Messages

Mike,

It sounds like you have not only made a useful plane till, you have mastered the leather honing wheel.  Good job!

My local grocery store sells bamboo skewers.  They are essentially pointed dowels about 1/8" (3 mm) in diameter.  I would think they would not be expensive, even in Norway. 

Each skewer (about forty in a pack) would provide about enough dowel material to peg the joints in your till.  If you cut them just a little short of the hole depth, you could darken them.  When driven level, they would add a decorative staccato effect, as well as adding some (probably unneeded) strength to the joints.

They are useful for many purposes.  My grandson just put together a Lego Mario motorcycle, minus one of the handlebar grips.  With a touch of gaffer tape, a piece of skewer blackened with a sharpie made a tolerable replacement.

Ken

"Man is the only animal with the one true religion, all seven of them"

                      Mark Twain

I also learned that I should not waste others time and efforts asking questions that are covered by the manual (although I will probably do it again anyway)

Mike,

Don't be so hard on yourself......Better to ask and know than not to ask and wonder.

Ken

Rob, I think the issue of rust with internal components (mostly the shaft) was more of an issue before the shafts were made of stainless steel.  (Storing the wheel dry is still a good practice.)

Ken

Very good question, John.  Already well answered.  Welcome to the forum; I trust you will enjoy using your new Tormek.

You seem to come from a water stone background (as many of us here).  Allowing the wheel to absorb water will soon become second nature.  I just keep a plastic juice bottle nearby and add when the water stops flowing over the grindstone.  I keep an old towel or paper towels nearby.  There is often a small amount of slippage; usually very small.

Dakotapix, I suppose you could leave the full tray below the stone.  For longer intervals, I just feel better starting with clean water.  That may be mostly in my head.

John, if you have not already found them, Jeff Farris' demo videos www.sharptoolsusa.com are the best "quickstart guide" I have found.

Do post your questions and thoughts. I have found the search function on this forum frustrating.  It's easier, and usually more productive just to post a question.

Ken

Thanks, Stig.  That's the video I mentioned.  How could I miss it; it was hiding in plain sight!

Almost forty years ago I took a sales class.  One of the most valuable things I learned in it was the idea that good salesmanship means educating the customer as to what the product can do for him.  This video certainly does that in an interesting way. It also adds a more human touch to Tormek Sweden.  The Tormek is not just a machine; it is an evolving product of human innovation and labor.

Ken

Rob, I would go along with Jeff's advice.

Ken

With the original shaft, changing wheels is doable.  If you replace the shaft with the new EZYlock shaft, changing wheels is a snap.  I upgraded to the EZYlock with no regrets.

If you plan to routinely use the two finer Shapton stones, I question the practicality of purchasing the SJ-250.

I happen to have an SJ-250 which I have not yet used.  I purchased it during a very good sale at my local Tormek dealer.  My long term plan is to eventually add a second Tormek unit for the SJ and SB wheels.

With only one Tormek I think you would be just as far ahead to become proficient with the leather honing wheel and go on to the Shapton stones if you wish.

Keep us posted.

Ken

Good thought, Herman.  I had forgotten the cleaning part.

Ken

Interesting video, Paul.  Have you ever used a wooden view camera?  They are quite addictive.

Herman, my Brett guard is the original design which mounts to the saw.  My saw is a 1930s vintage tilting table Delta.  I need to custom mount the guard.  In the meantime, I use the grrippers.

Ken

Rob,

I accidentally dripped a washer into the leather honing wheel two days ago.  No big deal.  I just removed the wheel and retrieved the washer.  While I had the wheel off, I turned on the Tormek for a few seconds and lightly "roughed up" the surface of the rubber wheel with a sanding sponge.  i would suggest you try the same.  Total time involved was almost two minutes, about half of which was locating the sanding sponge.

Ken

Mike, I didn't realize that you vikings had travelled to Los Angeles!

I agree that the new saw stop is a terrific idea.  I confess I don't have one, but I have become much more safety conscious in my old age.

According to family legend, my grandfather, who had a gift for making chairs, almost took his hand off using the table saw I now have.  It ended his woodworking.  I don't want that to happen to me.  Among other things, I have two gripper units and a Brett guard to improve the odds.

Ken

Rob, if you have access to a better hardware supplier, I would consider  a set screw with a nylon or brass tip.  Less chance of marking the shaft.

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

Ditto for Herman's comment, Rhino.  I have exactly the opposite problem with our cars.  We finally traded in an ancient sedan and truck and ended up with two Equinoxes.  I took my wife's favorite watch with me one day to get a new battery.  When I finally arrived at the jeweler's store, I could not locate the watch.  I looked everywhere and felt terrible.  I knew the loss of the watch, a present from me many years ago would sadden her.  As I pulled in the driveway, I remembered I had switched cars to have the oil changed.  Sure enough, the watch was exactly where I had remember putting it......in the other car.

"Tis a gift to be simple"

Ken