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#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
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Ok for those of us fortunate enough to own one the Tormek T-7 is the ultimate sharpening system but it may intimidate a novice user into a state of tool ownership, I call Tool Collecting. These are the want to be woodworkers that buy lots of tools and never do a project. Because they wont spend money on wood this affliction is ramp it on the west coast where wood prices are so out of line with the rest of the country.

If a tool intimidates you you wont use it and if that tool is your Tormek then this thread is going to change this for you I am currently working on a book about how to use your Tormek and this thread will act as your chance to contribute to the book. Also this is your chance to give your two cents on this wonderful tool. how to make it do what you need are you a turner a tool sharpener or a professional who uses the tool commercially you input is needed. did you just spend a load of money on your Tormek and are afraid to use it or you simply don't get it or you want to point out areas that the tool fell short . Post all about your Tormek or if your on the fence and need advise from owners if its worth the price post your questions here.
 

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#3 ·
I love mine the biggest problem I have is the flattening of the backs of blades or chisels. They want you to use the side of the stone. I find it is easier to use my worksharp to flatten the backs of blades. Other than that I love it.
 
#4 ·
actually don the tormek has a great book of institutional material and with a tool that does so many things. yes you need a book my new book will go into all the things that are difficult to grasp the goal is to help people get the most out off their tormek

I have down the flatning the back of the iron remember it's not a high speed grinder so I have. used the side of all my grinders for this so it was not a difficult transition for me and it works as well as the worksharp for this once you master using this method
 
#5 ·
I bought the Tormek T-3; and then realized that it was the weaker, smaller brother of the T-7, so I returned it and bought the T-7. Overall, I haven't found it that difficult to use; the instruction book is very clear and well written. I'm not a fan of flattening the backs of plane/chisel irons on the side of the wheel; I find it quicker to use some coarse sandpaper and a granite block.
I use the T-7 to establish the primary bevel on my tools and for sharpening a few of my chisels. I'm not convinced though that it gets the edges as sharp as using the scary sharp method up 2000 grit and then waterstones up to a 8000 grit which is my regular sharpening method.
 
#7 ·
Seriously Lance, I have been thinking of getting one for all of my restores. Once I get a blade where I want it, re-sharpening doesn't take a mechanical device. Getting it there can be a pain though.

If all you did was woodworking for a hobby, and only re-sharpened your tools, do you think it would be a necessity?
 
#9 ·
Don since I do turning I would say its a must own because its the best tool to reshape a tool in a controlled way it makes the tool accurate and you can modify a tool to a specific grind to get the results you want I choose the tormek T& because it works its ass off it doesn't bog down like the griz or the delta or the jet. and it has the best jigs the drill bit gig alone is one of the finest tool ever made and it lets you put 4 facets on your drills making them easy to start with out walking out of your punch mark its like getting a brad point bit for the price of a harbor-freight set I would buy it just for that and yes i dont grind a plane iron every time i lap it i use a water stone or an oil stone I have not settled as I think i will add a set of Shaptons to my process but on most days i am in a hurry and so i use the pss1 from m-power

lt it depends on the model and age of the tormek put a used t7 is only a year old or so and 500 just for the unit would be a good deal any thing less is cake
 
#13 ·
I got the T-7 about a month ago at Lee Valley and bought the 5 jig promotion they have on for $175. I also bought the DVD, "Sharpening WoodWorking Tools" by Leonard Lee. The total deal cost $952 Canadian, shipped to my door. I am brand new to woodworking and when I first bought this there was some apprehension in using it for the first time. But before I even purchased this I bought Leonard Lee's book, "The Complete Guide to Sharpening". I found this book to be very informative and to me it is a must have before you tackle any kind of sharpening at all. In chapter five, when he deals with wet grinders, he states,"Nothing is safer than a wet grinder for shaping a cutting edge…....". And really you need only to read the first five chapters to educate yourself on the academics of sharpening. The rest of the chapters deal with how to sharpen the tools themselves. For example, chapter six Leonard devotes to sharpening chisels. There is no point in trying to sharpen anything unless you educate yourself on the fundamentals. It's like a guy going out to overhaul his car's engine when he doesn't understand what the purpose of the rings of a piston are for. I digress. Now as far as the T7 is concerned the DVD and book with it are excellent. My first try was an axe I take with me to the woods. And after I sharpened it, I was impressed and just went WOW. So then I tried some guinea pig knives and went from there. But you have to be careful with this unit as I found out that it will quickly grind away steel. The guide fence is good and solid and the micro-adjustment is a definite asset. At first I got a bit skeptical about this unit, and I read in a review from one gentleman that you have to be patient with it and practice. It takes time. But before I get into woodworking tools I have more practice to do. On thing is for sure the more I use it the more I like it. So I have a few cheap chisels to try as well as some other stuff. And I find this works well as I am not bothered by making any mistakes with them. So far I have no regrets with this purchase at all and I have shaved paper in 1mm thick slivers. Up until now this sharpening device was worth the cash and I would buy it again. And if you buy now it there is a 10 year warranty with it. (I am not a salesman either, just happy with it).

Dan P. NL
 
#14 ·
thanks for the reply Dan. I am glad your pleased. the curve is not difficult, I have a lot of time on a bench grinder so i took to the tormek like a fish to water. don't be afraid to dive right in on any chisel or Plane Iron they are a snap with the straight angle jig if you need any help with anything i can help or i can ask my contact at Affinity tool Works they are the us distributor I think Canada too for the Tormek
 
#15 ·
I love my T-7. I wouldn't say that everyone needs one, you just need a friend who has one. It makes your woodworking life a whole lot easier and much more enjoyable. My plane irons and chisels are always razor-sharp. I still have a full set of waterstones and an MK II, but I haven't used them in probably 3 years or so. About every 6 months or so I set it up and dedicate a couple of hours to sharpening all of my tools. When I'm turning I'll often set it up and touch of my edges whenever needed. It only takes a few seconds. The leather wheel gives you a nice polished edge. I let my buddies know when my "sharpening day" is and they bring me their chisels. I don't charge them anything but I end up with a lot of nice gifts.
 
#16 ·
Thats nice of you not to charge them I know my tools are very sharp now because it is so easy admittedly i will use any of the 3 machines depending on what i am doing i keep the jet i have turned to the side for stropping haven't the budget for a second T& yet
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey Dude,

It might not be a bad idea to start by correcting some of the flaws in the Tormek book. I have a later model 2000 and the book is the 9.2 edition. One MAJOR flaw with the instructions concerns the use of the Planer/Jointer Blade Jig. P.54 of this edition states that you set the grinding depth by lowering the graduated support wheels the amount you wish to remove (a needlessly complicated approach). According to the directions you also press down to create a gap between the blade holder and the support. The directions show the blade holder tipping up and away form the support when you begin your grind. According to the directions "You must grind until the holder rest against the support along its whole length." I have found this not to be the case. The Tormek is well made and the groove on the blade holder tightly engages the rail on the support. This is good news because there is no play in the slide and your blades grind with precision. However, it also means that the blade holder does not tip up as the directions show. It stays relatively flat against the support. So you grind away. You look at the blade holder and its flat against the support so you think your done, but the blade is still dull and nicked . So you set more depth and go at it again. And again. And again. A big waste of time. The answer is simple. The set screw is your depth stop in actual fact. This means you MUST make sure its dialed against the support before you set your depth. Forget the directions. Skip all the nonsense about paper gauges and graduated wheels. Just use the magic marker method and check for an even grind on both ends of the blade. When you get it adjusted lock it all in and back off the set screw back the amount you need. You grind till the support comes up against the set screw stop AND the blade holder is flat. At this point you can't remove anymore material in any case and you've reached your set depth. If your blade is still in need of more grind don't touch the wheels or unlock anything just back the set screw off a bit and grind some more. Try it this way and you'll be done in five minutes.
 
#18 ·
M case I will forward this to the folks at Affinity and they will send it to Tormek. I know they fix everything very quickly and I am sure they will take prompt action on your suggestion . Just like they did on my request for a lazy Susan to rotate the T-7. In fact they made one that works on all the Tormek's and it was just released. It will be here in the states late this month. It is a great addition to the Tormek and and I asked them to do it they said it was a brilliant idea. I told them it was Jets Idea, but that it was really cool on the Jet so it would be even better on the Tormek. As I knew they would do it better and it looks Like they Have done it very Well. All from Customer Feedback like yours.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks Dude,

On Tormek's behalf I should add that their method aims at keeping the exact same angle. It just doesn't work very well and is way, way, too complicated. The method I describe will oblige you to use the AngleMaster every so often to bring you back. I would also like to add that you can also save some headache if your lap the back edge using the ruler trick as you can with planing irons. This too will steepen the angle of the blade a fraction of a degree, but with some of the hard-as-hell alloys this is not a bad idea anyway. I do love this machine.
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
MCase,
You have made my day. I got the planer knife jig about 6 months ago and just used it about a month ago as I acquired an older Delta DC380 planer that needed the knives to be sharpened. I did get them sharpened but what a headache it was trying to use the directions???? It just didn't seem to me to be working the way the directions said it should work. Plus I don't think I got the knives perfectly straight across their 15" length. I have been wanting to re-do them again but have hesitated doing it because of the nightmare I had the first time. Plus I have some 4" jointer knives that need to be sharpened as well. Can you elaborate a bit more on how you use the planer knife jig minus the Tormek odessy of using it? I would be oh so grateful for your assistance in using the jig. I have had no issues using the straight jig to do plane irons and chisels. It could not be any easier or quicker to do with that jig and is why I plunked down the money i did for the Tormek. It is the idiot proof way to sharpen things excepting of course the planer knife jig which has been a lesson in frustration.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey kickback,

Glad to help. Can the new jig do 15" without shifting the blade? Well anyway lets do the 4" knives for now. Set up the support as shown in the directions. Mark one jointer blade edge with magic marker as the directions describe. This is an old machinists method called bluing. It gives a visual reference for where the steel is being removed. Put the "blued" blade in the holder and the holder on the support - again just as the directions show. Now, lower the jig using the calibrated wheels till the concave blade edge wraps the stone evenly at both ends when pressed firmly down. Go slow and get it as close as you can then tighten the support knobs to lock it in. Test the set up by pressing the jig just like you were honing first at one end then the other while turning the stone a quarter turn slowly by hand. Now check the bluing to see how its grinding. You should be close and see what small adjustment need to made to even out the grind both along the length end to end and from heel to the front of your concave edge. Make your adjustment and recheck your bluing. Lock it in and you should be all set. NOW with the blade pressed against the stone dial the set screw up to the support stop. Back the set screw off a small amount (say a 1/32" or less) Start your grind and grind until the support stop rests against the set screw with the blade holder pressed firmly evenly and along its whole length. You will now have reached your preset depth across the whole length of the blade. Depending on the condition of the blade all moderate nicks should be gone and you should be able to feel a bur on the back of the edge. I recommend finishing the blade on a Japanese waterstone free hand resting the heel and toe of the edge on the stone while stroking back and forth for a micro bevel that lines up with your initial angle. Address the back using the ruler trick - http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/BeyondSharpASharpeningStrategy.html Anyway you might prefer the Tormek method of finishing, but the main thing is you get your initial grind. Whether you want to blue and check each blade will depend on whether they are close to each other initially. If they are close you might just set up the first one and do the rest. If they are off too much from each other it might save time if you make some small individual adjustment to avoid over-grinding
 
#22 ·
MCase,
Thanks for the tips I will have to give it a go. I have not been really pleased with the way my planer has been cutting since I sharpened the knives. It seems as though they did not sharpen evenly across their entire width and this may be due to the hokey destructions you get with the planer knife jig. You cannot sharpen the whole knife without taking it out and adjusting it to sharpen the whole width unfortunately. I would assume though that once you get the first half of the blade set the way you describe then you should be fine for the rest of the knife.
 
#23 ·
MCase,
I checked the planer knife jig the other day and did not find a "set screw" like you mention? Possibly an older/newer jig than what i have? I have a spring loaded screw knob near the center underside of the jig that is supposed to be used to raise the knife after you get the initial bevel angle in order for you to grind till the jig is flat. But that is the exact problem we were talking about. Are you talking about using that spring loaded knob to grind down to? Thanks again for your assistance.
 
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