Tormek Tips Tricks and Techniques Beginners Start Here!

[Ken S]

I have no problem with including other terms (eg. manual gearbox). Why not use both?  "Permanent marker" is fine for the brand name Sharpie.

I do have a problem with omitting the chisel information.  The reason for my specific recommendation is to steer beginners away from  chisels which have very short blades; over polished chisels where the intersection of the back and sides is rounded; and poorly manufactured chisels.  I chose the Irwin successor to Marples because I believe it should be available in most areas (through Amazon, if not locally) and is not expensive.

I would suggest narrowing the choice of sharpness tests to one or two at most.  My suggestion would be the plastic pen test and the paper test Jeff demonstrates on the videos.

I would like to see the version which remains in the sticky as concise and cleaned up as possible.  No need to put my name with it.

Ken

[Elden]

Agreed, definitely clear all our suggestions, chatter out.

[Rob]

Ken

will you now post the edited version you like then please (dont forget we cant edit your post directly. only propose changes that you have to implement)

[Ken S]

Rob (and forum), below is posted a rewrite including some of the more international terms and a slight modification of my chisel recommendation. I included only the paper sharpness demonstrated by Jeff on the videos for simplicity. It was an easy copy, paste, edit and maybe took five minutes to complete the changes.  As such, it can be readily changed again if need be.

I hope more members will comment (you, too, Jeff).

Ken




Using a Tormek is like driving a manual gearbox ("stick shift" for us on this side of the pond) car.  There is a bit of a learning curve, one which thousands of users have completed successfully.  Here is our advice to develop your "clutch foot".

Spend some time becoming very familiar with the videos on the tormek.com abd sharptoolsusa.com websites.  You may have found them before even purchasing your Tormek.  Read your Tormek handbook; do not be afraid to make it your own by highlighting and flagging.  Keep it nearby.

Every Tormek user should have a permanent marker. The permanent marker, as shown in the videos and handbook, allows the user to quickly verify grinding angles.  It is an essential tool.

The first tool you should learn to sharpen is a chisel.  Regardless of what your intended use for your Tormek, if you can sharpen a chisel proficiently and fluently, you can learn other tools. A chisel is the  simplest edge to grind.  It is ground square, not angled.  The bevel angle of 25 to 30 degrees is an easy range to duplicate.  Unlike most knives, only one bevel is ground.  The full range of the Tormek is used in sharpening a chisel, initial grinding with the stone graded coarse; finer grinding with the stone graded fine; and finally, stropped with the leather honing wheel.

An excellent first chisel is the Irwin 3/4" Blue Chip chisel.  Why an Irwin 3/4" Blue Chip chisel?  During various posts on this forum, 3/4" has emerged as the most practical width chisel for learning how to use the Tormek.  The Blue Chip chisel has enough blade length to be a very usable first learning tool. The steel is good carbon steel. The sides are also ground square to the back of the blade with no rounding over (which would interfere with preparing the back for sharpening).  Irwin acquired Joseph Marples, the fine company which had made these good chisels for a very long time.  And, on a very practical level, these chisels are very reasonably priced.  At this writing they are available on Amazon for $8.51.  A set of four (1/4 to 1" is also available for about $25 for those who would like several practice chisels.  They are also working standard tools in many shops.  Your choice of chisel brand is completely up to you.  Please at least consider the Blue Chip as a starting reference guide.

Do not just sharpen this chisel once before moving on.  Blunt the edge with a hammer or file several times and restore the edge until you become proficient.  During these practice sessions you will learn a lot about machine.  Learn to listen to the sound of the grinding.  Learn to become sensitive to the feel of the  grinding.  Learn to be consistent in setting up your machine.  Learn what a truly sharp edge is, and what it can do. There are several methods of testing for sharpness.  Jeff's paper method (as shown on the sharptoolsusa.com videos is a good starting place.

Even if you do not intend to do woodworking, go through these exercises with your chisel.  And, keep the chisel nearby.  Eventually a day come when your sharpening is going badly. On that day, you can return to sharpening your chisel. This will simplify your troubleshooting.  If you can match your initial sharpening, your basic machine and wheel are functioning properly.  If not, this exercise will point you in the correct direction to solve the problem.

Getting a mindset for the grinding wheel:

All too often, new users approach the grinding wheel with a sense of reverence and feel a need to preserve it.  While proper use is important, it should be remembered that the grinding wheel is designed to be worn away during use.  Look at the wheel as you would a set of good tires or brake linings.  Good care extends their useful life, however, they are designed to be worn out.

The Tormek wheel is designed to be used as either a coarse wheel or a finer wheel, depending on how the grading stone is used.  The wheel actually has a third grading when freshly dressed with the TT-50 diamond dresser (more coarse).   Do not try to squeeze a bit more life out of your wheel or a bit of time off the sharpening operation by skipping the grading operation.  Proper use of the grader is well covered in the videos and handbook.  Follow these instructions!

Be patient and persevere.  Your Tormek skills will quickly develop.  Please feel free to participate in the forum.  We welcome you.

[Ken S]

I might suggest that once we arrive with a "final" version, that it be copy pasted onto the sticky and the full development post become a separate non sticky post.  That would allow anyone interested to track the development and make suggestions (which would update the post and place it on page one).

Ken

[Ken S]

Jeff,

No further comments seem to be forthcoming.  Would this be a good time to strip away all the comments and post the last version?

Keep in mind that we can alter the text should the need arise.

Ken

ps a monor typo:  I notice in the description of the chisels, an incomplete set of parentheses, before but not after the inch sizes of the chisels.  Would you please correct that.  Thanks.

[Herman Trivilino]

Ken, you should be able to modify your own posts.

[Ken S]

No need, Herman.  I trust the forum moderator, and I had planned to text to be from the forum (anonymous).

Ken

[Jeff Farris]

I'll get on this later today or tomorrow.

[Ken S]

Jeff, I think it would be good to add a sentence or two about oiling the leather honing wheel (and accessory discs).  It could use discretely larger font size and perhaps bold.  It should include a recommended amount and type of oil and stress ONCE.  I trust your judgement.

Ken

[jeffs55]

Anyone think it might be a good idea to have the first sticky be called something like:

GSM: Stage

For Getting Started Manual staging area.

If there is not some way to organize ideas up for review, if that is the process, they could easily slip beneath the waves into the abyss of deep history.

I would forego the acronym and call it the "Getting Started With Your Tormek" or "The Getting Started Manual".

[Ken S]

A minor protocol thought: maybe the welcome message should appear before this post.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

Not sure what's going on here with this thread. 

Jeff, are you still planning on cleaning this up and deleting the unwanted messages?

Ken, did you want to go back and make those edits?

I know we wanted to start with chisel sharpening, but didn't we want to add knife sharpening?  And machine maintenance?

[Rob]

Herman. I pulled back on this whole idea because it was clear there was no real will to actually doing it. I hate to sound like a negative vibe merchant but I pushed this whole idea till I was blue in the face. Everyone was saying yes let's do it, then it just stalled.....clearly no one really wants to actually get organised

To do it properly we need to circulate shared documents.  I believe it is unreasonable to expect Jeff Farris to pick up a heap of editing every night he gets in....the poor bloke would have no life!  So if its to work we need to post finished text after we've all poured over it and agreed the content. 

But as I say, having solutions to the problems of doing this was never the problem, getting people motivated was!  I've been down that somewhat lonely road already. I'm happy to contribute if someone else picks up the mantle but I'm not doing the selling again.....life's too short!

[Herman Trivilino]

Doing a Wiki would be ideal, but this thread is the best we can do under current circumstances.