My support bar is not square (us-103)

[glowpipe]

Hello

Long time lurker, but first time poster.

I have had my Tormek T4 for about 2-3 years now, and I've never really had any problems before when using the standard stone that came with it. I've used the truing tool and made the stone parallel with the bar. Recently, I bought a DF200, the diamond wheel, and after that, I started having a lot of problems with chisels. None of them were square after grinding. I was going back and forth and trying to figure out what was wrong. Checking the Se-77 jig over and over with a square,checking the line on the side to see if it was in the right spot, making sure the tool was seated properly and not overtightening the screws, etc. But nothing I did really worked out. Eventually, I had to start with micro-adjustment screws to get the chisels straight.

Then it hit me. Maybe my diamond wheel isn't 100%. So I sat the bar all the way down to the stone and used a flashlight behind me to see if there was a gap, and lo and behold! There was. The bar touches the diamond wheel on the left side of the wheel (the side closest to the motor), but not on the right side; it's an almost 1mm difference. I checked the wheel with three different squares, and the wheel is more or less 100% from every angle. But the bar seems to be out of square. It's a bit hard to put the square on it as it's round, but to the best of my ability, holding it straight, there seems to be a small gap at the top of the bar and square.

Anyone else notice their bar being a bit skewed like this?
What do I do now? Is my only option to buy a new US-103 universal bar?

Alex.

[tgbto]

If you havent already done so, you should email support@tormek.se with your pictures. You'll get top-notch support.

[Andy1066]

For what it's worth, I think that where you hold the bar when you tighten the screws can make a big difference, up to 1.5mm sometimes I reckon.
I always push down on the bar in exactly the same place every time for consistency. Trial and error will find your own individual way of replicating a  level bar every time I think.

[tgbto]

I think the Tormek-recommended way of doing so is by pressing down on the USB straight through the threaded leg.

[Ken S]

I think the Tormek-recommended way of doing so is by pressing down on the USB straight through the threaded leg.

Wolfgang gives very specific instructions about the way to tighten the support bar starting at 39:30 in this online class:

https://www.youtube.com/live/0htKSoTBjoI?feature=share

The Tormek online classes have much valuable information to share. Time spent studying them will be rewarded.

Ken

[glowpipe]

For what it's worth, I think that where you hold the bar when you tighten the screws can make a big difference, up to 1.5mm sometimes I reckon.
I always push down on the bar in exactly the same place every time for consistency. Trial and error will find your own individual way of replicating a  level bar every time I think.

I have been pressing down over the micro-adjustment screw/nut everytime, but i don't think that should matter when you have the entire bar loose and just resting on the stone. It looks like the entire top of the bar has a slight curve, bending where the threaded bar is welded on the top bar. Also when i unscrew it and lift it up, its almost like the two bars squeeze together and and give off resistance when lifting up the bar. Like the legs are jaming inside the holes.

But as been said here, ill just get some good pictures and send it to support and see what they have to say

[Ken S]

I second the recommendation to email Tormek support. (support@tormek.se)
Support has a lot of experience with these matters.

Ken

ps Does your original SG-200 have the same problem now?

[glowpipe]

Does your original SG-200 have the same problem now?

No, as ive used the truing tool on it with the bent bar, so i shaped the sg-200 after the bar and it is parallel to the bar, but the stone itself is not perfectly 90 degrees.

But if i used another bar that is perfectly square to true it, i would get the same issue there i would think