Pulled out the Tormek after a break

[brettgrant99]

So I pulled out my T-7 that I haven't used for a while.  I mainly use it for knives and the occasional chisel & plane iron.  I decided that I needed to fix all of the nicks in my chisels, so I trued the stone.  I dropped the support arm on the stone to check for high spots and then adjusted appropriately.  I haven't done this in a while, so I was following the manual and started with the diamond tip on the outside of the wheel.  For 3/4 the stone, the tip didn't even touch, and then it really dug in.  I dropped the microadjust by half (halfway between two number, about 0.005", not 180 degrees), and same experience.  Rinse and repeat.  Finally got a clean sweep across the stone, I think on the fourth or fifth try.

What did I learn?  I guess that I really lean on the right side of the stone.  To my eye against the support, the stone profile looked nice and true, but it was really triangular in shape.  Perhaps I should true more often.  I did get a lot of practice moving the tip at a uniform rate across the stone.  Some of those thread patterns were pretty cool looking.  In all, I think I went down about 0.05".  Not really too much.

[Ken S]

Brett,

My favorite saying for when to use the truing tool is the old Chicago voting saying, "Vote early and often".

I like your technique of using  several light passes. I am not in a hurry, and I like the control. Are the thread patterns you mention during grinding or on the grinding wheel after truing? I usually traverse the grinding wheel slowly (around two minutes). With the slow traverse, the wheel surface is very smooth. When I want a rougher surface I cross more quickly.

Interesting that you lean more on the right. I will have to pay attention to my lean pattern.

Glad you dusted off your Tormek. Keep us posted.

Ken

ps Does your daughter still play the oboe?

[ega]

My favorite saying for when to use the truing tool is the old Chicago voting saying, "Vote early and often".

Ken S:

So far as I recall, this important aspect of Chicagoans' behaviour was not covered by Frank Sinatra in the song of the same name!

[brettgrant99]

Ken - Alas, she dropped the oboe at the end of high school and now only plays piano.  However, she is a senior in college and will graduate next year with a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering.  That has kept her pretty busy.  She is doing fine.

After reading the post about the grading stone, I wonder if it isn't the sharpening, but rather the grading that is causing the slope.  I am right handed and tend to do wheel away grinding most of the time.  I'll have to watch that.

Brett