So I pulled out my T-7 that I haven't used for a while. I mainly use it for knives and the occasional chisel & plane iron. I decided that I needed to fix all of the nicks in my chisels, so I trued the stone. I dropped the support arm on the stone to check for high spots and then adjusted appropriately. I haven't done this in a while, so I was following the manual and started with the diamond tip on the outside of the wheel. For 3/4 the stone, the tip didn't even touch, and then it really dug in. I dropped the microadjust by half (halfway between two number, about 0.005", not 180 degrees), and same experience. Rinse and repeat. Finally got a clean sweep across the stone, I think on the fourth or fifth try.
What did I learn? I guess that I really lean on the right side of the stone. To my eye against the support, the stone profile looked nice and true, but it was really triangular in shape. Perhaps I should true more often. I did get a lot of practice moving the tip at a uniform rate across the stone. Some of those thread patterns were pretty cool looking. In all, I think I went down about 0.05". Not really too much.
Brett,
My favorite saying for when to use the truing tool is the old Chicago voting saying, "Vote early and often".
I like your technique of using several light passes. I am not in a hurry, and I like the control. Are the thread patterns you mention during grinding or on the grinding wheel after truing? I usually traverse the grinding wheel slowly (around two minutes). With the slow traverse, the wheel surface is very smooth. When I want a rougher surface I cross more quickly.
Interesting that you lean more on the right. I will have to pay attention to my lean pattern.
Glad you dusted off your Tormek. Keep us posted.
Ken
ps Does your daughter still play the oboe?
Quote from: Ken S on October 27, 2017, 01:21:19 AM
My favorite saying for when to use the truing tool is the old Chicago voting saying, "Vote early and often".
Ken S:
So far as I recall, this important aspect of Chicagoans' behaviour was not covered by Frank Sinatra in the song of the same name!
Ken - Alas, she dropped the oboe at the end of high school and now only plays piano. However, she is a senior in college and will graduate next year with a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering. That has kept her pretty busy. She is doing fine.
After reading the post about the grading stone, I wonder if it isn't the sharpening, but rather the grading that is causing the slope. I am right handed and tend to do wheel away grinding most of the time. I'll have to watch that.
Brett