Tormek

[Brian McInturff]

OK I'm looking at complimenting my Oneway 1042 with a Tormek. Basically my sharpening skills suck other than for scary sharp method. My question is: Which package do I go with. Do they have an Ultimate package? Seems buying the basic and then to keep adding the jigs later would just be frustrating. You always need what you don't have when you can't get it right away. Also who has the best deal? Will Woodcraft meet other peoples prices? Or is Amazon probably the way to go. I can drive 90 miles to a Woodcraft is the reason I ask. Any and all help is surely appreciated. Brian

 

[bbrussell]

I am a satisfied Tormek user. I am aware of all its shortcomings. It is the lazy mans solution to developing sharpening skills. What jigs you should have depends on the tools you need to sharpen. If you only do turning, the wood turners package is what you need. They have several packages designed for different types of woodworkers. They do have a complete package. I purchased mine from Sharp Tools USA. They are the importers and offer good service. They do have a web site.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Tormek owners are a loyal bunch, that's for sure. But it is a strange sort of logic that requires a slow-speed water-lubed stone to abrade steel selected for its heat resistance. Not to mention the joy of having water always available to collect all manner of woodworking by-products so that the tool can be used to freshen an edge while turning.

There's grinding, which defines an edge and is done rarely, honing or freshening of an edge, and stropping, which refines it. I'm one of those who does the middle fairly often while turning, since I prefer to turn at lower speeds, rather than bring higher-energy material past a duller edge to do the same. Grinding is hardly ever done, and stropping is for my carving tools.

With edge freshening consisting of one pass right to left, a second left to right, and back to the turning, I don't feel the need for jigs to grind or slurry to strop. For jointer/planer knives, plane irons, and other heat-sensitive precision-demanding applications on carbon steel and similar alloys, I might consider it, if I didn't already own a Makita. For turning, hardly.

 

[Tom Hintz]

I also have a Tormek and despite assertions that it is slow, do not have that problem. After getting the edge formed the way I want, resharpening or touching it up takes a minute or two. I know regular grinders can do it faster but they do not get the refined edge or bevel the Tormek does. Both mean the edge stays sharp longer and the bevel burnushes the wood much better.
I have a Wolverine that I use for plain bowl gouges as redoing those edges are near instant on it but all of my finish chisels go to the Tormek.

 

[Steve Worcester]

If you already have a "regular" grinder, then a Tormek is a great tool. Personally, I don't feel it is a substitute for a high speed grinder. If you put a large nick in a tool it will take some extra time to get it back to normal, where as it would only be a minute on a high speed grinder.

The Tormek works well in a situation where you need a finer grind. I have one, but after the novelty wore off for me, I don't use it too often on turning tools.

That said, you can easily use a few jigs and rests to duplicate most any edge you would want on a wood turning tool.

The one thing I do like about sharptool usa is that they extend the warranty, which would have helped when I needed to replace the corroded shaft and bearings.

 

[DaveL]

Tormek Alternative

I do not own a Tormek or the below Tormek Clone, i was researching the Tormek a while ago and ran across the below. It looks like a pretty reasonable and significantly cheaper solution.

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11733

Dave

 

[Brian McInturff]

Guys, here is ther url on using the Wolverine jig with the Tormek

http://www.turningwood.com/tormek.htm