Messages

You may also want to try using less pressure when sharpening and honing. A more delicate touch is also a good skill if you ever move to the diamond wheels.

I agree strongly with this ^^^^ ... and watching closely the little hump of water pushed up as the blade contacts the stone (edge-leading), which should be as uniform as possible all the way across. 

I wonder if that flattening stone wouldn't wear with use in a way similar to the Tormek grading stone.  I would opt for using diamond plates.  While they may wear out, they won't ever get uneven like the grading stone and possibly that flattening stone. 

Hi, how are you? I can't find it. I saw a link to a knife sharpness chart here on the forum. It looks like a test. How to check the sharpness of a knife when you don't have a device. I remember there being mention of cash register tape -?Bess and cigarette paper- ?Bess .....
Thanks.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Peaceful skies.

The chart you seek can be found in Vadim's book, "Knife Deburring".  Amazing and informative book.

It is also in the BESS PT50 series manual.  See below, PDF file and a JPG image

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Is the blade worn something like this?
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/BPWKJC/an-old-chefs-knife-which-has-been-sharpened-until-the-blade-is-worn-BPWKJC.jpg
It would be useful to see a photo of your knife to be able to advise you better.
"A picture is worth a thousand words" as they say...

Danny

Yes, or what is sometimes referred to as a "Bird's Beak", like this.

...snip...
And finally, I have read about the FVB, I was waiting a bit to buy one because I didn't need one enough to purchase one. It never occurs to me that the the MB-102 can do that job.
...snip...

Yes, Tormek had the MB-100 initially.  They modified it to add the vertical holes to hold a USB in the vertical position, to provide the functionality of an FVB, thus the MB-102.  An astounding move on their part as they have not incorporated user's concepts much in their highly guarded patents, etc., but much welcomed by their user communities.   

...snip...

It could almost work like this. The problem is because the resting plate is so wide, the second scissor kind of touch the plate (closing the scissors).

To fix it, I put a piece of wood on top of the plate. While the scissor is open 90 degree, it can go as far as the stone.

To be able to have a proper angle, I also had to thicken the piece of wood.

...snip...

Very interesting and curious. 

One curiosity is, why do you not use the standard scissors jig platform rather than the Tormek SVD-100 Tool Rest? It has at least two advantages, 1) plastic sliding surface for easier movement and 2) allows getting the support bar closer to the grinding wheel, providing more support close to the wheel. 

You cannot view this attachment.

An obvious answer could be that it is wider than the SVD-100 which makes the interference at the wheel worse, which is your primary issue (red ellipse in image). 

You cannot view this attachment.

I see two things you could try, one being most likely to solve the problem, the other may help with this, but many of us have found to be a huge help in other ways. 

1) Modify the platform jig, whichever one you use, to remove material to eliminate the interference.  It could be as simple as using a hacksaw to cut away the entire side of the platform.  Or it could be just removing some of the underside that slides on the USB so that the platform can move/slide over further before is stopped by the USB.  I did this a couple way.  Sort of the first option was to cut the scissors jig into two pieces and modified them to provide narrower platforms.  The second is shown in the photo with the several jigs, lower left corner one.  It is also shown, more elegantly with by the cutaway on the underside of the drill bit platfrom, which was done on a milling machine. 

You cannot view this attachment.

You cannot view this attachment.

The other thought, that goes to needing to elevate the work with the wooden block, is to use the Tormek MB-102 and a USB to achieve that elevation, yet allow you to use jigs and platforms directly on the USB bar.  This sort of device was originated by the late Vadim Kraichuk of Knife Grinders of Australia, known as the "Frontal Vertical Base" (FVB), in part to provide clearance of the knife and jig during honing.  The functionality of the FVB has since been incorporated into the modified Multi-Base, MB-102.

You cannot view this attachment.

Any marker will do.  I prefer Sharpie markers. 

Be forewarned, using markers on sharp edges will ruin the tips, whittling them down to little nubs.  So, only use markers you are willing to have damaged and made unusable for other purposes. 

Not my idea, someone else's here on the forum, but I've used it, at least before I made my own FVB, back when the concept first appeared.  I was going to edit my reply to recommend that your next purchase be the MB-120, if nothing else just for its FVB function.  It's a game changer. 

I'm not sure how you'd use the MB-120 for plane blades and chisels on the side, I just do them on the vertical USB.  I have all the diamond wheels and a couple CBN and have never done any work on the sides. 

...snip...
 As you mentioned, the Tormek video does showing stropping with the USB in the vertical position but they do state that the clamp jig may come in contact with the first holding screw, I was wondering if once I set the correct angle (I also bought the KS-123) then could I just remove the screw? the right screw would still be tightened and the fine adjuster ring would stop the USB from moving forward!
...snip...

Rather than remove the knob(screw), I would try replacing it with a set-screw (some people call these "grub screws").  Takes a touch longer to secure, but removes the interference while providing the clearance.  Some do this with the locking screw on the knife jigs, when that knob interferes. 

Most set-screws one can buy in local/chain hardware stores are "cup-tip", which is a conical shaped cavity in the middle, leaving a circular sharp ridge near the outer diameter.  These will "cut" into the shafts and are meant for situations where the set screw is tighten and left tight so it will securely hold the shaft in more permanently.  You do not want that. 

Look at the end of the Tormek locking screws.  They are flat, which is what you want.  Filing the cup points down will help a lot, but flat-tip set screws are available, at least from online stores like McMaster-Carr, the problem there being they often have to be bought in small - medium quantities (10, 25, 50).  It is rare to find flat-tip set screws in local hardware stores, particularly for these, M6x1.0 metric screws in the USA. 

AND, do you will want Stainless Steel.  Plain steel will rust.

Cup-tip
You cannot view this attachment.

Flat-tip
You cannot view this attachment.

I was wondering if there is a honing wheel I could buy that is the same diameter as the T8 Diamond wheels?

The reason I ask is that I am new to the T8 system and my biggest problem is getting a honing angle that I am comfortable with. I have the KS 123 so I am able to change the height of the universal support fairly quickly but it would be nice to just remove the support over to the honing wheel and start honing straight away. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

...snip...
The problem is that there is not enough room for longer knives if you set it up like this.

A better solution would be to have a different setup.
...snip...

It might be helpful to see a picture of your setup.  It may also be helpful for you to describe more about what is the difficulty "getting a honing angle that I am comfortable with".

Standard T8 with the USB on the front of the machine only, grinding and honing edge-trailing?  Or grinding on the rear mounted USB, edge-leading and honing on the front mounted USB directly in the stock USB horizontal position, edge-trailing? 

As Dan points out, mounting a 10" honing wheel can be done, but if you are grinding bevels on the USB mounted on the front/horizontal position, the honing wheel height will likely interfere with the movement of longer knives to the left (honing wheel side). 

If you are grinding edge-trailing from the USB on the front, a possible solution might be to add what we refer to as the "Frontal Vertical Base" (FVB).  The Tormek MB-120 provides this functionality and there are some third-party FVBs available. 

A front mounted USB in the horizontal slots only allows for a horizontal adjustment in the USB position for angle changes.  Adding an FVB adds a vertical adjustment, greatly expanding flexibility of angle positioning.  It also raises the knife/jig assembly, helping to clear the honing wheel when working with longer knives.

I think this arrangement is highly likely to solve your difficulty in "getting a honing angle that I am comfortable with" as well as clearing either an 8" or 10" honing wheel. 

Also, if you are grinding from the front mounted USB, have you tried grinding edge-leading on the rear mounted USB?  If so, or even if not, perhaps you could elaborate on how/why that would not work for you. 

If you are not familiar with the FVB and if you are interested in learning more, do a search here in the knife sharpening subforum for "FVB" or "Frontal Vertical Base".  I got 29 hits using "FVB" and 57 using "Frontal Vertical Base", not doubt some would be duplicates and many would not be relevant to getting a basic understanding, but you'd learn a lot. 

This is a bit of an old post, but I have just recently done something quite similar, using a Vevor 1x30 Belt Grinder.  These pictures only show the setup with the XB-100, the MB-120 and a USB, but it should be clear enough. 

I've tried using the platform pictured for freehand knife sharpening, both edge-trailing and edge-leading.  I've never liked free-hand and this is not much different.  Hard to keep the blade in position on the platform when in edge-trailing (the safer manner).  Not bad edge-leading.  The Vevor variable speed can bring the belt speed down to about 2/3 the surface speed of a 10" Tormek wheel, but I've been using it a good bit faster than that. 

Using a knife in a Tormek knife jig is much better, pretty much just like using one on a Tormek, edge-trailing (which I just about only do for honing). Edge-trailing, the belt keeps the knife/jig combo in position and the grinding motion/action is just like on a Tormek, except narrower working surface.  Have not tried it edge-leading, but I suspect it will have the same issue with holding position as does free-hand edge-trailing.  Maybe that is just a muscle memory thing that can be learned-away. 

I do not plan on abandoning my T8.  This belt grinder is intended to replace two other belt grinders and two bench grinders, at least as far a presence in my one-car garage shop is concerned.  Just not enough space for all that I had when in a two-car garage.  The belt grinder will live and play in the garage shop. The T8 lives and plays in the back bedroom, that I've turned into a workroom.  I do not want grinding dust from any belt or bench grinder in the workroom. 

Thought I'd check sharpness on the one knife done so far, in setup and testing.  Using only a 100 grit Cubitron belt (@15ºdps), honing on the T8 composite honing wheel at (+2º), finishing on a hanging leather strop:

BESS sharpness tester, grams of force:
After grinding, with burr:  650
After honing:                173
After leather strop:        113

In summer this year we have discussed the importance of pivoting the knife when sharpening its point. See http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=2562.15 At this occasion I have introduced prototype of my tool's entitled Knife Tip Point Setting Template.
...snip...

The template can be  downloaded/printed  from the following address:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xqwn5xuk0r07z5d/TEMPLATE_139MM.pdf?dl=1
 
Print the image at the actual original size and check that the projection length is really 139 mm.

Jan
...snip...

Responding to a post about this template, complaining that it doesn't work with the new knife jigs (KJ-'s), I created a modified template based on the shorter, fixed projection of the KJ jigs.  An image of it is posted below, as is the PDF file.  Both may require scaling when printing to get the dimensions accurate, but I really think it doesn't matter as the 120mm projection is the actual distance from the lips of the jaws to the fixed stop, so it is smaller than what is actually possible to use as a projection. 

Rick

Best description of hardening and tempering and why that I've ever read/heard (not that I have much of either). 

...snip...
Thinking PA-70 is finer than 5 micron.
...snip...

In Tormek's own words.  Average 3 microns, but does not give a range. 

A "Perplexity AI" search yields:

"The Tormek PA-70 honing paste has an average abrasive particle size of about 3 microns, providing a fine polish for honed edges. Some sources mention a particle size range from 3 to 1 micron, but the most consistent specification is the 3-micron average"

A creative mind and a bit of ingenuity can go a long way, which is amply evident in all that Rich Colvin does. 

The manual for the RB-140 is here.  It states that the range of blade sizes it works with is 80-140mm.  But If the mounting shaft size is 12mm, as every other Tormek jig is, it will likely "fit" on the standard USB. From there, it could be just figuring out how to make it work.  28mm is pretty small (1.1"), so that could be your biggest challenge and Rich's jig may be a better approach. 

Do a search on the forum for the jig, using the term "RBS-140 Round Blade" and read what discussion there has been about this jig and round blades in general.  It does return some irrelevant stuff.