# tormek t3 sharpener



## aggromere (Dec 24, 2010)

I ordered the tormek t 3 sharpening system along with the jigs for sharpening skews and gouges.  I've been working on the skews but have a real problem.  From free hand sharpening over the years the ends are pretty much a mess.  Once in a while I get a good partial edge on something and am good to go.

but now with the tormek it seems that once I set the skew in the jig and line it up to sharpen it is so out of shape that the sharpener only reaches part of the cutting edge.  It appears to me the entire blade end will need to be completely reshaped.  I was wondering if that is sometihng I should try on the tormek water stone or should I get some more aggressive stone to take metal off or with the attachment that supposedly grades the wheel into a lower grit for more metal removal be used on the wheel.  Then take the metal off and then redo teh wheel to back at 1000 grit or were ever it is.

Barring that is there someone out there that is really good at grinding and sharpening tools and could get them in the proper shape so that I could then sharpen them without tearing up my wheel.  I would send you a medium flat rate box with about 8 tools in it, oval skews, skew chisels and a couple different gouges.  I would pay for shipping to and from.  If anyone feels like taking on that task and has the time, what would you charge per tool to do that and then repack them and return them to me?

Just wondering if that is not a better way than me tryinng to do it.


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## aplpickr (Dec 24, 2010)

*Get the BGM-100*

Get this from Tormek. Install on your old grinder. This allows use of the Tormek jigs with a coarser, faster wheel. You will lose the least amt of steel that way.


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## Shock me (Dec 24, 2010)

You CAN reshape your tools on the Tormek, but it requires a great deal of patience. Use the vertical tool rest posts to take metal away a little more quickly. Occasionally, I have one last stubborn spot that doesn't quite reach the wheel, in which case, I'll adjust the tool rest up or down a little depending on where the spot is. Make SURE you record your jig settings so you don't inadvertently start a new reshaping the next time you sharpen...DAMHIKT.  Spacer blocks are a must if you shapren a lot of different tools.

As aplpickr says, it is quicker to do the reshaping on a regular dry grinding wheel. Do not buy the BGM-100 as this is simply the tool rest that you already have. (Although an extra tool rest is mighty handy for a quick touch up on two frequently used tools...leave both in place, one in the vertical posts, the other horizontal.)


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## JimMc7 (Dec 25, 2010)

Shock me said:


> <snip> Do not buy the BGM-100 as this is simply the tool rest that you already have. (Although an extra tool rest is mighty handy for a quick touch up on two frequently used tools...leave both in place, one in the vertical posts, the other horizontal.)


 
BGM-100 kit includes tool rest & the mount -- you can buy just the mount for your grinder to save some $s...

http://www.sharptoolsusa.com/index.php?target=product&prodID=19&catID=5

...but I second "Shock me"'s opinion -- an extra tool rest is nice. I leave one in the top position with the wheel truing jig installed. Allows fast incremental wheel truing & freshens the stone for faster grinding.


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## Donnie Kennedy (Dec 25, 2010)

For what it's worth... I am no expert on sharpening machines, but I do consider myself to be a little above average when it comes to turning with the skew, and I would make the suggestion that once you do get that skew straightened back out that you don't grind it again.

It's too easy to sharpen on a wet/oil stone or with a sheet of sandpaper. I use a couple of diamond encrusted steel hones or 400 and 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper (on a sheet of glass with a little Windex sprayed on the paper) and get a razor sharp edge with a near mirror finished bevel that will slide down a length of wood and leave a very pretty finish on anything I turn.

I do sharpen it pretty often to keep the best possible edge and to avoid  getting the thing so out of whack that I create the need to resort to grinding. My skews are about 5 years old and only one of them has ever been re-ground and that was because I modified the factory grind to better suit my needs.

This video shows the same basic method  I use to sharpen my skews, and it's just about as fool proof as you can get, and (IMO) its quicker than messing with setting up jigs on a grinder too.


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## LEAP (Dec 25, 2010)

I sharpen my skews on the Tormek using the table not the jig. I set the table for the angle I want, then just use firm pressure against the table to make sure there is no lifting of the tool


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## chrisk (Dec 25, 2010)

Hi Peter, hi all and Merry Christmas,
While not being an expert I owe a Tormek , "T7" equivalent (a "2000" model) that I bought some years ago.
What you have to take care of on a Tormek grinder is to avoid modifying the shape of your tool. If you do so, either intentionnally or not, as other coleagues wrote above, you'll need a serious dose of patience...
But if you don't change the shape, and only sharpen your tool, you'll see that you soon will love your Tormek. What I like best after sharpening on the wet stone is to obtain a razor sharp on the leather wheel. I then cut a sheat of paper in two to be sure of my sharpening. 
As for the Tormek jigs I'm sure you'll succeed (but please read carefully the instructions and you can't go wrong) with a little practice.
Now if I lived in Florida I could grind your tools (for a... cigar even if I stopped smoking 5 years ago...) and, even better, show you how you'll obtain the best from your Tormek.


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## chrisk (Dec 25, 2010)

I forgot to say that you have to examine closely how your tool lies down on the stone. If it's too far from your actual shape you can fine tune it either by moving your tool on the jig (ahead or behind) or by moving the universal support either ahead the stone or behind it. Anyway you can also try your setting with two-three passes and set again.

Hope that helps.


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## BigShed (Dec 26, 2010)

I would go so far as to say the a Tormek, or any other wet grinder, is only half of an effective sharpening setup.

Getting a sharp edge on a turning tool is really a 2 stage process, grinding the tool to the correct shape, then sharpening that shaped edge to a keen edge.

Tormek themselves recognised that and brought out their BGM-100 bench grinder mount.

I made my own, as I have shown here in your previous thread on this subject

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showpost.php?p=1139585&postcount=9

It is very effective, you can use the same jig setup you are going to use on the wet grinder to shape your tool, then transfer this to the wet grinder for final sharpening.

Once the chisel/gouge has been shaped it can be sharpened many times on the wet grinder without having to back to the bench grinder, unless you want to change the shape of the skew/gouge.

I find that my turning has improved immensely since I have had this setup and sharpening is now a pleasure, rather than a chore, and is very repeatable.

As someone pointed out, shaping can be done on the wet grinder, but not only is it very slow, it is also very costly as you are wearing away a lot of a very expensive stone.


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## aggromere (Dec 27, 2010)

Just curious, is there a slow speed grinding wheel that would fit on the Tormekt T-3?  Where you could remove the wet stone and the water resivoir and slide the grinding wheel on to shape the tools?


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## BigShed (Dec 27, 2010)

aggromere said:


> Just curious, is there a slow speed grinding wheel that would fit on the Tormekt T-3?  Where you could remove the wet stone and the water resivoir and slide the grinding wheel on to shape the tools?



Peter, from memory the T3 runs at 70rpm (the T7 is 90rpm), way too slow for a normal grind stone to work.

I use an 8" bench grinder (2800rpm) with a 120grit Alox wheel for my shaping but have been looking at getting a slow speed grinder (1400rpm).

Apart from anything else, it would be a PITA to change wheels all the time on the T3.


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## aggromere (Dec 27, 2010)

Yea.  I finally got a couple of my skews that weren't too messed up sharpened.  Man I thought I had sharp tools before but nothing like this.  I'm glad I got the tormek.


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## Fred (Dec 27, 2010)

Peter, I use a black magic marker to darken the entire edges of my tools prior to sharpening them. Properly adjusted in the jig, one should just touch the tool to the stone and remove it after a turn or two. A strip of clean metal shows you exactly where your metal to stone contact is or needs to be. A quick and simple turn of the micro set knob on the tool bar allows you to fine tune the tool angle with ease.

You do need the stone grader to change the Tormek wheel to a coarse cut and then back to a finer grade for finishing. Absolutely no need for a second stone IMHO as you already have the ability to change grades.

There is no need for a grinder - which I always say is used for lawn mower blades, etc. - just take your time and use the Tormek with a coarse set wheel and put a lot of pressure on the stone with the tool. Be very careful to not allow the angle of the edge to move and change as this will cause the edges to be rounded, they will be very sharp but rounded.

The diamond stone is used to reshape the sharpening stone, whereas the grading stone only changes the grit of the sharpening stone. Both devices will be used when sharpening the tools, however, the diamond stone should only be necessary every once in a while as the sharpening stone is used and wear changes it's shape. The outside edges should be crisp and square to the surface of the wheel.

BTW, a tip: take a rare earth magnet and CA it to the plastic ON THE OUTSIDE of the water jacket and just below the level of the water right in front of the turning stone. This collects the metal removed in the sharpening process and helps to keep the stone clean. A clean stone sharpens a lot better than a dirty one. To clean the debris away just remove the water jacket and wipe the mess off. IF you put the magnet in the water it is way harder to remove the mess. NEVER put any soap or anything BUT clean water in the water jacket!

Always sharpen your tools to keep then in shape and the edges set to your preferences. Sharpening more often is way easier than resetting a worn down edge as you are presently faced with. It also will save on expensive tools metal being cut away in the long run.

Good luck and congratulations on the Tormek purchase. In a short bit of time you will come to appreciate it more and more as life is way easier with scary sharp tools. Also, congratulations on using the skew ... many are intimidated by this tool, but it becomes second hand in short order IF you just use it and learn the proper angle to get the edge to cut smoothly. It will also allow you to start sanding at a much finer grit than usual ... thus saving time on finishing. :biggrin:


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