# Tormek SuperGrind 2000



## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

Has anyone heard if the Tormek SuperGrind 2000 sharpening system. Apparently its the version before the T-7. 

Anyway, I have a line on an almost new one with several attachments for $300.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Dec 9, 2012)

After seeing the thread about the (Bernie's?) T-7, I looked it up, and came across the Work Sharp sharpening system. Woodcraft gave it glowing reviews, as did every individual review that I read. They have 2 versions. One for $100, and one for $200. I also like the optional belt attachment if for nothing else, but for sharpening serrated knives. I think, if you have a lather, the belt makes even more sense.


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

JohnnyTooBad said:


> Work Sharp sharpening system. Woodcraft gave it glowing reviews, as did every individual review that I read. They have 2 versions. One for $100, and one for $200. I also like the optional belt attachment if for nothing else, but for sharpening serrated knives. I think, if you have a lather, the belt makes even more sense.


I've been researching sharpening systems so much lately my head is spinning. I've been debating between the Work Sharp 300 plus attachments vs the Wolverine System plus grinder and attachments. Either way I'm looking around $300. But when I saw the CL ad for the used Tormek I got to thinking that the T-7 is way better and if the SuperGrind 2000 is anything like the T-7 then that might be the way to go.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

*Tool Sharpening Theory*

Sorry but IMNSHO there is no single "Perfect" sharpening system. 

The tool sharpening process is similar to sanding any project. The coarser grits are used to SHAPE the project and the finer grits are used to remove the scratches left by the previous coarser grit of sand paper.

For lack of better words, when you are sharpening, first you shape then you polish.

For chisels and similar tools you must first flatten and smooth the back of the tool. Why? Just take a corrugated cardboard box and cut it across the corrugations. What you see in the cut is what your tool looks like. (The corrugations represent the tool manufacturers scratch marks rom the grinding process.) The finer that you can make the "corrugations" or scratch marks, the sharper the final result of your sharpening efforts. For the flattening process I'll use a scary sharp process with paper glued to glass. Starting at 120 grit up to 600 grit and then on to the water stones. You only have to do this once for the tool and only about an inch up the back.

Typically I will flatten and polish the backs of my tools to 6000 or 8000 grit on a water stone.

When you sharpen you want the scratch marks to be perpendicular to the cutting edge. Why? When you have a scratch that follows the cutting edge of a tool, the tool is weak between the scratch and the keen edge.

The general procedure after flattening the back is to shape the bevel to the angle that is best for the tool. If you don't know the desired angle, get one of those stainless steel protractors and measure from the back to the bevel. Measure similar tools in a sharp condition. Getting the correct angle is usually done with a coarser stone. On a Tormek (my preference) this is done with a clean wheel and their angle gauge. (About 180 grit.) Then the wheel is "graded" and a finer grinding is done. What the "grading" does to the wheel is to close off the coarseness of the wheel. This is done with the fine side of the Tormek grading stone. (About 400 grit.) The results are a nice hollow ground bevel.

Hollow ground is probably better than adding a micro bevel. Hollow grinding makes the next steps easier and the tool seems to stay sharp longer. 

Tormek suggests going on to hone the tool on the leather wheel and honing compound. At this point it is not my preference. I prefer to go to the water stones up to about 6000 or 8000 grit.

I usually drag the tool across the water stone for three passes with the keen edge trailing and a single short forward pass to remove the wire edge. Many people say that the results look like a micro bevel but it is not. An obvious sharpening is on the keen edge AND the top of the bevel. These two "polished" areas only indicate that the tool was dragged on those points to sharpen the edge. If it were a micro bevel there would only be a single polished area at the edge.

As I use the tool I will go back to the Tormek leather wheel and hone the edge. This keeps the tool very sharp. I've found that the tool can be honed 10 or 12 times before another pass on the wet stones is needed. Usually the tool can go back to the wet stones 10 to 15 times before another Tormek process is needed. When the two polished areas meet on the bevel after the wet stones, it is time to go back to the Tormek grinding process.

This is blasphemy to some, stupidity to others but it works for me. I have no complaint with your sharpening methods it's just that the above works for me.

OK, now I'm standing here to catch spears. :laughing: EVERYBODY has their own favorite sharpening method which works for you. My method may be different. YMMV

As for brands of chisels??? When sharpened appropriately I get good results from Harbor Freight chisels, very good results from Marples (Now Irwin) and very good results from Buck Brothers chisels. I've used but not sharpened the Japanese style of bi-metal chisels. (IMHO the Japanese chisels are good but not good enough to spend 8 or 10 times the cost of other chisels.)


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

I have a Supergrind, the changed a few things on the design and relabeled it the Supergrind 2000. I also have the Jet copy of the Tormek and the Worksharp 3000, these were bought over a stretch of about 7 years as I found great deals on them. I now believe I will be selling the Tormek, and keep the Jet and the WS. The Supergrind will do everything the T-7 will, and will save you a bit of money...especially if the Supergrind comes with some attachments that you can use. They can sharpen everything but sandpaper with the right jig, but to me, the WS is much better for plane irons and chisels. No water to soak the wheel, so small you just whip it out and go. But if you do things like 15" planer blades, kitchen knives, scissors, maybe lathe chisels, and so on the Tormek/Jet is probably a little better. IMHO the Jet is a little better than the Tormek, with a variable speed and a couple of design tweaks that make life nicer. (The Tormek jigs are far better made than the Jet ones, and they interchange.) The $300 price sounds very good to me, that's about what I was thinking of asking for my older, probably more worn model with maybe less stuff. But think hard about the WS....it's really a good sharpener, and will cost a lot less than any of the Tormek's.


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

Thanks for the comments. Since I am likely going to the Kansas City Wood show on Friday, I may at least wait until there as there will be many exhibitors including Work Sharp and I may be able to get an even better deal. If I don't get a good deal, I will try to see if the guy still has his SuperGrind and perhaps get that. I guess time will tell.

Mark


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

Like Rich said - do what works best for you. I'll stick to my Tormek. I don't know where I saw it, but I read an article of all the systems mentioned here and the Tormek was deemed the best. The article talked extensively about the Jet vs the Tormek and they had originally chosen the Jet over the Tormek, but after further testing, the Jet started to have problems and they ended putting the Tormk ahead of all systems. 

Usually knock offs are no match for the original. The Jet is a knock off. Now this is from an owner of a Jet ts which I really, really like. My Tormek was a good investment and I'm glad to own one. It works best for me!


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

rrich: bravo: well said. I do the entire process by hand. To some extent that's because you can't buy, find or make a honky power system that can do a variety of crooked carving knives. I expect a glassy surface from my carving tools. That lasts maybe 30 minutes.

If wood workers keep jumping from one sharpening system to any other, their results will always be mediocre. Trust me. You need to learn what you got and use a little patience and finesse.
You can get what you need and there are, what?, 6-10 different ways? to get there.

Yup, we can just crank the Tormek up to 70,000 rpm and I can sharpen a gouge with a cucumber.


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