Tormek SA 250 Whetstone Grinder.

[Jack H]

Hi
I am lucky to have inherited a Tormek SA 250 Whetstone Grinder. Although the main body of the machine is as new, one of the 197mm Dia sandstone wheels has been used and has an enlarged 20mm plastic boss/bush which is over-sized for the 12mm spindle and ask if anyone knows if there is a spacer 12 to 20mm adapter boss/bush available.
I would at some stage like to upgrade the shaft for the newer stainless steel with the self-locking nut/thumb wheel. Thank you any advice is welcome.

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, Jack.

I have had similar situations. I do not know of any "plug and play" direct solutions. However, I can suggest several possible workarounds.

1) You could machine or have a machinist make a stainless steel or plastic reducing bushing from 20 to 12mm. This is not an involved expensive project. Be sure to give the machinist your grinding wheel and Tormek so that the bushing fits well against your grinding wheel and shaft. Plastic should be quite adequate.

2) You could make or have a bushing made with a 3D printer. Again, this is not an involved project. I suggest you start with a "washer" around 1/8" thick to check the fits. Once you have the fits right, expand the program from 1/8" to just under 50mm. I plan to do this with a project, if I can ever get my grandson interested in 3D printing again. Some libraries offer 3D printing services. 3D services should not be hard to locate.

3) (I have done this one several times. It is adequate and costs almost nothing.) Sets of reducing bushings are inexpensive from one inch to 1/2". I used to ream out a short length of 5/8" OD plastic pipe using a31/64" drill bit plus a little reaming. A 12mm drill bit would work better. The very new and best option is to buy a 5/8" to 12mm stainless steel reducing bushinh from Advanced Machinery (advmachinery.com) The 5/8" OD pipe fits a 5/8" reducing bushing well. You may be able to use several thicknesses of plastic pipe together.
Options one or two, in my opinion, are better choices.

If your shaft is not rusty, I would postpone getting an EZYlock shaft. It is a nice accessory, but more beneficial if you are regularly changing wheels.

You have a really nice vintage Tormek.  Enjoy!

Keep posting.

Ken

[cbwx34]

Hi
I am lucky to have inherited a Tormek SA 250 Whetstone Grinder. Although the main body of the machine is as new, one of the 197mm Dia sandstone wheels has been used and has an enlarged 20mm plastic boss/bush which is over-sized for the 12mm spindle and ask if anyone knows if there is a spacer 12 to 20mm adapter boss/bush available.
I would at some stage like to upgrade the shaft for the newer stainless steel with the self-locking nut/thumb wheel. Thank you any advice is welcome.

If that's an older machine that used a plastic "insert" or sleeve for the wheel, you might contact Tormek support.  There was a similar issue in an Instagram post a while back... the owner contacted Tormek, and they sent him new inserts.

Here's a picture showing the sleeves (I guess some were one piece others were 3 pieces)...



Never hurts to ask!

[Ken S]

Good post, CB!

Contact information for support is: support@tormek.se

I would definitely contact them.

Ken