Hand tool sharpening, which grinder?

The Glass Key

Every so often I do a tidy up and work through a load of hand tool sharpening and it takes ages (normally I'll sharpen the tools I'm going to use before use) so I get to thinking should I get some sort of water stone grinder and which one?

I'd love the top of the range Tormek T7 but really can't justify the €700+ cost and wondered if anyone has good reports of a cheaper system?

I already have an 8 inch Record Bench grinder I use for lathe tools which does great work but is obviously only for grinding a bevel and not actual sharpening plane irons and the like.

Thanks in advance.

jack of all

I bought the older version of the Tormek T3 system, which has a 200mm wheel as opposed to the 250mm on the T7 machine. I think the T3 machine is more than adequate for DIY/ Hobby and light trade use, especially if there is only one user and the machine won't be abused. I've used a T7 variant also and would find it hard to justify the extra expense unless you intend to sharpen planer knives or similar long blades on a regular basis. It's still an expensive system, especially when you look at the jigs needed for anything other basic blade and chisel sharpening, but worth it in my opinion. Scheppach do a similar machine, which I've seen in McQuillans but I don't know how it compares on build quality or price. Rutlands also do "Dakota" versions but I'm a little wary of some of their stuff- the Tormek is definitely built to last and parts are easy come by, so no fear of investing in a system that could be redundant down the road. All that said it's a messy system and set up is time consuming! So I picked up an vintage Eclipse honing guide a few months ago and I'm back to using oil stones for basic chisel and plane iron sharpening- quick, easy and no water! I probably wouldn't bother setting up the Tormek unless I had a batch of tools for major regrinding or some special purpose blades that couldn't be done on the oil stones.

The Glass Key

Thanks jack of all I've my eye on the Scheppach as a possible, but each time I talk myself into a Tormek T3 (or better) and then decide its just too much money.

I've a box full of honing guides, probably 2 or 3 eclipse ones (or knock offs) a Record (ball baring instead of a wheel), 2 Stanley, several no names and a very nice honing guide that I think might be Veritas? A honing guide with a 200 Aldi diamond grit stone is quite good for getting a nice clean bevel but still takes a lot of time, because it was handy I'm using BBQ lighter fluid as a light lubricant and it works very well. For the €9.99 the diamond sharpening block cost it does a great job and with plenty of lubricant to take away the metal particles it should last for ages. I finish on an old Arkansas stone after going down through 400 and 600 grades of the diamond sharpener.

But every time I spend a couple of hours doing a good sharpening job I think there must be a better way? There is but I'm not sure I can justify the expense.

jack of all

Sounds like you're well versed in the whole sharpening process anyways!. I picked up some vintage oil stones (Arkansas/ Novaculite and Norton India etc) for small money, flattened and declogged them and find them great and very economical as set up cost is low and should see me out. Tormek system and its equivalents are great for safe and repeatable results without risk of burning the tool steel but I don't think it's a complete system- you still need to refine/ polish the edge (or micro bevel) with a fine water stone or oil stone. They tell you you can refine the cutting action of the wheel using the grading stone but I don't bother as I believe it just shortens the life of the wheel. I just get the edge pretty close to where I want with the Tormek (when I need to do serious reshaping) and then finish off on the bench stones. I've used a lot of water stones too but they are serious money and wear so fast, although they are great for flattening new and old tool backs (chisels and plane irons, cutters etc). I wouldn't part with the Tormek, it's very useful and especially so if rehabbing older, vintage stuff that's been abused as you can safely restore proper edge geometry without any worry of making a bags of it, as it cuts relatively slowly. I have one of those older Veritas honing guides also and it's useful too, but since I picked up the simple (and well made) vintage Eclipse that is now first choice for bog standard edge tools.

The Glass Key

My problem is I probably spend more time playing with old tools than I ever do using them. Not bought any in a while but most of my stuff comes from Car Boot sales and I'm going through stuff and sorting out what I must get rid of and tidying and sharpening anything I'm keeping. OK I admit it I can't even give away a tool that is blunt so I'm sharpening all the ones I'm getting rid of.

Anyway the hope is I'll then have enough space made so I can get some work done.

Its the reproduce ability of the bevel you get with the likes of Tormek grinders that has me coming back to the idea and like you I have the idea of doing the finishing on a good natural stone.

knickerbocker

I use a Tormek T3 also, have had it for about 6 years, my only complaint with it is that I end up with a puddle of water around myself.... but I can live with that.
I use it mainly for chisels, hand plane and planer thicknesser knives, always get a perfect edge. At the time I was buying it, I had a small but busy workshop and it was ideal.

Alun

Back when my dad was a woodwork teacher in England he had one of these ...

http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/cat_leaf.php?id=9308

Mind you, given the amount of abuse the chisels and plane blades got at the hands of the little savages he was teaching, he had a lot of sharpening to do!

The Glass Key

Alun wrote: »

Back when my dad was a woodwork teacher in England he had one of these ...

http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/cat_leaf.php?id=9308

Mind you, given the amount of abuse the chisels and plane blades got at the hands of the little savages he was teaching, he had a lot of sharpening to do!

I can remember one of those at school. I used to finish anything I was doing in our woodwork class before the other kids so often got put on it to grind a few plain irons and stop me messing around

Now that is a tool I'd go and spend money on if only I had some dry storage space for it :mad:

I think it might be using one of those that put it in my mind that all bevels have to be perfect to get a good edge, mine aren't so I'm never totally satisfied with them.

Alun

Yeah, I used to be allowed to use it sometimes to get all the plane blades and chisels ready for the new term during the summer holidays. After that, anything other than a perfectly flat bevel just isn't the same. That's why I use one of these ...

http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/proedge.htm

for my woodturning chisels.

The Glass Key

The Robert Sorby ProEdge is another system I've looked at but another that iirc I discounted due to cost. A good few of my old chisels would have the old Sorby "Punch" (as in Punch and Judy) brand logo on them, the 1 1/2 inch firmer chisel would be a case in point when it comes to grinding. 1 1/2 inch times 1/2 inch bevel surface and you've got yourself a grinding job.

aero2k

The Glass Key wrote: »

I'd love the top of the range Tormek T7 but really can't justify the €700+ cost and wondered if anyone has good reports of a cheaper system?

You can get the Tormek here a good bit cheaper - good deal on this limited edition one with swivelling base.