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Messages - Ken S

#7741
Jeff,

I agree we are getting off topic.  However, we did make a good effort to answer the original post before drifting.

If the side of the wheel was supposed to be a precision grinding surface, I believe Tormek would have made much more of it in their marketing program.  I have only used the side to flatten an otherwise very nice old Buck chisel with a belly.  Others probably have more side experience than I do.

Mike, thank goodness for dolts like you!  By the way, Chris Becksvoort seems to prefer Lie-Nielsen planes.  I'm sure he could use any planes he wishes.  I have no doubt they are world class.  All they lack is a multigenerational history.

Ken
#7742
Ted,

Here is a link to a new product at Lee Valley.  I think these wooden pieces used in conjunction with diamond paste or abrasive would do the trick for you.  (I would use the Tormek to grind back any deep nicks first.)

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=69439&cat=1,43072

I know from personal experience that Tormek in Sweden does monitor this forum.  I received a nice email from one of the factory people after I had grumbled about the lack of good video training material  on some of the newer products.  (This was just before Al Holtham's videos were put on the side.)  I still think there is not an overabundance of good training material.  More training material in conjunction with more time at the grinder would be a great learning help.

I would suggest (to the whole forum) that you send your suggestions to Tormek.  After all, as tormek owners, who will probably send more revenue their way for accessories, we are the target market.  As such, I believe we should receive prompt and polite replies, even if Tormek decides an idea is impractical or of too limited market.

Go for it!

Ken

#7743
Rob,

I agree with you.  Since the smoother takes such thin shavings, I think a thicker blade would give better service in the jack plane.  Since the #4 smoother and #5 jack planes both use 2 inch blades, it would be possible to hedge one's bet.

As an aside, the new Veritas blades answer the question about flattening the side of the wheel....they arrive dead flat.

My favorite blade is the sharp one.

Ken

ps How did the users of my plane get by for the first 120 years with a standard blade?  :)
#7744
Rob,

If you had lapped your Tormek wheel, you would have done your year's worth of aerobic exercises.  Then you could have spent the rest of the year enjoying your leisure and nursing your painful hands.

I suspect it would not be all that difficult to jury rig a support for a diamond dressing bar on the side of the wheel.  However,  if someone spent some early morning time flattening a chisel a day, within a month that person would have several lifetimes worth of flattened chisels.

I hear you about rehabbing your Dad's plane.  I did the same thing with my grandfather's 1891 vintage Stanley jack plane during Ernie Conover's plane class.  It cuts like a champ now.  I would not compare it with a new Lie-Nielsen or Veritas plane, but it certainly is in my league.  I also enjoy using old tools, especially old family tools.

Should I ever purchase any L-N planes, they would probably be specialty planes.  Whereas tuning a bench plane is doable, I doubt I could rehab an old shoulder rabbet plane to be near a L-N or Veritas.  Same with a roughing plane.

I have thought about, and am still thinking about, replacing my 100 year old blades for new Hock or Veritas thicker blades.  One side tells me that's a logical upgrade.  Another side remembers watching Ernie do some amazing planing with an original Stanley smoothing blade he had just sharpened.  There is something to be said for skill.

Ken

#7745
A similar post appeared a couple years ago.  The poster wished that Tormek would make an 8000 grit wheel.  Nice idea, however, I'm sure the cost would have been prohibitive, probably close to five hundred dollars.  How much of a market would there be at this price?  And smaller demand=even higher cost.  not a good scenario for any manufacturer.

In cannel gouge would e a particularly challenging environment.  Each radius would require a different wheel, unless each wheel had several "humps" each hump having its own radius.  You could reshape the wheel with a radius, but that would only handle one size, unless you had several wheels or reshaped often.

I would look into dowels and diamond paste.

Ken
#7746
Rob, that reminds me of the time I flattened my grandfather's cupped oilstone.  It was a lot of hard work  I only did it because it was my grandfather's.  Since then, I have become VERY careful about using the whole stone area.  (Since then i have learned about diamond lapping plates.)

If you plan to true the side of the wheel, I would suggest doing it often, before it becomes a big job,  I have a T shaped diamond wheel dresser (about fifteen dollars from Lee Valley).  I haven't used it on the Tormek wheel, however, it does a nice job on the face of my dry grinder wheels.

The only time I use the side of the Tormek wheel is for the odd chisel back which has a belly.  I use it for the initial flattening.  Once the back is flat, I polish it on Norton water stones.

Keep us posted if you lap your wheel....More power to you! (You'll need it.)

Ken
#7747
One of the difficulties with the T3 is lack of good information.  Justin has worked with an earlier version of the T3.  However, most of us use variations of the T7.  I have only seen a demonstrator once at a tool fair.  He was using only a T7. 

Jeff, you did a lot of demo work over the years.  Are the demo guys showing both the T7 and T3 now, or just the T7?

Ken
#7748
I have never used a T3, so I really can't comment either way.

Regarding shaping metal, I would use a belt grinder.  Changing grits is easy.  You need to exercise some care in not overheating the metal.  A good and very inexpensive alternative would be several hand files.  (different degrees of roughness).  You may be surprised how quickly a good file works when used properly.

Ken
#7749
General Tormek Questions / Re: Not convinced on T-7
January 30, 2013, 07:35:27 PM
Welcome to the forum, Ted.

In realizing that you do not have the hands on experience (yet) with the Tormek, you have made a giant step closer to your goal.

Our culture encourages the misnomer that throwing money at something will bring instant skill.  We are all victims of this cruel hoax.  In our "self taught" era, we have forgotten the value of apprenticeships and long periods of study and work.

Years ago I attended the Leica School.  The training was excellent; the instructors retired Navy photographic instructors who really knew their stuff.  It was like studying driving at the Ferrari factory.

Leica made a premier 35mm enlarger at the time.  The engineering and build were absolutely first-rate, as one would expect of Leitz.  This world class enlarger had a diffusing chamber of styrofoam, which closely resembled a coffee cup.  Chincy?  Not really.  The engineers discovered that styrofoam worked better than any other material.

I don't believe most of us on this forum, myself, have achieved a level of skill where the Tormek is the constraint.  Another thing to consider, is that the Tormek itself is evolving.  I bought my first Tormek in 2009, and bought a second unit after the first one was stolen.  In that short period, the second unit included the new EZYlock shaft (a real convenience); the improved water trough; and the revolving base.  Added to the lineup was the drill it jig and T3 were added.  Not bad.  I look forward to seeing what new ideas come from Sweden.

I have never used a T3.  I'm sure it is a nice machine.  I also believe the T7 flagship model is preferable for most people.

Patience, good luck, and keep us posted.

Ken
#7750
The honing compound is a very distant cousin to tooth paste (a mild abrasive).  i have not tried toothpaste on the Tormek, although I suspect the official version does a better job.  If only the Tormek compound had whitener.......

Ken
#7751
General Tormek Questions / Re: Dry grinding
January 29, 2013, 02:18:40 AM
We should ask whoever ended up with the Tormek which was stolen from my house.  That person has a Tormek with no water trough.  While I like it as a wet grinder, I think it's overpriced and underperforming as a dry grinder.  :(

Actually, it's not a bad question.  We all have to learn. Welcome to the forum and keep asking questions.

Ken
#7752
Good thought, William.  I bought a bottle of mineral oil at the drug store.  It works fine, but is probably a millennium supply, overkill for a retiree like me.

Ken
#7753
Rob, You're welcome.

Justin, please keep us posted with your experiments.

I tried to bring up the thread conversations Ionut and I had regarding making small knife jigs.  The search option on this forum brought up only the latest post.  (frustrating!)  Anyway, if you click on Ionut or me and "see posts", you can find them.  (not easily, but they are there).  I would suggest starting with Ionut first.  That's not being modest; he has fifteen pages of posts.  My forty one pages are much more time consuming.

In hindsight, I think either the bisected 110 jig or the homemade wooden one would do the job with small knives.  The reason for cutting the 110 jig in half is to be able to get close from either side (with double bevel knives).  No need if you sharpen the knife with a bevel on only one side as recommended by Leonard Lee.

Definitely use the wheel graded fine.  Your small knife can easily become a micro knife.  I would use the wheel revolving away from the edge and very gently.  In fact, for anyone sharpening a lot of pocket knives, the Tormek could be set up with the knife jig in the vertical position and the small knife jig, be it all of half of the 110 or homemade, setup with a second USB in the horizontal position.  (Use the leather honing wheel freehand.)

Your sharpening library should include Ron Hock's book as well as Leonard Lee's.  Somewhat off topic, I have found Leonard Lee's sharpening DVD a delight.  The information is solid and well presented.  The humor is subtle.  It is also a fascinating glimpse of an honest man who has done much for the tool buying community.  (available at leevalley.com)

If the full truth is to be told, I would usually sharpen the occasional small knife with a water or oil stone.  If I were to set up at a fair, I would opt for the Tormek. 

Ken
#7754
Byoomholay,

This thread was one of several in that time period regarding sharpening very small knife blades.  As I recall, the original poster wanted to be able to sharpen very small knife blades, like the small blade in a pocket knife (or pen knife, to be more correct).  These blades are too small to be sharpened by the standard Tormek knife jig.

Ionut and I both suggested several ideas for jigs for these very small blades.  Ionut actually made and photographed a prototype.

My last idea was to cut a flat jig in half.  That would allow close contact from both sides of the wheel.  (I still have a spare jig which I have not yet bisected.)

A search on small knife blade sharpening should bring up the other threads.

Sadly, these ideas seem to have been forgotten.

Ken

#7755
Elden,

Thanks for bringing this fine thread back to life.  I do miss Ionut's posts on the forum.  He was very passionate about woodworking and very innovative.  He was a demonstrator for a large Tormek dealer in western Canada.  I hope he has just moved on to other interests and is in good health.

Ken