Alternative to TS-740 Sharpening Station

[Herman Trivilino]

This is an inferior substitute for the TS-740 Sharpening Station, but it is a more compact and affordable alternative.

It's the PowerTek Universal Stand Model No. UT1002 available from Home Depot.

A word of warning: The table top and lower shelf are made of bare MDF and so have to be painted so they'll be waterproof and be able to stand up to use.

The top surface is at a height of 32 inches (810 mm), which is within the adjustable height range of the TS-740, and seems like a good height for me as I'm 73.8 inches (1.87 m) tall.

A few things you might be wondering about my Tormek. I purchased it new in 2002 and the original color was green. Due to my lack of care the finish was peeling and the steel was rusting in spots. Long time forum members might recall that I documented the refinishing here. I also modified the Universal Support by threading the shaft and adding my own homemade adjuster knob, which is the plastic top of juice container with a nut embedded in it with bondo.

[RichColvin]

Herman, did you paint your Tormek?

[Ken S]

Interesting and practical topic, Herman.

I have used several tables with my Tormek over the years. The senior table, which I rescued from a debris pile in 1972, was an old wooden child's table which had lost its legs. Before I purchased my T7, I used it with my drill press, buffer/grinder, jointer, and disc/belt sander at different times. The bolt holes from these machines are still present. I built 2x4 legs and some stiffener boards as well as added a cardboard shelf.
In 2025, it continues to serve me well.

I also have a Workmate and a Tormek Work Station.

All of these benefit from having a Tormek Rubber Work Mat to contain any spillage and a Rotating Base, although an inexpensive plastic cafeteria tray can serve well for both functions.

I would substitute "adequate" for "inferior" in your first sentence. I would also classify your support bar threading as perfectly adequate.

I have several old second hand machinist chests and tool boxes. I like the storage drawers in the Tormek Work Station, although, the actual jigs and Accessories I use could easily be stored in a cardboard box or two. Especially for those of us who primarily (or only) sharpen knives, how much storage do we need?

Don't get me wrong. The Tormek Work Station, Rotating Base, and Rubber Work Mat are well made, useful tools which are used during every sharpening session. They are nice to have, but not essential.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

Herman, did you paint your Tormek?

Yes, back in 2014. See the last paragraph of my post, Rich.

[Herman Trivilino]

I would substitute "adequate" for "inferior" in your first sentence. I would also classify your support bar threading as perfectly adequate.

Thanks, Ken. I should mention that in addition to threading the support bar, I filed the side that faces the set screw flat. The homemade adjuster nut spins freely with just a fling of the finger. Every time I see Tormek come out with a new modification I try to modify mine to serve the same purpose, buy that new part, or live without it. For example, I have neodymium magnets hot glued to the outside of the water trough, another modification not present in 2002 when I bought my machine.

I think the new stand will prove to be more than adequate. I have a wooden box (an "in box" from back in the day when we placed sheets of incoming paper memos on our desks) that I use to hold accessories. I forgot to put that on the lower shelf when I took the photo, also forgot the water trough. It's an overcast day here, perfect for photography, but it was starting to sprinkle just as I was getting ready to take the photo, so I had to rush things.

Most of my jigs hang from the wall just behind the sharpening station. I don't have a dedicated workshop. We have a two-stall attached garage so I have to roll my table saw out of the way if I want to park both vehicles. But I do have access to all my tools; and room to use the sharpening station, my dry grinder, and my workbench even when both vehicles are parked in the garage. It's just a few steps from my kitchen to my sharpening station, and I don't have to go outdoors.

[RichColvin]

Herman, did you paint your Tormek?

Yes, back in 2014. See the last paragraph of my post, Rich.

My apologies:  I missed that.  It looks great.  And thanks for the refresher link to the posts where you painted it.  

[Ken S]

Rich,

Stig once told me about some of the minor improvements Tormek included over the years. Among these were much tougher paint and a patented rubberlike material.

Herman, you have at least two qualities I really admire. You are an experienced, educated physicist who is also what I call a practical "Popular Mechanics Home Workshop" worker (a high compliment!). Your sharpening table not only suits the Tormek very well, like my recycled child's table, it can serve many uses without modification. One humble minor suggestion: Lumber stores sell packs of around a dozen pre cut wooden shims. They are inexpensive and useful for many things, including keeping tables from wobbling on uneven floors.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

Herman, you have at least two qualities I really admire. You are an experienced, educated physicist who is also what I call a practical "Popular Mechanics Home Workshop" worker (a high compliment!). Your sharpening table not only suits the Tormek very well, like my recycled child's table, it can serve many uses without modification. One humble minor suggestion: Lumber stores sell packs of around a dozen pre cut wooden shims. They are inexpensive and useful for many things, including keeping tables from wobbling on uneven floors.

Ken

Thank you so much for the compliments, Ken.

It just so happens that I always keep a stack of those shims in my shop. They are very versatile. I also purchased some Air Wedge Bags recently that are also very handy to have for all kinds of handyman activities, and the hands-free operation means far less bending over to reach the ground.

This stand comes with one, yes only one, adjustable foot pad that can be placed on any one of the four legs. I was really disappointed that there weren't four of them. All you can do with one is keep it from rocking on a very uneven floor. Fortunately I don't need it. Especially since I plan to move the stand to different places around the shop and yard when I'm working on projects. (That was actually the original intent of the purchase, but then I realized it would be a dandy replacement for my clumsy homemade Tormek stand because it would take up less space and also become a multitasker).

I need a place to set all my tools and fasteners when I'm working on projects as it's a pain to keep bending all the way to the ground pick things up or set them down. My younger self would never even think such a thing would be needed, but I'm not as young as I used to be. So I plan to have only the Tormek on the stand, and two trays on the lower shelf, one with sharpening supplies such as the honing compound, and the other with tools and knives waiting for the next sharpening session. That way I can easily move everything off the stand to my nearby workbench when I need the stand for other purposes.