Tormek Test

Vaughn McMillan

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I got a chance last night to try out my new (to me) Tormek grinder on a few Thompson gouges. I didn't make any changes to the profiles, so it only took a few minutes per gouge to get the initial grind on them, and dressing them up in the future will be at least as quick as using the Wolverine-style sharpening setup. And the edge seems to hold up well. Although I could no longer shave the hair on my arm with the bowl gouge after turning a large bowl, after about 15 seconds on the leather honing wheel it shaves again.

Looks to me like it's gonna work just fine. I was taking intentionally heavy cuts on wet sycamore, and it was spewing curlies like crazy, but leaving a very clean cut. Here are a few pics showing the evidence. I was impressed that I was able to shoot thick curlies over my shoulder and out the hole in the window. :D The shower curtain over the grinder was buried in curlies, but I cleared it off a few time in the process to get things out of the drawers below. (I used the shower curtain to keep the grinder dry. This wood was spraying water.)

Tormek Test - 001.jpg Tormek Test - 002.jpg Tormek Test - 003.jpg Tormek Test - 004.jpg
 
Vaughn,

Pretty cool. I like my Tormek T-7, too. Funny how some of us (read that as me) migrate back and forth on things. I bought the Tormek tail end of last year and when I bought my Jet mini tried sharpening with the T-7 and wasn't completely happy. I decided to buy a Wolverine based on many long-time turner's input to see if I'd get better results. I recently bought a magazine that came with a DVD on the Tormek and it seemed to provide the specific how-tos I was missing before. I went back to the Tormek and sharpened some tools using the DVD info and I am really impressed. I never got my tools this sharp before. Now if I can just get good enough to shoot curlies out my window! :)
 
I was in the same position for different reason. It took a long time to reshape a new tool. I went to classes that I had to use a dry grinder and slightly changed the grind. I was tired of re-shaping the tools after each class, and gone back to dry grinder. I took some advice from Jeff Farris, the manager of Tormek. He is the person who demonstrated in the DVD that I got from the magazine. The shaping didn't take as long. It still took a long time to shape a Thompson skew. (That steel is tough.)
I am impressed with this little gadget TTS-100
http://www.tormek.com/en/woodturning/
If I choose one of the grinds (there are more available than those printed on the jig), to return to the set up for touching up is faster than Wolverine.

I can feel the tool is sharper; the cut is cleaner. Whether the edge would stay sharp longer as Tormek claims, I don't know because there are so many variables in turning.
 
I'm not trying to be funny with this question, really.
But......is "wet sycamore" a test of anything?
Show what can be done on dry Osage Orange/Bradford Pear/Maple, etc.
I have heard (from a demonstrator at our club) that the main wheel on a Tormek wears out very quickly and must be replaced fairly frequently at approximately the cost of a new Rolex. How close to fact is that?
 
Frank,

Have you check out the fact on the price of a Rolex? (other than the counterfeit)
The replacement wheel is $160
http://www.sharptoolsusa.com/shop/?...&category_id=79ef8be0a3ed8d97dfd5037ba9c46345

If they quit selling them, I would be glad to buy a complete Tormek and sell the wheel for a fraction of a real Rolex.

I haven't use it enough to tell you how long it would last, but so far it holds up well.

The wheel is not cheap, so is a good Norton SG wheel.
A top line 8" wheel is $105.
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...___Wheels___Norton_SG_Wheel___norton_sg?Args=
And you will need a coarse and fine wheel.
The Tormek wheel is 10" diameter. With a stone grader, the same wheel serves as both grits.

It is not a miracle tool that would turn anyone into a better turner. It is just one of the systems that would keep the tools sharp.

I had the Woodcraft slow speed grinder, and upgraded to the Delta heavy duty grinder and better wheels. It was a step up.
 
I took a Thompson bowl gouge and sharpened it with the tormek and honed it on the leather wheel to a shaving sharpness. I finished turning 2 dry walnut 9" bowls inside and out before going back for a touch up. I did 2 dry osage orange bowls without going back to touch up. If that gouge would have been sharpened on a dry wheel you definitely would be back to the grinder 3 or 4 times per bowl. At least that is what I found when I just had the wolverine jig. Now I still use my wolverine jig if I want to change a profile on a gouge.
 
I'm not trying to be funny with this question, really.
But......is "wet sycamore" a test of anything?
Show what can be done on dry Osage Orange/Bradford Pear/Maple, etc.
I have heard (from a demonstrator at our club) that the main wheel on a Tormek wears out very quickly and must be replaced fairly frequently at approximately the cost of a new Rolex. How close to fact is that?
I agree that wet sycamore is not a very tough test, but it was sitting in the driveway, and it was fun. I turn dry wood as seldom and as little as possible.

I'm pretty sure the Tormek wheel lasts longer than your club demonstrator would lead you to believe. From reading the Tormek user's forum, it seems that guys who are using their Tormeks daily in their professional sharpening service business (scissors and knives, mostly) get multiple years out of a wheel before replacing it. As Gordon mentioned, the stock replacement is about $160, and for another $20 or so (as I recall) you can get a harder stone that's supposedly even more durable when sharpening high speed steel than the stock wheel.
 
Frank,

Just for a different angle on the cost of the wheel, I finally jumped in and bought my Tormek at the end of last year as they had a deal up until 12/31/07 that they would would replace the sharpening wheels for the life of the machine. The fine print actually limits it to three replacements but with what they cost it's was just what I needed to justify the purchase. I've sharpened all of my chisels (about 20 of them) and most of my turning tools a couple of times each and the wear is slight so far.

Regards,
 
Bernie, Vaughn, Lee, those are good examples and endorsements. Very unlike the impression I got from our club demonstrator. Right now, I'm happy with my new Wolverine but now a Tormek is a 'mebbe' for the future. At times, I feel my hobby is more buying tools than making stuff or turning.
 
...I'm pretty sure the Tormek wheel lasts longer than your club demonstrator would lead you to believe. From reading the Tormek user's forum, it seems that guys who are using their Tormeks daily in their professional sharpening service business (scissors and knives, mostly) get multiple years out of a wheel before replacing it. As Gordon mentioned, the stock replacement is about $160, and for another $20 or so (as I recall) you can get a harder stone that's supposedly even more durable when sharpening high speed steel than the stock wheel.

My Tormek is about nine years old. I have no idea how many plane irons, chisels, and knives it's sharpened so far, but the (original) 10" stone is now down to about 9½" so I figure I've got about another ten years before I'll need to replace it.

BTW, my machine is old enough to not have the stainless steel shaft like the new ones. About a year ago, I bought the new shaft - and bearings while I was at it - to 'upgrade' the machine. I also have a new - but not yet needed - leather strop wheel for it. bought it about five years ago at a going out of business sale at a Woodcraft franchise store. Paid ten bucks for it. It's still in the box. I might need it someday.

The only actual repair I've needed was a new water trough. I dropped the original one on a concrete floor. Plastic doesn't fare well versus concrete...

To give you an idea of my sharpening volume - I have over a hundred planes of various types and sizes, along with maybe forty chisels, and an untold number of knives. Nearly all get regular sharpening. That Tormek really gets used!
 
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