Can that be a good idea?
Will the Diamond wheel work with hard metals like Cobalt?
Wolfy,
Excellent question, and one which will be often asked. I have only sharpened high spees steel drill bits with my DBS-22 and SG-250, so I don't know for certain. I sent an email to Tormek support requesting assistance. I will make sure their reply is posted.
Ken
Ken,
Wolfgang just answered me. Yes it is great idea with the DF-250. No pressure. Just let the wheel do it's work.
Would be nice to make a USB for the side of the wheel too.
On the draw board already ;)
Wolfy,
Here is the reply from support:
"Hi Ken.
If you mean cobalt alloy (HSS) the diamond wheels can handle that.
and as always when sharpening small surface tools, use the whole surface of the grinding wheels do not stay stationary."
With the blackstone (SB), it was rated for carbide "touch up". These diamond wheels are rated for carbide. I think these new diamond wheels will prove useful for lots of drill bits, including carbide masonry bits. From working as a telephone installer, I know these bits are often heavily used and are more than just a little dull. They are usually discarded when it would be cost effective to sharpen them.
I found that the 360 grit of the DWC-200 (the slightly earlier Tormek diamond wheel for the T2 and T4) was faster cutting than the SG wheel. I predict that the diamond wheels will quickly become the preferred wheels of many professional sharpeners. I will be interested to read reports from planer blade sharpeners.
Ken
I have a different question, but it falls under the same subject.
How does one use the diamond wheels with the drill bit sharpening jig (DBS-22)?
What I am asking is sequencing. Sharpening a drill bit with this jig is at least a two step process, do the primary facets then the secondary facets. A change in the jig position is required when going from primary to secondary.
Does one do that on one wheel and then change wheels and go through the sequence again? Or does one do the primary facets, switching wheels until satisfied with the primary facets and THEN change the jig position for the secondary facets and THEN run through the wheel sequence again?
I have yet to try using the diamond wheels for drill bit sharpening, but this is a primary reason for me getting the diamond wheels. The former seems fraught with problems trying to match angles between wheels. The latter seems fraught with time spent changing wheels.
I'm thinking the latter makes more sense and it remains, for me at least, to find out how far I want to take putting smooth finishes on at least the primary facets. I want as fine a finish as I can get, as new drills come with extremely fine finishes. Also, I think running through the wheel sequence may only be needed for the primary facets, as the secondary does no work and finishing them more finely would only be cosmetic.
Thinking out loud sort of.
Rick