Thread: Tormek Shaft Replacement

My Tormek 1200 1st gen was running really slow and needed a push to get it started.
Did some searching and decided to pull the shaft out and have a look.
Turns out the steel shaft rusts where it passes through the plastic bearing next to the grind wheel and the expansion binds on the bearing.
Also turns out this should be greased every now and then - who reads manuals? (sales guy never mentioned, not sure anyone has apart from one forum I found)
A few turns in a drill press running a file on it kind of sorted it but I wasn't very happy with the thought of the same happening again.
Jumped on the search and got very grumpy discovering a replacement stainless shaft was $160.
I felt like Tormek should have been emailing me saying sorry for making a really crap design choice - have a stainless replacement shaft for $50
Instead
So - down to the local steel store, literally $10 for a length of 16mm dia 316 stainless.
20 mins on a lathe to turn a 1/2" shoulder on two ends and another 5 mins cutting 2 bog standard Whitworth 1/2" threads with a hand die, plus one cross hole for roll pin.
I don't get the fancy "self locking" plastic left had thread knob, but the nut has never bound. Only the bearing.
Not everyone has access to what is needed but I was left feeling satisfied that I wasn't rewarding Tormek for their poor material choice.

Sizing below if it helps

Also those little stainless tactile bumps you see near stair treads etc are almost perfect sizing as replacement washers - just happened to pick up a loose one because it caught my eye. Or dia 36 at 5mm thick - I bought some 38mm 316 punch blanks and trimmed, probably easier to part off larger stock but I'm cheap.

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