Threading a universal support

[Ken S]

Herman, unfortunately the reason that Tormek will probably never make one is that you have already made one. Tormek, like any other business, wants patents to protect its investment. This is ironic, because most of us, you and me included, just want to share our ideas with other Tormekers. The act of posting to share with the forum becomes the death nell for Tormek to make them.

Too bad. I happen to think your your platform jig is more versatile than the big Torlock platform or the small blade tool.

Ken

[cbwx34]

Herman, unfortunately the reason that Tormek will probably never make one is that you have already made one. Tormek, like any other business, wants patents to protect its investment. This is ironic, because most of us, you and me included, just want to share our ideas with other Tormekers. The act of posting to share with the forum becomes the death nell for Tormek to make them.

Too bad. I happen to think your your platform jig is more versatile than the big Torlock platform or the small blade tool.

Ken

I'm not sure the basics of the platform jig that Herman made would even be "patentable", would it?  For example, the patent on the SVD-110, covers the way it locks to the USB.  I would think it would take something unique like that to be "patentable"... not the basic idea of the "platform jig" that Herman's posted.  (Don't know, just curious).

[Ken S]

I agree, CB. I think Herman's platform is also outside of the Tormek philosophy of jig held tools.

Ken

[RichColvin]

I have often stated that I consider the DBS-22 drill bit jig to be Tormek's most advanced jig. I consider the SVD-186 gouge jig and the TTS-100 to be Tormek's most advanced jig and setting tool combination.

I agree whole-heartedly with Ken !

[cbwx34]

I agree, CB. I think Herman's platform is also outside of the Tormek philosophy of jig held tools.

Ken

I redraw your attention to the aforementioned SVD-110. 

[Ken S]

I assume any Tormek would utilize their patented Torlock.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

I redraw your attention to the aforementioned SVD-110. 

The Tormek philosophy, and this is addressed somewhere in the manual, is that when the grinding angle is steep one can adequately apply enough force to the grindstone. But when the angle is shallow this becomes a problem. Thus a platform set at a shallow angle does not allow the operator an opportunity to apply most of the force to the grindstone, but instead to the platform itself. On the other hand the SVD-110 only allows for steep grinding angles, so the operator can apply most of the force against the grindstone rather than the platform.

The flaw in this logic is that the platform can be used as a guide to keep the grinding angle correct, even at shallow angles, and one can still apply most of the force to the grindstone. In other words, the Tormek philosophy makes sense, it's just that I don't agree it's valid.

[cbwx34]

I redraw your attention to the aforementioned SVD-110. 

The Tormek philosophy, and this is addressed somewhere in the manual, is that when the grinding angle is steep one can adequately apply enough force to the grindstone. But when the angle is shallow this becomes a problem. Thus a platform set at a shallow angle does not allow the operator an opportunity to apply most of the force to the grindstone, but instead to the platform itself. On the other hand the SVD-110 only allows for steep grinding angles, so the operator can apply most of the force against the grindstone rather than the platform.

The flaw in this logic is that the platform can be used as a guide to keep the grinding angle correct, even at shallow angles, and one can still apply most of the force to the grindstone. In other words, the Tormek philosophy makes sense, it's just that I don't agree it's valid.

Ah.  I see.  (The one line response didn't provide enough context, I misinterpreted it, I guess).

I agree with your point... the platform is just a guide.  It's basically "freehand" sharpening, with something there to control the angle... the way I see it.

BTW, I found it in the manual (p.18).  A lot of it seems to have to do with the amount of "pressure" needed for HSS-steel.  I'm not sure knives would fit the category? 

Thanks!

[Ken S]

I agree, CB. I think Herman's platform is also outside of the Tormek philosophy of jig held tools.

Ken

I redraw your attention to the aforementioned SVD-110. 

CB,

I see your point, however, I should add that I don't really believe that the SVD-110, like Herman's platform, really falls in the Tormek philosophy. With almost every other tool, the tool is held in the jig. The jigs are either secured in the universal support bar, like the square edge jigs, axe jig, or drill bit jig, or they rest against the usb, like the knife jigs. I believe the SVD-110 is a holdover from dry grinders. Using it requires almost as much skill as freehand sharpening. The SVD-110, like many of the Tormek jigs, really works best with larger tools. Even the small blade holder works best with carving knives with substantial wooden handles.

The more I think about it, the more I do not understand why Tormek does not make a small platform jig. They hold the patent for the Torlock. The concept of a table with a grinder goes back many decades and may be considered universal. By matching the width of the platform with the width of the grinding wheel, it is easy to sharpen the full length of both bevels without needing to reposition the platform. The small platform can easily extend closer to the grinding wheel. It can be used with many tools, both large and small. I believe it would sell in greater numbers than the larger platform, although a well equipped sharpener should have both.

Ken

[cbwx34]

I see your point, however, I should add that I don't really believe that the SVD-110, like Herman's platform, really falls in the Tormek philosophy. With almost every other tool, the tool is held in the jig. The jigs are either secured in the universal support bar, like the square edge jigs, axe jig, or drill bit jig, or they rest against the usb, like the knife jigs. I believe the SVD-110 is a holdover from dry grinders. Using it requires almost as much skill as freehand sharpening. The SVD-110, like many of the Tormek jigs, really works best with larger tools. Even the small blade holder works best with carving knives with substantial wooden handles.

The more I think about it, the more I do not understand why Tormek does not make a small platform jig. They hold the patent for the Torlock. The concept of a table with a grinder goes back many decades and may be considered universal. By matching the width of the platform with the width of the grinding wheel, it is easy to sharpen the full length of both bevels without needing to reposition the platform. The small platform can easily extend closer to the grinding wheel. It can be used with many tools, both large and small. I believe it would sell in greater numbers than the larger platform, although a well equipped sharpener should have both.
Ken

Thanks for the additional detail... I understand it better now.

[Ken S]

CB,

I have been aware that "Sweden" reads our posts. I am very pleased about this friendly spying, and try to use it to pass along hints. In this case, I have long believed that both the Big (Tormek) platform and the Smaller (Herman) each have a lot of potential uses. Interchangeable diving boards could allow easy sharpening of things like metal lathe tool bits.

I hope Tormek will someday make small platform jigs. I would call them the SVD-40 and SVD-50, to fit the 200x40 mm and 250x50 mm Tormek wheels. They would be very versatile, providing a stable platform for small knives, very narrow chisels, carving tools which do not happen to fit the jigs well, etc. (Etc. is limited only by imagination.) They could also be used to transport the Tormek secured in the main shaft to keep the shaft from sliding if one misplaced the very losable piece of plastic pipe.

Tormek already owns the patent for the Torlock. (well done, engineering staff!) I would think a chunk of the cad/cam program could be copy/pasted or easily modified.

Are you monitoring this, Sweden? 

Ken

In defense of the Big Platform, it serves a different function than the Smaller Platform. It is designed for sharpening woodturning scrapers, which it does very well. As I have often said, a well equipped Tormek sharpener should have both sizes.