Messages

I'm not a BESS fan... but according to this post, a 13-15 dps edge should be able to achieve a lower score.

I'm with you. There are a lot of factors that affect BESS score, including your testing technique.

Tests have shown that after a few minutes of use you typically end up at about 160 BESS so anything below this is probably acceptable. The SG-250 and leather wheel with the Tormek compound will never give you scores below 100. You need to go to the SJ-250, DE-250 and manually stropping or other diamond infused strop to get really good scores. Not to mention lower sharpening angles also lowers the BESS scores, but obviously the trade of with lower angles is more fragility.

Interestingly Bazz from Findon Sharpening has made a few videos showing him experimenting various techniques getting low scores where he uses the SJ and a manual strop charged with compound.

What is the best practice to try and ensure the KJ-45 (or similar) is holding the blade level?  In other words so that for the most part the blade is perfectly horizontal.  Do people use a guide or jig?  Just eyeball it?

Sorry, not entirely sure what you mean. If you mean parallel to the surface of the wheel then the contact with the wheel does that. In addition if the water is flowing evenly over the knife then it is contact the whole way across.
If you mean at right angles to the edge of the wheel then that is not really as critical so just eyeball it as you say.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Oh yes - tons. Seriously though, I spent my life hand sharpening and getting good results but even so it takes time to get your eye in on the Tormek. Do not be discouraged if it takes a while to get used to all of the techniques required to achieve a satisfactory result. With all of that sharpening you will become a master in no time. When I first started using the Tormek it took time to be perfectly satisfied which the results. I found myself refining my technique as I gained more experience to get really good results.

Tip 1
My son gives me those desk calendars (usually Dilbert or The Far Side) and I use the old sheets for testing edges using the "paper test". I find them the perfect size and keep a stack on my bench in the corner. Bazz from Findon Sharpening uses those flyers and catalogues you get stuffed into your letter box to test his edges. You can probably cut them into squares.

Tip 2
Be very careful of the edge, and know where your band aids are. I was sharpening some chisels the other day and I happened to lightly brush the edge against my finger, ever so gently and raise a flap of skin. It leaves the edges very sharp indeed.

Tip 3
Refine your technique. As you get more experience you can use the Tormek videos and handbook to see where to improve to increase your efficiency, and sharpness.

Your printed copy of the handbook should be a working book. Mine has a lot of underlining and hilighting. I note page numbers with topics in the front as well as notes in the margins.

All good tips Ken. It is a great resource.

It is fairly well known I think that sharpening softer steels on CBN is inadvisable due to clogging effect.

I remember learning this when I was selling engineering  supplies in about 1980. This is because the softer materials tend to "rub" off and clog the wheel. The softer grinding materials such as aluminium oxide does the same but because it is softer it will wear away more quickly preventing clogging. It can clog but can be dressed.

Also, what wheels/accessories/kits should I order with T-8 black. I will be using it for:
- chisels, including wide timber frame chisels and slicks
- planer blades
- knives (kitchen, etc)
- axes

The SE-77 jug for plane blades and chisels
The SVH-320 for planer blades
For the rest you can go a couple of ways. I got the HTK-806 hand tool kit which has the knife and axe jugs amongst other things. Otherwise you can go for the KJ-45 knife jig and the SVA-170 and add the others as you need them.

The other thing about the T8 black is that it only comes with the DF-250 which is good for general purpose sharpening but you may want extra wheels, say the SG 250 and/or the DC and DE wheels.

As for price I have found that here in Australia we can often get discounts on Tormek products. I often find around $100 off the wheels and similar discounts on other jigs et al. I check Amazon, Ebay and dealer's web sites. This may be due to our consumer laws which (mostly) outlaws price setting.

Hhere is the video starting at the question

https://www.youtube.com/live/zPfckZXyW6Y?si=JH-VJ7j85GTDkCyi&t=1371

TBH I would still be the one using it

In the absence of a T1, the T2 makes a good stand in

The T1 is pretty much novice proof (reluctant to use teh "i" word). It would be for the wife to use mainly so that she can undestroy the knives she constantly destroy. She out never use a T2.

Also what's all this talk about composite honing wheels?

To add to what Ken said, the composite wheel is in effect rubber embedded with abrasive. It is coarser than your typical leather strop or wheel with honing compound. Probably equivalent to a strop with one of the coarser compounds.

The composite wheel is perfectly fine for removing the burr but will not get you super refined. For that you would probably want to add a leather strop. I know Bazz from Findon Sharpening here in Adelaide takes his knives to a leather strop to get a super refined edge but for most kitchens the composite wheel is perfectly fine to quickly get you back to work with a perfectly useable edge.

John,
Is the T2 available in Australia?
Ken

Yes.

This is still my favorite:  the Tormek T-99

When you see Japanese knife sharpeners on their huge waterstones that does not seem so absurd. Also grandpa's huge sharpening wheel. We actually have one here. I intend to build a new frame for it.

Fortunately I don't have to make that decision since they are not released here in Australia. I dread the time when it is released and I have to make that decision.

So I am going to add a 250mm CBN 80# Grid as soon as possible

Have you decided which one?

1. File off those (pointless?) marks atop the edge of the jig

That mark is for centering a plane blade in order to apply a symetrical curve on the iron.