stone grader on wheel sides

[abb330]

Hi All,
I am new to the forum (and new to the Tormek T-7).  Jeff asked that I try to make a post.
I asked a question via a different web site about using the stone grader on the side of the grinding wheel.
Jeff replied that he does use the stone grader on the sides.  He said that he uses the "coarse cut on the inside and the fine cut on the outside, rather than changing the cut on the outside".
So does the wheel come out of the box with a coarse 220 grit grind or the fine 1000 grit grind?
I assumed that the wheel was coarse from the box, but Jeff seems to imply that he is not changing the grit on the outside of the wheel, and that is already FINE grit.  He is implying that he only changed the grit to coarse on the inside of the wheel.
Just looking for some clarification.
Thanks.
Andy

[Jeff Farris]

Andy,

The stone structure is 220 grit.  However, in use the stone will become glazed and the abrasive edges will dull.  The stone surface can be refreshed with the coarse side of the stone grader.  Grading the surface to fine is different than a glazed over stone.  When the stone is graded to fine, the abrasive particles are sharp and clean, but fractured to a much smaller size.  While to the touch there's little difference between a glazed stone and a fine graded stone, there is a difference in how they cut.

That didn't really answer your question, but I'm getting there.  I use the coarse side of the grader on the inside of my grindstone and the fine side of the grader on the outside of the grindstone.  The surface needs to be refreshed periodically, regardless of which cutting action you're using.

On the normal cutting surface, use the coarse side of the grader any time the stone is not cutting as quickly as you would like.  If  you are using the fine cut on flat tools, it will continue to cut fine for quite a while (several tools) without the stone loading or the cut changing.  However, on shaped tools, like gouges, you will wear through the fine cutting surface after a few minutes use, exposing the larger 220 grains and causing larger scratches. Just use the fine side again to keep it cutting fine.