Tormek gloat!!

[Jim Davenport]

Well after much research, a lot of questions, and a "BUNCH" of agonizing about the cost:eek:
I bit the bullet and bought a Tormek outfit. I got it this morning from Woodcraft.
I guess now comes the learning curve. Watching the video, and studying the book. I just glanced through the book. and it seems to be very well done.
Maybe by next week everything in the house will be sharp. I guess I'll start with chisels, plane irons, knives and work up to gouges last;) .

[Boyd Gathwright]

Well after much research, a lot of questions, and a "BUNCH" of agonizing about the cost:eek:
I bit the bullet and bought a Tormek outfit. I got it this morning from Woodcraft.
I guess now comes the learning curve. Watching the video, and studying the book. I just glanced through the book. and it seems to be very well done.
Maybe by next week everything in the house will be sharp. I guess I'll start with chisels, plane irons, knives and work up to gouges last;) .
.... Nice piece of gear, good luck with it :).

.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nice gloat Jim. I think it will be a nice addition. I have been looking at those to.

[George Conklin]

WOW! Great gloat, Jim!

I'd like to get one of those! Uh oh! Here we go again:eek: .

George

[Chris Barton]

Hi Jim,

First, take the time to build a dedicated sharpening center for your Tormek. Second, spend time reading the book that comes with it and watching the video. Lastly, let any regret or anxiety about your purchase go because once you master this machine you will never work with a dull tool again.

[Keith Burns]

Great gloat Jim ! No excuse for dull tools now:D

[Dennis Peacock]

Congrats Jim..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're gonna really like that machine. One thing to keep in mind while learning to use it and it's associated jigs. "Take Your Time.!!" It will seem like it's taking your forever to get things like you want them, but the 2nd time around? You'll be flying through your sharpening stuff just like you'd been doing it for years. Congrats and have FUN!!!!!

[Mike Ramsey]

Jim, Great gloat, mind if I ship a dozen or so tools for you to
sharpen, then ship back for me to help you evaluate the
Tormek?? ;) .

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Uh Oh!.............On the flat side it was the Griz 0490 jointer........on the spinny side......the Tormek?..........Uh Oh?!


Congrats Jim!

[Richard Jones]

Jim,

You will also become The Chosen One among friends and relatives with dull kitchen knives and scissors....................

I love my Tormek. Let me know if I can help.

Rich (now down to 230mm on the wheel) in VA

[Jim Davenport]

Jim, Great gloat, mind if I ship a dozen or so tools for you to
sharpen, then ship back for me to help you evaluate the
Tormek?? ;) .
Mike;
By all means ship them to me. I will sharpen them, and thoroughly test them. When I think that they have been tested enough, maybe in a few years, I will returned them to you freshly sharpened.:rolleyes:

[Jim Davenport]

Have any of ya'll built a "sharpening stand for your Tormek? I would like ideas for one with drawers to store the jigs etc. any pictures would be great.
Thanks for all the positive comments, I'll refer to them when the "bill" comes in.
I dug through my safe, and am planning to sell one of my rifles to finance this project, and save "SWMBO from having me committed to the institute for the "fiscally insane".:rolleyes:

[Greg Heppeard]

You might want to check with the store where you bought it, they probably teach a class that would shorten your learning curve. Nice haul, by the way.

[Jim Dunn]

Jim are you going to build a Wolverine type tool sharpener for your Tormek? Just wondering. Nice haul there.

Jim

[Mike Forsman]

Jim,

Very nice, I know that you will like your Tormek. As others have said, it takes a while the first time, but goes much faster after that. I also found that it was useful to refer to the manual if it had been a while since between using some of the specialized jigs.

[Jim Davenport]

Wow! this thing is great!:D I've been using a flat (platter style) wet grinder, and thought I was getting things sharp. That thing didn't hold a candle to the Tormek.
If any of Ya'll are on the fence, buying one. Morgage the farm, sell the family into "indentured servitude", whatever it takes!:eek:. You need one of these!
After watching the video, and reading the book, I jumped in. I lubed the hone with Mineral oil. I Had couple of setbacks. Put too much compound on the hone and had a little bit of a mess, but that's normal for me. I found out the stone really drinks water, had to refill the tank, after I noticed the stone ran dry on my first attempt to sharpen a knife. I guessed I missed that in the manual. The first thing I sharpened was my pocket knife. I Can shave with it. Then all the kitchen knives, (I'll have to warn "SWMBO" when she gets home.)
Then I sharpened the irons on a 60 1/2 Block plane, and #5 jack plane,. Did I say Wow?
I haven't worked up my courage to tackle the lathe chisels yet.
Everybody really needs this!;)

[Chris Barton]

Hi Jim,

Here is a picture of my sharpening station.

[John Hart]

I'm getting that "itch"....no wait...I gotta buy a house first...then I'll get one o'those things.;)

[Andy Hoyt]

So, Chris. Do you ever sharpen anything at your sharpening station?

[Mike Ramsey]

Congratulations on the new car payment Jim, Chris! Somethings wrong
in that picture....way to clean!!....nice gloat

[Dennis Peacock]

Congrats on your new Sharp tools. :D

I've been telling folks for a long time now about the Tormek and have given demo's at a couple of ww BBQ's. All I gotta say is that if you have been working with fairly sharp tools in your shop in the past? Wait until you experience a tool off the Tormek. :D

[Chris Barton]

Now Mike and Andy,

I did take my shop vac and leaf blower to the top before taking the picture, and I did move a few things. But, this is Jim's gloat. By the way, here's a picture of where all the stuff that was up top went to before I took the picture...

[Corey Hallagan]

Congrats Jim, there will be know dull tools in your shop!

Corey

[Bob Noles]

Jim,

Congrats on a great machine.

We need a full review and report after you get it figured out as it seems there are a good many fence sitters around here :D :D


Edit...(note to self) self, next time look at page 2 before making your post :o

[Boyd Gathwright]

Jim,

Congrats on a great machine.

We need a full review and report after you get it figured out as it seems there are a good many fence sitters around here :D :D.
.
.... Ah a good expression:
as it seems there are a good many fence sitters around here :D :D :p :p.

.

[Les Spencer]

There is a Tormek users group on Yahoo groups.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tormekusers/ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tormekusers/) Good group.
If interested I'll try and post a picture of my version of Norm's sharpening station.

[Jim Davenport]

There is a Tormek users group on Yahoo groups.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tormekusers/ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tormekusers/)Good group.
If interested I'll try and post a picture of my version of Norm's sharpening station.
Less I would appreciate a photo or two. I read about Jeff Farris' appearance on the "NYW" on the episode with the sharpening station.

[Jim Davenport]

Now Mike and Andy,

I did take my shop vac and leaf blower to the top before taking the picture, and I did move a few things. But, this is Jim's gloat. By the way, here's a picture of where all the stuff that was up top went to before I took the picture...
Chris;
Thanks for the photo's I have the same problem. Every horizontal surface in the Magic Garage seams to attract stuff. It must be some law of the universe.:rolleyes:

[Jim Davenport]

Well I got brave and tackled my lathe chisels. My set is mostly some old "Greenlee's" that I somehow procured, when I was in the Navy (the "statute of limitations" has run out).
I have to say that the book that came with the Tormek was excellent. I followed the settings for the gouges, and they seemed to come out ok. The Skews were great. Over the years I ended up with some wrong angles. That's "straightened" out now.
I hope I didn't mess up the Bowl gouge, I got on sale at Woodcraft. In the book there was a reference to an "Ellsworth grind", I followed their settings, and reshaped the gouge. Doing it I wore down the wheel some. Got to use the truing tool. It did great once I figured out the orientation from the book.
I cleaned out a drawer in a tool box for the jigs. Being how "spatially challenged" the Magic Garage is, I'm trying to figuire out how to fit a sharpening center in.
Now I'm waiting for the shock when the bill gets here.:eek:
I just keep telling myself how great the machine is.
As I said, after seeing the beautiful work done here, I want to try my hand at some bowls.
I've been reading Richard Raffan's "TURNING", that I got from the library.
After spending my children's inheritance on theTormek, I'm fiscally challenged" for a while. I Can't afford a "chuck" for turning, and another lathe is out of the question. So I'm stuck with the Shopsmith. Have any of ya'll used a "Jam chuck" that Richard mentions. I Have a south Bend Lathe, and a Mill. I can fabricate one. I have a lot of other questions, but I'll save them for another thread.
Here's some photo's of the lathe chisels, and jigs in the tool box for the "Photo police".;)

[Les Spencer]

Jim,

Here are some pic's (I hope) of my version of Norm's Tormek grinding station. He had a couple of the middle drawers opening on the "back" of the cabinet. I also added swivle locking casters for moving.

[Jim Davenport]

That's a nice setup. I'm trying to figure how to make a little more space in the Magic garage.

[Rejeanne Caron]

Richard,
Where do you live I sure could use some help learning how to use. I must have seen the video a million times and I still find it difficult to use the gauge and adjust everything to sharpen my knives. I am a hands on person and having a tuff time. I do okay free hand but want to learn how to use the jigs and all. If anyone near me can help I would appreciate it. I live in Maine.

Thanks

[Jeff Farris]

If you have a high speed connection, watch the knife video here sharptoolsusa videos (http://www.sharptoolsusa.com/demo.php)

Watch that, try it out, and post any follow up questions here.

[Jim Davenport]

Having just bought mine, and still a "rookie" with it. I've found that using a magic marker, and rotating the wheel by hand works super. I look at where the black is worn off, and then make fine adjustments until I get the black wore off of the entire edge. So far I've gotten great results.
Did I say I love this Tormek?:D ;)

[Richard Jones]

Richard,
Where do you live I sure could use some help learning how to use. I must have seen the video a million times and I still find it difficult to use the gauge and adjust everything to sharpen my knives. I am a hands on person and having a tuff time. I do okay free hand but want to learn how to use the jigs and all. If anyone near me can help I would appreciate it. I live in Maine.

Thanks

Rejeanne,

I'm in VA, a bit of a drive for you............:)

As Jim said, very helpful to use some marker on the bevel for set up.

Jeff's videos are also very helpful.

Rich