Learning sharpening all over again...

[RUssL.]

I finally went and picked up a Tormek on ebay, one of the older models, and only the basic set.
I also bought a couple of jigs from Woodcraft pertinent to carving; for knives, for gouges and for small tools.

The video cassette (That's how old this one is!) and booklet that came with the tool are somewhat instructive and I am making a bit of progress with chisels and plane blades by using cheap ones bought just for sharpening practice. I have also used youtube.com for other training help.

I realize and am prepared to follow my own sharpening advice, "Practice, practice, practice" but am also trying to soak up any and all other sources of wisdom in the meantime.
Those who have mastered their Tormek with their gouges: do you have any other instructional resources that you could point me towards?

Thank you,

Russ

[xsailer]

I found just using it was easy. The Jigs are certainly expensive but unless your sharpening things other than your carving stuff you may not need them. I have the gouge jigs. Not knife jigs. I sharpen them on the Denny belt sander. I don't yet have the diamond jig (it's ONLY $75.00!!) that trues the stone but will adventually.

One thing, after cleaning out the water tray a few times I of course found a lot residue in the bottom. I have a bunch of the chrome magnets that are very strong and took one the size of a quarter and put it in the water tray to catch the ground metal. Well cleaning it the first time was an experience I'll tell you. I was thinking it sure would be nice to turn off the magnetism in order to get the particles off of it's surface. There's got to be a better way.....right? I took a similair piece of steel and put it in the water and the magnet on the outside of the water tray in line with the steel. It worked. Not heard any pro or con on this idea but can't see what it hurts.

[dryheat]

I’ve had a Tormek for around 15 years and it’s great for many things. The jigs work for full size carving tools and regular chisels, plane irons and such. Not so hot for the small palm sized tools, at least for me. The shank of these tools is just too short for the jigs so I have to sharpen them using the bar or the flat rest that fits on the bar. I just bought one of Denny’s jigs and fitted it to my old “1 X “42 belt sander and so far I really like it. I haven’t had time to do much more than hit a couple of chisels but it has promise. I think that given the time and some thought I can fit the Denny jig to the Tormek, the great advantage of the Tormek, for me, is the wet feature. With any dry type of grinder or sander one must have a light touch and always be mindful of burning the steel. This is especially true of the small palm type chisels. As for the magnets in the water tray, I tape 2 large rare earth magnets to the outside of the tray and can just scrape the accumulated crud from the inside of the tray.
Ed

[CarverFromNoWhere]

I would go to Tormeks website they have a forum and if you register the serial number on the machine you can get access to the online updated version of the booklet.

Magnet is one of the best things you can add to the Tormek I use cattle magnets get them at a feed store or farming store they are cheap coated in plastic and plenty durable as they are made to go in the stomach of livestock and hold metal objects, so they don't get into the intestines.

If you have a truing tool use it, use it fairly often and it's better to true the stone lightly and often instead of a couple times taking off big amounts of stone.

I wore out my last stone in about 9 months of using it nearly every day, I sharpened my turning tools, my brothers turning tools, countless hunting knives for friends and family, scissors, chisels, and fillet knives are a huge item I have people ask me to sharpen.

If you can learn to put a nice even and sharp edge on a tool without using the jigs you will be set. It's only slightly faster then using a jig but using the tormek and jigs you can replicate the exact edge over and over and over ect.

Tormek is currently working on a jig system that will fit dry grinders, it will be used to rough shape your tools before you put them onto the big stone.
Carl

[RUssL.]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for taking the time and for your thoughtful responses.

Best regards,

Russ

[Ron Davidson]

Look at it this way Russ. If I can sharpen my tools on it you can!
Ron

[RUssL.]

Very funny, Ron. :-) That's a good one.
...and hard to argue with! ;-)

I'm sure I'll do fine.
I do think, this being a slightly used model, that I do need the truing tool and I have ordered one.

Despite setting a plane iron squarely in the jig the edge repeatedly comes back at a angle, not square.
That can't be right! :-)

I have had some success with a few carpentry chisels and a big kitchen knife. A cheap set of carving gouges has produced mixed results, not unlike I have doing the whole thing manually.

All of this has lead me to feel that using the Tormek is causing me to learn how to sharpen all over again.
But that's not a bad thing.
The more I learn, the more fun I have.

Thanks again to all who have responded to me request.

Russ