Using the grinding stone

[joemiller]

Hi, sorry if this has been asked before. I tried a search but couldn't find anything.

Is it acceptable to use the inside face of the stone for flattening the backs of chisels and plane blades? I have some long chisels, and the inside face has a larger face to flatten the backs on.

Secondly, is it ok to use the grading stone on the flat faces of the stone?

Many thanks!
Joe

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, Joe.

Excellent question, and one I do not remember being asked before. I have several long paring chisels, so, if the question had been asked since 2009, I would have remembered it.

For the largest grinding surface, I would suggesting reversing the grinding wheel. Due to the inset of the wheel, you will need a spacer. I have used 12mm fender washers for various uses with the Tormek (half inch will work....sort of...in a pinch). As I recall, I purchased them at Lowe's, Hillman brand in a three pack. I have had them for several years. I think they are stainless steel, although regular steel will work. If you happen to have a second Tormek spacer washer, it will work, although the regular fender washers are a bit thinner, and allow more threads to protrude.

I tried reversing the wheel on my Tormek as I am writing. Adding one fender washer with the spacer behind the grinding wheel will give adequate clearance. Being overprotective of my Tormek, I would keep a washer behind the locking nut or EZYlock.

It looks like you might also have room to use the inside face of the wheel in standard orientation.

I have flattened chisel backs freehand, although I prefer to support the chisel on the universal support bar.

Do keep us posted. By the way, if you are new to the Tormek, I suggest reading the first tips and techniques topic. (at least the first post, It became lengthy). It is chisel centric.

Ken

[joemiller]

Thanks for that Ken, I'll source a suitably sized spacer and try reversing the stone. I have tried using the reverse side in standard rientation, but the wheel developed some strange, regular black marks on it, and I was worried that I'd upset something!

How about the grading stone question? Can you grade the sides of the stone, as well as the outside? I only ask because I ahve some old chisels I'm restoring, and flattening the backs takes ages! FYI, the reverse side seems a little coarser than the 'normal' flat face. I wonder if anyone from Tormek can confirm whether that is the case?

[Ken S]

Joe,

I flattened a nice old Buck chisel (3/8", fairly short bench length). It had a distinct belly protrusion. I did most of the flattening on the arc of the grinding wheel "by eye" using a straight edge. As it approached flat, I switched to the side. I have been fortunate in that many of my chisels are concave, the opposite of belly. I just polish up the tips.

I have come to regard grinding wheels (and stone graders) as long term consumables. I have not used the stone grader on the side, however, if I used the side a lot, I would not hesitate to give it a try.

Fortuna favet fortibus.......

Ken

[brettgrant99]

I thought about your question and I think that it is interesting. 

My initial thought is not to use the stone grader on the sides.  My reasoning is that there is no way to true the sides, like can be done on the outer edge of the wheel.  But I am not sure that that reasoning is valid. 

I do know that I have never used the grader on the sides, and somehow I have nice, shiny backs on my chisels, but it has been a while since I have done them, and they were new to begin with.

If you have a stone grader that is fairly square, maybe it will work.  Mine however is worn nicely to the contour of my wheel, so I know that the grader would hit the stone unevenly on the side, and in my mind that would make the side less "flat".

I guess that the worst that could happen is that you end up needed to replace the wheel.  I remember vaguely a long time ago an instructor in shop saying you should never grid on the side of a grinding wheel, but that was definitely about high speed grinders and not the slow 100 rpm from the tormek.

I guess that I could argue it either way, so let us know what you decide and how it works for you.

Brett

[Ken S]

Brett,

The taboo about using the side of the grinding wheel goes back to high speed grinders, typically with much narrower grinding wheels than the Tormek uses. In truth, almost every dry grinder user has used the side of the wheel sometime.

The most labor intensive part of flattening chisel backs with bellies is the initial part, getting the back near flat. It you work carefully, checking progress frequently with a straight edge (a rule will do), the arc of the Tormek wheel can do this. You can always complete the flattening/polishing with abrasive on glass. The Tormek will have done the hard part.

Ken

[RichColvin]

I use the outside of my Tormek wheel for flattening.   Works well.  Haven't tried to flatten or grade it.  Would probably work fine.

Rich