Messages

I have two suggestions:

The first is to use the standard leather honing wheel. use the KS-123 set up jig to set the grinding wheel and the leather honing wheel. Use one support bar in the vertical position for grinding. Use a second support bar in the horizontal position for honing. The KS-123 makes this set up very fast. There is no need to remove a wheel.

The second suggestion is to devote some time to learning how to hone free hand. This is the  way the Tormek instructors work. While this skill may require some time to learn, once learned it will serve you for a lifetime.


Ken

I agree with Sir Amwell. In my opinion, the use of CBN wheels dry evolved from one vendor being fed up with warranty complaints from customers carelessly leaving grinding wheels in the water troughs when not in use. I think Tormek reluctantly went along with dry use to placate the dry customers. The Tormek is a wet grinder.

I have watched very skillful Tormek users work with almost no spillage. I believe excessive spillage is largely caused by overfilling the trough. The Tormek instructors use their machines with ACC in the online classes. If users can afford several diamond or CBN wheels, the cost of ACC should not be a problem.

Ken

Done. Thank you, Tormek IT!

Ken

Rich,
As a thrifty person, I understand wanting to squeeze all of the juice from a grinding wheel. However, I would interject another point of view. The late Terry Beech was one of the most prolific Tormek knife sharpeners. He was also one of the thriftiest. His mobile shop was an ancient VW bus. His Tormek was an ancient model he purchased used. In addition to his local sharpening he also coached sharpeners. Here is a link to his obituary:

https://montereybayfarmers.org/market-news/the-sharpest-guy-at-the-market

He routinely replaced his grinding wheels once they were worn to 220mm, because beyond that point they became inefficient. Surface speed is circumference x RPM. Below 220mm he felt the wheel slow down interfered with grinding efficiency.

Ken

I learned how to drive with a stick shift on a VW Bug in the 1960s. It was great fun, and met all my driving needs. I won't disparage all the improvements over the years; however, if I was still driving, that VW would still fulfill my needs.

My sharpening needs have always been simple. I sharpen only my own tools and knives. My kitchen knives are Victorinox and Henckel. Other knives are an assortment of basic SAK, Mora, and Buck. I have no desire to own more exotic higher priced knives. I fully acknowledge that my sharpening needs might change if I sharpened more exotic knives or sharpened professionally. I don't see that happening.

For my needs, the SG is all that I need. ( I have noticed that the Tormek instructors on the online classes almost universally prefer the SG, although they have full access to any of the Tormek grinding wheels.) Gradual wear in the SG is really not a big deal. Nor is using the stone grader to adjust the grit. Foro forty years, that was the only choice for Tormek users and just accepted, just like manual transmission. The SG offers advantages the superabrasive wheels do not have. The wheel can be reshaped with radiused corners, something I recommend for general use. Surface damage can be repaired as well as bringing up fresh grains. The SG has a lot to offer. For those needing to sharpen harder steels frequently, the SB offers these advantages in a wheel designed for harder steels.

Ken

In my opinion, the leather and composite wheels were designed for two different purposes. The leather with honing compound was designed for working with wet sharpening, the "traditional Tormek technique". The composite honing wheel was designed for the T2 and later T1. They were designed to work in commercial or home kitchens where water and honing compound would be undesirable. Tormek later added a composite honing wheel for the T8. The smaller composite wheel also works with the T4, which is essentially the same machine as the T2.

I have both honing wheels. I admit this is overkill for my simple needs. I also have two T8s, each with a different boning wheel. For someone starting out, I would recommend the SG wheel and leather honing wheel with PA-70 honing compound. After gaining proficiency, feel free to spread out if you feel the need.

Ken

My T7 came with the older plastic drive wheel. I had no problem with it;it never cracked. Along with the EZYlock shaft and Advanced Water Tray, I purchased the upgrade parts. I am very impressed with the new zinc drivewheel.I gave my functioning plastic wheel to a friend.

Zinc machining must be a fairly new technology. I believe Tormek first used it for the machined top of the T4 in 2014. It is a game changer. It solves the thirty minute duty cycle overheating problem. Machined zinc top is the major difference between the T7 and T8 as well as the redesigned jigs. I suspect it is also a major factor in the eight year warranty.

For those on a tight budget with the older plastic drive wheel, there is no immediate need to replace it if it is not cracked. I'm sure there are many cracked and glued wheels still doing trooper service. I don't regret replacing mine.

Ken

One overlooked solution is to make the final pass or two with your DF-250 with VERY light pressure. This is demonstrated in the online class covering the T2, but can be applied to any Tormek. This is very fast, not involving any wheel changing. It is also very cost efficient, as no extra expense is involved. It gently transfers the initial honing from the leather wheel to the grinding wheel.

Ken

Carl,

I suggest you email your video and question to support (support@tormek.se). Some of us may have encountered your problem once; however, support handles problems regularly. I am not saying that there are lots of problems. I know the head of support. He has worked for Tormek since the early 1980s. He is very experienced and very dedicated. Incidentally, Tormek does not charge for tech support.

Ken

As forum moderator, I have no problem with adding a gardening tools sub forum. I will email the request to the Tormek IT manager. We added scissors several years ago; I don't know of any objections to adding garden tools.

Ken

Tragically, Wootz' (Vadim) promising sharpening journey was cut short by his early demise. We can only guess where his journey might have gone. In one of his last videos he was starting to work with a diamond wheel. Who knows?

I believe the scope of sharpening is too broad to crown one honing wheel as "the best", just as it would be difficult to pronounce one grinding wheel as "the best". A sharpener working out of a workshop might feel differently than a mobile sharpener. There are too many variables for simple answers.

Ken

Andriy,

I agree with John. The MB-102 will give you a frontal vertical base and a base to mount the diamond wheels for around the cost of just an FVB.

I would start out with just one leather honing wheel and PA-70 compound. That should handle kitchen knives for you. You can easily add another leather, felt wheel and diamond compound later if needed.

I no longer use CBN wheels, so I can't comment on them.

Keep us posted.

Ken

The angle setter on my KS-123 was stiff. I loosened the screw ever so slightly, which solved the problem.

Ken

Carl,

A tip given to me by support: When you install your new EZYlock shaft, put a thin coating of lithium grease on the face of the spacer washer facing away from your grinding wheel.  This should prevent the EZYlock from seizing.

The EZYlock shaft is a real upgrade. It will serve you well.

Keep us posted.

Ken

Andy,

I have used three different models of the BESS tester over the years. Unless you are planning to use the tester to document scientific testing, in my opinion, the enhanced accuracy of the A model is overkill. For a sharpener testing his work, the B accuracy is more than adequate. I recall Mike saying the same thing.

Incidentally, Mike passed away. He was a very good person and will be much missed. The business is presently being run by a family member. The edgeonup.com website has some excellent videos.

Ken