza place operated with two pieces of equipment that without, wouldn't stay open.  One is not that large (but expensive), the other isn't something you can move (80 quart mixer).  When the mixer goes down, there have been places that would let them use their (I know how and have a truck so I was recruited).  The other piece, I watched for, for years, and finally found a bargain on ($2,000.), and bought and had sent there.  That saved them twice now (and I haven't paid for a pizza since). Yes I was reimbursed.   I understand why one has only one piece starting out, let alone buying two pieces, before you have gone through the learning curve, to find you prefer another method.  (not everyone prefers a Tormek, everyone is different)

That said, I couldn't find the post, but remember the teacher who couldn't get the Tormek to sharpen straight?  Tormek sent him a known good one while his went back.  Why would this be different?  Maybe problems don't happen that often (and that would be a good thing), but maybe they should consider some sort of a swap program in the future, so when things do rarely happen, their word of mouth benefit goes up.
I expect we will hear what happens here as well.  A bad motor once in a great while is a possibility, but personally, I still think the switch could have tripped, like it is supposed to after a brownout. (the newer switches)

Now motor discussion is a good thing.  After all this isn't the first time it has been talked about, just maybe it should have been a different thread:
http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=2297.0 

Also, I keep wondering, if smaller knives might be easier on the narrower stone of the T4.

I'm not sure, but I think world piece is dependent on more people getting into woodworking. Woodworkers seem to be more happy and less aggressive than most others.

Then the new wars over "exotic" woods as countries invade each other to get some.

I made a post about a video some time ago, where I noticed something that longer time posters didn't, and that was a keyword for me on how to better obtain results.  Understanding the language, whenever your watching the video's or reading a book is a must.  Language can make it easy or hard to spot the details, that can be layered like onions.

Ken, in chain's like ACE or places like Mcmaster Carr, I have bought knobs that a nut goes inside the handle so one could just as easily use a metric nut as well as SAE.  One common use I have seen for them is the handles on a lawnmower, so one can fold them.

The 2000 had originally a non threaded USB.  The prior owner of mine either received or bought it when the replacement came out.  The knob on it, changed from black (mine) to numbered to help one dial things in.  (don't see the big difference there) The 2000 went from a square frame to an angled frame, gained the front mount (went through knobs), and gained the sticker with the wheel size.
The angle gauge has changed, to allow smaller degree's. During the run it also gained a serial number.
Several of the jigs have been upgraded during the 2000 run.  The knife jigs went to an o-ring from the locking knobs they had.  The square edge jig was redesigned and received a new number.
Some other jigs were redesigned along the way, but I don't know all the particulars (things like Time frame), the SVS32 being one of them.  The 180, became the 185 with a change. The SVS50 received a slight mod (cut down to a smaller size on one part).

Other tools have come out since, for example the turning tool setter displaced the old build your template method. The shaft changed to Stainless, sometime around when they changed the model number.
At some point enough changes were done that they decided to change the paint and call it 7 (2007, see a numbering scheme?).
The newer water tray, is more recent and a change during the T7 run.  I think the rotating base also followed the T7.

I picked up mine used with the a chipped stone, a new stone, the 60 (became the 76), 45, 32,50,185 jigs, profiled wheel, as well as the angle grinder for under $200.  I upgraded the shaft, water tray, picked up the diamond sharpener, the grading stone, a hand tools kit (passed duplicates to a relative), the truing tool setter, video and a thing of durosol honing compound after that. (all with overtime, so not the effect normal budget)  For xmas I got the rotating base.
I've seen several Tormeks listed since I bought mine (they were rare before), and around $300-$350 they go quick. (and that would be in the price range I would look at used, with the jigs I wanted).  I see one on my local CL, similar to what I bought, listed at $450, lightly used, and it has been on for a while, changing in price.  Your comfort zone and budget may be different.

How about a bit more science?  How tall are you?

I find this quite interesting, as I have been wanting to make a stand for mine (missed a stainless table on CL by a couple hours).  The posts on the lighting, make me think about putting my lighted magnifier on the table as well.

I have heard that the newest T7 are equipped with motors of the duty type S6-40%. S6 means continuous-operation periodic duty. Duty cycle is usually 10 min.  Hence S6-40% means 4 min load and 6 min no–load. S6 should guarantee that there is no temperature rise when the motor is loaded at its rated output.

Heard where?  Without any proof, this sounds like either a competitor's rumor, or just gossip, which would go against the advertised (currently) stuff, that Tormek has to legally adhere to:
http://tormek.com/international/en/machine-models/tormek-t-7/
Motor: Industrial single phase, 200 W (input)
230 V, 50 Hz or 115 V, 60 Hz. Continuous duty, Maintenance free.
Silent running, 52 dB. 25,000 hour life

What did you do, borrow the one from Stumpy, telling him you were going to win it?

I can see some issues with tylers suggestion about swapping it.
If the retailer did the swap, I would expect they would do it there.  If not, then you have the possible issue of the number being registered already (and being able to modify the registry).  That leads to some questions about the models such as Ken's stolen one (if someone decides to register it).
Personally, I have never seen a "refurbished" Tormek for sale.  Typically they go for less on a refurbished item, and I would have seen one, I thought, in my searches over the years.

A modification of tylers idea would be to send a new unit, sans stone, via mail (if requested and typically this involves a temporary charge to a CC when done with a hard drive), and the old unit gets sent back in that packing.  Then it could be swapped back the same way.

At the risk of becoming practical, to those of you with stuck wheels, has all this academic talk actually worked? Have you been able to successfully remove the shafts from your grinding wheels?

Ken

There was a post, within the last 6 months, where the poster did get it out, but I seem to remember he was going the drill route.
I've stated before, the prior owner got mine separated, but chipped the stone and replaced it with a new one.  (I swapped the shaft after I got it and it had only been used twice before I got it)
But I think the fact that this is posted in the cracked grinding wheel thread, means if you have arrived at the cracked stage, you really have gone too far.

I have an older 2000, which also has the continuous duty cycle motor (no overload switch), so I will watch this with interest.
I would be more suspect of the on/off switch, being tripped. 

I didn't reply at first, because I read it two ways (don't read when sleepy).
http://tormek.com/international/en/grinding-jigs/svs-50-multi-jig/

In that video they show a fairly short bladed gouge, but it is wider.  I think the SVS32 is more for both short and narrow tools compared to the 50.

I notice in the address line, that this is topic 2352 or 2352.0 and message number 11531.  The sharpening scissor thread, which started in 2004 is topic 31.

If there isn't a way for the message number to be associated with the poster, then maybe there is a way to have the topic number appear so it could be indexed by the search bar.  (then we just need to save a topic number with keywords on our systems to make it work)

Thanks, that means it is in the motor and not in the bearings.  Temperature related, means it needs off time to cool, where pressure related, means it would be find running, if one didn't use it (time between tools while running).

Mike, good to see you again (we've been on several forums together).
I just got another of this jig, as I loaned/gave the first one to my dad for carving.  (easier to replace then get schedules together at times) I am wondering if the Tormek is above the part it is pressed into?  (will it rock on it)
I know my new one (will have to check the old), is flat across, so I am wondering if that is your issue.  If it is a bit higher, then I would sand/file it down.  If it isn't, you could fill it with some kind of epoxy to make it flat for feel (so you don't notice).
I know your good at modifying tools (5625, EZ, etc)!