Tormek - water everywhere?

[Niels J. Larsen]

Yesterday I finally unpacked my Tormek 2006 after looking at it in its cardboard box for almost a year...

So, since I've never actually used anything like this before I thought I'd start by trying to sharpen the cheapest pair of scissors I could find (with the appropriate jig naturally).

After letting the stone soak with water and filling up the reservoir according to the manual, I adjusted the jig and began sharpenening.

Guess what - water everywhere! :mad:
Well not exactly everywhere, but a lot of water spilled on the right side of the machine and on the left side of the stone (on top of the machine itself).

Since I placed this beast on top of a rolling tool cart with a wooden top, this wasn't what I expected.

Do you guys experience the same thing?
I guess the Tormek should be placed in some kind of plastic tray that will collect the water...
Any real world examples out there?

Thanks,
Niels

[Noel Hegan]

Yesterday I finally unpacked my Tormek 2006 after looking at it in its cardboard box for almost a year...

So, since I've never actually used anything like this before I thought I'd start by trying to sharpen the cheapest pair of scissors I could find (with the appropriate jig naturally).

After letting the stone soak with water and filling up the reservoir according to the manual, I adjusted the jig and began sharpenening.

Guess what - water everywhere! :mad:
Well not exactly everywhere, but a lot of water spilled on the right side of the machine and on the left side of the stone (on top of the machine itself).

Since I placed this beast on top of a rolling tool cart with a wooden top, this wasn't what I expected.

Do you guys experience the same thing?
I guess the Tormek should be placed in some kind of plastic tray that will collect the water...
Any real world examples out there?

Thanks,
Niels

Neils, alas water spillage is par for the course with Tormeks. I use a plastic tray to contain the spillage. The water trough is badly designed and as you've mentioned most of the water gets thrown on this side. I believe the new Jet version has a wider trough with curved sides that manages to contain most, maybe all, of the drips.
The spillage on the other side of the Tormek is equally annoying but doesn't seem to have caused any damage on mine over the past few years.

Rgds

Noel

[Ken Milhinch]

Water seems to be more of a problem when grinding away from the blade, (Chisels, plane irons etc are ground toward the blade.) Just the same, I have never had what I would call an excess of water on my bench after use. Are you quite sure you did not overfill the reservoir ?

[Cliff Rogers]

Yeap, I spread water everywhere as well.
I put an old towel on the bench to soak it up.

Seems to be worse when sharpening long blades, the surface tension of the water carries it along the blade to a point where it 'misses the boat' when it drips off.

[Wilbur Pan]

This may be a stupid suggestion, but I used to have a lot of problems with water spillage until I realized that the water reservoir had to be placed under the stone and lifted up onto the hook on the machine. I had been failing to lift the reservoir up onto the hook. Once I did that, the water spillage problem went away.

As another option for water control, I've also seen a Tormek machine where some cheap sheet metal was used to extend the sides of the reservoir, so that the "funnel" is much wider.

[Gary Keedwell]

I have had a little water, but not excessive as you describe. Like above said ....put on right...over-fill?

Gary K.;)

[Niels J. Larsen]

I have had a little water, but not excessive as you describe. Like above said ....put on right...over-fill?

Gary K.;)


Yup, the water reservoir is put on right - lifted up from beneath the stone and "hung" on the little hook-like items on the body of the machine.
It wasn't over-filled either - the water is up to the "max" mark on the reservoir.

As a few of you have suggested, the problem is likely to either disappear or diminish once I start sharpening plane irons or chisels.

I guess I'll just have to find some type of tray to put underneath the Tormek.

Niels :cool:

[Chris Barton]

Niels,

The water issue has been a longstanding complaint about the Tormek. I knew about this when I built my sharpening station and made mine of melamine so, water spillage is not really an issue. Certainly the water won't hurt the Tormek.

[Niels J. Larsen]

Niels,

The water issue has been a longstanding complaint about the Tormek. I knew about this when I built my sharpening station and made mine of melamine so, water spillage is not really an issue. Certainly the water won't hurt the Tormek.

Chris,
I'm sure the picture police will come after you if you neglect to post pictures of a hidden gloat like that (although I don't know if you've done so already...)

Anyway - pictures are very welcome :D

Niels

[Jim DeLaney]

Water 'everywhere' is a problem with the Tormek - almost no matter what you're sharpening. I keep mine sitting in an old sheet cake pan, so it doesn't leak all over the bench top.

As others have already said, there's less mess with chisels, plane blades, etc, though. The scissors are probably the worst (messiest) thing you'll sharpen, because the blade is nearly perpendicular to the stone, so the watter dams up in front of the blade across the full width of the stone and then runs off both sides.

Other than the mess, how do you like the machine? I've had mine for about six years, and I think it's great.

[Niels J. Larsen]

Water 'everywhere' is a problem with the Tormek - almost no matter what you're sharpening. I keep mine sitting in an old sheet cake pan, so it doesn't leak all over the bench top.

As others have already said, there's less mess with chisels, plane blades, etc, though. The scissors are probably the worst (messiest) thing you'll sharpen, because the blade is nearly perpendicular to the stone, so the watter dams up in front of the blade across the full width of the stone and then runs off both sides.

Other than the mess, how do you like the machine? I've had mine for about six years, and I think it's great.

I haven't really used it enough to get a proper impression. I stopped fiddling with it after two attempts with the scissors that resulted in a puddle of water on my recently oiled oak tool cart top.

I'll try to get some form of a tray to put underneath - preferably a stainless steel one to collect all that water.

Apart from that the machine seems to be simple and solid which hopefully means that it'll last a long time. :)

Niels

[Larry Fox]

With mine I get a little water here and there but nothing outrageous. I put a plastic trash bag under mine when I use it and just towel off the unit when done. That said, I pretty much use it for chisels and plane irons at this point.

[Eddie Darby]

Some try using old food trays underneath the Tormek to catch the water.

[Cliff Rogers]

....Other than the mess, how do you like the machine? I've had mine for about six years, and I think it's great.
Great for sharpening scissors. :D

I've had mine for about the same amount of time, it does a good job but it is a bit slow.
I'm a bowl & platter turner mostly so I tend to live in the fast lane.
I adapted the SVD-185 bowl gouge jig to work with my 8" high speed grinder on a wide white wheel.
I just took the universal support bar/rest from Tormek & mounted it at the right height in a block of wood clamped beside my bench grinder. ;)