Tormek Sharapening

Re: Tormek Sharapening

John K Jordan

>>>Trying to sharpen a spindle gouge with the Tormek Universal Grinding Jig, SVD-180 but the shaft of the gouge is too small for the SVD-180 to grip it no matter what orientation I put the clamping pad.

Do you mean the gouge shaft diameter is too small? What is the diameter? Or is it a shallow flute, if so what is the outside height to the top of the flute? - I could check mine and see if I have one like yours. I sharpen 1/4" spindle gouges on mine and it grips OK. I don't think I have any spindle gouges smaller than 1/4".

Do we have the same brass clamping piece? Mine looks like a hat upside down. I didn't know it could be installed in different orientations. The model I have is older, over a decade old.

JKJ

Re: Tormek Sharapening

Doug Reynolds

John: It's a HSS 3/8" - 10mm diameter rod by Hamlet Craft Tools. I'd call it a shallow spindle gouge. My clamp has the brass rod and round disc as you describe as is an older model. It "bottoms" out just before clamping the gouge tight.

Per an internet search, I see Tormek has come out with an upgrade called the SVD-186. I may have to go shopping tomorrow.

I am off to Marc Adams School of Woodworking for seven days of hollow forms with J. Paul Fennell and want my tools as ready as I can make them.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks, Doug

Re: Tormek Sharapening

Mark Trenier

The brass rod must be perpendicular to the tool then it should hold. It's the only way I can hold my Sorby shallow spindle gouge.

Re: Tormek Sharapening

David Walser

Doug -- With my SVD-180, I keep a short piece of 1/4" drill rod. It's about 1.5" long. For smaller gouges, I put the drill rod into the gouge's flute underneath the SVD-180's clamp. This allows the gouge to be secured tightly in the SVD-180. I hope that makes sense.

What I use

John K Jordan

Doug,

Pictures, in case yours is different:

With a 3/8" Thompson spindle gouge

These are the two brass "buttons" I have for mine. The one on the left shaped like an inverted hat came with the jig. It works with the 3/8" gouge.

I bought the one shaped like a disk from Glenn Lucas a couple of years ago. It will NOT work with the 3/8" gouge. I think it is intended for big bowl gouges.

If yours connects to the threaded clamping shaft the same way as these it would be easy to make a custom one a little longer that what you have on a metal lathe or even on a wood lathe. A tiny o-ring holds the pin in a hole in the bottom of the threaded clamp. Or just slide in a shim, over or under the tool.

JKJ

Re: What I use

Doug Reynolds

When I mount the gouge with the brass rod perpendicular to the shaft I get just a little tension but not enough to hold the gouge tight. The drill rod method sounds good. I'll give it a go.

Thanks for all the help. Doug

brass rod?

John K Jordan

>>>When I mount the gouge with the brass rod perpendicular to the shaft I get just a little tension but not enough to hold the gouge tight.

What is this brass rod? My SVD-180 has no brass rod. Is yours an earlier or later version than what I use?

JKJ

Re: brass rod?

David Walser

I thought he was referring to the brass "bar" that is on the bottom of the jig's inverted "brass hat".

Re: brass rod?

John K Jordan

Must be different from mine then - mine has no bar and nothing that can be set perpendicular or not perpendicular.

JKJ

Re: brass rod?

Bill Blasic

Wouldn't a longer screw work?

Re: brass rod?

David Walser

No, a longer screw wouldn't be of much help. If you look at the picture of the jig, above, you'll see that the jig's walls slope up at about a 45 degree angle until they reach the jig's maximum width. From that point on, the jig's walls go straight up and down. The walls form a cradle at the bottom that automatically centers a gouge in the jig. The brim of the brass 'hat' just barely fits between the jig's walls at their maximum width. A longer screw wouldn't allow the hat to travel (much) farther downward because the brim cannot fit as the walls of the jig start to slope inward.

Re: brass rod?

mikeee12345

You could add a washer onto the surface of the clamping nut to fill the void for the smaller tool.

This would still allow the tool to be clamped level in the saddle of the jig.

You could magnetize the washer so it would hold on to the clamping nut and not fall of.

Re: brass rod?

Bill Blasic

Why would you need the brass hat?

Re: brass rod?

John K Jordan

>>>Why would you need the brass hat?

I believe the flat is intended to bear against both sides of the flute to keep the gouge aligned horizontally while sharpening. A simple bolt bearing inside the flute might make it easy to misalign the gouge and give a unsymmetrical grind. I don't remember if I ever knew or guessed the reason for the wider hat brim. The second one from G. Lucas provides more space to hold larger diameter gouges. I suspect these pieces are made of brass instead of steel to avoid marring the flutes.

It would be very easy to make a new piece from brass any thickness or shape for nearly any diameter gouge. However, from the description of "orientating the clamping pad" and making sure the "brass rod is perpendicular to the tool" makes me think there is more than one design. The one I've had for a decade or so has no brass rod so it must be an earlier design. I see from the Tormek site the latest jigs are made differently. Perhaps Doug's original post describing the jig as an SVD-180 is incorrect or his has been upgraded or modified. Without more information I give up! Maybe he as it figured out by now.

JKJ

Re: brass rod?

Doug Reynolds

Bought the new Tormek SVD-186 which works great. Another reason to buy a tool. Thanks, Doug