A few months with the Tormek ...

[hrc]

I got the T8 because it should be the best of sharpeners. In my view this hasn't met that high praise. Yes, the knives get sharp, the stones are very good, but technically I wonder why obvious improvements hasn't been made.

I'm so irritated by the resonance coming from the water bucket. I can't make it stop and have finally replaced it with a direct dripping water feed. The elevation mechanism is so primitive and nothing to mark as a tech feature. Please redesign!

If I need to make space for larger items I cannot remove the honing wheel, as the axle is not fixed – so I can't do that.

Without the bucket, the T8 is still resonant. I would love that the primitive (but patented) roller gearing got converted into e.g., a planetary gear so I could reverse the direction. Wouldn't mind it be a one stone solution without the honing wheel. It would be durable and silent. I am actually searching for a proper gear and if I find it, I may be building me a brand-new sharpener (with Tormek stones). Of cause with a variable speed drive to automatically adjust for wheel wear and such (dream).

I write this post because I can't be the only one feeling that Tormek need to refine/develop their product to deserve the respect and price tag.

[RickKrung]

...snip...
I'm so irritated by the resonance coming from the water bucket. I can't make it stop and have finally replaced it with a direct dripping water feed. The elevation mechanism is so primitive and nothing to mark as a tech feature. Please redesign!

Many of us have also not liked the resonance of the water trough.  A few of us have done some to alleviate it but I think none have eliminated it.  Take a look at this thread, it has a couple solutions. 

If I need to make space for larger items I cannot remove the honing wheel, as the axle is not fixed – so I can't do that.
...snip...

The honing wheel is definitely removable without the shaft dislocating.  Just take off the large hand wheel nut that secures it to the drive wheel on the left side of the machine.  Now, the shaft is NOT fixed if you take the grinding wheel off.  For that, you need a spacer to put on the grinding wheel side of the shaft.  This also has been done by many.  I machined one from aluminum. Some use the thin plastic tube that a new machine comes shipped with.  Others have drilled out PVC pipe. 

Rick

[cbwx34]

Rick, your link is broken... did you mean this one?

https://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=4187.0

Bending the legs as suggested in the other thread worked for me... sad (and a bit scary) that it has to be done on an expensive machine, but it worked.  Some of the other solutions like padding bottom helped also.  (I agree that it's a poor design).

Like Rick, I don't understand the part about not being able to remove the honing wheel?

[GeoBoy]

If I was this displeased with the T8 I would sell it and move on to something better. Why be unhappy?

[hrc]

I must admit, I have considered returning it (now selling it on). It was nowhere near the joy to use that I expected. I do, on the other hand, not think there are many better out there ... and it's far better than the one it replaced.

I got disappointed because it reminded me of my pasta machine. Some guy invented this thing in Italy in the mid 50'ies and said to himself "It'a worka goood'a". Well 70 year later he still hasn't addressed the swing that keeps falling off or the lousy plastic clamp that isn't strong enough.

I fear Tormek is sleeping on its success. That trough is horrible and I'm sure I would regard the machine much higher if it was fixed. Would still like that planetary gear, though

[hrc]

Like Rick, I don't understand the part about not being able to remove the honing wheel?

I'll go home and try again. Last time I tried the thing came apart.

[Ken S]

It sounds like your primary complaint is with the noise from your water trough. Yours is not the first complaint we have received about this. To keep things in perspective, these complaints are small in number compared with the number of T8s in use. Email Tormek support, support@tormek.se. They can help you with this issue.

Incidentally, the T8 water trough also has some notable improvements. The rounded bottom design is easier to clean and uses around half the water of earlier troughs, a factor when using ACC. The combination magnet and scraper works very well.

Since I purchased my first T7 in 2009, I have seen many redesigns and improvements in Tormek products. I have observed that Tormek seems to be the only wet grinder company doing this innovation. Tormek switched to stainless steel shafts in 2006, and later to the EZYlock. I emailed support of the latest clon company, inquiring whether their shaft was regular or stainless steel. They replied that it was regular steel. How many fifteen to twenty year old clones do we see?

The revised drive wheel is much improved. The rubberlike material (a Tormek patent) grips much better than the original material. The plastic, which occasionally cracked if not properly seated, is now zinc and much more substantial.

The machined zinc top, first used with the T4, helps the machine run cooler and increases precision. Most of the jigs have been redesigned and improved.

The Tormek is not yet perfect, although Tormek has certainly not been sitting on its laurels.Stick around, things are continually improving.

Ken

[Ken S]

hrc,

If you look at this forum carefully, you will find many member inspired innovations. You are correct in believing that there are other members who would like to refine the Tormek. Many of these innovations are cataloged by member Rich Colvin in his Sharpening Handbook.

One of the earliest was Dutchman's Grinding Tables, which has simplified setting up the knife jigs. This has also been the basis for several computer aps for knife jig setting as well as the kenjig and variations of it. Numerous members from all around the globe have joined together in this project.

We have developed several small platform jigs which are more compatible with knives and small tools than the standard issue larger Tormek platform.

We have designed pivot jigs for knives.

We have modified jigs to suit our needs.

You seem like someone with an engineering background. Why not work on one of the things which bugs you and share it with the forum? Being a forum instead of a business, we have some advantages which Tormek or any business does not have.

Ken

[hrc]

Thank you for answering. My posting was out of frustration because I thought I would get the perfect machine. And yes, the jigs are a major part of the concept and they are good.

I may have fixed the trough with pads on the two "fingers". The thickness must be carefully adjusted or the trough is difficult to insert and remove (not perfect yet but I believe in it). I'll update on the result. Also considering small efficient magnets to hold it in place.

I may have come on to some of the resonance sources. Firstly, I used the TT-50 on the stone and it was oddly off, honing only 80% of the circle. Don't really get how this is possible. This took away some of it. Then I noticed that when I put some force onto the US-105 (I need to buy a US-430), the resonance would change. I suspect that the vertical rods are vibrating in the holes. Will try fixating them with cable tiers or such to see if this helps.

Btw. regarding the few complaints from customers. Well, you hear from those that it irritates. The rest may have a perfectly balanced machine or accepting the noise. That doesn't mean the thing works well.

My complaint with that taking off the honing wheel would disassemble the axle was wrongly remembered. The situation I was referring to was when actually using the honing wheel and trying to remove the stone for better access.

[Ukfraser]

My complaint with that taking off the honing wheel would disassemble the axle was wrongly remembered. The situation I was referring to was when actually using the honing wheel and trying to remove the stone for better access.
[/quote]

You can remove the stone to give more space to hone. Its easy removing the stone without tools.

[Ken S]

Some thoughts on your noise:

As part of my self training, whenever Tormek is demonstrating at a show anywhere near me, I try to spend the day there. Whenever the Tormek demonstrator is working with someone else, I observe unobtrusively. During slow times, I have many questions. I have spent a lot of time observing chisels and knives being sharpened. The Tormek is quiet. It is not silent; however, it is quiet. The noise does not effect every T8, and, it can be corrected. Email support
(support@tormek.se)

I like the US-430. In addition to the bar being longer, the legs are 50mm longer. The extra leg length may help your noise.

At one hour and five minutes in the Tips online class, Wolfgang Hess discusses removing the grinding wheel to accommodate long knives. He says he never removes the grinding wheel. He demonstrates how he angles the knife instead.

While reshaping a bowl gouge with a grinding wheel which continually glazed over, I became very fluent with the
TT-50 truing tool. It was very frustrating, but very worthwhile training. I enjoy watching the grinding wheel gradually become true with very shallow cuts. If you are only touching 80% of the wheel, keep making light cuts until you reach  100%. I find I usually learn more from frustration than from smooth sailing.

Ken

[cbwx34]

...

Then I noticed that when I put some force onto the US-105 (I need to buy a US-430), the resonance would change. I suspect that the vertical rods are vibrating in the holes. Will try fixating them with cable tiers or such to see if this helps.

...

This part seems odd to me.... tightening the locking screws for the USB should eliminate any vibration... at least that is my experience.  What would you secure with cable ties?      (My curiosity is aroused).

[Ukfraser]

Im on a t4 and in the end removed the stone as it was much more comfortable to hone my chefs knife as i had got into a knife honing rhythm with all my other knives. First time i had used the tormek on kitchen knives and they have never been sharper so im having to be particularly careful these days!!!!!

Still learning with the t4 but very impressed with how it got an edge on my  2.5lb 20" axe which i was worried would be too big for the unit.

[Ken S]

I believe the main limitation of the T4 is often the imagination of the user.
Enjoy your T4, and don't lose the spacer!

Ken

[Pietje]

Many of us have also not liked the resonance of the water trough.  A few of us have done some to alleviate it but I think none have eliminated it.  Take a look at this thread, it has a couple solutions. 

I can offer a solution. I use a big roll of tape and put it against the side. Not flat, but with the round side. I use the tape to secure the blade against the clambs, so it is no extra.

Pietje