lock and load

[Titian]

As there are a number of fancy wheels available, the Japanese and the black one, then there are some 'aftermarket' wheels from Naniwa, Suntiger as well as a couple made for Dick, Dictum Gmbh and probably some more around.

First question, if wheels are changed do they require to be trued up with diamond truing tool each time they are placed on the machine? Or can you just lock and go?

Second question, anyone have experience of any of these and what value they bring if any? I see a similar question was asked in 2011 but had no reponces, so hopefully there will be some experience in the forum this time.

Thanks again all.

[Rob]

In theory, if you seated the wheel exactly centred then it wouldn't need truing but in practice I wouldn't be at all surprised if it did.  I've only ever changed mine once so have no real data to go on.  I don't recall if I trued mine when I changed to the silicon blackstone.

To your other point, as above I now use the SB wheel and haven't tried the 4000 grit Japanese one as its complete overkill for what I'm doing.

The SB is designed for tougher steels alloys, principally High Speed Steel so is often promoted as a good marriage for the turners with their specialist jigs for gouges etc.  In my case I have spanned both wheels in my quest to remove a lot of steel quickly. I started with the grey wheel of course and when bitter disappointment hit at its failure to remove metal quickly, I bought the SB thinking it might be a solution.  I also was sharpening 12" planar knives with the 320 jig.  The SB wheel went on with eager anticipation, there's poor foolish me looking forward to how that steel would positively fly off its surface and into the trough.

Whoops.......I could discern no appreciable difference with it....on balance I think it doesn't wear as fast as the standard wheel with HSS but I also didn't detect any difference in speed of steel removal.

Apart from hairdressing salon scissors and maybe the odd very fine carving tool, I cant imagine what anyone needs the Jap stone for???  Grinding wheel snobbery probably!

[Ken S]

I have all three wheels. To tell the truth, I bought the other two for two reasons: 1) I'm a tormek junkie and 2) I believed the price would increase due to material costs and a strong Swedish currency.

I have not used the SJ 4000 grit wheel. That's not a criticism of the wheel; I just haven't needed it.

I have used the SB wheel. Future plans include shapening my planer, jointer, blades and many drill bits.  And, I hope to set up my lathe someday.  If someone does a lot of sharpening with high speed steel, I think the SB wheel is probably a good idea.

My general advice would be to become fluent with the SG wheel before considering other wheels.  If your work is leaning toward a lot of high speed steel, watch for sales at your local Tormek dealer.  These are often during store wide tool demonstration days.  Most of my jigs and both stones were purchased this way at a twenty per cent discount.

The Tormek is really designed mainly for the general purpose wheel.  The other wheels are nice to have, but not usually necessary.

The 4000 grit wheel would be quite nice if one had a second Tormek.

Ken

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

Apart from hairdressing salon scissors and maybe the odd very fine carving tool, I cant imagine what anyone needs the Jap stone for???  Grinding wheel snobbery probably!

I've said this before, and Jeff has disagreed, but at 40X magnification I see scratches left on the bevel by the SG that do not get removed by the honing wheel. What I see at that magnification is that the surface between the scratches gets polished, but the scratches remain.

Now, it may be that the Jap stone will not leave these scratches, or it could be that if I were more skilled at finely grading the SG and honing those scratches could be removed.

I do not think this is snobbery. There's utility to having that razor-sharp edge. It can actually make a difference between accomplishing a task and butchering it up.

[jeffs55]

I have used the 4000 grit Japanese stone but cannot remember the maker. I find it to be a novelty and not worth the money. Nothing wrong with it, it is simply unnecessary. It will make the edge look like a mirror if that is important to you. No stropping is needed either.

[SharpenADullWitt]

Have one friend that owns a restaurant.  Neighbor, retired chef (Austrian), and a friend who is Japanese and a chef.  In these cases, I can see them liking the SJ stone, for constant touch up's of their knives.  I think there are times when it would be good, but for an average person, it would just be a want, not need.

[Titian]

I've said this before, and Jeff has disagreed, but at 40X magnification I see scratches left on the bevel by the SG that do not get removed by the honing wheel. What I see at that magnification is that the surface between the scratches gets polished, but the scratches remain.

I'm inclined to agree with you Herman, while I don't have a Tormek machine, my current setup utilises a 1000 grit water stone and Tormek compound. I find that I have to use a fresh amount of the paste each time if I want to remove the scratches, which takes a bit of time and can be messy so I add a little and often. Even without a magnifier I can still see the old compound only polishes the scratches, more importantly it doesn't give a clean cut on my carving chisels.

So currently I have an intermediate step where I hone with some green wax from another sharpening system and this gives myself better, faster results then finish off with the Tormek compound. I see the Tormek honing paste a bit like their stone, it's a dual grit medium. Starting off at 3 microns (about 4000 grit I guess) but breaking down to 1 micro as I understand.

Therefore I would be interested in a specific honing wheel with single grit size, it's just the price makes me consider other options.