New Products From Knife Grinders

[Ken S]

Points well made. Trained engineering minds have benefitted the forum.

Ken

[wootz]

You know that we've been using felt wheels in deburring/honing on Tormek for years, since 2016, checking the results with the sharpness tester.
For the best results, the felt must be rock-hard - if the felt density is just "hard", "firm" or "medium", it will round the edge and drop sharpness.
I am telling you this not to promote our rock-hard felt wheel, but to save your time and effort in experimenting with the felt on Tormek.

My first idea was to use a strip of felt glued to an MDF wheel, but when we tried flexing a rock-hard felt strip on the wheel, the strip broke. Maybe this is the reason why no one produces rock-hard felt strips - they are too dense and break on flexing.

In production of our rock-hard felt wheels, for precise centering of the 12mm arbor hole it is moulded, not drilled. QA checks that the wheel circumference is flat and square.



Testing video: https://youtu.be/-HBpsQn7frY

The price that you see on our website includes world-wide delivery.

***

We needed the "RPM-increaser" not only to grind faster, but to unleash the CBN and diamond wheels advantage.
You've heard that CBN and diamond wheels grind better than stone wheels, but that is given that the pressure on the blade is the same. Since the pressure on CBN and diamond wheels must be light, less than on the stone wheel, to see their grinding advantage we need higher RPM.

And it does "unleash" - video: https://youtu.be/c-q_AI0BD6A

Initially, we also went the "tape on the motor shaft", but with the tape we cannot as easily decrease the RPM back when we need Tormek run slow for precision grinding.
With our device, we simply unscrew the set screw and remove it.

Unfortunately, we could not find stainless steel round bars of the right diameter, and every part must be turned to meet the specs. We have it done by CNC machining to keep the costs to the minimum. The 1st batch of 100 ea. is being made, and the price will become clear as it is ready for shipment.

***
We ship world-wide at the same flat rate, no matter which country our customers live, and this is my vision of fair go for everyone.

[cbwx34]

You know that we've been using felt wheels in deburring/honing on Tormek for years, since 2016, checking the results with the sharpness tester.
For the best results, the felt must be rock-hard - if the felt density is just "hard", "firm" or "medium", it will round the edge and drop sharpness.
I am telling you this not to promote our rock-hard felt wheel, but to save your time and effort in experimenting with the felt on Tormek.

My first idea was to use a strip of felt glued to an MDF wheel, but when we tried flexing a rock-hard felt strip on the wheel, the strip broke. Maybe this is the reason why no one produces rock-hard felt strips - they are too dense and break on flexing.

In production of our rock-hard felt wheels, for precise centering of the 12mm arbor hole it is moulded, not drilled. QA checks that the wheel circumference is flat and square.

Testing video: https://youtu.be/-HBpsQn7frY

The price that you see on our website includes world-wide delivery.

***

We needed the "RPM-increaser" not only to grind faster, but to unleash the CBN and diamond wheels advantage.
You've heard that CBN and diamond wheels grind better than stone wheels, but that is given that the pressure on the blade is the same. Since the pressure on CBN and diamond wheels must be light, less than on the stone wheel, to see their grinding advantage we need higher RPM.

And it does "unleash" - video: https://youtu.be/c-q_AI0BD6A

Initially, we also went the "tape on the motor shaft", but with the tape we cannot as easily decrease the RPM back when we need Tormek run slow for precision grinding.
With our device, we simply unscrew the set screw and remove it.

Unfortunately, we could not find stainless steel round bars of the right diameter, and every part must be turned to meet the specs. We have it done by CNC machining to keep the costs to the minimum. The 1st batch of 100 ea. is being made, and the price will become clear as it is ready for shipment.

***
We ship world-wide at the same flat rate, no matter which country our customers live, and this is my vision of fair go for everyone.

Good info.

What's an example of needing to remove the "RPM-increaser"?  I haven't seen the need... and can't think of one where the faster Tormek needs to be slowed back down... it's still slower than most other methods.  (I still think you should call it the "speeder upper").

[wootz]

What's an example of needing to remove the "RPM-increaser"?  I haven't seen the need... and can't think of one where the faster Tormek needs to be slowed back down... it's still slower than most other methods.  (I still think you should call it the "speeder upper").

We get nicer bevels by grinding at low RPM pocket knives, delicate folders, and complex edge shapes like recurve blades.
We get sharper and stronger edges by finishing the grinding on fine wheels at low RPM, thanks to the low grinding speed producing a smaller burr.

[BeSharp]

Looks like Knife Grinder's new rock hard felt wheel and second batch of CBN wheels are now available:

http://knifegrinders.com.au/11Shop.htm

[Roger M.]

IMO, nobody raises the bar as high, or as often as Wootz and Knifegrinders.
We're lucky to have him here, and his willingness to develop limited market ancillary products for the Tormek in order to provide new and/or better experiences while sharpening is deserving of much credit.

I use a T-4, so there is lots I can't use (like the felt wheel, and the new "speeder upper"), but the products and books I have purchased from Knifegrinders have made me a much better sharpener.

[RickKrung]

IMO, nobody raises the bar as high, or as often as Wootz and Knifegrinders.
We're lucky to have him here, and his willingness to develop limited market ancillary products for the Tormek in order to provide new and/or better experiences while sharpening is deserving of much credit.

I use a T-4, so there is lots I can't use (like the felt wheel, and the new "speeder upper"), but the products and books I have purchased from Knifegrinders have made me a much better sharpener.

I agree, we are lucky. 

But, you CAN avail yourself of a felt wheel that fits the T4 and you can make a bushing for speeding up you T4.  There are two suppliers of 8" dia, 1" wide rock hard felt wheels.  Both have 1" bores, but bushings can be made easily to adapt them to the 12mm Tormek shaft:

http://durofelt.com/image_38.html

https://supergrit.com/WoolFeltPolishingWheels

Also, it should be possible to make something to do the speeding up.  CB has used tape, perhaps the blue painter's tape.  I think you should be able to make a plastic bushing, maybe from Sch 40 PVC pipe, IF you can drill a hole tight enough to make it a firm press fit over the 12mm shaft.  That would be somewhat long term, UNLESS you are able to drill and tap it for a set screw. 

Wait, doesn't Knife Grinders offer the speeder-upper busing, stainless steel with set screw?  Yes, they offer it, but it is in production and not available for another few weeks. http://knifegrinders.com.au/11Shop.htm

Rick

[Ken S]

I ordered a felt wheel from Knife Grinders. The felt wheel has no indent, like the Tormek grinding wheels. The 50mm thick wheel with no indent looked like very few of the EZYlock threads made contact. Vadim, to his credit, realized the same thing and changed the thickness to 45mm for future orders. He refunded my payment and advised me of the problem.

Regarding the situation with the T4, I measured the shafts on my T4 and T8. The part of the shaft which holds the wheel is the same length on both. Also, for the felt wheel, the 250mm felt wheel will fit with the water trough removed. It's overkill if you are using the T4 for grinding. 200mm felt wheels are available.

Ken

[Thy Will Be Done]

RPM increaser is something I am looking at buying but cannot find this on the www.knifegrinders.com.au

Anybody know where I can find one of these?

[cbwx34]

RPM increaser is something I am looking at buying but cannot find this on the www.knifegrinders.com.au

Anybody know where I can find one of these?

Except for the few items in this post, (which note that it hasn't been updated in almost a year), I think Knifegrinders is pretty much out of business.  There's a contact email in that post you might try.

Schleifjunkies is the only one I can think of that sells some of these items.

[Ken S]

I purchased a speed increaser several years ago from Knife Grinders. It works well. I also tried slipping a piece of 5/8" Outside Diameter plastic water pipe on the shaft with no locking screw. It also works very well. (friction fit) (I needed to drill out the Inside Diameter to a tiny bit over 12 mm.)
While drilling out the plastic pipe, make up several extra pieces in various lengths. I have found these useful for spacers and bushing reducers for grinding wheels.

Ken

[Thy Will Be Done]

I purchased a speed increaser several years ago from Knife Grinders. It works well. I also tried slipping a piece of 5/8" Outside Diameter plastic water pipe on the shaft with no locking screw. It also works very well. (friction fit) (I needed to drill out the Inside Diameter to a tiny bit over 12 mm.)
While drilling out the plastic pipe, make up several extra pieces in various lengths. I have found these useful for spacers and bushing reducers for grinding wheels.

Ken

Awesome, if you ever decide you don't need the KG RPM increaser then let me know and I'd buy it from you at a good price for you.  I don't know that I'd want to make my own though, don't want to jimmy up my Tormek and ruin it.  How does this affect the longevity of the machine anytime you increase RPM?

[cbwx34]

If you want a cheap way to try it... I did it with blue painters tape...



... lasted a couple of years before it finally wore off.

p.s.  No other tape I tried worked.

[SuperGrind]

I purchased a speed increaser several years ago from Knife Grinders. It works well. I also tried slipping a piece of 5/8" Outside Diameter plastic water pipe on the shaft with no locking screw. It also works very well. (friction fit) (I needed to drill out the Inside Diameter to a tiny bit over 12 mm.)
While drilling out the plastic pipe, make up several extra pieces in various lengths. I have found these useful for spacers and bushing reducers for grinding wheels.

Ken

Awesome, if you ever decide you don't need the KG RPM increaser then let me know and I'd buy it from you at a good price for you.  I don't know that I'd want to make my own though, don't want to jimmy up my Tormek and ruin it.  How does this affect the longevity of the machine anytime you increase RPM?

Otherwise a similar to the KG version can be found here:
https://schleifjunkies.de/en/product/speed-up-adapter-tormek-ready/

[Ken S]

There is no magic in the "speed increaser". Surface Feet per Minute is merely the product of RPM x circumference. Adding the sleeve to the shaft increases the circumference. It does not effect the RPM of the motor.

I believe the T4000 had a larger motor shaft, either as standard or as an option.

Tormek could easily increase the diameter of the motor shaft. I suspect the reason they have not done that it to avoid more water spillage complaints due to the higher RPM.

I doubt using a speed increaser would ruin a Tormek.

Ken