Revisiting my Tormek

[Segovia123]

Having laid idle for about a year I am revisiting my Tormek. 

I put a new primary bevel on a wide plane blade yesterday and have two issues.

1, The edge isn't square, I think I have found a solution for this by aligning to the edge of the wheel and don't trust the jig.

2, I have trimmed the wheel twice and can't get it square, it's about 0.0015" out of square, any recommendations as to how I resolve this ?   

[Dan]

Hello, you said "I have trimmed the wheel twice".
Did you use the TT-50 to re-true the stone?

https://tormek.com/en/products/accessories/tt-50-truing-tool

Which model Tormek do you have?

[Dan]

Frome the picture, I am guessing it is a T4 or one of the older smaller models

[cbwx34]

Having laid idle for about a year I am revisiting my Tormek. 

I put a new primary bevel on a wide plane blade yesterday and have two issues.

1, The edge isn't square, I think I have found a solution for this by aligning to the edge of the wheel and don't trust the jig.

2, I have trimmed the wheel twice and can't get it square, it's about 0.0015" out of square, any recommendations as to how I resolve this ? 

"Aligning to the edge of the wheel" is a solution in one of the Tormek videos...

https://www.youtube.com/live/8uLMWXqobRM?si=kAAkHwN4Fj43RtHE&t=1465

... there's also some other tips on what to do.

As for truing the wheel square (assuming your square is accuarte ), and as Dan said, you're using the TT-50, (if so, which model?),  I'd check to see if your USB is square to the side of the wheel.  If so, my next suggestion would be to make very light passes to true the wheel, so that it doesn't "push up" against the USB.  I'd make the last past a .10mm or less, (turning the Microadjust less than 1/2 the distance between two numbers) and see if that helps.

[tgbto]

Yup, as mentioned in several other posts, the "aligning against the side" tip works only if the USB is square to the side of the wheel. That has to be checked first.

It is square (within my measurements tolerances at least) on both of my T8s. The main reasons I can see for that not being the case are :
- bent USB
- wrong tightening technique for USB legs (one should press down on the leg with the MicroAdjust, tighten, then tighten the other one)

[Dan]

...It is square (within my measurements tolerances at least) on both of my T8s...

The wheel on my T8 also seems pretty square to the USB as well as I can measure it.

[cbwx34]

...
- wrong tightening technique for USB legs (one should press down on the leg with the MicroAdjust, tighten, then tighten the other one)

I'm glad you brought this up.  I know this is what Tormek recommends, but I now do the opposite, I push down on the other leg first.  The reason is I found that, for example, the Truing Tool which pushes up against the USB... if I push down on the MicroAdjust side first, the TT can push up and cause the USB to tip (enough that I can turn the MicroAdjust almost .5mm).  But, if I push down on the opposite side first, it's locked in place and won't move.  Obviously, I could tighten things down enough so that it doesn't matter (and of course light passes), just one more thing I don't have to think about.

Probably doesn't make a difference in reality (but if someone is measuring to 0.0015", it might.)

What'd ya think?

[Segovia123]

Hello, you said "I have trimmed the wheel twice".
Did you use the TT-50 to re-true the stone?

https://tormek.com/en/products/accessories/tt-50-truing-tool

Which model Tormek do you have?

yes I used the TT50

[Segovia123]

Hello, you said "I have trimmed the wheel twice".
Did you use the TT-50 to re-true the stone?

https://tormek.com/en/products/accessories/tt-50-truing-tool

Which model Tormek do you have?

Its the  T4

[John Hancock Sr]

it's about 0.0015" out of square

To be honest 1.5 thou out of square is pretty close. There is enough flex in the bar that you are doing well to get it that close.

[Segovia123]

Having laid idle for about a year I am revisiting my Tormek. 

I put a new primary bevel on a wide plane blade yesterday and have two issues.

1, The edge isn't square, I think I have found a solution for this by aligning to the edge of the wheel and don't trust the jig.

2, I have trimmed the wheel twice and can't get it square, it's about 0.0015" out of square, any recommendations as to how I resolve this ? 

"Aligning to the edge of the wheel" is a solution in one of the Tormek videos...

https://www.youtube.com/live/8uLMWXqobRM?si=kAAkHwN4Fj43RtHE&t=1465

... there's also some other tips on what to do.

As for truing the wheel square (assuming your square is accuarte ), and as Dan said, you're using the TT-50, (if so, which model?),  I'd check to see if your USB is square to the side of the wheel.  If so, my next suggestion would be to make very light passes to true the wheel, so that it doesn't "push up" against the USB.  I'd make the last past a .10mm or less, (turning the Microadjust less than 1/2 the distance between two numbers) and see if that helps.

Tried it today but my plane blade is too big, I think it's 2 1/4", restricted if I go right and it i go left it passes the end of the bar

[Segovia123]

...
- wrong tightening technique for USB legs (one should press down on the leg with the MicroAdjust, tighten, then tighten the other one)

I'm glad you brought this up.  I know this is what Tormek recommends, but I now do the opposite, I push down on the other leg first.  The reason is I found that, for example, the Truing Tool which pushes up against the USB... if I push down on the MicroAdjust side first, the TT can push up and cause the USB to tip (enough that I can turn the MicroAdjust almost .5mm).  But, if I push down on the opposite side first, it's locked in place and won't move.  Obviously, I could tighten things down enough so that it doesn't matter (and of course light passes), just one more thing I don't have to think about.

Probably doesn't make a difference in reality (but if someone is measuring to 0.0015", it might.)

What'd ya think?

I managed to get the wheel true and remove th 0.0015" gap, but having problem with getting a square edge on my 2 1/4" plane blade

[tgbto]

...
- wrong tightening technique for USB legs (one should press down on the leg with the MicroAdjust, tighten, then tighten the other one)

I'm glad you brought this up.  I know this is what Tormek recommends, but I now do the opposite, I push down on the other leg first.  The reason is I found that, for example, the Truing Tool which pushes up against the USB... if I push down on the MicroAdjust side first, the TT can push up and cause the USB to tip (enough that I can turn the MicroAdjust almost .5mm).  But, if I push down on the opposite side first, it's locked in place and won't move.  Obviously, I could tighten things down enough so that it doesn't matter (and of course light passes), just one more thing I don't have to think about.

Probably doesn't make a difference in reality (but if someone is measuring to 0.0015", it might.)

What'd ya think?

I'm not sure I follow you there. You mean if you tighten the leg with the MA then the leg without it, the TT can afterwards push up the USB legs ? I have not noticed this. I would rather be afraid of the USB being no longer parallel with the wheel shaft as there is no planar reference on the leg without the USB... I'll have to look into that.

I managed to get the wheel true and remove th 0.0015" gap, but having problem with getting a square edge on my 2 1/4" plane blade

If you wheel is true and parallel to the USB, it is now a matter of setting up your tool and blade properly. I'll be assuming you're using the SE-77 jig.

The blade can be out-of-square with the jig. It is unlikely that you'd set it up improperly against the near-side stops of the jig.

There are however two knobs on the SE-77 that are here to allow for camber as well as correcting for a non-straight angle. As per the manual, the two lines should be aligned for the jig to be in the neutral position, and both adjustment screws tightened. Loosening one and tightening the other allows for a slight skew, loosening both allow for a camber.

So you could check that after aligning both lines and tightening both screws, your blade is square to the jig. If it is, and the wheel is true and square, the last thing I can think of is technique, where you'd be applying uneven pressure on both sides of the blade.

[cbwx34]

I'm not sure I follow you there. You mean if you tighten the leg with the MA then the leg without it, the TT can afterwards push up the USB legs ? I have not noticed this. I would rather be afraid of the USB being no longer parallel with the wheel shaft as there is no planar reference on the leg without the USB... I'll have to look into that.
...

Not quite.  What I do is, where you would push down over the leg with the Micro Adust and tighten everything down, I push over the other leg and tighten everything down.

If you'll notice prior to locking the legs down you can rock the USB back and forth (not much but a little bit.)  If you push down on over the Micro Adjust leg and then secure it, you can rock (tilt) the USB up slightly with a bit of pressure.  But if you lock it down while pushing on the other leg, it can't move anymore.  Normal use it probably wouldn't matter, but the pressure from truing, especially if you don't use light passes, might be enough to tilt it.  So then when a chisel is sharpened, (and you once again push down on the M.A. side to tighten,) it might be slightly off.  Maybe not enough to matter, but it is about a 1/2mm difference in USB height.

[tgbto]

If you'll notice prior to locking the legs down you can rock the USB back and forth (not much but a little bit.)  If you push down on over the Micro Adjust leg and then secure it, you can rock (tilt) the USB up slightly with a bit of pressure.  But if you lock it down while pushing on the other leg, it can't move anymore. 

Strange. I just tried : push down on the USB on the MA leg, tighten the MA leg, tighten the non-MA leg, release downwards pressure on the MA leg. The USB cannot move *at all*. Or at least that I can measure...