Newbie sg2004 questions

[Jc]

Good morning. Thanks for the add. I've searched through the forum to see if I can find the answers to the this but want to ask the forum a bit of advice if possible.

I'm in to green woodworking. Mainly bowls, spoons, cups etc. I'd really like something that will quicken up the process of sharpening/honing my hand gouges, and provide a more consistent edge than doing this by hand. Also to sharpen my carving axe and sloyd knifes.

Anyway, I've stumbled upon a sg2004 that is in budget (although I'd need the some jigs etc). I assume its quite old but seems to be in working order. Problem being it has a chip to the wheel that would need some fixing by the looks of it. Is the below worth the hassle or is it going to be too much work to sort? Could I just chamfer the edge of the wheel so things don't catch or does it need properly flattening down past the chip?

Also, will the gouge jig and honing wheels attach to this without issue?

Many thanks

[Rimu]

Especially if you are sharpening narrow tools, I think it will be no problem. I would get the stone grader and the truing tool.

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, JC.

Your grinding wheel should be fine. Unlike diamond wheels, the aluminum oxide abrasive grit material runs all through the SG (SuperGrind) wheels. These wheels are designed to be gradually worn down with normal use, exposing fresh sharp cutting grains. In fact, it is good practice to use the coarse side of the stone grader to put a small radius on both corners of the wheel. (Be sure to watch Tormek's online classes on their youtube channel. This radiusing is demonstrated in several of the videos. The videos also show proper use of the truing tool and stone grader. Both are essential parts of Tormek sharpening.) You should have many years of remaining good service left in your grinding wheel.

A commonly asked question is will today's jigs and accessories work with older Tormeks? The answer is yes. They are fully compatible with your 2004 SuperGrind. Incidentally, "SuperGrind" is Tormek's marketing term for the manmade aluminum oxide grinding wheel. The SG replaced the original natural sandstone grinding wheels used originally. The SG wheels are faster cutting.

You will soon gain some experience using your Tormek. The more you use it, the more versatile it will become. As you will see on the online class you tubes, the SG is the favorite grinding wheel of the Tormek instructors.

Please keep us posted and do not be shy about asking questions. That's how we all learn!

Ken

[tgbto]

I would just advise to make sure that wheel is radiused the same way all along the circumference: don't just round the edges leaving the broken part sunken in, even if it's rounded out.

I think I'd personally try to blend the chip with the rest with the truing tool, working only on one side of the wheel, going back and forth and a tad deeper each time, then smooth it with the grading tool.

If you leave a part sunk in, the discrepancy will get worse with time.

[cbwx34]

Personally, I'd make sure it's priced based on that you might have to replace the wheel.

On older machines, you might also make sure the wheel can be removed from the shaft.  (It can rust to it.)  This will tell you if other things might need replacing, and how well the machine was kept.

[Jc]

Good evening and thanks for the replies. I gave this one a miss as I wasnt too sure on the wheel and had spotted something in better condition (which I then missed out on at auction).

It's good to know that these things can be worked around, I'd assumed I'd have to true it down to past the chip which seemed like a lot of work straight away.

I'm going to get on watching some f the tutorial videos and work out what's best, either bite the bullet and buy new or see if some bargain comes up before. Seems a bit of a rabbit hole cost wise with the added jigs so need to determine what I actually need and what I can get away without!

Thanks again

[Ken S]

While you are saving, keep your eye out for a good used T4 or T7. Either of these models gets you a Tormek with a stainless steel shaft, plus all T4s have EZYlock and the machined zinc top. The later T7s have EZYlock. With any of the T7s, you won't need to replace a rusted shaft.

As for jigs, if you sharpen knives, chisels, and plane blades, all you  need is a regular knife jig (KJ-45 or SVM-45) and a square edge jig (SE-77 or SE-76).

You will need a TT-50 truing tool and a stone grader.

Time spent studying the Tormek online classes will be well invested.

Keep us posted.

Ken

[Jc]

While you are saving, keep your eye out for a good used T4 or T7. Either of these models gets you a Tormek with a stainless steel shaft, plus all T4s have EZYlock and the machined zinc top. The later T7s have EZYlock. With any of the T7s, you won't need to replace a rusted shaft.

As for jigs, if you sharpen knives, chisels, and plane blades, all you  need is a regular knife jig (KJ-45 or SVM-45) and a square edge jig (SE-77 or SE-76).

You will need a TT-50 truing tool and a stone grader.

Time spent studying the Tormek online classes will be well invested.

Keep us posted.

Ken

Thanks Ken. Main purpose is to sharpen my hand gouges so need the jig for that. Leaning towards a machine that can take a 250 wheel to limit the hollow grind or is that not something to worry too much about? Don't think I could afford a diamond wheel straight away tbh.

Cheers

[Ken S]

Jc,

Hand carving gouges are generally made of carbon steel and have a small area to be sharpened. They are well within the comfort zone of the SG wheel.

I remember the debate about hollow grinding from back in the 1970s. Back then, the typical grinder had six inch wheels. The hollow grind was considered a desirable labor saver as only the tip and back of the bevel needed to be ground. I did a test comparing the "hollow grind" with my T4 and T7 with bench chisels. In theory, the T4 chisel has more hollow. With my naked (admittedly older) eye, I could not tell the difference, nor could I detect noticeable hollow with a straightedge. Some members may have keener eyesight.

You won't go wrong with the larger 250 wheels. In my opinion, you also won't go wrong with the 200 wheels either.

Ken

[RichColvin]

Jack,

The information I've gathered on grind shapes is at this link:  https://sharpeninghandbook.info/GrindProfiles.html.

A grindstone with damage as noted in the first post is not problematic.  It would be quite rare to find a situation where the entire 50mm is critical anyway.  Most often, the tool being sharpened is wider than the grindstone and is moved horizontally across the surface.  So, a smaller width simply means that it may take a few milliseconds longer to sharpen. 

And, as Ken noted, the SG grindstone is perfect for carving tools.  I have all six grinding wheels for my Tormek SG-2000, and I use the SG grindstone when sharpening carving tools most often.  Occasionally, I will use the SJ grindstone for a polished finish, but that's pretty rare.

As noted in this process discussion, https://sharpeninghandbook.info/Info-WoodCarvingTools.html, use of the grindstone is one step in a process.  Honing of carving tools is key, and that is where the leather wheel is so very useful. 

Rich