Question for Tormek owners

Re: Question for Tormek owners

R.J.Whelan

>Todd ... mine is out of true by about .015 after about 2 years of use - I don't really remember if it was like that when new, or if wear on the leather is the culprit. It really hasn't been a problem for me - I use mine hand held and do my final honing on a separate piece of leather, charged with green compound, sitting on a granite surface plate.

- rj -

Re: Question for Tormek owners

steve knight

>from what I have heard over the years it's pretty common

Re: Question for Tormek owners

WoodburnBob

>I've had mine for 5 or 6 years. My plastic/leather honing wheel was out of true from the start. It has always given blades a bumpy roller-coaster ride. Except for the first month or two of ownership I never use it. Even with setting up jigs I was dubbing edges too much. No doubt this would be mitigated by a perfectly concentric wheel. Maybe someday I'll strip off the leather, true up the plastic on a metal lathe and start over. Probably not.

I use the diamond dressing tool often to true the stone, e.g. each month. If you didn't get one, you will need to get one.

I don't regret buying the Tormek despite having lots of peeves about it.

BTW having it dramatically improved my hand stone honing/polishing abilities.

Re: Question for Tormek owners

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Hey Bob...what do you attribute this to?

"BTW having it dramatically improved my hand stone honing/polishing abilities."

JR

Re: Question for Tormek owners

John Aniano in NJ...

>Todd,

Remember to put some sort of oil on the leather first before applying the honing compound. I used neatsfoot oil and applied it years after I'd been using the honing wheel (I rarely read directions!).

The neatsfoot oil prevents the honing compound from drying out and tends to keep the leather a bit more even, maybe helping your wheel's non-concentric behavior. My Tormek honing wheel is a bit out of round, but since I hold my tools for honing freehand (like R.J.), I've never found it to be a problem.

John

Re: Question for Tormek owners

Mark Harrison -- in Sydney, Australia

>I rarely use it any more but mine is out of round also.

Lately I've just been stropping the tool being worked on on a piece of cloth draped over one corner of the bench. I apply a little of the Tormek paste to that. I leave this around and use it from time to time as I am working. I really should buy or make a proper stropping board one of these days.

Re: Question for Tormek owners

WoodburnBob

>Joe, I particularly meant "free-hand" abilities. I was thinking mostly of the benefit of starting out on a hand stone after having already established a good bevel on a grinder.

A quality hollow-ground bevel registers itself solidly by feel on a stone. In effect it has a built-in honing guide. Solid registry promotes a stable free-hand honing angle. I find the solidity of a flat-bevel deceptive and usually very short-lived. Without a stable angle a person is doomed.

In truth, buying the Tormek was more of a guide-post or mile-post in my pursuit of the holy grail of sharpening. The dramatic leap (to me) in my skills I associate with buying the Tormek came also from:

1) its ending my fears of burning edges on grinders,

2) the seductive nature of quick success,

3) enjoying sharpening rather than dreading it, and

4) revived interest bumping up my knowledge base from reading (Lee's book, Kingshott's book, countless threads on various forums, links to websites) and personal experimentation.

Clearly, everyone finds their own methods and credits different Muses.

Re: Question for Tormek owners

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>You answered my question completely Bob. I had a hunch the slight (accurate) hollow grind was the basis of the freehand improvement. I found the same benefit when I finally got my vertical wet stone grinder operating. JR

EXACTLY

jim_reed@marietta

>I too was taught the zen of sharpness by Mr. Tormek.