Frequently Asked Questions

No, the construction does not allow it. 

Yes, it does. Clean water will keep the stone fresh longer. Steel particles from the tools being sharpened along with worn stone particles can get into the stone surface affecting the abrasive capacity of the stone. It is easily freshened up again with the coarse side of the stone grader and clean water.

Make it a habit to clean the water trough after each sharpening session. Make sure to wait until all particles have fallen to the bottom, then pour out the water and clean out the rest with a scraper or a piece of paper.

No, Tormek machines are designed to be used with ordinary tap water.

After some usage the surface particles on the grindstone get worn, you can feel this with your hands as a "glazed" surface. You can easily activate the stone again by using the coarse side of the Stone Grader SP-650. Press it to the stone surface for 30 seconds and it will expose fresh grains on the surface, making the stone efficient again. 

A tip is to it as a habit to regularly check the condition of the grindstone and use the Stone Grader when needed. Note, this applies to the Tormek Original Grindstone and the Blackstone (do not use the Stone Grader on the Japanese Waterstone, the surface is too fine and meant for polishing only.)

All Tormek grindstones have been developed to optimize the combination of abrasive hardness, shape and grain size to work efficiently at the Tormek system’s low RPM.

The Tormek Blackstone and the Tormek Original Grindstone has the same grit size 220, but the composition and hardness of the grains differ, making the Blackstone better suitable for sharpening HSS and other alloyed steels. Its faster material removal is an advantage especially when shaping tools with a large bevel surface, where the grinding pressure is limited, for example, planer blades and woodturning skews. Note, you do not get a faster steel removal on ordinary carbon steel compared to the Tormek Original Grindstone.

The Original Grindstone is the best all round choice when you want both efficient steel removal and fine finish in the same stone over a wide variety of materials, from carbon steel to high speed steel.

If you have a Tormek with the EzyLock nut, you need no tools to remove the stone. You simply put one hand on the honing wheel to keep it in position while at the same time rotate the grindstone clockwise by hand – and the stone will become loose. Note, the clever EzyLock has a left handed thread so do not try to force it in the wrong direction. For 200 mm stone machine models the EzyLock has a slightly different look but the function is the same. 

If you have an older machine model, use a spanner. Gently tap the spanner a few times with a hammer while you hold the stone. Do not hold the honing wheel as there is a risk of damaging the centre of the drive wheel. (This nut has a regular, right handed thread.)

Since the stone absorbs water there is a risk that the stone cracks if it is below 0 °C (32 °F), especially if it is left in the water bath. So, the best is to keep it in a somewhat heated area. Alternatively, remove the stone after sharpening and bring it inside to dry (on the later Tormek models removing the stone is easy with the EzyLock screw).