Messages

Rick,

In the 2nd photo which shows the Tormek, I see a metal lathe in the background.  Have you tried to sharpen your lathe tools on the Tormek ?  If so, any luck / thoughts / guidance you can share ?

Kind regards,
Rich

Youngbin,

I over-oiled my leather wheel at first and had to scrape it clean again.  It is a very resilient bugger, and has been working greatly ever since.  Don't fret :  We all have to learn.  Some of us just take longer.

Rich

Bill Boehme recommended (on the AAW forum) that I remake this using parts from the SVD-186 (or the older version, SVD-185).  I have to thank Bill for that recommendation!!   I made this today, and it works amazingly well ... much better than what I'd originally made. 

This approach allows for much better control when sharpening. 

I broke my metric tap (6mm-1.0), so I had to use a screw in the end in lieu of using the Tormek hand screw.  That's why there is a standard screw shown.

This does open up a whole set of ideas for me ...

Rich

I do it the same way as Wootz, but that's just because I didn't think there was a different way !   And, like Grepper, I will use the edges, but on the ends, not the sides. 

Thank you for bringing this question up.

Rich

Ega,

I have a 15-year old Tormek T-2000.  I've replaced the shaft to be the EZ-lock shaft primarily because my older one was rusted too badly.  After I got the new one in place, I really learned the value of the EZ-lock nut.

On the grindwheel side, the EZ lock nut can be released as cbwx34 noted :  grab the grindwheel and twist it in an clockwise manner (whilst also holding the honing wheel).  Note :  this is the opposite of the "righty tighty, lefty loosey" rule.

I have added the profiled leather wheel, so I have to remove that using the big nut, and then remove the shaft using a wrench.  Not a big deal.

Rich

I don't know the pitch, but it is pretty low (I'm thinking in terms of threads per inch).  Not something I've seen before. 

Rich

I built a Rose Engine lathe for ornamental turning.  I am currently using it to make some shaving brushes.  A prototype of the shaving brush's handle is shown below :

The Rose Engine I've built uses a fly cutter.  These are made from 3/16" diameter rod, and are short.  Two of my cutters are shown below :

The fly cutter is mounted in a cutting frame (yes, I had to make that too).  The cutting frame and fly cutter are shown below :

I've been trying to think of a way to sharpen these.  To date, I've held them in a hand-held drill, and sharpened them by using the drill to rotate the cutter whilst running along the grindstone.  This leaves a lot to be desired in the way of accuracy and cleanliness of the cut.

I was going to build a variation on a goniostat, but this is a bit complicated, and is meant to sharpen the tool on a flat surface.  Adapting it to the Tormek would be difficult.

Today, I came upon this idea.  It is a two-piece jig that I made today on my metal lathe.  The pieces are shown below separated, and together :

The rod is ¾" diameter, hot-rolled steel, and the collar is aluminum.


The calculations used for sharpening the cutter are :

When the cutter is mounted in the jig and held against the wheel, this is how it looks :

The measured angle is exactly as needed, and this works wonderfully.


if you want more details, please contact me.

Rich

[Please note: I have not tried this approach with knives. It may or may not be the best.]

Ken,

I recognize that this reply is a bit off the knife topic, but wanted to add it due to your note about high speed steel (HSS) and the black wheel (SB-250).

My experience has shown that reshaping a tool where the cutting edge is more than ⅛" (2-3 mm) wide is REALLLY slow on the Tormek wet grinder.  If I need to reshape an edge on something like a skew or a point tool :

• I reshape it on the high speed grinder using the BGM-100 to hold the universal support bar (USB), and hold the tool using the appropriate Tormek jig.  Note :  I do stop often to cool the tool in water.
• Then, I sharpen the tool on the Tormek grinder.

This takes me well under 10 minutes, even with setup. 

When I tried to reshape such tools on the Tormek grinder, it could take upwards of an hour.  I highly recommend the BGM-100 when reshaping.  It has been a worthwhile investment for lathe tools.   

Please note:   I have not tried this approach with knives.   It may or may not be the best. 

Kind regards,
Rich

PekkaK,

If you replace the drive wheel, I recommend you also replace the drive shaft.  Ken mentioned it with his comment about the quick release nut.  That is a great improvement, and the new shaft is stainless steel.  I would beg that the shaft you have is probably rusted, so replacing it would be good also. 

Rich

[Problem Statement :]

Bob,

You and a number of other Tormekers got me thinking about how to make an easy way to calculate non-standard measurements on the Tormek.

Problem Statement :  If you want to quickly calculate how to grind an angle for sharpening, and the "normal" tools (e.g., the TTS-100 Turning Tool Setter) don't fit the bill, how would you proceed ?

I found this to be the case when sharpening a 4mm veiner.  The 55mm projection worked fine using the B hole, but that won't be the case as I shorten the tool over time.  Eventually, I won't be able to provide a 55mm projection.


Discussion :  Certainly, the typical approach is to use the WM-200 AngleMaster to set the angle, and play around with the gap between the Universal Support Bar (USB) and the grindstone.  But that is a bit cumbersome, and I'm not a big fan of the WM-200.  I find it a bit clunky to use.


Proposed Solution :  I took the calculation methods that others like Wootz, Jan, and CBRX have outlined and programmed them into a web tool for this use.  You can get to it via my site, http://SharpeningHandbook.info.  I've put links in on the knife sharpening pages (it is the little calculator icon), or you can go directly there via this link :  http://sharpeninghandbook.info/indexCalcProj.html .  (I added a link at the bottom of that page that outlines the methodology I use, but here is the direct link to that :  http://sharpeninghandbook.info/indexCalcProjDetails.html .)


Initial Field Testing Results :  I tested this approach on a tool I was using for my Ornamental Turning Lathe.  I needed a cutter with a 60° included cutting angle (30° bevel angle).  This cutter is made from ⅛" round rod stock.  Small stuff and difficult to handle in a traditional manner.  (You can see what this cutter looks like at this link :  it is the small triangular piece of steel mounted in the brass ferrule, at the far right part of the picture.  http://www.billooms.com/Resources/OTCutting/HCF.jpg ).

I set the projection at 40mm and the distance from the USB to the wheel at 8mm (as that is what was calculated for my grindstone diameter).

I tried to use the SVS-50 Multi Jig to hold the rod, but found the short projection made this difficult due to my need to rotate the rod some where between 180° and 270°.  The SVS-50 kept hitting the grindstone.  So, I resorted to holding the cutter in a round collar with a 7/16" internal diameter. 

After sharpening the rod to a point, then grinding off the top side so the flat came to the point, I found that the angle produced was pretty darn close to 60° !!  Frankly, it is good enough for what I need to do.


My Ask :  I am seeking feedback on this approach.  It is different from Wootz', and that is purposeful.  His approach seems great for a production knife sharpener, but this is meant to be a little more generic in nature.


Kind regards,
Rich


Note Regarding Sharping the Cutter in the Future :  I will soon be building a goniostat to hold the cutter when sharpening on the Tormek.  Mine will be similar to the one shown here :  https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0e/16/05/0e16059c5c9ef63c1420518c09669585.jpg .  More on that when I get it built and tested ...

Ken let me use his SJ stone before I bought one.  I used his Nagura stone & it worked greatly. 

I've not gotten around to buying a Nagura stone for my SJ stone, but I find that the stone grader works well. 

Rich

Carl,

I've sharpened tools like punches using a drill.   I mount the punch in the drill and then spin it whilst holding the edge against the grinding wheel.  (Here's a link to this discussion:  https://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=3229.msg18889#msg18889 ).

Could you sharpen the cutting wheel by holding it in a rotating tool like a Dremel or a flex shaft grinder like the Foredom ?

Rich

Mike,

You can probably do it by hand with practice,  but a few thoughts come to my mind :

1. How much practice it will take to get such a perfectly ground, 4-facet grind, &
2. How to ensure you keep that skill unless you practice it often.

Yes, the DBS-22 is a bit of $, but I've found it to be excellent at sharpening my bits, and I use drill bits on all manner of woods, as well as mild steel and other metals. 

I will be looking to learn to use a grinder for a tertiary grind and a secondary point angle (see also Joe Mazoff's article at http://www.newmantools.com/machines/drillpoint.html) for larger bits (especially when I'm drilling on the drill press).

I tried putting an SPA on some carbide bits for my sister :  she's a locksmith and uses them for hardened steel.  No feedback yet on that.

I do have to hand sharpen my Forstner bits, but use the Tormek jig for all the twist drills.

Rich

Rick,

I found that the sharpened drill bits caused less blowout, especially on burl wood.

Kind regards,
Rich

Rick,

My father-in-law once used one of my chisels to open a paint can.  Even my wife was appalled.

From that point on, I made sure he had a paint can opener nearby !!

Kind regards,
Rich