Tormek’s new T7 is the newest in a line of widely acclaimed sharpening systems. The grinder is well-built and will need years of hard use. The device comes with a squaring jig, this holds your blades automatically squared to the grinding wheel. Chisels and plane blades are attached with their backs flat against a big reference surface, this then prevents rocking or tipping when the jig is tightened down. Added with the system is Tormek’s new truing and dressing Tool TT-50.
The TT-50 is Tormek’s latest stone truing tool and will make getting a flat parallel surface an easy and quick task. The truing and dressing tool comes in the T7 vijayalakshmi grinder sharpening system and if like me you have an earlier Tormek system you may also use the TT-50 on the prevailing Universal Support, but setting up the cut is more difficult. However Tormek advise one to retrofit the newest Universal Support with Micro Adjust.
The Tormek T7 system has a slow running speed which provides you with full control over your blades that are being ground. The lower running speed and heavy wheel also reduces noise and vibration, giving a simpler grind and so a sharper blade.
Since the grinding and sharpening system utilizes water cooling (wet grinding – the grinding wheel rotates in a tray of water), there’s no threat of overheating or burning the edges of your blades and drawing the temper from them. Honing and polishing is carried from another leather honing wheel. The leather honing wheel must be lubricated with a grinding paste.
The T7 sharpening system is not cheap, however for the professional woodworker enough time savings over the life span of the product will make it a lot more than worth while to possess, for the amateur woodworker it could be overkill, but when you yourself have the money it’s a very nice bit of kit, and should last you for decades reliving hours and hours of tedious sharpening.