Very New Owner With Accessory & Jig Identification Questions

[Herman Trivilino]

You won't damage the grindstone, you'll just get it a bit more out of round.

[PGB1]

Thanks Herman!
I have read pros & cons of many truing tools & wheel dressers that are available. Since the Tormek tool isn't in the budget yet, I would like to get a
less expensive one for the time being. I'll get a Toemek eventually.
Do any of you have recommendations for an affordable wheel truing tool that will work well, as least temporarily?
Thanks,
Paul

[Herman Trivilino]

Do any of you have recommendations for an affordable wheel truing tool that will work well, as least temporarily?

Sorry, I don't. 

[PGB1]

Rethinking it, I guess I should wait until I can budget for the Tormek one.
Paul

[PGB1]

I finally have my New To Me Tormek SuperGrind 2000 up and running. All the rust is gone, it's been cleaned to new condition, rewired properly, re-assembled, waxed and polished. Ready For Work!

I was able to purchase an old style truing tool for a very pleasant price and trued the stone. The stone had to have 0.004" removed until it was true. That small amount made quite difference. This unit now runs very smoothly.

After using it for just a few hours, I see why people who use the Tormek system are so enthusiastic about these tools.  The cabinet steel and all other components are far and away superior to the other brand units I've seen. The thoughtfully designed, accurately machined and rock-solid materials go a long way toward making this a very precise tool. I also noticed that every upgrade to the machine or to a jig or accessory since mine was built will prove helpful along the way. (As the budget allows...)
I did add the Angle Master and the Horizontal Base. Those are very helpful, indeed. The next purchase will be the Universal Support with Micro Adjust. Designs for some jigs to grind 3/8" and 1/2" lathe tooling are bouncing around in my mind, too.

I sharpened some long neglected chisels and am truly amazed how easy the Tormek is to set accurately and use.
The edges on my chisels are so nice even I can now work with wood!

The only 'critical-only-to-me' thing I have left to do (other than buy more jigs and upgrades as I go along) is to try to find some replacement decals for the old style 2000 (pre-serial number square cabinet model). Mine are in very poor shape from the previous owner.

Thanks again to everyone for helping me by sharing knowledge, experience and ideas for getting this machine up and going!
Paul

[Herman Trivilino]

Old chisels in rough shape are a good thing to sharpen on a freshly-trued grindstone.  I'm glad all has worked out well for you.  I'm still using the original style truing tool, too.

I need to do something about the base of my old 2000, the paint is peeling off in huge pieces.

[PGB1]

Thanks for your reply, Herman!

The only thing I didn't like about the truing tool was how loose it fits the universal support's arm. The rectangular 'arm' cocks sideways a bit & gets stuck while sliding. This may be my technique. If I can't learn to control it, I could always open the holes and insert 12mm bushings similar to the motor mount bushings in order to help it slide smoothly. Or, wait until the new model truing tool is in the budget.

I do have plenty of rough shape chisels to sharpen on the freshly trued stone! Interestingly, I just stumbled on a very helpful video of Mr. Farris at a trade show sharpening a chisel that he hit with an ax blade. Studying his technique helped me quite a bit.

I wonder why your paint is peeling in chunks?
Small chance, but is there, perhaps, chlorine in the air from pool chemicals or laundry? That can lift paint.

If you decide to repaint with an off the shelf aerosol spray paint, there is one you may like. I've had great success with it for many projects. It is Duplicolor Engine Enamel With Ceramic. The stuff dries hard like a rock. I have it in the bed of my work truck, with Self Etching primer under it. It refuses to be gouged off, even after a few loads of broken concrete.  But I don't know if it comes in an appropriate color or sheen for your  Tormek.

I've read other posts about people with paint & label problems.  If I knew how, I'd get permission to duplicate the labels & I'd give them away at cost. These are the type of machine that people want to keep pristine forever. (Says a guy whose newest machine other than the Tormek is from the 50's.)

Thanks Again for your reply & Enjoy Today!
Paul

[Herman Trivilino]

The only thing I didn't like about the truing tool was how loose it fits the universal support's arm. The rectangular 'arm' cocks sideways a bit & gets stuck while sliding.

Clean it up and polish the surfaces that slide across each other.  Use one of your hands to hold it firmly so it doesn't rock.  I like to start with the tool set to remove the smallest amount of material possible.  This means the cutting tool will make contact with the grindstone on only the high spots.  Then I lower it a bit and repeat.  And I continue with that process until I'm cutting all the way across and around the grindstone.  Work from the outside in when close to the edges so as to prevent tear out.

I do have plenty of rough shape chisels to sharpen on the freshly trued stone! Interestingly, I just stumbled on a very helpful video of Mr. Farris at a trade show sharpening a chisel that he hit with an ax blade. Studying his technique helped me quite a bit.

Look around some more.  There are lots of videos like that out there.  The good ones are usually short.

I wonder why your paint is peeling in chunks?

Water lying in a puddle on the base of the machine is the cause.  Once I get it cleaned up I'll see what I can find in the way of a chemical treatment to prevent the rust from spreading.  Not sure what I'll use for a top coat but I'll keep your recommendation in mind.  Maybe I'll paint it T-7 blue! 

[PGB1]

Thanks Herman!
I guess I'll practice a bit more with the Truing Tool.
After some practice using your tips it certainly was easier did a very nice job of truing and, surprisingly, I had no ridges on the stone as I've read about. (About 2 minutes per pass) I started at each edge & worked toward center to avoid chips on the edges.

To stop existing rust from spreading, I use plain, old lanolin (wool wax) without dyes or perfumes. One brand is Fluid Film, but generic lanolin will work, too. It was used as a rust preventative on WWII ships' ballast tanks. I shot the stuff inside my 14 year old truck's rocker panels and haven't had any rust return. It grabs the steel and seals water and air out. When it dries, you can polish it so it isn't sticky. I do that on my wife's car's polished aluminum wheels to keep brake dust from sticking.  I don't know if it will work its way under loose paint flakes or if they have to be scraped off. On the upside, if your scraper get dull...

Please note that sometimes I sell the brand name stuff on eBay, so this posting could be considered partial. I apologize for that, but wanted to present this idea to stop the rust on your Tormek. I sell it when I buy a case for a project & have left overs. To be honest, generic food-grade lanolin is sometimes cheaper. Same stuff- No fancy brush can & no aerosol cans.

Downsides? It is a bit tough to remove when painting time comes. The best remover I've found for it is dishwashing soap & hot water followed by a wipe with rubbing alcohol. And I don't know if if is harmful to eat, but dogs love the smell. I keep my buddy away. She tries like crazy to get at it. Must smell like sheep.

Paul