Sharpening system questions

[Thom Sturgill]

I am looking into buying (or possibly building) a sharpening system. PSI has a system that looks similar to the Oneway's Wolverine system. Has anyone used it (or preferably both) ? Any reason to buy the Wolverine ($155 at woodcraft) over the PSI unit ($115) ?

I will also be buying an 8" slow or variable speed grinder. If I compare Woodcraft's setup the prices are closer at $244 vs $230, but I do not want buyers remorse at buying the wrong grinder. Any particular recommendations? I have looked at the Delta 23-725 on the high end and the GR450.

[Gary Herrmann]

When I was looking, Amazon had a great deal on one of the high end Deltas. I seem to remember it weighed over 100 lbs, and was going for something like $80. I missed the sale.

I got the WC slowspeed on sale for $40-$50. It has worked great for me. I have the Wolverine set up and am very happy with it as well.

[Bill Bolen]

I started off using my Tormek for my lathe tools. Does a fantastic job, but it just takes too long for set-up, adjustment, filling water tray ect ect. I bought a sears VS grinder (wish I had bought the woodcraft) and used it to set up my home made sharpening center. I followed the plans from aroundthewoods.com. Darrell has a great site loaded with information and an easy to build guide for a sharpening system. The dry grinder with homemade jigs is much faster than the tormek and once you get comfortable with sharpening it is fast easy and very accurate...Bill..

[Thom Sturgill]

I started off using my Tormek for my lathe tools. Does a fantastic job, but it just takes too long for set-up, adjustment, filling water tray ect ect.
I have heard the same comment from several people. While I may want a Tormek for my bench carbon-steel chisels, I do not want one for HSS lathe chisels.


I followed the plans from aroundthewoods.com. Darrell has a great site loaded with information and an easy to build guide for a sharpening system.

Thanks, I had been to his site, but lost the link. I was thinking of building something like that, or possibly using this as an excuse to buy a small welding rig....

[Wilbur Pan]

I have heard the same comment from several people. While I may want a Tormek for my bench carbon-steel chisels, I do not want one for HSS lathe chisels.

FWIW, I bought a Tormek specifically for turning tools, and I don't really use it for chisels. I find the set up time to be really no different than with a Wolverine/grinder set up, especially using the turning tool setup jig. You can make your own turning tool setting jig as well.

The Tormek does take longer to reshape a profile on a turning tool, but then again, this is an operation that should only be done once. If you are constantly reshaping the profile of your gouge, you should probably buy another gouge. In any case, the times I've reshaped a gouge profile, it took about 15 minutes, as opposed to about 3 minutes on a grinder. A 12 minute difference for a one time operation I can live with.

The benefits of the Tormek as I see them are:

1. Don't have to worry about grinder wheel/metal dust floating around in my shop.
2. Don't have to worry about stray sparks and the potential for a fire.
3. I feel that I have a lot more control over the edge and how much I am grinding with a Tormek than with a grinder.
4. Turning tools last longer with a Tormek, since the jigs help minimize the amount of metal you remove during sharpening.

Of course, cost is an issue. I got lucky because my brother gave me a gift certificate so that the difference in price wasn't really an issue for me.

If you go with a grinder, I wouldn't sweat the choice of grinder too much. The choice of the grinder wheel is going to be much more important than which grinder you get.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Has anyone used it (or preferably both) ? Any reason to buy the Wolverine ($155 at woodcraft) over the PSI unit ($115) ?

Thom,

I had wondered the same exact thing and was just going to ask when I saw your message. I have built the one from Darrell Feltmate's site and I really do like it. But I have made only a few jigs and I wanted to do some experimenting and it doesn't really lend itself to that.

I.e. I wanted try different angles on some fingernail grinds on a spindle gouge. I have a 45 deg angle jig for the bowl gouges I use then I made a 30 degree angle one for the start on the detail gouge. However while it has proven to be useful I am not sure I love the angle. The time taken to make a new one isn't bad once I get setup but just seems like I might make a half a dozen trying to find the angle I like the best.

Next once I find an angle I like I will need only that one. So one of the variable adjustable ones from either Oneway or PSI seemed like a good idea to me. You can't buy just the variable piece from PSI it comes with the rest of their sharpening jig. The external one from Oneway is quite a bit more cash on top of the base Wolverine jig. The flexibility of the systems is interesting to me.

So I would second the question. Anyone ever used both? Is one really better then the other?

Thanks,
Joshua

[Mike Minto]

I currently have 3 motorized sharpening systems, along with numerous Japanese waterstones of different grits and diamond hones (which I find are GREAT for small cutters, like those on the Ellsworth hollowing tools). I use my new, although not perfect, Sorby ProEdge routinely while I turn, because it is quick and gives a very smooth, sharp edge. On a stand next to it, I have my WC slow speed grinder with Wolverine sharpening jigs. It is not quite as quick to use, and the edge is not as fine as the ProEdge (mine, however, is not yet balanced, so that may change in the near future). I also have the Jet Wet sharpener, which, although gives a great edge, is too slow to set-up and use, as others have said. It has been relegated to sharpening the carbon steel kitchen knives I use to cook with, a job it does very well. Mike :)

[Don Eddard]

I have used the PSI jig, and although I don't think it's quite as robust as the Wolverine, it is functional and does what it is supposed to do. The Woodcraft slow speed grinder is used by a lot of turners.

[David Walser]

Thom,

If you're set on using a slow-speed dry grinder with some sort of jig, I suggest you consider the Tru-Grind system from Woodcut. The jig is similar to Oneway's Wolverine, but it has the advantage of taking up less space -- leaving more space for other things on your bench and requiring less room in front of your grinder. The jig is competitively priced -- the Wolverine and Tru-Grind are within a few dollars of each other (depending on the day, one might be cheaper than the other at one vendor or another). The Tru-Grind and the Wolverine are both well-made and will last you a life-time.

Here's a link to the Tru-Grind system on Craft Supplies USA's online cataglog:
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Sharpening___Woodcut_System?Args=

[robert hainstock]

I use the PSI jig with the WC slow speed grinder. I never saw the sense in spending high dollars cfor the same basic outfit. I have used the wolverine with the same grinder, and can not tell the differance. Best to you on your quest. :)
Bob

[Wilbur Pan]

I also have the Jet Wet sharpener, which, although gives a great edge, is too slow to set-up and use, as others have said.

Hi Mike,

I'm quoting you, not to pick on you, since others have said that a Tormek/Jet is too slow to set up, but simply because you were the last one to mention this in this thread.

I got curious as to how slow was too slow. So I just went down to my shop with our kitchen timer to see how slow my Tormek is.

Total time to set up the Tormek and sharpen a bowl gouge: 2 minutes 32 seconds. (Actually, it was 2 minutes and 31.98 seconds.)

I looked over to the timer at various points to get approximate split times:

0' 45": Mounted the bowl gouge in the jig and used the turning tool setter to get the right protrusion.

1' 15": Used the turning tool setter to set the bar the right distance from the wheel. Marked the bevel of the gouge with a Sharpie, mounted the gouge and jig, and did the rub test to check position.

2' 31.98": Done grinding. The disappearance of the Sharpie marks confirms that I've gotten the whole edge.

There may be other reasons for buying a grinder/Wolverine system instead of a Tormek, but I have a hard time understanding why the time saved when sharpening a gouge would be one of them. 2 1/2 minutes seems pretty reasonable to me.

[Thom Sturgill]

Just as a point of information, I have two 6" 3400rpm grinders. One (Delta) is set up as combination buffer/wire wheel and the other (Ryobi) has been being used for reshaping chisels and plane blades (I sharpen on water stones). Despite using a friable wheel, I have a tendency to blue the edge. I will buy better wheels, but think that a slow speed grinder would be a good addition, as would the larger wheel size. What I would love to find is something like the Delta combination dry/wet grinder but with the speeds halved. I have enough vibration problems with the two wheels grinders that I have that I feel the need for a better class of grinder AND wheel. The Ryobi has a Norton white oxide wheel that I bought at the local Orange BORG and wobbles so bad that I will not stand in front of it until it is completely up to speed. I have also considered buying a good arbor and using a separate motor to create a custom setup.

[Daniel Heine]

Hello,

Two weeks ago, I purchased the Grizzly sharpening system that appears to e a copy of the Jet/Tormek systems. It accepts jigs for the Tormek system, and works very well. I do not like the jigs for the Jet system, particularily the jig for sharpening fingernail profiles. The Tormek SSD-185 jig works perfectlt on my Grizzly. The Grizzly sells for $169.99 plus shipping, and I am very happy with it.

I read a review somewhere, I cannot remember where, that you can stop the Jet sharpeners wheel from turning simply by applying pressure against the wheel. The testers could not do that with the Tormek or the Grizzly.

Dan

[John Gornall]

When a company takes another company's product and copies it making a somewhat lesser and cheaper product I will spend a little extra to buy the original. I appreciate the innovation, inventiveness, and risk the original company took to get a good product to market. I will buy a next generation of an existing product if a new company has added new ideas and improved the product. But we are stuck with so many poor imitations these days and newer, better products are coming on line less often as companies don't bother investing in new products because they may be beaten out of their profits by copys.

[Thom Sturgill]

I had forgotten about the Grizzly clone, but have heard good things about it. That with new wheels for the Ryobi fit my budget (barely). The Ryobi has a Veritas guide platform now, and I'll make some home-brew jigs ala Darell Feltmate's version of the varagrind and Steve at turningwood.com's grinding platform for the Tormek, modified to use a longer arm for other gouges and skews. I'll design my own support for the Ryobi to use the same arm and use it for reshaping and the Griz for final sharpening and touch ups. Should be an interesting project, and I get a leather stropping wheel in the bargain!

[Mike Minto]

Drive a Ford, do you there, John? Also, Wilbur, no offense taken. I don't know about you, but working full time and trying to stay married doing house chores, I need to save all the time I can. Don't know about anyone else. Mike

P.S. I'm not rushing my sharpening chore, just as I try and take my time with turning - no time trial here.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

There may be other reasons for buying a grinder/Wolverine system instead of a Tormek, but I have a hard time understanding why the time saved when sharpening a gouge would be one of them. 2 1/2 minutes seems pretty reasonable to me.
Wow. Just wow. While I have not timed it out directly I would say that my sharpening times with the homebrew version I made are substantially shorter than that. While I am not quite as fast as he is check out the videos Darrell Feltmate put up on Youtube, or on his own website, and watch what he does. I would say that my average sharpening time less than 30 seconds for a bowl gouge.

But now you have me curious. Time to go home tonight and try it out and see what I can make happen. :)


Joshua

[Dennis Peacock]

FWIW, I bought a Tormek specifically for turning tools, and I don't really use it for chisels. I find the set up time to be really no different than with a Wolverine/grinder set up, especially using the turning tool setup jig. You can make your own turning tool setting jig as well.

The Tormek does take longer to reshape a profile on a turning tool, but then again, this is an operation that should only be done once. If you are constantly reshaping the profile of your gouge, you should probably buy another gouge. In any case, the times I've reshaped a gouge profile, it took about 15 minutes, as opposed to about 3 minutes on a grinder. A 12 minute difference for a one time operation I can live with.

The benefits of the Tormek as I see them are:

1. Don't have to worry about grinder wheel/metal dust floating around in my shop.
2. Don't have to worry about stray sparks and the potential for a fire.
3. I feel that I have a lot more control over the edge and how much I am grinding with a Tormek than with a grinder.
4. Turning tools last longer with a Tormek, since the jigs help minimize the amount of metal you remove during sharpening.

Of course, cost is an issue. I got lucky because my brother gave me a gift certificate so that the difference in price wasn't really an issue for me.

If you go with a grinder, I wouldn't sweat the choice of grinder too much. The choice of the grinder wheel is going to be much more important than which grinder you get.

I agree with Wilbur. I've used my Tormek a LOT for my turning tools and when I want an "ultimate edge"? I'll use the Tormek for sure.

[Dennis Peacock]

Folks, please understand...The subject of "how to sharpen and what to sharpen with" in a turning forum is always a "hot topic" because many people use various ways to sharpen all their tools. Some use Tormek, some use Jet, some use high speed grinders, some use slow speed grinders, some use water stones, some use oil stone, some use Oneway's setup, some use the various jigs either commercial or homemade.

It all boils down to what YOU like to do YOUR sharpening with and what works for YOU. It really doesn't matter how you do it...as long as it works well for "you". Ask 20 woodworkers how to sharpen and you'll get 40 different answers.

This isn't "personal" folks....let's keep it lite and easy..ok?

[Wilbur Pan]

Wow. Just wow. While I have not timed it out directly I would say that my sharpening times with the homebrew version I made are substantially shorter than that. While I am not quite as fast as he is check out the videos Darrell Feltmate put up on Youtube, or on his own website, and watch what he does. I would say that my average sharpening time less than 30 seconds for a bowl gouge.

But now you have me curious. Time to go home tonight and try it out and see what I can make happen. :)


Joshua

I'm curious, too. ;) I found one YouTube video from Darrell Feltmate where he sharpened a bowl gouge, and the actual grinding time was about 20 seconds. My actual grinding time on the Tormek was about 45 seconds. In the video, the Darrell's gouge sharpening jig was already on the bowl gouge, so I don't know how the set up time is for this jig.

I may try timing myself again tonight, but this time I'm going to go as fast as I can. ;) I didn't mention this above, but I wasn't trying to hurry last night when I timed myself, to try not to bias the outcome. But I'm perfectly happy to go for a personal best. ;)

In any case, my main point is that looking the amount of time it takes to sharpen a bowl gouge on a Tormek, working at a non-hurried pace, the amount of time saved by using a grinder system seems pretty minimal to me. We're talking maybe a minute or so compared to the total amount of time spent making a bowl.

One other thought that I can't take credit for thinking of is that since the Tormek gives you a nicer edge than a grinder (no one seems to dispute this) the extra time spent on the Tormek may result in reduced sanding time, which seems like a great deal to me.

Please post your sharpening times if you try this out! I love looking at hard data. And it's all fun.

=====

Okay, I just tried this out. Did the same steps as I did before: mounting the bowl gouge in the jig, checking the bar placement, marking the bevel with a Sharpie, doing the rub test, grinding off the Sharpie marks at the cutting edge, but this time going as fast as I could, and being more aggressive during the actual grinding.

1 minute 27.80 seconds, of which about 30 seconds was grinding time.

[Marc Martindale]

I have the PSI sharpening 'clone' of the wolverine and have seen the wolverine at several places. The PSI is OK, but the Wolverine system is higher quality and better thought out. I am sorry I didn't spend the extra $40.

[Scott Conners]

The wolverine is a really nice system, it makes sharpening so much simpler (read: possible at all) and more accurate, especially for a new turner like me. Because I only have one side of my grinder mounted with a grinding wheel (other side is a buff) I have to change out the table/cup arm if I am going from a gouge/chisel to a scraper/parting tool, and that does take a extra few seconds, but the result is way better than I did before it, which involved lots of hand edge fixing with diamond stones after grinding. I also like that you can get a single diamond point dressing tool for the wolverine, I'm not sure if the cheaper jigs have that option. Even for a new guy, it's fast to use - if I'm resharpening a gouge and haven't changed the jig, I'd guess it only takes me 1:30 to sharpen, and I nearly always have to grind and check twice, as I learn. It's definitely faster for reshaping a tool, I was pleased at how easily I made one of my scrapers into a side-cutting scraper that worked great on the first try. A freshly dressed 150g wheel cuts fast!

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with Dennis. You will get many different answers and some are more adament than others that theirs is the best system. I have the wolverine jig but had a chance to use a new tormek. I can say there isn't enough difference is setup time to talk about. I will say it does put a better edge and I got a better cut when I used it. I actually started sanding at I think either 150 or 180 grit. So now I am thinking of either the Grizzly with the Tormek jigs if I can find out if all the jigs will fit the grizzly or just getting the Tormek.

I guess out of all of this the thing I don't understand is if we and I include myself are not production turners what difference does 30 seconds or even a minute more or less sharpening make when turning? Just curious.

[Gordon Seto]

Agree with what Bernie said.

The difference is in shaping the tool for the first time. Even if you roughen up the stone on the wet wheel, the process is a test of your patience.

[John Gornall]

The problem that results from sharpening being too long and difficult a task is that you wait a little too long to sharpen. You don't sharpen until the surface is poor and needs returning. If sharpening is quick and painless you're more likely to do it on time resulting in a better turning.

[Dave Bender]

I use a Tormek, Wolverine w/ Woodcraft slow speed grinder, 1x42" belt sander and various stones and strops for sharpening/grinding. With each of these methods you make jigs/fixtures to make setup repetable, precise, and to save time. I prefer to use the Tormek for sharpening turning tools. The setup time is the same as the Wolverine setup. The motivation to purchase the Wolverine setup was to become proficient with the setup used by the majority of turners in my area and to have a grinder, it makes it easier for me when our turning club gets together or if I'm giving a demonstration using the clubs machines. In my shop I use the Wolverine system for grinding new profiles on turning tools and general grinding tasks. The Woodcraft slow speed grinder isn't too bad and comes with decent wheels for sharpening/grinding. An 8" Baldor would be better, but significantly more money. As for the PSI system it's a knockoff and knockoff's are rarely better than the original. The Oneway Wolverine system is very well made and it's doubtful that the PSI system would be as good or better. Since the price difference is very small I would go with the system that is a proven performer in thousands of shops, namely the Wolverine.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

In the video, the Darrell's gouge sharpening jig was already on the bowl gouge, so I don't know how the set up time is for this jig.
Ah. An interesting comment. Ok. So while others mileage may vary here is what I do with my copy of his system. I pick up the fingernail jig, stick the gouge through it till it hits a wood block that pre-marks the tool stick-out distance, then tighten the I-bolt. Now here is where it gets different for me. Using his jig as spec'ed there is nothing that holds the bowl gouge in the same upright position each time. It is a round hole. I found this out the hard way one day when I butchered the left fingernail/wing edge on my tool. So I then flip it over and put the top of the square block of the jig and the top of the flute of the tool on the bench top and a slight loosening and it will align and then re-tightening of the screw and it is set. I know this sounds complex but to be honest after so many times doing it it only takes me a second to do it.


I didn't mention this above, but I wasn't trying to hurry last night when I timed myself, to try not to bias the outcome. But I'm perfectly happy to go for a personal best. ;)Hehehe. Alright cool. Neither was I in that same vein of honesty. I suppose I hurry mostly just because I want to get back to the fun part, the turning, but I don't specifically race thru this part. Having watched some of the Raffan videos from the local library I am convinced I am still way way to slow at sharpening. :o


One other thought that I can't take credit for thinking of is that since the Tormek gives you a nicer edge than a grinder (no one seems to dispute this) the extra time spent on the Tormek may result in reduced sanding time, which seems like a great deal to me.OK now see that is a very very excellent point! When I first started turning last year I was spending 40+ minutes sanding a bowl to try and finish it. What can I say my technique was truly terrible and I was tearing out end-grain to to the tune of a 1/4" deep in some of them. That takes an amazing amount of time to remove with sand paper and in some cases I never truly did. (It is all made worse by the local 'teacher' that was showing me some tricks and who liked to hollow bowls with a 1/2" rounded scraper. It sort of works... ;) With my new bowl gouge and as my skills at sharpening improved with most of my bowls I am now down to just a few minutes of sanding total. In most of my bowls now I get no torn end-grain at all and start at a higher grit that I used too. But even still the sanding isn't much fun. So an even better edge and even less sanding would be worth a new tool and some experimentation.

Just to be clear I wasn't ever bashing the Tormek. I hijacked, after a fashion, this poor thread wondering about the wolverine versus the PSI. I was just surprised at the time differences.


Please post your sharpening times if you try this out! I love looking at hard data. I went for 2 runs. One with my normal speed. Well as much as I could do that while actually paying attention to time and one trying to go for a personal best. The average time trying to be normal was about 20 seconds. The average when trying to go as fast as possible was just under 8 seconds. But in checking the edge afterwards it was passable but not fabulous. So while it was a new land speed record it isn't real.

Ooohhh.. Rats. But then come to think of it I had the arm in the right position each time. So it was just the jig and the tool each time. And no sharpie either. Given the marked setup I haven't done that since the very first time.


And it's all fun.Well maybe not the sanding... :D

Joshua

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I guess out of all of this the thing I don't understand is if we and I include myself are not production turners what difference does 30 seconds or even a minute more or less sharpening make when turning? Just curious.

For me it is just that the turning is fun and the sharpening is a necessary evil. Kind of like the sanding. I don't really hate sanding anymore but I really did before when I needed to do so very very much of it. Plus as I mentioned in my last response I screwed up and watched a few videos on sharpening, by Raffan and others, and felt like it was taking way too much time.

So it is all just my own personal perception.

Joshua

[John Gornall]

Turning with a bowl gouge I go to the grinder to renew the edge taking off a couple of thou. Freehand, with no jig, it takes only a few seconds. For me the key is having the grinder wheels balanced and true - no bounce at all.

After awhile of course the gouge needs a full regrinding using the Wolverine jig etc.

[Wilbur Pan]

I went for 2 runs. One with my normal speed. Well as much as I could do that while actually paying attention to time and one trying to go for a personal best. The average time trying to be normal was about 20 seconds. The average when trying to go as fast as possible was just under 8 seconds. But in checking the edge afterwards it was passable but not fabulous. So while it was a new land speed record it isn't real.

Hi Joshua,

Thanks for posting your results! Just to be clear, was your 8 second time just the time spent on the grinding wheel, or does that include mounting your jig on your gouge as well?

My "personal best" run also resulted in an edge that was not as good as I am used to, so I don't think I'll stick with the land speed record technique, either. ;)

[Jeff Farris]

...My "personal best" run also resulted in an edge that was not as good as I am used to, so I don't think I'll stick with the land speed record technique, either. ;)

::::In my best Obi Wan Kenobe voice::::

Trust the Force, Wilbur.

The TTS-100 will guide you -- give up your Sharpie. :D

Using the TTS-100 and a Sharpie is kinda like wearing a belt and suspenders. But, then, I've seen guys who needed both!

If your stone is clean and cutting correctly, and the shape is right and we're not dealing with a chipped up edge, the actual grinding time on a Tormek for a semi-normal bowl gouge profile should about 20 - 30 seconds. If an attendee at a show starts talking about how long it takes to sharpen on a Tormek, I quit running my mouth and just do it -- and it takes about 45 seconds to jig, adjust the tool support and sharpen. 15 seconds of actual sharpening and the edge is perfect....but then I've done it thousands of times. That said, I personally go through both steps on the stone and a bit of freehand honing. Like Wilbur said, cuts down on sanding. I consider it a defeat if I have use anything coarser than 220. If I am turning at home, and not rushing, I spend about 2-1/2 to 3 minutes on a gouge when I want a fresh edge.

Judging from comments all over, including several in this thread, the quality of cut feature is rarely lost on Tormek users. What we lose sight of, however, is the increased edge life. I recently attended a class where half the class were Tormek users and the rest were dry grinders using Wolverine jigs. We Tormek users were going to the sharpening station between 1/2 and 1/3 as often as the dry grinders.

A Tormek unquestionably delivers these three things: less steel removed with each sharpening, more turning time between sharpenings, and a superior finish on the steel (and thus on the turned stock). Once you and your tools are dialed into the Tormek system, edge maintenance is arguably the same or possibly ever so slightly more than anything else (that's the part I would argue -- I think it is less if you're doing it right). For all that, I'll put up with spending a little more time when I first have to shape a new tool.

Anyone recognize this Tormek user?

[Scott Conners]

Question for Tormek users: Does daily maintenance tally in at all? How often do you have to refresh the water? Both systems have to have dressed wheels, the only other normal time working on the grinder is for me changing/balancing wheels. Would the maintenance on a water system add up over time?

[Dave Bender]

Changing water depends on what your doing. If your touching up tools there isn't a bunch of mud in the bucket, if you're establishing a new edge and working the machine hard then you may need to change a few times a day. Since I generally turn on the weekends I just fill up once and let it go for the weekend.

Of course wintertime can present other issues. There are times during the year when my shop can be below zero, I make sure my Tormek wheel is bone dry before I store it in the shop. If I'm using my Tormek in the wintertime I will take the wheel off and store it inside to dry. I have had a wheel spall badly after having some trace water freeze (parts of the stone started flaking off on the next use). I would say that the Tormek isn't any more maintenance intensive than a dry grinder and less than water stones or scary sharp.

[Wilbur Pan]

This is how I deal with the water in my Tormek. I keep a couple of plastic gallon milk jugs with water near the Tormek, since I don't have plumbing in my shop. When I use the Tormek, I fill the water tank to the fill line, let the stone soak up the water, and then pour a little more in. When I'm done, I let the water sit there. Since I mainly have shop time on the weekends, often the water evaporates before I get back to it, so I fill the tank again.

When I get tired of the sharpening mud, I take the tank in the back and hose it out.

That's all. ;)

[Jeff Farris]

This is how I deal with the water in my Tormek. I keep a couple of plastic gallon milk jugs with water near the Tormek,...

The 1.5 gallon jugs that kitty litter comes in work great, too. The top is larger than a milk jug, making it a little easier both to fill and pour. If you're not a cat person, check with a neighbor!

[Doug Rogers]

I taped rare earth magnets to the bottom of my Jet wet grinder. It does a great job of collecting the shavings.

Doug Rogers

[Greg Narozniak]

I use the PSI jig with the WC slow speed grinder. I never saw the sense in spending high dollars for the same basic outfit.

Ditto, I am happy with my purchase.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Hi Joshua,

Thanks for posting your results! Just to be clear, was your 8 second time just the time spent on the grinding wheel, or does that include mounting your jig on your gouge as well?
It was putting it in the jig and the grinding as well. But as I had said everything else was "ready" on mine. So the grinding was running at speed and the arm on the base was at the right position etc... But then I rarely move that in any event.

Joshua