Tormek Jig for fast grinding

[rickbw]

Has anyone tried the following setup found under:

http://www.woodcentral.com/newforum/turning.shtml

titled "Grinding Radius Screws"

Seems like it might be a good setup to compliment the Tormek when you need to grind quickly.

Also, Jeff do you sell the two parts required?   XB-100 Horizontal Base for Universal Tool Support (19.95) Micro Adjust Universal Tool Support (31.95)

Thx

[Jeff Farris]

While this may sound like a great idea, consider carefully before you "rough shape" on a dry grinder. Even HSS (high speed steel) can be damaged by heat. While it may not lose its temper, like carbon steel, it can become very brittle. Despite what you may see in videos and demonstrations, quenching HSS in water once it is hot is usually counter-productive.

My personal opinion, and that of TORMEK management is that little time can be gained by rough grinding on a dry grinder, if it is done correctly. If you proceed at a pace that avoids excessive heat, you will spend approximately the same amount of time that you would spend
at a TORMEK.

While reshaping a tool, particularly a skew, you can speed the shaping process on your TORMEK by following a few simple suggestions.

1) Work with the Universal Support in the vertical position, so that the wheel is turning into the cutting edge. The grindstone cuts much more aggressively while turning into the edge.

2) Grade the stone aggressively and frequently with the coarse side of the stone grader. If you see any build-up of black or red matter on the stone surface, it is not cutting efficiently. Efficient and fast cutting can be reactivated by cleaning the stone with the stone grader. Use firm pressure. Also, the corner of the grader will cut the stone faster than the flat surface of the grader.

3) Don't be afraid to apply considerable pressure against the grindstone with the tool. If you have learned to sharpen on dry grinders, this will be hard to do, since you have been trained to use a light touch. But we don't have any chance for heat build-up. Firm pressure will speed the removal of steel from your tool. If your TORMEK slows dramatically when you apply firm pressure, your drive wheel has become glazed. Remove the honing wheel and rough up the surface of the drive wheel with coarse sandpaper.

If you are shaping a side grind or fingernail grind gouge, please ignore suggestion #1 above or do it very carefully. Gouges can groove the grindstone pretty quickly with the wheel turning into the edge, particularly at the large edge angles typically ground on bowl gouges. I do gouges in the horizontal position, with firm pressure applied to the grindstone and I vary my position on the stone frequently to avoid grooving the stone.

All that said, I do sell the parts in question. Look in the "TORMEK Accessories" section of the Store.