I recently bought the Japanese waterstone for my T4. I tried it on a chisel after using the SG-200 stone and can't get the entire sharpened surface to shine. My SG-200 is older and a lesser diameter than the new Japanese stone and I'm guessing the difference in the radius between the two stones is allowing each stone to touch a different part of my chisel.
Right now I'm resigned to maybe only being able to use the Japanese waterstone on the tip of my chisel.
I also have a nice chisel sharpening kit that I can use with my various other abrasives, but that gives my the typical flat grind that also does not get fully polished with the Japanese waterstone.
Any ideas on how to match up the grinding on the two different stones? Thanks!
You cannot match the grind, because the diameters of the wheel are different. Just put a secondary bevel on the chisel with the japanese stone, that's what I do.
If you're willing to go down this rabbit hole, you will want to check this thread (https://forum.tormek.com/index.php/topic,4326.0.html), which includes a useful spreadsheet in the first post, along with very a detailed discussion of how it was elaborated by @Gilles.
I agree about using the micro bevel. It is a better practice anyway as it will use up less of your SJ grindstone.
Here's what I've compiled about micro bevels https://sharpeninghandbook.info/MicroBevels.html.
Thanks for the advice. Yeah, that was was I was basically thinking. The Japanese stone seems to mostly polish the edge so I'll see how well I can get a secondary bevel on my chisels.
Two thoughts:
The actual cutting is only done by the very edge of the blade. I agree with the secondary bevel. I understand the desire for the entire bevel to be shiny; however, this shine is mostly for looks. Spending time with the leather honing wheel will help narrow the gap.
A possibility is purchasing a new SG-200. That will make the two wheel diameters much closer. Use your present SG-200 for tools which don't require the SJ-200.
Ken
If it were me ... at the risk of restating other people's posts! ... I would heel and tip grind on the SJ which is all you need really. It creates the secondary bevel with one advantage. You can hand sharpen just the secondary bevel on a hand sharpening stone between regrinds on the Tormek by placing the heel/tip on the stone. This gets you back to work much faster.
This is what I do with my woodworking tools. I use a 5,000 Shapton and leather strop to get me back to work without breaking out the Tormek. I rest the tip and heel on the stone which makes it easy to refresh the edge. It only takes about 30 seconds to re-establish an edge. The hollow grind makes this an ideal technique for keeping tools sharp. After a while I can break out the Tormek and re-establish the hollow grind on multiple tools I find this much more efficient.
Good post, John.
Ken
Quote from: Ken S on March 23, 2026, 11:28:33 PMA possibility is purchasing a new SG-200. That will make the two wheel diameters much closer. Use your present SG-200 for tools which don't require the SJ-200.
It's not a bad idea to have that extra grindstone. You can use the old one for dirty tasks like lawn mower blades, hedge clippers, pruners, and the like. Use the new one for those chisels you like to keep shiny and your best kitchen knives.