I don't see a problem with the hollow grind, it's less 'hollow' than
the grind from other wheels anyway. The limitations I find are mostly
with short tools. I have a few that I got second hand that are too
short to use the appropriate jig. Plus I have tried to sharpen pocket
knives and such with it that wouldn't fit the knife jig because they
were too small in one dimension or another. Another thing you might
call a limitation is how long it takes the change a profile on a tool.
Of course, grinding slowly also means your tools might last a bit
longer, since you're taking off less material for each sharpening. I
don't think there are any jigs for some of the specialty tools
available either. Like the beading tools that some people were
recommending to me in another thread, I don't know how you would
sharpen them. It won't do double-bit axes, naturally that's the only
axe I have. Or ring tools, or some hollowing tools... I love my
Tormek, and would buy it again, but it isn't the end-all sharpening
solution.

Lazarus Long wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 22:56:22 GMT, "Alan Van Art"
wrote:

I took the plunge on a Tormek as well. IMHO, it is invaluable for a
beginner, because I can spend my time learning to turn, rather than learning
to sharpen. I have found some limitations to the system, but very few. Once
I become a competent turner, perhaps I'll learn to free-hand grind my tools.
Until then, I love my Tormek.

What sort of limitations have you found? In my case, I think the
hollow grind it produces on a chisel leaves a weaker cutting edge, so
I'll take it over to a high grit waterstone for a few laps. That
seems to put enough flat on it to keep the edge from dulling quite as
fast. This could apply to a plane iron too, but those don't get
exactly the same use as a chisel.

For turning tools, those are sharpened way more frequently anyway, and
the grind is not so easy to do without a jig.

BTW, it's my opinion that if one uses a jig, they'll never acquire the
skill to hand hold the tool for sharpening. I don't see a problem
there, after all, that's what a Tormek (or Wolverine) is all about.





"Lazarus Long" wrote in message
.. .
I use the Tormek system. With the appropriate jigs, it'll reliably
sharpen the same profile time after time. If you want, it'll also
reshape the profile to something else, and then be repeatable to that
new profile. The Tormek's problem is that it's expensive. I got over
that a long time ago. This isn't to say it's perfect, but for turning
tools, I don't think there's any better.

You can get one online at www.sharptools.com There's otherplaces
too, like Woodcraft.