Hi,
Would this combo of wheels be suitable for a hobbyist?
Or is the gap from 600 to 4000 too big?
Thank you.
Welcome to the forum, Espen.
Please give us more information in order to give you more informed replies. My first recommendation for a hobbiest would be the SG wheel. With the stone grader, you will have 220 and 1000 grit, all the grit range you will need.
Let us know if you have special needs.
Ken
As a "hobbyist " it's hard to know what you're trying to achieve.
Ken is right, get used to the SG250 and then concentrate on your honing/deburring processes to realise your goal.
I sharpen professionally and hardly ever use the SJ250. For a personal project I may use it for prettying up an edge but in the real world it's a waste of time in my opinion. Finishing up on a 1000 grit, wether fine graded SG250 or a diamond/CBN and then correct honing is usually enough.
Quote from: EspenT on April 18, 2025, 10:41:32 PMis the gap from 600 to 4000 too big
Yes. It would take you a long time to remove the scratches from the 600 on the 5000. You need to go to 1000 first. Even 600 is too fine for badly damaged knives. The aim of "going through the grits" is to remove the scratches from the previous grit. If you jump too many grits then it becomes extremely difficult to remove those scratches.
That, exactly. And IMO the result after going DF -> DE -> SJ is underwhelming. The diamonds leave a rather sparse scratch pattern that's hard to get rid of entirely.
So if you really want to start with the DF, i would recommend DF->SG ungraded -> SG graded fine -> SJ.
I agree with what the others have said. IMO the diamond wheels cut way too fast for a beginner. Both of those wheels are highly specialized. The SG-250 is the jack of all trades. It and the strop wheel are good for 95%+ of sharpening tasks the Tormek can handle.
I would buy the basic Tormek, be patient and get proficient with it. So many beginners think they are going to get stunning results on the first try. They try it once then list it for sale. Give it some time and you will get incredible results.