# Alternative for tormek?



## Dominik Pierog (8 Sep 2020)

Full system for lathe tools in some affordable price?
Full set of tormek cost like nice lathe.


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## Yojevol (8 Sep 2020)

Have a look at Rutlands, They do a turner's accessory pack as well'
Brian


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## gregmcateer (8 Sep 2020)

Record or triton or scheppach


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## Rorschach (9 Sep 2020)

I have been using the Rutlands machine for several years, very happy with it.


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## recipio (9 Sep 2020)

I have the Scheppach and its fine. I got the planer blade jig attachment as well. Couldn't understand why the planer blades wouldn't even touch the stone until I copped that they had gone from 19 mm wide to 13 mm from previous sharpenings ! You usually find the original stone is too coarse as well and Japanese stones can be had from www.fine-tools.de. The Tormek is nice but totally overpriced IMHO.


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## Chisteve (10 Sep 2020)

I have a triton would recommend for what it is although tormek stuff is far better quality but as above overpriced


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## captainpk (10 Sep 2020)

I have the scheppach TiGer 2000s. I never managed to get any accurate results from it. There was too much play. I will keep though and use it for the leather strop.

I use a record grinder now for my wood turning gauges and it works well. I will however look to buy a jig system at some point.



https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0714QHBVJ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=AVGWKZRKKEZMF&psc=1


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## Eshmiel (10 Sep 2020)

Consider also a different technology. Belt sander style grinding machines are now also capable of putting on very fine edges by use of Trizact sanding belts, which are aluminium oxide of various grits including extremely fine grits. They are inexpensive, these belts (less than £10) with the rougher standard grade belts used for grinding away lots of metal even less expensive. You can, though, buy a diamond-coated sanding belt for about £160! Many do say that these last a very long time and are extremely effective at final sharpening.

Add a buffing wheel with polishing compound on it to the belt sander sharpener and you can have razor sharp edges on the new tool profile you also ground on the very same machine - all in a few minutes rather than the long and tedious Tormek process. Also, no wet mess to clean up or grooved wheel to redress again and again.

I had a large Tormek for over a decade, along with various jigs to sharpen this and that tool. It was expensive when I bought it all but is about 3X the price I paid now. I sold it a couple of years ago after finding other means to sharpen & hone things that were just as effective and rather faster. Tormek machines & jigs do the sharpening job but very slowly and with rather too much mess & maintenance needed of the machine itself. They do hold their value, though. I sold all mine for more than I paid for them albeit at about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the new price now. This after owning it for many years, though.

For grinding I eventually acquired a Sorby Proedge belt grinder. The main alternative is the Axminster sharpening belt sander - but that's much more money, as are the jigs for it; and it doesn't seem any more effective than the extremely effective Sorby machine. I was very pleased indeed to discover that the Sorby machine is not just a grinder but a machine also capable of making a final very sharp edge. At most you might want to make it's edges even scary-er with a final rub on sub-1 micron 3M paper on glass. But the Sorby buffing wheel also works to get these ultra-sharp edges, in truth. It also allows the unicorn sharpening process, I have recently discovered. Huzzah! 

Here's some links:






ProEdge







www.robert-sorby.co.uk













Axminster Trade Ultimate Edge Reverse Running Sharpening System


The Axminster Trade Ultimate Edge is a new way of sharpening, linishing and polishing. Now, none of us take up sharpening as a hobby, but it’s a necessity to get the best out of our tools; woodwork without a keen edge simply ends up in tears. With this...




www.axminstertools.com





Eshmiel


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## AJB Temple (10 Sep 2020)

What he said above. Spot on.


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## Democritus (12 Sep 2020)

I’ve tried a number of sharpening systems, including the Tormek . I gradually became disillusioned with the Tormek for all the reasons Eshmiel mentioned above. I was tipped over the edge by the problem I found when trying to replace the grind stone, finding that fixings for it were rusted and impossible to free. Earlier this year I bought the Sorby pro-edge, and have found it to be an easy to use and efficient system. It only takes a matter of seconds to restore an edge on a gouge. I thought about buying the diamond belt, but, thanks to the advice I got on this forum, realised that it wasn’t needed. I have a Trizact belt that I use occasionally, but a 220 grit belt does for most of the time.
D.


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## Rorschach (12 Sep 2020)

The sharpener you choose will also depend a lot on the type of work you do. Every tools is best suited to certain type of sharpening. Given the choice again I would probably choose something different but I have it now and it works very well for certain jobs so I will keep it, no second hand value really.


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