Honing

[Pep]

Hey guys,

I've just started using the Tormek t8 since about a week. It's been a pleasure getting all my chisels and knifes sharp again. Now I'm trying to do the best I can at honing a chisel as close to a mirror edge as I can get it. I'm using the basic sg250 after grading it with the softer side of the grading stone, and then move to the leather honing wheel LA220 with tormeks honing paste. The chisel gets realy sharp and more than plenty sharp to work with, but for the fun of it I'm trying to get some tips how to get it smoother. As you can see there are some very clear grinding marks on the bevel.



How do I move forward to improve?

[jeffs55]

There is such thing as the SJ 250 which is the Japanese stone. It is allegedly 4000 grit. I have no experience with the Tormek product. I do have a brand X of this type and if it is like the Tormek it should do what you want. It is for polishing like you want.

[Ken S]

Pep, welcome to the forum. You are off to a great start. A couple of minor suggestions:

Try using the fine side of the stone grader a little longer. The stone grader is capable of more grades than just 220 and 1000. You may find your grinding wheel becomes smoother with longer grading.

Before finishing with the fine graded grinding wheel, do the final passes with a light touch. (Do this also with the coarse graded wheel.) Compare the scratch patterns; the light touch scratch pattern will be noticeable. Stig Reitan of Tormek shared this with me.

Use plenty of pressure with the initial passes with both the SG and the leather honing wheel, as well as plenty of compound. Finish off with light passes.

You will soon get the smooth finish you desire.

Ken

[Ken S]

Pep,

The SJ grinding wheels are awesome polishing stones. (They are designed for polishing rather than for grinding.)
You may eventually want one; however, I believe you will be a better sharpener in the long run if you master the SG first.

Ken

[Pep]

Thanks for the replies, I will be honing my skill as well as my knives.I'm also experimenting with another paste than the tormek paste. 0.1 micron seems promising. Thing is I have to clean the wheel and put some now 3 micron tormek paste on before proceeding to the .1 micron paste with every knife.

[RickKrung]

Thanks for the replies, I will be honing my skill as well as my knives.I'm also experimenting with another paste than the tormek paste. 0.1 micron seems promising. Thing is I have to clean the wheel and put some now 3 micron tormek paste on before proceeding to the .1 micron paste with every knife.

You would be better off getting another leather wheel and switching them out than changing the paste on a single wheel.  Then, there is the Tormek composite honing wheel that might take the place of one of the two that you are doing now.

However, as Kens S says frequently, it is best if a new user practices and develops skills and experience with the standard SG and honing wheel/paste before moving on to alternatives.  The SG, with grading and the leather honing wheel & Tormek paste can do great work and many have for many years done only that. 

Rick

[Andras]

Hello, (I'm new here with no posts to my name so I couldn't start a new topic; "Secure your membership in this community by joining in the conversations"). My question is in regards to Grading SG250(NOT the Japanese). Does anyone have experience grading, cleaning, raising slurry on the SG250 with Nagura stones and if "yes", how does the SG250 "react" to the various grades?; 220, 1000, 4000, 6000 ... and so on. Thank you much

[John_B]

I too would recommend a second leather wheel if you want to use a finer grit compound. It will be extremely difficult to remove all of the residual paste from the wheel. I bought a second leather wheel and use 1µ diamonds on it. I use this for finishing homing after using the Tormek paste. For most of my knives I hone at 1.5° greater than the sharpening angle. My goal is sharpness not a mirror finish in a larger surface. My honing produces a very sharp micro bevel.

As others have mentioned becoming skilled at each phase of sharpening is critical for great consistent results. There is a tendency for new owners to buy before learning. While fun I think that adding wheels either Japanese or leather only slows your learning.

[cbwx34]

Hello, (I'm new here with no posts to my name so I couldn't start a new topic; "Secure your membership in this community by joining in the conversations"). My question is in regards to Grading SG250(NOT the Japanese). Does anyone have experience grading, cleaning, raising slurry on the SG250 with Nagura stones and if "yes", how does the SG250 "react" to the various grades?; 220, 1000, 4000, 6000 ... and so on. Thank you much

I don't know anyone who's tried a Nagura on the SG stone... so you may be a pioneer.  I don't see it doing much in the slurry dept. since the stone runs thru a water bath, and if you take it out of the water, it creates a slurry on its own pretty quick.  The Nagura would have to be pretty durable too.  Not sure it would get it much smoother than 1000 (although some have gotten it smoother with diamond plates).

If you try it, post the results!

[Ken S]

I have noticed that many new and/or beginning Tormek users believe in "magic bullets". These may be the SJ Japanese wheels; different honing pastes; ultra fine bench stones; etc.

I have had the rare opportunity of watching Stig Reitan of Tormek sharpening. Stig has found the real magic bullet, years of serious practice. Stig sharpens using the orthodox three step Tormek technique with the SG, leather honing wheel, and Tormek PA-70. He has mastered these a long time ago. I highly recommend the online class video he and Sébastien did. Here is a link:

https://youtu.be/8uLMWXqobRM

Keep us posted.

Ken

[John_B]

I have noticed that many new and/or beginning Tormek users believe in "magic bullets". These may be the SJ Japanese wheels; different honing pastes; ultra fine bench stones; etc.

I have had the rare opportunity of watching Stig Reitan of Tormek sharpening. Stig has found the real magic bullet, years of serious practice. Stig sharpens using the orthodox three step Tormek technique with the SG, leather honing wheel, and Tormek PA-70. He has mastered these a long time ago. I highly recommend the online class video he and Sébastien did. Here is a link:

https://youtu.be/8uLMWXqobRM

Keep us posted.

Ken

I think there are methods and tooling that one can use to achieve an even sharper edge than by just using the machine as designed. All of these methods, however, require that you have already achieved an exceptionally sharp edge as the video Ken posted illustrates. Take your time and learn in stages or you risk mediocre results at a lot of steps.

[RickKrung]

...snip...  Take your time and learn in stages or you risk mediocre results at a lot of steps.

Makes me think of the Grasshopper in the Karate Kid...