Tormek SE-77 Square Edge Jig
#11
Does anyone have any experience with the new Tormek SE-77 Square Edge Jig? I was going to sharpen a blade for a #8  and I couldn't get in the jig for plane irons. I have never tried a #8 in the more than the 20 or more years I have owned my Tormek. The advertisement says it will except up to 3 inches wide. It also claimes it will do a radius  on the front of the blade. I  would be most interested in this feature. Being able to sharpen a 2 5/8 wide blade a bonus. 

I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago and I asked at both a Rockler and a Woodcraft store, and both hade the jig on the shelf but neither store had anyone there that knew anything about the products they are selling .

Thanks in advance,

Tom
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#12
To be fair to the Rockler and Woodcraft employees, they don't (and can't) have experience with everything they sell; as a group they may have working knowledge of everything in the store, but they can't all be there all the time (yes, I speak from many years of experience in retail of all kinds - including one of the aforementioned companies). Just because they sell the new Tormek jig doesn't mean anyone in the store has used it, and I think it's pretty unfair to make blanket statements that none of those people know anything about the products they sell.
Jason

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#13
Hi Tom

Frankly, my first thought (not having used the new SE-77) was that I did not see a need to change from my SE-76. The latter registers to the back of the blade, grinds square each time, and is easy to set up with wide blades.

I began watching a video from Woodcraft. It was poor - the presenter failed to understand the issues. Then I watched one by David Charlesworth (link below), and he made a very convincing case - but keep in mind he uses guides for sharpening. Essentially, the camber created by the SE-77 is adjustable and repeatable. 

Again, my first thought was that I can do the subtle camber for a smoother better freehanding it on a stone. The camber is so small, a grinder is most likely to botch it. However, David demonstrates how much, or how little, one can remove.

For final smoothing, the camber needs to very fine - too much camber leaves a larger-than-desired sculpted surface. Yes I know that some want this as "proof" of the surface being hand planed - I think that is absurd. 

It may well be worth exploring if you are uncertain whether you can do this freehand. For myself, I am happy to remain with my SE-76 and work the remainder on waterstones.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfd-xzOF5sc[/video]

Edit: I don't think the inbedding worked. Here is the link ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfd-xzOF5sc

Regards from Perth

Derek
Articles on furniture building, shop made tools and tool reviews at www.inthewoodshop.com
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#14
Tom,

The SE-77 will indeed hold a 2 5/8", no. 8 blade.

If you use the camber function, it will be very slightly off centre for the no. 8 blade.

For the other blades which I have tried it (camber) works very well.

Best wishes,
David
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#15
In response to Jason's comment ( To be fair to the Rockler and Woodcraft employees) Yes you are correct and to make a blanket statement as I did is probably not correct. How ever neither stores made a sale and I had a list of items I needed or wanted.

Back ground, I live 3 1/2 hours away from any kind of woodworking store. And a visit is a real treat which mean a purchase of some kind and I am not talking wood screws. I was in both for over 45minutes on a early Monday evening (5 or so) and in that time I was the only customer in either of the two stores. At one store i was talked down to and the employee tried to BS his way through and it was apparent to me that he knew less about it than I did. I think I stated I own and have had a tormeck for over 20 years  so I am not stupid or green about its operation. And at the second store the salesperson said he didn't know anything about it. That I respected. But there was no, is there anything else I might be able to help you with, he just walked away to talk to the other salesperson.

I do own a small retail store. We are not open all the time because both of us are 70 years old. But we make sure people know when we are going to be open and that we will open by appointment. I have about 400 Sq Ft devoted to wood working tools, some supplies and used equipment and you can be sure I can answer just about everything and its use. I got an Incra sled at auction the other day and I knew nothing about it. I don't use an Incra miter gage or a sled, I do however have a sliding table on one of my table saws. My point is since it was new to the shop I looked everything over on it until I knew how everything about how it worked and how to adjust it to any brand of table saw. Even if I was part time I would want to know about anything new that came in. Maybe it is just how my generation is?

A poster hung by our time clock where I worked and it said If we don't take care of the customer someone else will. I will have to buy from a catalog now but it will not be from either store.

To be fair to the Rockler and Woodcraft employees, things don't go South from the bottom up. They go bad from the top down. I credit management and continuing ed.

Tom

Thanks to both Derek and David. The video answered all of my question and David's comment about being off centered was a nice tidbit.  When I saw the one clamp screw was adjustable I knew a #8 blade would fit. I was interested before the #8 blade came up. The #8 was the clincher. I am going to order one today. And thanks to all on this forum. People on this forum always come through when a person wants to know something. I should have asked before going shopping. Next time I will know better.

Tom
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#16
I don't know what version of Tormek square edge guide I have but I only use it to establish a new bevel that hopefully won't take much more work.  For anything I want as sharp as I can possibly get , I finish at the waterstones as well.  I will use either an eclipse style jig or the MKII by Veritas.  

For my 4 1/2 smoother, I too use light pressure on each side of the iron for the mild camber.  I don't want any plane tracks or witness lines if I'm smoothing a wide flat surface....or any surface for that matter.

What I've found works best for me is to only use the pull stroke when shooting for a very fine camber.  I will run through all my stones and otherwise have a "finished" blade that's scary sharp.  I will then do 4-5 pull strokes with "moderate" downward pressure on each side.  The whole edge of the blade my very well still have contact with the stone but only the side I'm working will produce noticeable "drag" which can be felt like any other sharpening.  If traced, my motion is very arched like or similar to a parentheses mark.  I will then go to the strop and repeat the process freehand for another 4-5 careful strokes.  I'll finish up like any other sharpening with two gentle strokes of the backside laid flat for any back burr.  This works well for me and I typically have no signs by feel or sight of an uneven surface.  If I think I've over cambered the edge, I'll go back to the strop with gentle downward pressure across the whole edge to remove a tad of the scallop.  I should add that I don't use a micro bevel on my smoother as iron "touch ups" on the strop are easier for me.


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#17
I do apologize - I didn't mean my comments as harshly as they came across. I should have been in bed at that point and I think let the tired get the best of me. I do understand where you're coming from, and I'm now in the same place, though I'm only an hour or so from a woodworking store.
Jason

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#18
KC,

Thanks for taking the time to write. I bought the Tormek  20 or so years ago and it has serviced my needs. I don't have all the stones or the guides. To start now would cost more than the new edge jig. But because I would now like to sharpen a #8 blade I find myself on un-formiluar ground. I can't get the blade in the jig because the screws are to close together. A 7 will go but a 8 won't. It is easier to buy a jig that will do an 8 than to go through the problems of trying to make my old one to work.

I don't want to create a new world, I don't want to find a place to store stones, I don't want to relearn a methoid I bought the tormek to get away from. I don't want to spend hours sharpening. How sharp is sharp enough. I can put pressure on the corners just like you do.

All I want is to be able to sharpen a 8 blade. If the new jig will do radiuses so much the better.

I had to go to the twin cities so I stopped and asked at both Rockler and Woodcraft, they both have nice displays but I couldn't get an answer. So I asked here and got the information I needed. I should have asked here before going there. I did enjoy me visit to the two stores. I enjoyed just looking around like a kid in a candy store. I didn't want to put a damper on the visit so at the second store I looked the store over before asking my question. And if I lived closer it would be wonderful to just go get something I needed for a project when I needed it. So it goes both ways.

Tom
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#19
Tom,

I bought the new SE-77 Square Edge jig for my old model Tormek to sharpen my Lie-Nielsen large scraper plane iron. Works fine. Will handle your #8 iron very well.

Hank
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#20
Tom, if all you want is a holder for a #8, you can make your own from angle iron ..

[Image: BladeHolder1.jpg]

Regards from Perth

Derek
Articles on furniture building, shop made tools and tool reviews at www.inthewoodshop.com
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