Question for Tormek users

Re: Question for Tormek users

Bill Turpin in WNC mountains

Yes John, grading to smooth either/or both destroys the larger grit or fills the pores with finer grit. Any use will eventually expose coarser grit. Is wearing the stone away by grading worth the superior edge? Yes in my book...I hone with a Lacer diamond between Tormek touches. YMMV

Re: Question for Tormek users

George Balock

John,

You answered your own question. I have the Jet equivalent of the Tormek and use it almost exclusively for sharpening turning tools. I do wear a groove in the middle of the stone doing this.

The Jet came with a diamond dresser that I use when the groove gets bad. It looks like the dresser that I use on my white wheels. It brings the stone back to the coarse grade and I then take it to the fine grade.

Hope this helps.

George

Re: Question for Tormek users

David Walser

John -- The Tormek stone requires periodic truing, just like any other friable stone would. Using the stone grader may reduce, but doesn't eliminate, the need to use the diamond truing jig from time to time.

Re: Question for Tormek users

Steven Antonucci

Groove-absolutely

I actually use the trying jig only if I'm sharpening a plane blade or chisel. I used a diamond T in between to "flatten" it, also clearing metal debris at the same time. I usually use the grading stone afterwards to fine grade it.

Re: Question for Tormek users

John K Jordan

I agree - must be periodically trued. I bought the Tormek diamond dressing jig.

That said, last year I put a CBN wheel on mine which never needs truing.

JKJ

Re: Question for Tormek users

john lucas

Good responses. I suspected that was my issue. I was cutting through the "fine" grit on the stone and had a rough grit in the middle. I know all stoned need to be trued occasionally I just haven't invested in the diamond truing jig yet. I got my Tormek dirt cheap and If I start buying all the jigs I will rapidly have more money in jigs than I do in the grinder.

Deal for you

John K Jordan

Hey John, here's a deal for you - you can borrow my Tormek diamond truing/dressing jig until such time as I need it back. That might be never if I stick with the CBN on the Tormek.

I might even be talked into delivering it if I can find I good time to come visit and play in your shop.

JKJ

Re: Deal for you

Stuart Johnson

John, which CBN wheel did you get for the Tormek? Were there any problems in fitting it?

Re: Deal for you

John C Lucas

John. I can flatten with my T Diamond dresser. If it really need trueing I'll come screaming. Lucy would like to bring the kids to the farm sometime if we can

Re: Deal for you

Josh Bowman

John, if you want to borrow my trueing jig, feel free. I use it once in a blue moon, to correct what you initially asked. It'll make the stone like new.

Re: Deal for you

Josh Bowman

John, if you want to borrow my trueing jig, feel free. I use it once in a blue moon, to correct what you initially asked. It'll make the stone like new.

Re: Deal for you

John K Jordan

Stuart,

I bought a 10" 600 grit wheel made for the Tormek from Ken Rizza at WoodTurners Wonders. It is the same size as the original Tormek wheel and has grit down both sides as well as on the circumference.

It fit perfectly on the shaft and runs true. I did give Ken feedback about one minor issue: the width of the wheel where the shaft goes through could be a little bit narrower. I'll have to look at it again but I think I had to remove a washer to get full threads on the nut. I bought this Tormak almost 15 years ago, IIRC, so things might be different on newer models.

JKJ

Re: Question for Tormek users

Bill Boehme

I occasionally grade the stone with the rough side of the stone grader when I need to sharpen a skew or remove lots of metal. Generally it isn't necessary to use the smooth side because through normal use the stone will become fairly smooth. You really do need the truing tool to keep the face flat and parallel to the bar or else the quality of your sharpening will suffer. When sharpening gouges or narrow tools, use the entire face of the stone so that you don't wear a low spot in the middle. Once you get your turning tools with the profile that you want, it isn't necessary to rough the stone surface to sharpen them ... the exception being the skew. I can sharpen a bowl gouge on the Tormek just as fast as I can on the dry grinder.

Re: Deal for you

Joe shelton

That's interesting. Do you use th waterbath on it, or run it dry?

Re: Question for Tormek users

Bill Boehme

Also, I will add that you really do need the truing tool because the T shaped dresser is inadequate for a couple reasons ... First, the face needs to be parallel to the bar and second, the T dresser will just follow the eccentricity of the wheel and make it worse. The truing tool will get the stone back to a perfect circle that is concentric about the shaft. You will be a much happier camper if you take JKJ up on his generous offer. A lopsided stone that has a dip in the face won't give you the best results.

Re: Deal for you

John K Jordan

>>>That's interesting. Do you use th waterbath on it, or run it dry?

I use it dry. Another person I know tried his wet for a while but his started to rust (steel wheel). He switched to some non-water liquid for a while but I think he's gone to using it dry too.

One issue with dry is lathe tools get magnetized just from normal use, it appears. When sharpening from the front of the Tormek, with the wheel moving away from the edge, there is a trail of black steel dust hanging on to the edge. This is more annoying than anything since it obscures the edge and I like to see it. I hung an old bulk tape demagnetizer near the Tormek and buzz the tool with it just before sharpening.

I use coarser wheels on standard bench grinders to shape tools since the 600 grit is relatively slow to remove steel. I like to sharpen my spindle gouges on the Tormek.

JKJ

Re: Question for Tormek users

john lucas

Bill I do try and use the whole stone when sharpening but I guess after a few hundred sharpenings you still end up wearing the middle. I've even tried spending more time on the edges especially since the middle now cuts like it's rough. Gonna save my pennies and get the diamond hone. I have made one similar to Don Geiger's and might be able to modify it to fit the table and just use that.

Re: Deal for you

Joe shelton

OK, thanks for the insights. And Happy New Year!