To TORMEK, or not to TORMEK - that is the question

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for the tip Eric!

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Fred - I haven't used a tormek. I have used water stones. I have a Lap-Sharp which I use as a grinder and for every grit of sharpening all the way down to polishing. It's a slow speed machine. It's pricey but I find I don't need any other system, though I do keep a glass plate with a few super fine grit papers to touch planes and chisels while working. I rehabbed a plane blade with a few chips on the edge last night. I used a diamond plate to grind the edge back to remove the chips and reset the bevel. Then I went through three progressively finer plates to flatten the back and hone the bevel. The machine brought the blade to such a high polish that when I stropped on leather with green paste, it actually dulled the shine.

Eric, how long would you say that it takes you to sharpen the average blade from dull to finish - say, a 1" chisel or a 2" plane blade? How many grits do you use, and do you have a plate for each? Lastly, how long does each last before renewing the paper?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Thanks again everyone!
Fred

Now Fred, with a question like that you should have known it would go ten pages, and last for months after you made your decision . . .

[david charlesworth]

Another heretic here.

For the last 35 years or so I have hollow ground all my Japanese chisels, at 25 degrees, on the Tormek.

I then form wire edge at 30 or 33 degrees on 800 stone, then polish tip at 32 or 35. Paring or chopping.

Like Derek I have never chipped an edge.

The Tormek is an excellent machine, for me the huge advantage is that my students will never blue an edge.

I will be testing the diamond (stone) actually steel wheel soon.

The benefit should be no more dressing of the stone!!

David

[Eric Rathhaus]

I'm assuming you are asking about a blade that doesn't need a complete rehab but just is dull from normal use. I would use two or three separate plates with separate grits on each. Probably orange, blue and pink trizact. It would take probably take less than 5' including set up if the sheets are already mounted. The size of the blade doesn't matter that much in terms of time as long as your technique is good because the disks are about 8" wide. I can't estimate the longevity of each sheet for just honing. I've been rehabbing a bunch of old plane irons and chisels recently. The size of the blade does effect longevity. I've rehabbed about 5 abused irons the size of a Stanley #6 and larger before changing sheets. My one complaint with the trizact sheets is that it isn't easy for me to judge when I should switch.