Topics

1

Knife Sharpening / hunting knife videos

« on: June 21, 2018, 11:03:16 pm »

I just received some information from Tormek Marketing. Apparently, we have misunderstood the purpose of the hunting knife videos. They are targeted for hunters in Sweden who may not have heard about the Tormek. The series will be monthly, beginning in July, and will be in Swedish. Tormek does not own the youtube channel.

The series was also filmed in English. Tormek may show these at some later date on its own channel.

While the youtubes may hold some general interest for us, we are not the target market. I plan to watch the English version, as my knife knowledge is almost exclusively related to kitchen knives.

Ken

2

General Tormek Questions / Must have inexpensive accessory for the new diamond wheels

« on: June 21, 2018, 02:55:52 am »

Using the new Anti Corrosion Compound (ACC) requires measuring small amounts of ACC. My suggestion is to use an inexpensive combination graduate and spoon for children's medicine. They have a capacity of 10 milliliters and are graduares in easy to read units of 1 milliliter. (also 1/4 teaspoons). It does the job well at very little cost. It should be readily at any pharmacy or the baby department of  a grocery store.

Ken

3

General Tormek Questions / parts

« on: June 20, 2018, 12:04:47 am »

As a Tormek tinker, I have purchased parts for projects from many sources over the years. Sometimes the projects proved successful; often they were not successful. My first parts came from Jeff Farris at Sharptoolsusa. I stayed with this same source when it became part of Advanced Machinery. Almost all of my Tormek jigs and accessories were purchased from my local Tormek dealer, Hartville Hardware, generally during show days when they were 20% off. I have purchased several spare jigs for projects from ebay. I have bought odd parts at several local hardware stores. Rick and Rich have machined some nice parts for me.

I have recently discovered a new source for parts. I purchased a 3D printer for my grandson. Those of us who think the Tormek has a learning curve have never assembled or used a 3D printer! Some parts are good candidates for 3D printing; some are not. Parts like the steel EZYlock and quick connect I purchased for my T4 are best purchased through a Tormek dealer like Advanced Machinery. Things like the locking screws with different handle shapes (good for older hands) are logical hardware store candidates. A good machinist is a most valuable person to know.

I am still a beginner with 3D printing, however, I can see several uses for it with Tormek parts. Working with both Tormek sizes, the T4/2 (200mm) and the T7/8 (250mm), I have frequent use for spacer washers of several thicknesses. I believe one simple drawing of a ring could serve as a basis for all the spacers I would need. I think all I would need to do is change the outer diameter and thickness dimensions. The inner diameter, a slip fit for the 12 mm shaft, would remain constant.

When I adapted the Norton 3X 46 and 80 grit wheels for the Tormek, I needed to make my own 5/8” to 12mm reducing bushing. I reamed out a 31/64” drill hole slightly. It worked, however, I would not want to use it as part of a journeyman test. Instead of four stacking bushings, One could make a 3D print of a one piece reducing from a snug one inch to a 12mm slip fit and build in the spacer. The part would be easy to design and make. It would also be waterproof.

As with all things Tormek, I appreciate having options.

Ken

4

General Tormek Questions / a peg for Tormek, finally

« on: June 19, 2018, 04:03:50 am »

I finally worked out a simple, inexpensive peg to hold grinding wheels.
the peg itself is a three inch 1/4 x 20 hex bolt. In metric this would a 75mm long M6 hex bolt. The points of the hex head need to be ground down ever so slightly for the bolt to slide through the grinding wheel's bore. I ofiginally used 5/16” bolts, however, while they are very sturdy, they have very little step to keep the wheel in place.

I used two hex nuts and seven fender washers. (large diameter washers). Three fender washers (or a nlyon spacer washer) slide onto the bolt followed by a nut run in the full length of the threads. Two more fender washers are slid onto the bolt. The bolt is then slid through the hole in an upright of a set of heavy metal shelves and severed with two more fender washers and a nut. This makes a solid and inexpensive peg which is quickly and easily assembled or disassembled.

Photos will eventually follow.

Ken

5

General Tormek Questions / using diamond wheels

« on: June 11, 2018, 11:41:58 pm »

I had another opportunity to work with the new diamond wheels this afternoon. I am working with chisels. I will get to knives; I learn best with chisels. I found that 125 ml of water and 5ml of Honerite Gold worked well with a T8 and a ten inch CBN wheel. The same can work with a T8, 250mm diamond wheel and ACC. However, as we will be frequently switching wheels, I would add another 25ml of water, making the new amount 150ml of water and 6ml of ACC.


Working with chisels, I turn the Tormek ninety degrees, so that I am facing the grinding wheel. That means that I hold the knife jig by wrapping my hand around the part attached to the universal support bar, This reduces my leverage considerably from lifting on the chisel handle and pushing down on the chisel blade. This seems to fit the idea of grinding with a very light touch.

Before removing the water trough give it time to catch the water draining from the diamond wheel. This will prevent a lot of water spillage.

I do not know how long the water with Anti Corrosion Compound will last. Tormek only states that the trough should be lowered if storing it over night. I will suggest a program. If anyone has other ideas, please feel free to state them. Keep in mind that this is for the T8. The water trough on the T7 and SuperGrind is larger due to the rectangular flat bottom. You might want to increase the amounts for a SuperGrind or T7. I will add follow up with the T7.

I have numerous empty 40 ounce plastic Jif peanut butter jars. Each easily holds in excess of 500ml of liquid. I suggest measuring 500ml of water in a jar and marking that level. In the future, just fill to that line. In a small graduate or plastic cough medicine cup, measure 20ml of ACC. Pour this in with the 500ml of water.This is your fresh working solution. Use a graduate or smaller jar marked with your trough amount. Fill this from the fresh solution jar.

When you finish a sharpening session, lower the trough and allow the wheel to drip. Siphon the water from the water to a second peanut butter jar marked "One Use". As Tormek has not given any reuse suggestions, I do not know how many times you can reuse the solution. I would use fresh solution for special or valuable work. I would reserve solution nearing the end of useful life for original Tormek grinding wheels. We have used plain water with them for decades. I do not think weakened ACC would cause them any harm. Remember that original grinding wheels are absorbent.

Filling the water trough for side grinding will require some guess work. Begin with twice the amount for face grinding. If necessary, add gradually to that. It takes less that you think. Remember, these diamond wheels can also be used dry. Fill gradually.

From a thrift stand point, I would only fill enough for side grinding if you will actually be side grinding.

I have much work to do with this project. I will get to knives. No word on my Multi Base yet. I will update as things develop. Comments welcome.

Ken

6

General Tormek Questions / my early delivery diamond wheels

« on: June 09, 2018, 05:02:56 pm »

I would like to clear up any confusion about why my diamond grinding wheels arrived before "the first shipment." My diamond wheels are advance review samples. They were shipped to me directly from Tormek in Sweden.

As most of you know, I have been reviewing new Tormek products for the forum for several years, beginning with the T4. I was late in receiving my T4. Before it arrived I watched an online review. The reviewer meant well, but had very little Tormek experience. I believe our members should learn about new Tormek products from a trusted, non biased, knowledgeable Tormeker. I try to fill that role. (For the record, I welcome comments from other members. Many users make better reviews.)

The first regular shipment is scheduled to arrive in July. Sorry that you pre-order customers are still waiting. In compensation, you will not have to search the shipping box looking for the missing Multi Base like I did. Be patient, and enjoy your diamond wheels and your Multi Base. I hope to join you soon in enjoying the Multi Base.

Don't overfill your water trough....... 

Ken

7

General Tormek Questions / diamond wheels, first attempt

« on: June 08, 2018, 08:30:55 pm »

My first attempt trying to use the new diamond wheels was a surprise. In fact, it was a disaster. I used my T8, the coarse diamond wheel, and water with the recommended Anti Corrosion Compound. I thought everything was by the book.

My plan was to begin by flattening the back of a chisel. I gradually filled the water trough until the water level almost covered the diamond abrasive on the side of the wheel. Then disaster struck; water came cascading out of the trough.

I am not posting this to be negative about the new new diamond wheels. I do not know what caused the flood. My water trough is not cracked. I am posting this because I might have possibly done something wrong. Someone, or multiple someones, might make the same mistake and blindly blame the Tormek. I like to think I am more open minded.

I did not get far enough along to see how much of the side is usable when used wet.

I have worked with CBN wheels before. CBN wheels are non absorbent. I assume diamond wheels are also non absorbent. With the CBN wheels, I premeasured water and Honerite Gold. Tormek could publish similar numbers, for the T4, T7, and T8. The numbers for the T7 should include different amounts for the older and redesigned water troughs.  The measurements for all models should include numbers for use with just the face of the wheel and for using the edge.

I am leaving the jury out on this. I am contacting support. It is after closing time now in Sweden until Monday morning. I will report support's reply. I will also continue exploring for an answer.

I will keep you posted.

Please see my later reply for the second attempt and the solution.

Ken

8

General Tormek Questions / new online handbook edition

« on: June 07, 2018, 03:46:47 pm »

I sent an inquiry to Tormek support this morning regarding when the new edition of the handbook might be available. I quickly received a reply from Tormek IT that they are presently loading it. The US edition is not loaded yet, however, the international edition now has chapters on both the new diamond wheels and the new MultiBase. Loading should be complete by tomorrow.

To access the new handbook, log in to my Tormek. Go to my machines and then handbook.

The Multi Base looks intriguing.

Ken

9

General Tormek Questions / updating and combining several Tormek ideas

« on: June 05, 2018, 03:07:36 pm »

In one of his vintage (and still very useful) videos, Jeff Farris explained using the Torlock platform with turning scrapers. In a touch of bravado, when he was finished, Jeff removed the usb from his SuperGrind with the Torlock left tightly in place. He set the assembly in two pegboard hooks, ready at a moment's notice for the next use. This was a time saver for a busy turner. As a Tormek salesman and a nice guy, Jeff would gladly sell you a spare usb so that you could do this in your shop.

I borrowed this idea from Jeff when I was testing the blackstone reshaping a turning gouge. (At the time I did not realize that I was using too much grinding pressure with the blackstone. The stone kept glazing.) I had to use the truing tool at least a dozen times. It was very frustrating. I finally used a second usb with the truing tool, which dramatically sped up changeover time. I have several usbs, why not leave one dedicated to the truing tool?

I just watched Wootz' (Knife Grinders) excellent you tube on insane knife sharpening with the Tormek. Wootz cleverly uses a thin diamond stone paired with a plane blade in his square edge jig. This arrangement insures that his grinding wheel remains square and straight. Good idea, except the usb must be reset both for the dressing and back to the grinding. Many of us have spare usbs and square edge jigs laying around the shop. Why not have a dedicated "stone grader" set up?

Why not use an adaptation of Herman's platform? (We would be using the bottom of the platform instead of the top. A side clamp, like used on the Eclipse type sharpening jigs would allow easy interchangeability of diamond stones with different grits. This would make stone grading very fast and precise.

Ken

10

General Tormek Questions / new diamond wheels have arrived

« on: June 04, 2018, 10:47:52 pm »

I received a 14kg package today, sent from Sweden! It was my three diamond grinding wheels.

It exceeded the very high standards I expect from Tormek. The three grinding wheels were individually boxed in attractive, well designed boxes. Each box included a 250ml bottle of Tormek's new Anti Corrosion Compound. The design details of the wheels are impressive. The bushings are bored steel. These wheels are definitely designed for frequent interchanging. The side labels are steel, no paper labels to  worry about.

The side abrasive extends just over two inches. That is plenty of flat area to flatten and polish the entire length of a bench chisel. The flat, stable abrasive surface and choice of three grits should definitely win over all but the most diehard crowd who flatten chisel backs with bench stones or glass plates.

I am convinced these three high quality diamond grinding wheels will revolutionize Tormek sharpening. My package was part of the first shipment. Future shipments should be shipped soon. Be patient; the wheels are worth the wait.

Ken

ps In case you were wondering why I did not mention the new Multi Base-100, it is because for some reason it was not included in my package. I am looking into that.

11

Hand Tool Woodworking / sharpening an abused chisel.

« on: June 01, 2018, 05:28:28 am »

I have a steel reducing bushing stuck to a spacer washer. After unsuccessfully trying prnetrating oil, I tried prying with a sharp chisel. A risky proposition, which did not work, and left me with a damaged edge. It was not horribly abused, however, it will require a short trip to 220 grit to restore the sharp edge.

Chisels are my original and still favorite tools to sharpen. After all the discussion about diamon, CBN, and 3X wheels, my favorite remains the humble SG. I look forward to sharpening my chisel leisurely with my SG wheel.

Ken

12

Knife Sharpening / Re: Question about Tormek and knives steels

« on: May 19, 2018, 11:48:12 am »

I split this quote from the original similarly named topic. I did not want to hijack the topic.

Welcome to the forum.

It has been pointed out in other threads... (Examples: here and here)... that the SJ wheel may not be the best choice for polishing out the higher end steels that you mentioned.

If you want to go the "Tormek route" using only the Tormek, I would consider the T-4 model, and purchase a couple of extra leather wheels, that you can then load with diamond compounds to polish out the blade.  (I would also replace the nut with a Locking Knob to make switching between leather wheels easier).  (There are other options for polishing out the blade... this is if you just want to use the Tormek).

The Tormek will not damage the tip of your knife... and in fact you can repair the tips you have damaged.

My .02... hope it helps.
[/quote]


I am in an odd position with this. I have actually been doing what CB recommends for several years. While the T4 is a marvelous machine as is, it can be made more versatile. I have added several more grinding and honing wheels to mine and am pleased with the results.

I also changed out the locking screw, as mentioned by CB. A bit of history: The Tormek originally came with just a hex nut to secure the leather honing wheel. Many years ago, Tormek briefly introduced an abrasive "honing" wheel (the EA-240) which could be interchanged with the leather honing wheel. As using the hex nut with a wrench was inconvenient, an optional "Quick Change Connection" was introduced. This later became the standard connector on the larger Tormeks.

In my opinion, Tormek designed the T4 for a $400 US price point. To meet that price point, the much improved quick change connector was changed back to the original less expensive hex nut; the steel EZYlock nut was switched to a less expensive plastic nut; and, the essential TT-50 truing tool was not included. Fortunately, adding a TT-50 and swapping out the equivalent two parts from the T7/8 easily rectifies the situation. I should note that my use of the T4 is more demanding that the typical user and that thousands of satisfied T4 users are using their machines as is. My original parts never failed.

I like the T4 for what it is, a lighter, more compact, but full fledged Tormek. It's a great machine; I do not feel it is a less expensive Tormek. I have extra leather honing wheels for both my T7 and T4. The cost difference is minimal. I would not spent $400 to save a few dollars on leather honing wheels if I already had a larger Tormek.

I like to tinker and expand the scope of my Tormeks. I first added 46 and 80 grit Norton 3X grinding wheels. I like the water cooled, dust free Tormek environment.  at around $50 each, and you only really need one, either one, a 3X wheel delivers a lot of fire power for someone who occasionally has a heavy grinding job like reshaping a turning tool. It turns a seemingly endless chore into a two minute project. A 3X wheel is not as convenient as a CBN wheel or the marvelous Tormek diamond wheels, however, it gets the job done for a fraction of the cost.

I later added a 180 grit CBN wheel and the Tormek DWF and DWC-200 diamond wheels. These wheels will all work on the larger Tormeks like a regular grinding wheel worn down to 200 mm. They work swimmingly well on the T4.

CB is right about the quick connect. It makes it very convenient to change honing wheels. One of my early experiments was using a separate leather honing wheel with valve grinding compound. VGC cuts more aggressively than the Tormek honing compound. It is more efficient for cleaning up a stained or mildly surface rusted surface. It does not leave as polished a surface as the Tormek compound leaves. I am glad to have the choice, although, since the testing, I have only used the Tormek compound.

There are some exciting new diamond compounds I hope to explore someday.

I am in the early stages of working with an eight inch diameter hard felt wheel. I mount this where the grinding wheel would normally go. I started with the "hard" grade. There are several grades including a rock hard grade. They are also made in ten inch diameter. I have no idea whether or not felt wheels will prove as or more useful than the leather honing wheel, but I will find out.

I am just one of a number of curious members on this forum who are tinker explorers. We want to expand the range of our Tormeks in directions which would not make good business sense for a company like Tormek. Between the explorers and the innovative design engineers at Tormek, it is an exciting journey. This year will be especially exciting with the three new diamond wheels and multi base.

Stay tuned......

Ken

13

General Tormek Questions / interesting TT-50 truing video series

« on: April 28, 2018, 09:45:02 pm »

I find Ron Calverley's Tormek videos fascinating and thorough. Here is a link to a series of three:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VSZkV5Cucqs

Ron is Canadian and a turner. If any of you might happen to have an email contact for him, would you please pm me.

Enjoy the videos.

Ken

14

General Tormek Questions / language request

« on: April 27, 2018, 03:16:32 am »

A while back we had a forum topic where the poster asked, if possible, for an answer in German. My German is very limited, however, We have at least one German member who is also fluent in English. I sent him a pm, and he wrote a very good reply in German. Here is my suggestion:

We are fortunate to have several multi lingual members. We also receive posts from members whose native language is not English. As moderator, I would like to put together a list of multi lingual members who would be willing to assist other members who have questions and whose primary language is not English. I would be most appreciative if those of us who have this ability would send me a pm or reply to this topic mentioning your languages.

Thank you in advance,

Ken

15

Knife Sharpening / two knife jig suggestions

« on: April 26, 2018, 04:02:35 pm »

I would like to share two ideas for improving knife sharpening:

There is concern about scratching the knives when using a small platform jig. Lee Valley sells slippery tape. It is one inch (25 mm) wide. Two strips side by side on the platform  should work. (I have not tried this.) Here is the link:

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32182&cat=1,110,43466,32182

The second idea concerns deepening the jig groove to fit thicker knives. Ideally this should be done with a mill. Lacking a mill, using a file or wet or dry abrasive with a flat wooden back should work. Having a safe edge(smooth, no teeth) on the file or abrasive would help. The teeth could be ground off.

Ken