Sharpening debate

[stevebuk]

hi
sorry folks, only i wondered how many of you used something like the tormek system or similar, and how many use diamond stones and leather strops. I have had good and bad reports about both, would like penturners thoughts please.

 

[ed4copies]

I use the Tormek for a few GOOD reasons:
1) COOL stone does not take steel off as fast and tools are expensive so why take off the steel any faster than necessary?
2) There are NO sparks on a wet system. So, if there are wood shavings nearby, I need not worry about starting a fire (or worse, smoldering until I leave the shop THEN starting a fire)
3) If you start turning plastic with a "just sharpened, hot" tool, is it surprising your plastic gets HOT???
4) I get a better edge than I did when I used a dry system - although I realize there ARE people who get a GREAT edge on dry wheels - I was NEVER such a person.

IT does NOT have to say "Tormek", in my opinion. I have had mine so long I had to replace the wheel this year. If I were just getting a "wet" system, it would probably be a far less expensive one. No, I don't use the "attachments" although I have a few - I turn nearly exclusively with a skew. Seems to me, the tool is flat, I OUGHT to be able to sharpen it without a "Jig" --- works for me, YMMV!!!

 

[dalemcginnis]

Another Tormek user. Started with a dry grinder and didn't like it. Tried the Tormek and love it.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Tormek as well.

 

[Sylvanite]

There's probably a wet sharpener in my future somewhere, and maybe even a Wolverene (or similar) jig before that. For now, however, I use a grinding wheel and a honing stone. I figured that turners have been doing it that way for centuries, so I just buckled down and learned how to grind without taking off too much steel, nor overheating the tool.

Regards,
Eric

 

[karlkuehn]

I too will probably get a Tormek once I'm rolling in dough, but for now I use the Wolverine and love it. With a high speed grinder you do take off a bit more material, but most of my tools are new and long, so I'm looking forward to getting them down to a good length where I'm not holding 80% blade when I'm using them. Once they get short enough (the sweet spot for me), I'll be more concerned about grinding off too much material.

Realistically, now that I know how to use the Wolverine, though, I find that I'm not taking off too much anyways. A light touch and do it quick, and it's the same end. I actually kind of like having the extra speed to reshape my stuff really fast while I'm still learning what 'my flavor' of angles and stuff for fingernails and long grinds on my bowl and detail gouges.

I used to use a 1000 grit Japanese water stone to hone after the Wolverine, but I have a 120 grit white stone wheel on my 8" grinder, and that hones good enough for me anymore now that I've all but abandoned the 'scraping' technique.

For the resins and hybrids that I cut, it's skew plane-cut straight off the Wolverine, then MM2400 to MM3200 to white diamond buff and I'm done. A little Ren wax after assembly and I'm golden.

Hope that helps. I hate to go against the Tormek legions, but the Wolverine with the vari-grind jig is about a quarter of the price. For my skews, I've been using a radius edge (ala Lacer/Raffan), so I passed on the 'Skew Jig' and just use the flat attachment on the Wolverine.

 

[DocStram]

Wolverine here also.

 

[stevers]

Cant afford any of that fancy shmancy stuff. I use a disk sander.

 

[drayman]

i use a tormek as well steve, i tried the other ways but i am afraid the tormek wins for me. its a bit weired at first but you soon get used to it. ive had it about 4 years now.[][]

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

I use everything that is wrong

A high speed, 6" dry grinding wheel with a home made jig.


I see no reason to change yet

 

[Russianwolf]

I actually got one of the sharpening systems that PSI sells for like $25. Just a plastic disk that you stick a PSA sanding disk to that goes on my lathe. I like it as I can load it with two grits (a 220 and a 400) and sharpen at the lathe without starting up a second machine or moving around a lot. It's also a flat grind so it works great with the skew (my tool of choice 95% of the time)

I seem to be getting good results as I can usually cut myself with my skew after a quick touchup.

 

[Paul in OKC]

Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA

I use everything that is wrong

A high speed, 6" dry grinding wheel with a home made jig.


I see no reason to change yet

I'm with ya here, except no jig.

 

[JimB]

Same as Ron and Paul as I use all the wrong things but I've never had a problem with my tools not being sharp. I have a $20 6" dry grinder from Big Lots. I have a home made jig that I use for my roughing gouge because its very quick but everything else I sharpen "free hand" including skew, bowl gouge, scrapers etc.

 

[toolcrazy]

I just bought the Grizzly wet grinder. I finally got my skew back into shape and tried it today. I just realized I have been using dull tools. Started with a Wolverine and a slow speed grinder. I thought I was getting my tools sharp, I guess not. I'm sold.

 

[Ligget]

Moved away from a dry grinder with a white wheel to a Tormek, what a difference![:0][]

Worth every penny/cent! lol

 

[karlkuehn]

Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA

I use everything that is wrong

A high speed, 6" dry grinding wheel with a home made jig.


I see no reason to change yet

I've seen Ron's setup, there's nothing 'wrong' there! I'm just lazy and went for the default Wolverine. You gotta see it to believe it. All of Ron's stuff is where I see my shop going in like 5 years. Disorganized (although my shop isn't exactly streamlined), but the stuff that he HAS organized is like light years ahead of me.

I've mentioned it before, but I still love his opening line of, "Yeah, you know I was just building a home-made vacuum chuck" when I'm like, "Yeah, I feel you dog, I've been working on a store-bought mandrel that's kicking my a$$...you know how it is..." heh

So I head down into his basement, and see the genius mess, and the best I could come up with was, "OH Yeah...I know what you're saying...I mean sawdust, it really gets in the way..." LOL

When he showed me his sharpening jigs, I was amazed, because he's replicated all these high-dollar solutions out of wood scraps. rusty, metal and MDF chunks.

I swear, I'm still saving up pieces of MDF, but the stuff he builds just stymies me. Those tools that you've heard of being build out of re-purposed Allen wrenches? Yeah, he's got that covered, so you might want to listen to him about the "make do with what you got" lecture, because I'm pretty sure he invented it, and even though he can afford the 'upgrade' to something that we all can buy, he just does his thing. That to me is what makes a true master craftsman.

Okay, my butt-kissing meter just went through the roof, but I really feel that, regardless of whatever differing opinions we have about anything else, I really appreciate Ron's input on this kind of stuff. He don't pipe up unless it's worth hearing. (on this kind of stuff, at least! ) The rest of his crazy posts, mehhhhh, do what you will with them.

*chuckles*

Did you miss me, Ron?

 

[igran7]

I use the Jet slow speed grinder with Tormek jigs, but I am seriously considering the Jool-Tool. A friend of mine has one and it kicks butt! I used it the other day to sharpen all my tools, and although I can achieve the same sharp edge with the Jet, I can achieve it much faster with the Jool-Tool.

 

[Chasper]

I set up my new Wolverine over the weekend. For the past four years I've been using a $25 Craftsman wet grinder. I'm happy now. Sharp actually makes a difference. The skew actually cuts better with a long angle and no curve on the cutting edge.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Originally posted by Paul in OKC

Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA

I use everything that is wrong

A high speed, 6" dry grinding wheel with a home made jig.


I see no reason to change yet

I'm with ya here, except no jig.

I should also mention I use the jig for the bowl gouge, I sharpen my skews by hand

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Originally posted by karlkuehn

Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA

I use everything that is wrong

A high speed, 6" dry grinding wheel with a home made jig.


I see no reason to change yet

I've seen Ron's setup, there's nothing 'wrong' there! I'm just lazy and went for the default Wolverine. You gotta see it to believe it. All of Ron's stuff is where I see my shop going in like 5 years. Disorganized (although my shop isn't exactly streamlined), but the stuff that he HAS organized is like light years ahead of me.

I've mentioned it before, but I still love his opening line of, "Yeah, you know I was just building a home-made vacuum chuck" when I'm like, "Yeah, I feel you dog, I've been working on a store-bought mandrel that's kicking my a$$...you know how it is..." heh

So I head down into his basement, and see the genius mess, and the best I could come up with was, "OH Yeah...I know what you're saying...I mean sawdust, it really gets in the way..." LOL

When he showed me his sharpening jigs, I was amazed, because he's replicated all these high-dollar solutions out of wood scraps. rusty, metal and MDF chunks.

I swear, I'm still saving up pieces of MDF, but the stuff he builds just stymies me. Those tools that you've heard of being build out of re-purposed Allen wrenches? Yeah, he's got that covered, so you might want to listen to him about the "make do with what you got" lecture, because I'm pretty sure he invented it, and even though he can afford the 'upgrade' to something that we all can buy, he just does his thing. That to me is what makes a true master craftsman.

Okay, my butt-kissing meter just went through the roof, but I really feel that, regardless of whatever differing opinions we have about anything else, I really appreciate Ron's input on this kind of stuff. He don't pipe up unless it's worth hearing. (on this kind of stuff, at least! ) The rest of his crazy posts, mehhhhh, do what you will with them.

*chuckles*

Did you miss me, Ron?

LOL thanks Karl

 

[stevebuk]

Wow thanks to everyone for their input into this subject, it doesn't make choosing one any easier though, i am tempted to buy the Tormek, as i know i cant get the chisels to sharpen proporly, as in another thread i complained about rubbish PR, when it was really my unsharp tools.
Decisions, decisions, will have to consider this one closely.
many thanks
steve