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To answer your question about the magnets, I've always had 2x 25mm rare earth magnets tape to the side of the trough since the beginning. But after years of use, the side of the wheel is dull and does not cut. It is interesting that they recommend the side of the wheel to flatten chisels and plane blades, but do not mention how to maintain it after some use. We'll see. The dressing wheel is one option.

-John Vergara
www.johnvergaramusic.com

Jeffs55,

It's not that I want the side of the stone flat, I just want it to be able to cut again.. it's basically either clogged and/or too dull to cut.

Hell all, I've had the Tormek T7 since 2008. The side of my stone (used to flattening the backs of chisels and plane irons) is pretty black and clogged with shmutz. So the cutting action is much less. Any advice on cleaning the side of the stone really good? I've tried using the truing stone, but that doesn't seem sufficient. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

-John Vergara
www.johnvergaramusic.com

The slightly deeper cut worked. I did it before receiving your message. I'm not sure if I understand why, but its cutter better. Also much more coarse and cuts quicker. I wish it could be like that all the time.

My plane iron is almost perfectly straight and square. Thank you!

Sorry for the large pictures. If you save them you can see them in full.

Ok.. So here is my major contribution to the forum.

Violin-makers and other instrument makers have very unique tools, and are used to making and modifying their tools for specific and unique jobs. As far as I know, there aren't any jigs ideal for small finger planes, from 1" in length, to 1-1/2".

This is how I figured out how to sharpen my finger plane blades (rounded) on my Tormek..

Its basically a small C-clamp torqued on very tight. Its rounded so you can turn it to accomomdate the shape of the edge of a rounded plane blade. It works really well and I great a great edge.

I'm trying to sharpen one of my plane irons again and getting odd results.

Even after truing the stone following the proceedure from the video and book and/or dressing the stone, the right edge of the stone about 4mm is the only area that seems to cut well and quickly. Making an uniniform cut. The rest of the stone doesn't seem to eat enough material. I'm not sure if its higher at the edge 4mm or so, or the ceramic there is more abrasive so it cuts more. Either way I did true the stone paralell to the universal support bar and checked it by lowering the bar and saw that the light was even shining through. Please, some advice here.

I think thats what I'll end up doing. Thank you.

I'm wondering if I should invest in the truing tool, or  just return the T3 and get the T7?

Does the truing tool come with the T7 or 2000? What is the name of the jig exactly?
I'm wondering if it is overly wobbly, how would truing the surface fix the vibration. But I guess I'll give it a try. It still doesn't solve the aspect of possibly something wrong with the entire machine as the honing wheel seems to wobble as well.
I do not have a problem with sharpness, as I get a great razor sharp edge and my left arm is missing a lot of hair. But it is actually more  important to be square first, then sharp.

Ok. Well took a good look at it again when I got home from work. Noticed, wow, yeah, its wobbling. Well, just how much wobble is acceptable? For gouges this kind of wobbling is ok, but not a large plane iron that is needed to joining. So I took the drive shaft apart entirely. Put it on my granite inspection slab, and it didn't seem to roll perfectly. But its hard to judge it like that. I found and it was also greased up so it could have been sticking to the surface a bit. Put it back together, and still rocking the same. I sacrificed a cheap Buck bros plane iron which had never been sharpened before. I first checked for squareness with a small 2" engineer square (which I've been using during this entire process) and it was square before I began. I inked up the bevel. Set it up on the jig nice and square.. and with no power just rolled the stone across by hand and ink was removed specifically on the left side only. Which made me look at the tool support bar. Which has a nasty play in it (T3 at least from my experience) that allows it to rock left and right, and if you apply some pressure it can bend a good 2+ mm on the end.
So, possible two problems. The rocking I looked into further by lifting the blade ever so slightly off of the stone, and when the stone makes a revolution it just bearly nicks the blade. Its rocking for sure. Is this normal for T3 since its a lesser model? I don't know. But I think this machine isn't going to work for me. Maybe you have received great results with  aT7, and maybe thats something I need to look into. I love the machine, but I wish it could give me the perfection thats required out of my work. But after all, I could still be wrong about all this, but I'm going in the other direction right now.
I'm wondering if there is anyone out there that can do what I need with a T3.

I have a beautiful granite inspection surface 18x12. I'll roll the shaft across that when I get home. Also, this is the T3 model, its its a smaller unit but not sure of there are tolerance differents. The top holes for the tool bar that you would use for plane irons seem to be made of plastic. And if you press down, they bend left with the weight of the force. I also wonder if that can add to the issues. I see the T7 seems to have Al for the bar instead.

I haven't trued the stone yet as I haven't purchased the jig. This machine is only a few days old. As I mentioned, the wobbling seems to be in unison with both wheels acting together. The wobbling is more side to side as in x-axis. So I'm not sure what truing would do for that.

I bought the machine from Woodcraft in Norwalk, CT. I'm not sure if I should bring it back or what I should do. I love it, just need a perfect edge on my plane blades.

Jeff,

I have tried the recommendations. It still is producing erratic cuts on my plane blade. I'm afraid to sharpen anything that requries squareness. I had to fix my plane blade on a flat stone, which now its square and perfect. I don't trust this wobbling. Did you see the 2nd video? You said video as in singular. There is a second video that I made the camera stationary. I think the second video is more clear.  Look at the edge of the stone, it seems obvious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jciTLQ6BRTw

As a violin-maker I need to join two pieces of wood perfectly with a dead straight and square blade. I'm just too nervous to put a blade back on there like this. Its a lovely machine, but I've had it only 3 or 4 days now.