Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Question for Tormek users
Dan S in NC
>Has anyone tried the 800g Japanese waterstone aftermarket grinding wheel?
I use my Tormek primarily for straight edge shaping of chisels and plane irons. I'm thinking of trying it because it seems like it would be easier to true than the stock wheel.
I'm wondering...
...how fast it cuts compared to the coarsely dressed stock stone.
...how long will it last compared to the stock stone.
...if it is, in fact, easier/faster to true.
Easier?
Jim Reed @Tallahassee
>I use the diamond wheel dresser on my wheel all the time. It takes about two minutes. Hard to make that easier. Never used the Japanese waterstone wheel.
Re: Question for Tormek users
david charlesworth
>I would love to hear an answer too.
Some of the Sabatier knife grinders use this stone.
I suspect it might be very good, but have not tried yet.
David C
Re: Easier?
Dan S
>It takes me a good deal longer than 2 minutes to straighten out the wheel. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I try to take a very small bite.
Here's what I do: I set the tool bar at the recommended 5-6 mm distance from the surface of the stone. Then, I set up the diamond dressing tool with its guide bar such that the diamond tip is in contact with the low spot on the stone and in contact with the guide bar on the opposite end. That way, I figure I'll be removing the least amount of stone to get a true wheel.
Then, I run the wheel with the diamond tip at 4 or 5 places spaced evenly across the wheel until the cutter bottoms out on the guide bar and cutting stops. Now I have 4 or 5 grooves. I proceed by cutting new grooves between the first set, then between the second set until I've got a true wheel all the way across.
Takes 15 or 20 minutes, or more.
How could I speed things up?
Re: Easier?
Lyn J. Mangiameli
>Just get a T-handle diamond dresser. It will be under $20 dollars from Woodcraft or Woodworkers Supply or Woodcut. This will allow you do do the pretty much the entire face of the wheel at one time. It won't have the precision of the Tormek Jig for dealing with out of round situations (which are pretty much inconsequential in most instances with the super low speed of the Tormek anyway) but it will allow you to face the stone in seconds in most cases and a couple of minutes at the worst.
david charlesworth?
CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich
>The one and only?
Start of (stage and )screen?... or a clone?
-g-
Cut less
Jim Reed @Tallahassee
>Sounds like you are taking out too much meat with each pass. If your wheel is out of round, try setting up the truing tool to just brush off the crown. Once that is done, lower the tool and take off a little more. For a seriously out of round wheel, you should make three or four passes. Once the wheel is true, you only need the dressing tool to take the glaze off the wheel. I set mine so that the diamond scores the wheel at a depth of the thickness of a sheet of paper. I make a tight spiral groove from one side to the other and then make a reverse one. Kinda like an old 45 record. Finish up with the dressing stone to take the slight tops off of your grooves. Two minutes later, your wheel is dead flat and ready to go.
Re: Cut less
Dan S in NC
>Thanks. I'll give it a try.
I do one other thing
Dan Donaldson
>To remove the glaze from the Tormek wheel, I use one of those plastic paddles with a diamond surface on it. Hold it against the turning wheel to remove the glaze. It is quick and works well.
Re: Question for Tormek users
John Aniano in NJ...
>Dan,
I'd expect it might be difficult to switch back and forth between the two stones. By that, I mean, you might have to true up each stone every time you switch the stones because the arbor hole and spindle (at least on my Tormek) are not that close in size. If I loosen the nut that holds the wheel, I have to true up my stone. DAMHIKT...
If not for that potential problem, I would have also tried the finer Japanese wheel.
John
Yes it is
Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia
>David Charlesworth has posted here for a while and his comments are appreciated. He has been kind enough to expand on several subjects from his books and articles.JR
Neat trick
Jim Reed @Tallahassee
>I will try that next time. Sounds alot easier than totally dressing the wheel. Thanks for the tip.
A reason to buy two
Jim Reed @Tallahassee
>Maybe one Tormek is not enough.????????
Re: Question for Tormek users
Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
>Now that is interesting. I wonder whether the diamond wheels (which I presume are basically non-truable) have well-centered arbor holes?
Diamond wheel?
Jim Reed @Tallahassee
>Have not heard of these. Since it cannot be trued, I guess it would be used as a freehand strop.
Re: Diamond wheel? *LINK*
Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
>Here is a link to one outfit that sells them. The folks over on the Turning messageboard were talking about them recently.
Wood Carvers Supply
Re: Diamond wheel?
steve knight
>if you use the diamond wheels for high carbon steel they will not last a long time. I know on my makita's I would wear the laps out after about 40 plane irons or less. the courser the faster they wore. I don't know if it was a heat issue but I kept them flooded.
Re: Diamond wheel?
Mark Harrison -- in Sydney, Australia
>In your case though Steve, stones are a consumable item by comparison to most of us.
Re: Diamond wheel?
steve knight
>true (G) but I found the diamond just don't hold up to hard use. ad the high cost they charge for them I doubt you would get a good return. better to get one of the rubber wheels that fit the drum and use sandpaper.