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Pro edge v tormek

mattkemp

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Feb 18, 2016
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156
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norfolk
First Name
matt
Hi

I am looking into upgrading my sharpening system I currently have a bench grinder. I went to Newark woodwork show yesterday and saw both the pro edge and the tormek in action, but I thought I would ask people who actually use them which they prefer rather than some one only interested in selling me something

Cheers

Matt
 

21William

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William
If it’s just wood turning tools you wish to sharpen I suggest the Pro Edge. You can not only sharpen tools with the Pro Edge but easily reprofile them as well. Reprofiling on the Tormek can be quite tedious.
 

Bigblackdog

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Dec 28, 2014
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839
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Leeds
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Mark
definitely the pro edge. I have a whetstone grinder too, not the tormek, but it is no use for any form of shaping
 

Bill Mooney

Blind old git
Grand Master
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Aug 16, 2014
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County Durham
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I prefer the pro edge. My son in law had a jet which is a clone of the tormek & changed to a pro edge, he wouldn’t go back. He loves hie pro edge.
 

Penpal

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Consensis Pro Edge following the Demos and detail,speed available using the Tormec there is a solid place for either one.

Peter.
 

flexi

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Maidstone
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mark
I had a Tormek and have gone to the Pro edge.....wouldn't go back....far less fuss
 

Phil Dart

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Colebrooke, Devon
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All roads lead to pro-edge in the end Matt. You might as well go there first as soon as last. Even the Tormek owners get a pro-edge in the end, then wonder why they didn't do it to start with. No prizes for guessing which system I use.
 

KevinMc

Graduate Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2017
Posts
594
Location
North East England - Tyne & Wear
First Name
Kevin
Funny I am impressed at so many saying Pro Edge, which as a novice Turning is the one I went for... I thought idiot proof for an idiot what was not to like ?

I love it for what I do.:love_it:

I would check out the videos on YouTube From Robert Sorby.

At my last training course there was a great debate on grinder v ProEdge and it appeared that the ONE thing that came up was that you cannot get a Long swept back grind with a Pro Edge... as the handle of the chisel hits the machine.. not having ever tried to do that I don’t know if that’s true...


Kevin :banana:
 

21William

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William
At my last training course there was a great debate on grinder v ProEdge and it appeared that the ONE thing that came up was that you cannot get a Long swept back grind with a Pro Edge... as the handle of the chisel hits the machine.. not having ever tried to do that I don’t know if that’s true...


Kevin :banana:

I’ve heard this debate before, some have had this problem, others say not. What hasn’t occurred to those that have had problems is that you can remove the handle for sharpening then replace it. :whistling: if that’s too much bother use a collet handle. There are always solutions if you look hard enough.
 

Pierre

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Southern Central France
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Pierre
All roads lead to pro-edge in the end Matt. You might as well go there first as soon as last. Even the Tormek owners get a pro-edge in the end, then wonder why they didn't do it to start with. No prizes for guessing which system I use.

Not all Tormek users go to pro edge, I stick with Tormek and I can re-profile on a standard bench grinder (this latter is important since I use bowl gouges with long sides for both bowl work and spindle work, it saves changing to skews or bedans) . Given the amount of sharpening that I do, the one stone has lasted for ages, I wonder how many sanding bands I would have used? Even Glenn Lucas uses a Tormek . The one thing that I would say is that there is no point in investing in the gouge smoothing leather wheels they don't add much value; just sharpen and turn.

PG
 

Lons

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Dec 17, 2013
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Northumberland
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Bob
I have a pro-edge and a Tormek T7 and both are useful, it depends what you do.

For turning tools my go to is the pro-edge as it's quick and simple and I have a range of belts down to the finest but they don't match the Tormek imo for a razor edge. Not important if all you do is turning but I also do a lot of woodworking which is why I use both.
 

21William

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I’ve always liked the hollow grind on wood chisels you get with a grinder. For wood turning tools though I prefer a flat grind like you get on the Pro Edge.
 

Penpal

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Peter
During the full explanations, demo given by David from Sydney, his swift and impressive use of the leather wheel gives a a masterful edge to the chisel IMHO and Davids together with the Aussie Dealer present that night. With regard to pens David produces great numbers of pens for a business in perfection not far from where I live. I would consider his boutique outlet as one of the fussiest, demanding in this country. I treasure the pen I received from David so long ago when we exchanged pens personally in Sydney. He was just six months into pens casually at this time. I have no need of such devices for my purposes ,I use grinding wheels,my gouges I grind with the chisel at right angle to the wheel, something a mate of mine from long ago showed me so I get a solid backed edge to the tool. A wonderful happenstance back a while was to land a superb two wheeled Aust best 25 yrs old and never used set up. The wheels have the best grinds and balance, makes me smile every time I use it. The bloke I bought it from intended to go right into lathe work but was diverted. Garage sales don,t you love them, bought an electric cement mixer for me to lay some cement in the back yard last Saturday.

Peter.
 

Lons

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bought an electric cement mixer for me to lay some cement in the back yard last Saturday.Peter.

:funny::funny:You'll come a cropper if you lay cement in your yard Peter as it will just break up into lumps and powder. As an ex builder I always laugh when people say that.

To be pedantic, cement is the binder you mix with other materials to make materials that are usable e.g. you lay a sand / cement screed or sand / agregate / cement concrete just as you lay bricks with mortar not cement!

Just had a few after dinner late night bevies so feeling argumentative. :ciggrin:
 

Penpal

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May 26, 2013
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I share your disdain, was flat out remembering concrete happily. Teaching granny to suck eggs Bob. I dug and mixed and poured the foundation for our house in 1955. This task is too small for ready mix. By the way when they poured the one foot thick concrete opposite our present house now they used 40 ton loads at a time,there are five units nearly completed (about a month away from finishing). Remember my reference Google earth a while back well I am keeping our tall hedge facing them for our privacy. 595,500 each unit. The house I built cost me 6,000 dollars.The block/ house next door brought a million and a quarter last year. Population from when I came to Canberra as a seven yrs old boy in !941 is touching 500,000 people right now.

Happy Easter mate.

Peter.
 
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