Messages

JB,

Ken's linked forum post is good to read.  I will add a few more thoughts for you to consider.

Before you go and buy the parts to repair your SVD-180, you should seriously look into getting the SVD-186-R.  The newer gouge jig has spring detents used for the jig settings (JS), making the process of setting the jig to your desired configuration: 

• Much faster, and 
• Far more repeatable.

Upgrading to the SVD-186 is definitely worth it.  I upgraded from the SVD-185 and never looked back.

Keep the SVD-180 though, as it can be used for sharpening flat cutter blades (like those used in hollowing rigs).  You can see what I'm discussing on pg 5 of the SVD-186-R manual.  

As it regards this functionality, the sleeves for the SVD-180, SVD-185, SVD-186, and SVD-186-R are all interchangeable.  The parts needed to sharpen the cutters come with the SVD-186-R, and will work in the sleeve for the SVD-180.

In the past, you had to purchase the SVD-005 kit to add this capability to the SVD-180 jig.  When the SVD-180 was replaced with the SVD-185, the SVD-005 parts came with jig.  The SVD-186 and SVD-186-R also have those parts.

Using this approach, you will

• Have a better jig for sharpening your gouges, and
• Have a dedicated jig for sharpening your cutter blades.

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

Kind regards,
Rich

Greggy,

I wrote this summary which you may find helpful: What to Upgrade on an old Tormek, & What to Keep As Is.

Kind regards, 
Rich

Some use a coffee filter for such purposes 

Pete,

I am sad to hear that you are having such a bad experience with your Tormek.  I have had a Tormek for over 20 years, and I am thankful I made the investment back then.

I want to pass on a couple of thoughts to you before you put your machine up for sale.  I don't mean for these to be an insult to your abilities; I have never met you so I cannot judge your skills.  Rather, it is to offer up some ways of thinking about your sharpening journey.

Consider the work one must do to make a new Japanese chisel usable.  John Reed Fox wrote an article for Fine Woodworking in 2013, "How To Set Up Your New Japanese Chisel".  Just the activities to set the hoop seem a bit onerous to me (Jay Speetjens wrote an article about that in 2012, "Japanese Chisel Tuneup: Setting the Hoop").

And I cannot begin to think what it must feel like when one must tap out a Japanese chisel blade once the sharpening has progressed back far enough.  To say I would be nervous is an understatement.

I guess those activities are what comes with going the route of Japanese woodworking tools, and those like Andew Hunter who have chosen that path seem to find joy in the activities.

I would not view your experiences as user error; rather I urge you to consider it a learning curve.

When I got started using the Tormek, it was many years before I became comfortable grinding the tool with the grindstone rotating towards me.  I thought it would be too easy to make a mistake.  Now, I am very comfortable achieving quick results that way.

As a woodturner, I feel the same way about the skew and especially the bedan.  I've been woodturning for many years (30+), and it is only within the last few years where I have felt comfortable using the skew.  (The bedan is still on the list to be mastered.)

I love the Tormek approach to sharpening.  I always get consistent results which makes the use of the tools easier:  I don't have to readjust to them every time.

I like that the process does not remove lots of metal from the tools I sharpen, tools I spent a lot of money to buy. When I started turning, I sharpened my turning tools on the bench grinder.  I found I was quickly making them shorter and shorter (that was before CBN wheels became as prevalent).  Now, I don't have that problem.

And I like that the Tormek does not toss a lot of metal filings / dust into the air.

You probably experience the same with hand sharpening on stones; I cannot say as I have not done that for many years.  But I can say that using the Tormek does sharpen my tools quickly, far faster than when I did it by hand.

——————————————

As it regards the TT-50 Truing Tool, you were going to need that sooner than later.  That accessory should be viewed as comparable to the diamond stone you need to true a water stone. 

Best of luck to you,
Rich

I would not dump the residual water into the sink.  

Miloslav,

I encourage you to read this series of posts on this topic. https://forum.tormek.com/index.php/topic,5220.msg37870.html

My Two Cherries chisels hold edges quite well. 

Randy,

The late Dr. Vadim Kraichuk wrote an excellent book about deburring knives and made a shortened version of it free for distribution.  Whilst it is about knives, I believe many of the principles will apply to what you are finding.

To get to the book, this link will get you there: https://www.sharpeninghandbook.info/Documents/Knife_Deburring_book.pdf.

You can get the full-length version from Amazon.

Kind regards,
Rich

That looks like a masonry bit.  Not much guidance on these. 

What are you trying to achieve with a diamond wheel that you cannot achieve with the SG grindstone?

I use both.   I use the composite honing wheel for wood turning tools; otherwise I use the leather honing wheel.  The leather is messier, but I believe it gives a finer hone.

Tormek have designed a product which is simple in design, but ever so useful for so many activities. I really like that Tormek provided the 3D CAD file to enable us to print them at home. 

Just 3D printed two sets.  Nice!

Hugh, as you've doing many chisels, may I recommend a different method.

As I am a woodturner, I am quite familiar with using the TTS-100 to set the distance for the USB from the grinding wheel and the tool's projection from the SVD-186.

I wanted a way to do quick-and-easy resharpening of my chisels that worked along the same approach as resharpening turning tools.  With the help of Jan H, I developed a 3D printed part which is used to set the projection of the chisel from the SE-77.

More details are at https://sharpeninghandbook.info/Jigs-ProjectionTTS-100.html.

Ed,

I don't think it's an easy answer to give. I find that I can resharpen a LOT of tools before I need to re-true the stone.  As for re-grading, that's more driven by the need for making the stone go back from 1000 grit to 200 grit.  For many blades, I don't have to do that. 

Rich