Sharpening decision – Tormek / CBN

[David Bolson]

Help me puzzle this out….


I posted awhile ago about a Tormek grinder (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?293095-Is-this-Tormek-worth-it&p=3136950) I picked up at an estate sale.
(https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?293095-Is-this-Tormek-worth-it&p=3136950)

I need sharpening mostly for woodturning. I also occasionally sharpen chisels and planer blades. I should sharpen bandsaw blades, but haven’t attempted that yet.


I read up and watched videos on using the Tormek, purchase an updated Tormek gouge jig, re-sharpened all my turning tools and sharpened my planer blades (and some kitchen knives). I also purchased the adapter to be able to use the Tormek jigs with the Wolverine system on my slow speed grinder with 180 grit CBN wheel.


I thought the Tormek worked very well, but I was not happy with the water part of using the Tormek. I find that messy and inconvenient. Because of that, I find myself not using it. I find myself using the Tormek jigs on my CBN wheel.


So, I think my choices are:


1 - Sell the Tormek and either use the Tormek jigs on my grinder or go back to just using the Wolverine system. Maybe buy a second CBN wheel for the grinder (higher or lower grit, not sure).


2 - Buy a high grit CBN wheel for the Tormek for touch ups and use the 180 grit on the grinder more for shaping.


3 - Buy a 200 grit CBN wheel for the Tormek and sell the grinder.


My preference, for space considerations in my small shop, is to just have one sharpener. But not ruling out two if it makes more sense.


Thanks in advance for words of wisdom.

[Dwayne Watt]

One more consideration is there is also metal dust mess with CBN wheels on a grinder. I placed several rare earth magnets at the base to collect much of the mess but cleaning the magnets is also a bit of a trick.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have a little Grizzly. I have it set up so the water is easy.

473535

[Andrew Hughes]

Everything in woodworking is messy and inconvenient.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I really don't understand why so many people complain that a Tormek is messy. In my opinion, a dry grinder is messy. It spews grinder wheel dust all over the place, even a CBN spews iron dust all over. I guess a magnet would limit the dust in the air. The Tormek, all the dust is in the water tray. Maybe sometimes some water spills out. No big deal to me. I sometimes bring my Tormek in the house and watch TV while sharpening up my tools. Quiet. I have a 600 grit CBN for mine.

Visit the Turners site. There is a couple thread on CBNs and dry grinders, to buy.

[Dennis Peacock]

I've been using a Tormek to sharpen with for well over a decade now. At one time, I sharpened my turning tools with the tormek and found the cut quality to be far better than on a grinder. Over time, I got lazy while turning and simply went with cbn and slow speed grinder to quick edge touchups. I love my tormek and I love my cbn wheels as well. They both have their place in the sharpening of tools in my shop.

[David M Peters]

Woodturner here. I had a Tormek T-7 and dry grinder alongside each other for a few years and eventually switched over to 100% using the dry grinder. It's a lot faster and delivers a sharp-enough edge for turning. I sharpen all my flatwork stuff by hand on stones. I currently have 350/80 grit Mega Square wheels on a 1HP grinder.

I haven't felt bad about selling the Tormek.

[David Bolson]

Maurice and Kyle - I don't have a water source readily available to my shop, which makes filling, emptying and cleaning an issue. The messiest part was sharpening planer blades. The length of the blades meant that water would drip off the ends on each pass.

Dennis - That's what I'm thinking. The CBN is quick, which is what I want. The Tormek is more versatile, and possibly creates a sharper too, but if I'm not going to use it....



Woodturner here. I had a Tormek T-7 and dry grinder alongside each other for a few years and eventually switched over to 100% using the dry grinder. It's a lot faster and delivers a sharp-enough edge for turning. I sharpen all my flatwork stuff by hand on stones. I currently have 350/80 grit Mega Square wheels on a 1HP grinder..

David - Do you use the Tormek jigs on your dry grinder, or something else?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I do not think my little Grizzly will live long enough to need a wheel change. I am worried about the Chinese bolt that holds it on. It is looking bad. The shaft too. Wheel change on the Tormek is challenging as well. Water does complicate things.

[David M Peters]

Yeah, I have two BGM-100's and use the Tormek gouge jig and flat platform. However if I were starting over with CBN I would certainly choose a different system such as the Wolverine or Kodiak from Woodturners' Wonders.

[Carl Beckett]

I do not think my little Grizzly will live long enough to need a wheel change. I am worried about the Chinese bolt that holds it on. It is looking bad. The shaft too. Wheel change on the Tormek is challenging as well. Water does complicate things.

The automotive world has sticks of 'never seize'. I use a nickle compound version and smear it on any mating surfaces (where the wheel mounts to the arbor are sometimes steel to steel and lock up like a car wheel). As well as screw threads/bolts. This prevents the corrosion due to being wet all the time. Probably chap stick would help some.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Thanks Carl, I will treat that shaft and nut before it gets worse. Once or twice I have forgotten to move the water pan and the wheel sat in water overnight.
What other options are there for a leather strop? The leather wheel on my Tormek copy gets used a lot.

[David Bolson]

I went with my gut and my personal decision was to sell the Tormek. I already have a Tormek adapter for my grinder and I kept a Tormek jig for my turning tools, flat chisels and kitchen knives. I also have the Wolverine system. I have a 180 CBN and I plan on getting a 600 CBN. Thanks for your insights!

David

[Randy Heinemann]

I love my Tormek for grinding gouges and scrapers. I bought the expensive Tormek diamond 300 and 600 grit wheels. I get excellent results on my gouges and scrapers with no dressing of wheels required. No metal dust with the Tormek. The Tormek gouge jig and diamond wheels allow me to fully sharpen my Easy Wood carbide inserts (at least the round ones). Although I don't use the carbides as much as I did when I started turning, it still saves me money since I get at least 2 sharpenings on the carbide inserts.

The dry slow-speed grinders are definitely more flexible though. I have run across a couple of turning tools that would be much easier to sharpen on the dry grinder, but I deal with that because I don't want to invest in another grinder and jigs, right now.
So, from a flexibility standpoint, especially if you do other types of sharpening or grinding, I think a good slow-speed grinder is a better choice.