sharpening

Re: sharpening

Brad Vietje

>Ken,

Welcome to Pandorra's Box..... :)

If you go to the top of the list and click on "Search" all (and more !) will be revealed to you. In other words, if there are 10 woodturners in a room, you are sure to get at least 15 opinions on sharpening, honing, and maintaining your turning tools.

Short answer: some people have both; many people have just the grinder. Both groups can produce excellent work. I'm an odd duck -- I have neither ! Open your in-box wide...

Safe Spinning,

Brad Vietje

Thetford, VT

Re: sharpening

JL

>IMHO (not that it is that humble), the Tormek is great for keeping a grind. Where it lacks is that it isn't very fast of a shaper. You can go through a lot of the very expensive Tormek wheel establishing a grind. Don't get me wrong, I have a Tormek, I sharpen my gouges (and more) on it. I also have a Delta w/ a Wolverine - that is what I established the grinds with.

Re: sharpening

Stuart Johnson

>I have a Tormek and use it for all of my gauges. I use a 1x30 belt sander for my scraper. I have not been able to get a decent edge on the skew with the Tormek so I purchased a regular 1725 grinder from Woodcraft. I still can't get a decent edge on the skew with any power equipment so it is back to the bench stones.

Anyway, the Tormek is for sharpening not for shaping.

agree....

tdaniel

>The Tormek is for maintaining an edge; not good for establishing one. It is also difficult to sharpen all tools on the same stone. After sharpening a gouge a few times you have to redress the wheel before doing a flat tool and the dressing tool that comes with the Tormek is unbelievably slow. I think the Tormek is a good second grinder but the first should be an 1800 rpm 8" with at least one white wheel.

TD

Re: sharpening

John K Jordan

>>I have not been able to get a decent edge on the

>skew with the Tormek so I purchased a regular

>1725 grinder from Woodcraft.

Same here, except I was able to use the Tormak to sharpen after I first got my 1" oval skew shaped on the grinder. Before that, I spent an hour trying to shape the skew before giving up.

However, I never had trouble with my favorite 1/2" skew - I touch it only with the Tormak.

One thing I find very important and a bit tricky with the skew is to get it aligned perfectly in the jig. I seat the chisel by wiggling it while tightening the knob, blacken the bevel with a marker, position against the wheel and turn the wheel by hand to see if it's hitting just right, then adjust if necessary before sharpening. If it is twisted just a bit or if the skew angle is not just right, it will take a LONG time to regrind a new bevel. If it is just right, it only takes a minute or so.

While this works for me, I think there is room for some improvement in the jig. I'm planning on getting a few more chisel and gouge jigs so I can leave them set to my favorite settings.

JKJ in East TN

Re: sharpening

vicmarc.fan

>I have used a Tormec exclusively for years because it also does plane, chisels and more. I did not like how the wheel went away so fast on changing the angle on a new chisel or the replacement cost of a new stone. What made me buy a grinder was when I started to do hollow form. I could not get a decent burr on the square stock bits with the tormec. Now I find myself using the regular grinder more and more. Its just easier and faster for most things. The Tormac still has its uses like jointer knives and such but I am now spoiled to have both.

Ron

ditto

tdaniel

>

Re: sharpening

JamieDonaldson

>I usually advise turners to use the basic Woodcraft type grinder sold as a package- 1800 RPM with 60 and 100 grit wheels( I actually use a 120). The wheel diameter is less important than the speed, and the 60 is for shaping and 120 for sharpening. Then add the proper jigs as necessary- that's where Tormek eats your lunch.