# Tormek Wet Grinder, thoughts?



## coloradoclimber (Apr 7, 2007)

Well I've pretty much convinced myself I want (see, I didn't say need, I'm learning) I want a Tormek wet grinder.

I've sharpened everything from kitchen knives to woodworking tools to axes and everything in between by hand my whole life. It's to the point now it takes me at least a full weekend day to go through the knives and tools I use on a regular basis, that's not getting to the tools I only use once in a while. So I'm tired of that, it's time to look for a machine to help me out. After reading all the positive reviews of the worksharp I tried one. It worked pretty well but I felt it was a bit under powered for what I wanted. So I took it back and I'm still looking.

I've been reading the reviews and the Tormek seems to be the cadillac. It's dang sure priced like a cadillac. But every review, without exception, has gushed over with praise for it.

Jet has a very similar grinder, at a bit lower price, but the reviews have been a bit mixed on it. Neither one is cheap, so given the amount of money they cost I figure I might as well go with the top of the line, regret spending the money once, then be happy from then on.

I did a search here on Lumberjocks and didnt find any reviews or comments, so now I'm asking. Anyone out there own or use a Tormek grinder, any thoughts or things I should be aware of?

Tormek prices are pretty much identical anywhere you look, online or brick and mortar. Apparently Tormek engages in a bit of price fixing through it's vendors. That's probably part of how they keep their exorbitant price in place. I was going to buy through Woodcraft but it's not stocked anywhere in Colorado. The next place that caught my eye was TheBestThings.com. Anyone ever buy from them? Any problems?

If not through them then Amazon sells it for the same price, as does half a dozen other places.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

My uncle has one and loves it. Also, I belive they just came out with a new model and have an offer for life time free wheels. I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for.


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## Max (Sep 13, 2006)

I have had one of the Tomek machines for about 2 years now and really like it. You can sharpen just about anything with the tool holders that they sell. I think it does a great job. I have used it on my chisels, plane irons and knifes. Have had no problems with it at all.


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## BarryW (Sep 15, 2007)

I have one…haven't used it yet…read everything in the literature online…reviews etc…got every accessory for it. So, I say yes…and I'm still setting up my shop. But I'm not sorry I bought the Tormek…I just acquired a bunch of turning tools and a used lathe for a pitance. Those poor tools will never be so sharp after they've been sharpened on the Tormek…if you've got the cash…make the splash. Wet sharpening is in.


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## philsville (Mar 31, 2006)

I've had one for a few years and it is very, very good. Never have to worry about overheating the tool as it is water cooled and the jigs allow perfect repeatability.
Yes, it is very expensive for what it is but you will never regret it.
Hope this helps
Phil


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

I second all the above. I have had one for about 4 years and don't know what I would do without it.
I got every accessory also, which is cheaper than buying them one at a time.

Gary


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## mattsanf (Jul 20, 2007)

I have bought things from thebestthings.com that you mention above, and they have very good customer service. It is a small outfit, but Lee knows his stuff (he is the tool appraiser on Antique's Roadshow).

Matt


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

If you look at the pictures of my workshop, you will see my Tormek sitting very high up on the shelf. I bought every accessory, but I'm not really pleased with it. Yes it will sharpen but it sure takes a long time.


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## coloradoclimber (Apr 7, 2007)

Thanks for the responses.

Karson, other than the outrageous price I've yet to hear a negative comment about the Tormek, until your response. "a long time" is just exactly what I'm trying to get away from, it already takes me "a long time" to sharpen everything I want sharpened. I was hoping a power grinder would hasten the process, not slow it down. What do you use instead? Is there anything else you dont like about the grinder, other than the speed?


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

The other option is to use a standard or slow speed grinder to grind the primary bevel. Have to be careful not to overheat the metal. You then can use the tormak or other sharpening method.

I use a worksharp. To get past what you reported, I purchased the course grit set. Without looking I belive it is 60 grit. This made the process quite a bit faster. However, if I have to do major work, I go to a slow speed grinder.

I'm sure Karson has more wisdom in this area….


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I find that using the Tormek to regrind the chisel edge might take 10 minutes or more. I also find that registering the chisel to 90 degrees is fraught with problems. The first night I bought it I stripped the threads in the aluminum holder. I went back to the Wood Show and the salesman was ready to fight with me in front of all of the potential customers and the demo man said give him another one.

So I've never tightened them as tight as I'd like to do. I find that chisels less than 1" in width will not hold without rolling.

I've since gone to a Pinnacle honing guide , and sandpaper or a diamond stone. I also designed my own sharpening and honing machine that I use all of the time. Here is the blog on building it.

I use the pinnacle and sandpaper or diamond stones to get the correct angle and then use my sharpening /honing machine to put the final polish on it.

I may use less that 1 - 2 minutes to make it polishing sharp.

We were at Lee Jesbergers shop a week ago and he used a popular wood block covered with red rouge to sharpen his lathe chicles. You could cut the profile using MDF and also do the same. Lee used his block on a Shopsmith lathe.

My cost about $25.00 for the polishing setup. I already owned the Bealle Aluminum sleeve, and the motor.

Send me an e-mail at my address in my signature line and furnish your phone number. I'll give you a call.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Tormek has a new model out. They have a square edge jig. I'm wondering if this addresses your concern.

http://www.tormek.com/en/machines/t7/index.php


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I've also been playing with using a piece of Marble flooring (the back) and putting polishing compound on the rough back and doing honing at the workbench as I use the chisel. 5 sec front, 5 sec back and back to work.

Grizzly has two grades of green polishing compound. They also have a supper fine grit that they sale for polishing the finish on guitars. It costs $25.00 so I haven't bought it yet. But at my next purchase from Grizzly I hope I remember it.


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## DocK16 (Mar 18, 2007)

I've had a Tormek for several years now and it does a good job especially if you're not too good sharpening free hand on a stone. Yes they are pricey especially when you start adding all the jigs that go with it, but you'll never buy another sharpening system in your lifetime.


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## ShannonRogers (Jan 11, 2008)

I too have seen nothing but good reviews on the Tormek. I am about to take the plunge into buying one. I am wondering what everyone uses in addition to the Tormek. I find it hard to believe that this machine will do everything. I am still new to sharpening, but wouldn't you still need some stones to flatten the backs or even an 8000 grit for final finishing? I ask because I am trying to set up my sharpening station and I want to do it right and not have purchased things I don't need.


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## Stevemellor (Oct 23, 2009)

Since I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for. I will be making a trip to Woodcraft to pick one (T7) up. Not all of the Woodcraft stores have them in stock so I will be traveling 90 miles round trip. I have read several reviews and and the only issue or decisoin is do you want to spend the money. It's hard to put a cost on having sharp chisels and knives on hand. We all try to save time when doing projects, that's why we purchase these tools.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I'm a firm believer of why over pay because some thing is promoted buy t chisel or the woodwhisper. 
I have used a couple of methods to sharpen chisels including sand paper on glass The scary sharp method it worked great and now I use a work sharp and it works great. Depending on model it's around $ 100 . So I guess the tormex does a good job also but why spend 7 times what a Work sharp cost an not have chisels any sharper than a work sharp or for that matter sandpaper on glass.


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## blackcherry (Dec 7, 2007)

I found one on Craigslist and bought it as Karson says it dose take some time in sharping. I find that the grind stone is great for the primary bevel and then I go to my wet stone for the more refine sharping edge. The leather wheel is great for honing with the polishing compound and I find that I use this more than the stone. I pay 150.00 for it used which I could live with. I not sure I pull for a new one at that price…Blkcherry


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## ondablade (Aug 23, 2009)

I've a Tormek plus all the gear for it, and recently bought a Micro Sharp 3000 but haven't yet done enough with either to have a very clear view. I also have some diamond and water stones.

The major surprise for me too with the Tormek was how little metal it removed, but then i guess you can't have a stone that takes you close to a finished edge, doesn't overheat the tool and at the same time takes loads of metal off. It does a very precise job though. It's more a shot at a sharpening system though than a grinder.

I bought the Work Sharp only because it does flat bevels - i bought some fairly decent Matsumura white steel chisels, and was to my surprise when i got carefully into the pros and cons led to buy some Veritas bevel up planes instead of more of the bevel down variety i'd intended when i bought the Tormek too.

It's reportedly OK to hollow grind the plane blades, but it doesn't seem right to me, and is said not to be such a good idea on white steel chisels because it thins and weakens the edge.

The other reason for buying both is that i figured the only way to really get to the bottom of the pros and cons was to try them both out, and that i could sell on one or the other for not too much loss if it proved redundant.

I have a bad sense that to cover all eventualities will also require one of those low speed dry bench grinders with a white or ruby low heat wheel for nick removal etc, but time will tell on that and i want to get experience of the others first.

Put it another way - the various methods will probably all prove to have their pros and cons, with the result that what might suit you best may come down to considerations like exactly what sort of tools you are using, and how you use the sharpening kit.

Wonder who's going to come out with the first multi grit wet grinder that does flat bevels. Maybe with quick change ceramic or a diamond wheels that would stay flat for life…..


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## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

I also use a Tormek along with other sharpening methods. I have a couple of different grit wheels that make it easier to get a highly polished edge. The highest wheel I have is an 8000. Most of these sharpeners will have their strengths and weaknesses. Just find your comfort level.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

I've never used a sharpening system…..for one - you hear plus and minus on all of them.

I used to use a regular grinder with a rheostat connected to the speed switch to slow down the speed….but now with my new lathe that has even better speed control I use it. I arbor up a wood round with an abrasive circle glued to it - That way you can make all kinds of different grits ..turn the speed to whatever you are comfortable using and use the tool rest to support the tool (you can make any type jig to handle whatever tools and profiles you want to use).

There is also a great plan to make a sharpening system using your drill press in shop notes…that gives you the same results as using a lathe….and it does not cost the exhorbitant price of one of those systems.

You never want to use a mechanical grinder that much on a tool or you will quickly wear it down, or, if not careful you will overheat and lose the tempering.

I use the mechanical sharpener to fix any knicks or to do the first set up on any tools….after that I first use wet stones, then a diamond hone and end with a leather strop with compound to keep things sharp. You can shave quite well with any of my chisels and lathe tools and it doesn't take that long with to put a nice edge on a tool if you start with a decent profile…there are a lot of great books on sharpening (or use online reference)...and most will give you excellent starting profiles (I have found what works for me through trial and error).


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## interpim (Dec 6, 2008)

I think I am going to be getting the Grizzly wet grinder that is similar in design to the Tormek for my birthday… I'll post a review if I do get it.


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## coloradoclimber (Apr 7, 2007)

I ended up buying the Tormek and a handful of jigs, $700+ later and I couldn't be happier. See my review here.

A couple of thoughts: the Tormek is not a high speed grinder. It is a slow speed sharpener. If you want metal removal, say reshaping a tool or grinding an axe, buy a high speed grinder. The Tormek is a sharpener, it recovers an already shaped edge with minimal material removal. And it does it very well. I can take a tool, put it in the jig at the same settings as I originally sharpened it at and in a few passes over the stone have a dull edge sharp again. The Tormek is only "slow" if you are trying to reshape an edge. For sharpening it is plenty fast.

As for the WS 3000. I owned one and ended up returning it. For me it was too slow, too underpowered, and too limited in what it can sharpen. If the only thing you ever want to sharpen is a chisel and a plane iron (as long as it is not a wide iron) the WS probably works ok. I need to sharpen chisels, irons, turning tools, scissors, knives, blades, all things large and small with an edge. The WS just doesn't have the flexibility of the Tormek.

The Tormek is made to run all day. When I sharpen I usually sharpen everything in the house, hours of continuous running. I sharpened up just a handful of chisels on the WS and in maybe 30 minutes of continuous use the motor housing was so hot I thought it was going to catch on fire. I could not touch it with my bare hand. After running the Tormek for hours straight it is still cool to the touch. For anyone who has worked with motors you know heat = death. A WS 3000 is around $200. The Tormek with jigs is well over $700, but I am confident I could burn up multiple WS's before I even got close to wearing out the Tormek. For me and the way I sharpen I believe the Tormek will end up being more cost effective than a WS.

Quality: Jet vs Grizzly vs Tormek: not much more to say on this one. Google search. It's hard to find a review that does not put the Tormek head and shoulders above any of the competitors. I played with the Jet before buying the Tormek. The Jet did not have the same fit and finish as the Tormek. Basically the Tormek really is that much better. Here is a David's Jet vs Tormek review.

The Tormek is a very expensive, very nice tool that actually does what it says it will do, a rarity these days.


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## IkeandBerry (Jun 18, 2009)

I borrowed my friends Tormek and used it to establish the primary grind angles on my chisels and planes irons. I also used his stropping wheel that he has on it. However, it took a great deal of time to sharpen everything and I was constantly having to clean the grinding wheel even with the water stone. I have started using the scary sharp system with a Veritas honing guide and sandpaper on a piece of granite counter that I bought off of craigslist. I can say that with the scary sharp system I do not need any water and it only takes about a minute at the most to touch up a tool with the sand paper. 20 strokes on each of the 4 higher grit papers and I can shave with my plane irons. Plus you to do not have to worry about keeping the stone dressed or trued over time, you simply get a new piece of sand paper. The sheets cost between $1.30 and $2 depending on grit and they are11.5×8 sheets.


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## coloradoclimber (Apr 7, 2007)

Like I said above the Tormek is a sharpener, not a grinder, heavy grinding, like reshaping a primary bevel is not what it does best. Reshaping can be done, with the advantage of water cooling so no risk of ruining the steel on your new $100+ gouge, but it is not fast. On the other hand once the bevel angle or profile is established it just takes a few strokes to get back to sharp.

Also again, if a person's whole cutting tool cabinet only contains a few chisels and some plane irons there are plenty of ways to get those sharp. Most of them cheaper than a Tormek. But if you have many and a wide variety of tools I don't see how scary sharp cuts it. How do you sharpen your fingernail gouge to the same profile? How about kitchen cutlery? Scissors? Jointer blades?

I'm sure there are cheaper ways to sharpen tools, craftsmen have been sharpening tools since way before Tormek came along. But if you choose to pay for it I believe the Tormek actually does provide value equal to the cost.


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## rizay (Dec 13, 2009)

The Tormek is a great grinder. You can get a mirror finish and razor sharp edges with them.


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## ondablade (Aug 23, 2009)

Much like the others i have a Tormek, and find it works very well. That said it's not a do-everything solution, more just one of several sharpening options that are around with its own strengths and weaknesses. I ended up buying a Work Sharp afterwards to keep flat bevels on Japanese chisels for example.

My thinking would be to do some careful research on the topic with an eye to the specific sharpening tasks you have in mind. The hollow grind seems to be no problem on most tools.

The basic issues i came up against are:

1. It's not really a grinder per se, in that it removes metal pretty slowly. So for example it will touch up a planer knife, but you will be at it for ever if you need to grind out a nick.

2. It hollow grinds the bevel a bit, although the fairly large diameter stone means it's not too pronounced. Hollow grinding is not regarded as a good move on a few tools e.g. white steel Japanese chisels though as it leaves a thinner edge that's more likely to chip.

3. Add in the costs of the accessories you think you will need - it can get very expensive. Ditto in the case of a replacement wheel.

ian


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## Jimi_C (Jul 17, 2009)

I'm with interpim, I'm hoping to get the Grizzly for Christmas. It received good reviews in at least one major magazine, so I'm confident it will get the job done while costing much less than the Tormek/Jet versions. I'll of course post a review if/when I get it.


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## Roger Clark aka Rex (Dec 30, 2008)

coloradoclimber: I got mine from "TheBesThings". They are a good small company that specializes in the best tools, including turning chisels. They also have some vintage tools for collectors.
Bottom line: I really good company to deal with, no problems and very friendy service.


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## logndog (Feb 7, 2009)

I dont think its soooo expensive?? even if it only did chisels id think it was not bad. I have the T-7 (just got)
but it does everything! Its true quality built in Sweden, nuff said.


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