Truing the grindstone

[Rem]

I've sharpened maybe a dozen knives and maybe 4 sets of scissors on my brand new 250 mm regular grindstone that was mounted onto the T-8. 

I was playing around just now, fitting the truing tool onto the machine, and it appears that the wheel is already out of true.  The surface appears to be a straight line, but dipping every so slightly toward the outside (water tray). 

Is this anticipated after such limited usage ?   Or is it more likely that my universal support bar is angled ever so slightly in the supports?   Would appreciate any comments.   Thanks.    RR

[jeffs55]

Noting your proximity to the north pole I am afraid that I have some bad news for you. Clearly you have your Tormek oriented on a longitudinal line, this; in collaboration with the occasional earth wobble which is exaggerated in polar climes is causing you to inadvertently "lean" harder on the outer edge of the wheel. As you know, the earth is flatter towards the poles and flatter still at the north pole. This causes the gravitational pull to be stronger the further north you go. The excess gravitational pull along with the wobble and your inherent leaning towards the magnetic north is causing an unconscious bearing down on that side of the machine. You surely have the wheel facing north as measured against the drive shaft. Meaning, the honing wheel is south of north. Simple cure, orient your machine latitudinally. 

[Rem]

That's might near, purt' near, just about exactly what I had figured.  Much appreciated.  Thanks for the confirmation.   I figure if I put a mirror in front of me, it will come out about right.    RR

[RichColvin]

I believe your grind stone is pulling towards the tray of poutine.   Try running it with out that nearby.

[Rem]

That's just wrong on so many levels .....   

[jeffs55]

I figure if I put a mirror in front of me, it will come out about right.    RR

Most likely "about left" due to the reverse imaging. You need to be looking away from the Tormek and have the mirror behind you. I do foresee a problem with viewing the reflected image though. Being a lot further away from the magnetic pole than you and the bending of light rays caused by same, I cannot unequivocally claim this to be true. I might suggest that you true the wheel and bear down on your left foot in the future. You did read me, right. True the wheel; it will correct myriad problems. On an aside, at least Santa gets to you before he runs out of the good stuff.

[Ken S]

Rem,

I would be surprised if the universal support is out of alignment. As a new machine, it has just had extensive factory inspection. Also, with the T8, the sleeves and holes are cast from one piece with the top and precision machined.

Good grinding practice, wet or dry, begins with initially truing the grinding wheel. New does not mean true. Trued means true. Also, routine truing is one of the basic essential skills of using a Tormek well. Watch the videos associated with the TT-50, including the product video. When you are not in a hurry, carefully set up your Tormek with the TT-50. (This is done wet.) Set the depth to barely touch only the highest spots. Advance about half a number at a time, paying good attention to the feel, sound and watching closely. Stop when you reach a continuous grind.

Check with your universal support alignment. Having your grinding wheel going out of true can sneak up on you. It has done so several times with me. Regular light truing should be a regular part of your housekeeping. It will save you from many frustrating gremlins.

I do not think of my grindstone as precious. I think of it like brakeshoes. They are not cheap, however they are consumable and should last a long time. Just as my brakeshoes ladt longer as my driving matures, your Tormek grindstone(s) will last longer as you become more skilled.

Take the time to become proficient with your truing tool. It is time well spent.

Hang in there, you are doing fine.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

Is this anticipated after such limited usage ?   

If I understand you correctly, the diameter of the grindstone is smaller on the side closer to the water trough. This happens to me, too. I have to be careful that I'm applying force evenly when sharpening knives because if I apply more force to one side, that's what happens to the grindstone.

Or is it more likely that my universal support bar is angled ever so slightly in the supports? 

What the truing tool does is make sure that the surface of the grindstone is parallel to the universal support bar. So if the problem remains after truing, you know that the fault lies with the alignment of the bar.

But as Ken points out, it's very unlikely that that's the case. I suspect, but cannot fully support with evidence, that an alignment issue suffered by the T3 and T7 was that the axis of the grindstone might not be parallel to the universal support bar. If such is the case then, I think, no amount of truing will fix problems like the inability to square ends on chisels. But the redesign of the support brackets in the zinc sleeves of the T4 and T8 is claimed by Tormek to be a more precise way to align the support bar. So it really is unlikely that you have an alignment problem.

As Ken also points out, it's important to true as soon as you notice any out-of-true conditions. If you ignore them they get worse. And they get worse faster and faster as the grindstone getss more and more out of true. If you allow this to happen you have to remove a lot of material. If instead if you don't delay truing you remove only a small amount of material and end up saving material.

[Rem]

Thank you all for your thorough and .... uh .....  generally enlightened comments.  It is with a crimson face and the most "aw shucks" demeanor I can muster that I can now state that it is most likely that I didn't take the time to set the support bar properly.  I tried it a few more times, and on the majority of occasions, the bar was dead on parallel with the surface of the stone.   I jumped to a conclusion based on a single try. 

I should use the Tormek on myself.    Thanks again.     R