My Tormek wheel loses traction and slows or stops under moderate pressure. The wheel locking nut seems tight and the motor is working. Any suggestions?
Hi JAM,
and welcome to the forum.
There are two possible reasons for that behaviour I can think of.
- dirt or grease between the motor and the drive wheel (under the leather wheel). Clean it and try to use some sandpaper on the surface of the drive wheel. A rougher surface with some "new" rubber exposed will give new grip.
- if that's not the reason, it might be a faulty capacitor.
Is your Tormek machine older or brand new? In any case I'd contact Tormek support, they'll help you find what causes the problem ...and how to solve it, too.
The only time I've encountered that it was because the drive wheel got wet.
I would remove the honing wheel if you have it on and check to see if the shaft that drives the rubber wheel is still turning at what appears to be the normal speed (maybe put a sharpie line on it).
I will try your suggestion then call support if needed
Thanks
JAM,
This is a well done, thorough video demonstrating cleaning and regreasing the shaft. Paul also briefly discusses the slipping issue, namely that this Tormek has been in full time professional sharpening for 3 1/2 years with no slipping.
I mention this only because while slipping can be a problem, it is also a rare problem. It is well worth watching. Here is a link:
https://youtu.be/kqOKdSERkYI
Ken
If the drive wheel is slipping then as other have said it may be some contamination on the drive wheel. Remove the honing wheel and inspect the motor shaft as well as the drive wheel. My Tormek was second hand and I had to give the motor shaft a through clean with Mineral Turps since it had a lot of gunk on it. Yaou may also need to clean the drive wheel. Use Turps for that as well if needed. If the rubber on the drive wheel is glazed then Tormek recomend you use a coarse sand paper against the wheel when running to roughen up the wheel and remove the glazing. This did not do much for me and although the rubber was not perished it was still glazed and slipping. I used some belt grip compound which you can get from automotive stores. Make sure you place a paper town underneath to catch any overspray and drips.
Finally if the drive wheel is cracked or the rubber cracked and perished then you will need to buy a new drive wheel. But they do last a LONG time.