Messages

John, sorry to hear about your wrist. I hope you get well soon.

Thanks for the document, it is very clear and informative. I'm waiting for your video !

thanks. It is healing well. Should be back at it in no time.

I would use a single cut half round file. It is not as if it needs to be precision sharpened!

I have an abrasive tutorial I am working on and am planning a You Tube video to accompany it. I have already done a lot of prep. here is the link.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MsXvMZ5ISZxjxvqt0FepLhsQKLw4_WsMnGq1auMtfSk/edit?usp=sharing

It is public so you should not need an account to see it.

I retired just over a month ago but I broke my wrist three weeks ago which cramped my style but that gives me time now to prep for the video.

On the money Ken. Look through the playlist and find the videos that you need. You will find one on chisel sharpening.

Cheaper than diamond and they don't require a water  bath

There is no "need" for water for either CBN or diamond on a slow speed grinder. The reason that Tormek recommends lube is for dust suppression and longer life.

Very nice indeed. Once again Tormek support step up to the plate.

FYI I use white lithium grease which is recommended by Tormek. I picked up a 500g tub from my local automotive store. It is very sticky and use it for many applications.

Been sharpened on a fast grinder too many times? Lost its temper?

All in all it's cost me £15 for the foam from

I did something similar but, maybe due to the weight, I never need to lock the castors. I also have a wet area similar to MikeK but mine is attached to the side of the shed bathroom.

My drawers match the other shed drawers (router table, drill press stand, et el) and are slightly wider than the Tormek inserts so I use shadow foam to fill in the sides and place misc jigs in the shadow foam. The whole shed is a work in progress but organisation is coming slowly and surely

Also note that Tormek support will be able to advise you. From what others have said that have contacted them they are super helpful.

I can vouch for Tormek's dedication to older machines. Their stated policy (they call it "The Tormek Way") is that every Tormek sold be maintained in working order if possible.

The shaft uses two identical nylon bearings which press into the case into which the shaft runs. So yes, they would originally have been identical.

I agree with Ken. The old honing wheel looks pretty good to me. Some sanding should clean it up really nicely. It actually looks like it has not been used that much and apart from the nicks is on pretty good shape. You will need to recondition it with some light machine oil before use. Also make sure that you give the new wheel a good going over with some light machine oil (I use Ballistol) before your first application of the honing paste. (I fell in love with Ballistol when I discovered it. It is like WD 40 except better.)

You could do a lot worse than subscribe to the Tormek Innovation channel on YouTube and watch any videos relevant to your use of the Tormek. They do have one on honing which you should probably watch.

The ring is actually the bearing and is made of nylon. There should be another one on the honing side which will be identical to the one on the grinding side. They come with the replacement shaft, which you will need if you repair it. If it were me I would be tempted to make an epoxy repair but a 3D printed part should be fine with 100% infill to make sure it is strong enough.

TBPH most of the old jigs should work perfectly well so long as they are in good nick. Some, such as the new axe jig are a complete rethink which makes them worth while whereas some others are just upgrades. 

One of the great things about the Tormek philosophy (The Tormek Way) is that they want to keep every machine they produced in working order if possible. I know of no other company who goes out of their way to help customers maintain their machines however old.

I think it's fair to say that you shouldn't need a non-included truing tool to be able to sharpen properly

You don't need a true stone for plane irons and chisels. The only time I true the stone is if it is getting grooves, glazed or for the planer blade or drill jigs. I adjust chisels and plane irons for square as I go along and once I set the jig it is pretty much set for that session.

If you are using the planer blade or drill sharpening jigs then the trueing tool is essential.

Most processes that requires a human to perform a particular action requires skill which takes time to acquire. That someone can perform a skilled task, even one that takes away a lot of the variability after one or two perfunctory attempts is misguided at least. Even with a freshly trued stone I find that some square adjustment can be required.

If you want a sharpening process that requires no skill whatsoever then you are looking at many tens of thousands of $$ per tool type. Much more outlay than a Tormek. 

The Tormek is a very well constructed machine that is good value for money considering the construction quality and after sales service. However it still requires practice and acquired skill to use properly.

I suspect that this is a case of expectation vs reality.