Tormek too pricy? Take a look at the Triton. (Wet grinding/sharpening and honing)

[hansp77]

Usual disclaimer that I have nothing to do with Triton-
Other than being about to buy one of these things.:rolleyes:
Here (http://triton.com.au/product.php?id=37) is the newly released Triton Wet and Dry sharpener.
It looks like a Tormek, works like a Tormek, and will even take Tormek Jigs (which some of them alone will cost more than the entire Triton unit itself). Retailing in Australia for Aus$199 it costs nothing close to a Tormek. Whether or not it is as good as a Tormek- well probably not- who knows, but for me it appears to be well and truely good enough.

http://www.triton.com.au/images/145.jpg http://www.triton.com.au/images/149.jpg http://www.triton.com.au/images/147.jpg http://www.triton.com.au/images/146.jpg http://www.triton.com.au/images/148.jpg

IMHO a nice affordable option for wet grinding (only a little more than the cheap nasty freehanding GMC one- which I tried and broke within a week and a half). Of course, like the Tormek, it is claimed that all you have to do is to wet grind and then hone on the leather wheel and your tool, chisel or plane etc, is ready for use. For me (and I think many others) for my chisels and planes I will be using it simply to do the removal of metal (grinding) and then do my honing/microbeveling by other means- scary sharp (or water/oil stones etc). For other uses, such as doing your kitchen knifes, scissors, etc, then the two step process, grinding and leather honing, will probably prove more than sufficient.

The reason I am going this way is that I get most of my tools second hand, and usually have a considerable amount of work to do on the bevels. I can get there by scary sharp or stones, but hell, a 2" chisel with a 7mm chip out of it takes me the better half of a day to get to ready for honing. I have enough trouble as it is without letting my tools touch a normal dry grinder (and inevitably for me at least burning them) so I do not do it that way at all. Plus, stones and sand paper aint cheap- aside from the fact that after a day of sharpening freehand, it feels like I have RSI.

If you are interested in seeing it work, a guy (Stuart) from the Aussie wood working forum has just posted a video on his blog (http://stusshed.wordpress.com/) about his first attempts at getting it running. Not quite as exhasutive as the tormek video, but you get the picture.

[Woxbox]

This is interesting. I do a search in the US and find the same tool listed as a Sheppach, for $299 US. That's the same price at the Jet knockoff of the Tormek, which sells for the same price through Amazon, although I've seen it for less elsewhere.

The reviews I've seen of the Jet are less than flattering. Basically, it seem that there are chintzy plastic pieces in the build that prevent it from delivering. So how about the Triton/Sheppach? Did they get it right?

[Roy Morford]

Take a look at Worksharp. I bought one recently and it does an amazing job.

[Bob Smalser]

If you're going to spend that kind of money, consider getting one of these instead:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CNN3W6EZL._AA280_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-9820-2-Horizontal-Wheel-Sharpener/dp/B0000223JC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-3447859-2748703?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1187391129&sr=8-1

Also get the coarse wheel Highland Hardware makes up for these to supplement the 1000-grit wheel that comes with the machine. The stock wheel takes too long to grind HSS knives.

You can't sharpen planer and jointer knives on a Tormek, but you sure as heck can sharpen any plane iron, chisel or carving tool you have on the Makita as the fence either adjusts to the angle you need or it comes off with two knurled screws so you can freehand.

The wheels are also self-flattening. After hollowing them doing your gouges, simply do another long planer knife or two to dress the wheel dead flat again.

[Don Z.]

You can't sharpen planer and jointer knives on a Tormek, but you sure as heck can sharpen any plane iron, chisel or carving tool you have on the Makita as the fence either adjusts to the angle you need or it comes off with two knurled screws so you can freehand.

The wheels are also self-flattening. After hollowing them doing your gouges, simply do another long planer knife or two to dress the wheel dead flat again.

I rarely disagree with you there, but... Tormek makes a jig for both planer and jointers... It can be done.
http://www.tormek.us/images/introduction/photo/f_118_big.jpg

A self flattening wheel would be nice... but the new wheel dresser is a vast improvement over the old.

[Woxbox]

Wouldn't you know, it Harbor Freight has an even cheaper copy of the Tormek:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95236
And there's a $99 version of the Makita out there, this one from Woodtek:
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=958-371

Having been unable to decide where to go on this question for some time, I have none of the above, and tools in need of attention. How much can it really take to turn a wheel and put a metal brace over it? I don't see why such a thing should run $300-$400, but all the reviews say the cheaper ones just don't work well at all.

[SMARTINSEN]

I have used the Makita planer knife grinder for years. The 1000 grit wheel is good for everyday sharpening. A finer grit wheel (6000) is also available, but that takes a while to get a mirror edge along the whole face of the bevel. Good for a micro-bevel though.

It splashes. I found out the hard way that the splash makes some nice black spots on newly milled oak door frames.

The guide does not tilt past 25 degrees; consider this if you need to grind at an angle more shallow than that.

They go for cheap on Ebay.

[Tom Hoffman]

Here is the newest thing on the block. I am definitely getting one. They can be had on ebay for about $75.00 less than on this site.

Here is the link

http://www.worksharptools.com/

Watch the video....

Some one was using their head for something other than a hat rack.....

[Bob Smalser]

... Tormek makes a jig for both planer and jointers... It can be done.


I'm sure they make a jig for everything. That doesn't mean it works well, let alone once a week in a busy shop. ;)

Ever use that flimsy looking jig yourself? Takes a bit of oomf to grind a nick out of gummy HSS. That's why Highland makes up extra coarse wheels.

...The guide does not tilt past 25 degrees; consider this if you need to grind at an angle more shallow than that.


But it's so easy to freehand on it, I usually take the fence off anyway for most light honing. I'm actually thinking about getting another so I don't have to change wheels.

[hansp77]

Intresting discussion going guys,
thanks.
It's strange the price of the Triton over there- I thought Triton were trying get competitive in the US market? At that price, with that many other options over there, it doesn't seem like it has a hope.

I can't seem to find the Makita for sale in Australia. And those other ones appear made for the US market.
If they do make them for Australia, then chances are that by the time we get it here it will be rather more expensive. For example, Drill Doctors here will cost a fortune.
We can get the 750x for Aus$595 (US$470)
where as you can get it for the 'promo price' of US$179.95 from their own website- let alone what you will pick one up off ebay for.

Also, though hardly the best, I feel much better buying a Triton than some random chinese rip-off (even if Triton are owned by GMC)

So while it may not be a cheap option for the States, relative to what is available here, the Triton is still looking pretty good.
In comparison, the GMC POS retails at $115,
while the Tormek 1206 and 2006, at $637 and $995 respectively.
Worlds apart.

as far as quality goes, so long as the wheel spins straight and the arms hold firm, then personally I am happy.

I agree with Woxbox
How much can it really take to turn a wheel and put a metal brace over it? I don't see why such a thing should run $300-$400, but all the reviews say the cheaper ones just don't work well at all.
In this respect, the Tormeks just seem obscenely overpriced.

as the Triton is so new, I have no idea about the quality- though suspect it will more than suffice (also comes with 1yr warrenty). For my purposes, I would have been happy with the GMC. Sure I had to freehand (and it wouldn't have been hard for them to put a arm on), but I was freehanding on stones and scary sharp anyway, so it was a hell of a lot easier to get to honing point on the GMC. The problem with the GMC IMO is that all they have done is slap a metal-to-PLASTIC reduction gear off the end of a normal bench grinder. Put a little bit of load on it, for a little time, and presto, you have melted your way through the reduction gear. I did mine in a bit over one weeks use. Still waiting for the buggers to pick it up.

So while I would think about the Makita if I could get it at a comparible price here, it still looks like the Triton for me.

One thing I like about the hollow grinding (Triton Tormek etc) is that after the initial grind, with ongoing resharpening/honing it takes a lot less effort to get a fresh microbevel than a flat ground bevel would- though of course this is not suitable for all things.

Anyway, interesting,
Thanks,
Hans.