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Messages - Ken S

#1
General Tormek Questions / Re: SCC-150I
Today at 06:09:25 AM
I assume you mean ACC (Anti Corrosion Concentrate). My keyboard does the same thing.  :)

Tormek recommends it (primarily) for diamond wheels and also for any of the other Tormek wheels. Are you using it at the recommended dilution, one part concentrate to twenty five parts water? I suspect the exact ratio is not critical; however, I have always followed Tormek's recommendation.

I always rinse and dry my trough when I empty it.

I have never used the Trend lapping fluid, so I can't offer an opinion on it, pro or con. ACC offers corrosion, needed for the steel wheels. If left to aur dry, it also leaves corrosion protection for tools.

Ken
#2
Welcome to the forum, Steve, and kudos for volunteering at the non profit.

I think the DF-200 wheel is a logical choice for you.I have and like the T4. When Tormek designed the T2, which is specifically designed for commercial kitchens, it was designed for only the DF-200. (The original wheel designation was DWS-200. This was before Tormek introduced the other diamond wheels. The thinking was that the 600 grit was a good balance between fast cutting and a smooth finish. the DWC-200 360 grit was later added at the request of a large Swedish customer.

600 grit  wheel is provided with the T2, T1 and the Black 50 Year edition of the T8. I believe the DF-200 would serve you very well.

Make sure to use light grinding pressure. I recommend using ACC solution with water. A child's medicine graduate, inexpensive and available at a pharmacy or grocery store, plus a plastic peanut butter jar will serve you very well.
j
Please keep us posted.

Ken

PS I suggest you acquire the DF-200 before your SG-200 is worn out. The SG lets you add a small radius on the corners with the stone grader. This is useful in sharpening bird's eye shaped knives.
#3
We would like to think we live in an exact world of numbers. The real world is either within or outside of tolerance. If our morning coffee is a pleasant temperature to drink, it is within tolerance. If it is too hot to drink or cold, it is outside of tolerance.  with sharpening, if a sharpening step takes too long, it is outside tolerance. If the operation takes too long, an exact grit number doesn't really matter.

We also live in a marketed world. Beginners usually gravitate toward products described as easy to use with minimal steps. Beginners do not have the knowledge to realize that superior sharpening results come from practice and effort.

Grit numbers are just one of several factors. They are also not static. They are variable. Experienced sharpeners just accept this and march on. The online classes teach that using the leather honing wheel with PA-70 after the SJ will remove the tiny burr created by the SJ. Without getting too deep into the weeds, that seems like a logical step to me.

Ken
#4
Knife Sharpening / Re: pricing advice
May 16, 2025, 07:23:27 PM
I used to have a side business which included archival processing of black and white film and prints. This was low volume, labor intensive processing. Part of my conversation with potential customers was explaining why I needed to charge more than the local drug store. Some agreed, some went elsewhere.

Knife sharpening is the same kind of situation. We need to explain to potential customers why careful sharpening with a Tormek needs to cost more than "drug store" sharpening. Some will agree, some will go elsewhere.

As a suggestion, you might offer to sharpen one knife without charge. That might convince a doubting customer. If not, let them go.

Ken
#5
Hand Tool Woodworking / blunt chisels
May 15, 2025, 02:13:39 PM
Over the years, I have learned a lot from James Hamilton (Stumpy Nubs). This technique of grinding and using a blunt chisels couldn't be easier. Like most woodworkers, I have a number of spare chisels. Here isa link:

https://youtu.be/FFF1ekRg3bA?si=jTno8SJsRTHw72tm

Ken
#6
Knife Sharpening / Re: SVM 45 Dimensions
May 15, 2025, 02:45:15 AM
I like the idea of a separate screw in shaft.

Ken
#7
Knife Sharpening / Re: SVM 45 Dimensions
May 14, 2025, 06:15:29 PM
Width of jaws = 45mm

Interior length of adjustable end stop = 38mm

Length from end of jaws to adjustable end stop in neutral position = 120mm

Length from end of jaws to adjustable end stop minimal length = 113mmb

The SVM jigs made before had shafts which were 35mm longer. This extra length would be useful to keep paring knives at uniform Projection with wider knives.

i don't think exact measurements are critical for thesejigs.

Please keep us posted.

Ken
#8
  Good point, Sarah.However, let's make it a better point. Instead of just charging say $10 to sharpen one drill bit, why not offer d volume discount, say $50 for six drill bits? Pick a number and price which sounds good to you. Most people cannot resist a bargain, especially for an honest service and price.

Ken
#9
Knife Sharpening / pricing advice
May 13, 2025, 05:38:46 PM
I do not sharpen for money, although I have a hobbiest curiousity in how sharpening services run and price their services. I found this video today and was impressed with the practical advice Warren Jones shares for local sharpeners.

https://youtu.be/-W67G4PHKnA?si=ExYo9oHh5zSrudy6

Ken
#10
Drill Bit Sharpening / Re: drill sharpener
May 13, 2025, 04:13:01 PM
I have always considered the DB#-22 to be Tormek's most sophisticated, advanced jig. Those willing to put in the work of thoroughly understanding it and practicing with it will be richly rewarded, hopefully financially and certainly with a deeper understanding of the Tormek.

Ken
#11
Knife Sharpening / Re: Self-centering knife jig
May 13, 2025, 01:05:11 AM
Good thought.

Ken
#12
Knife Sharpening / Re: Self-centering knife jig
May 12, 2025, 11:45:05 PM
I am all for creative ideas. However, the jig shown in this photo looks too large to be practical to me. The "standard" knife jigs, both SVM-45 and KJ-45, are designed for most knives. The wider jigs are only used with knives which are both long and slender, like a long fillet knife.

The jig in the photo looks like it is designed for very long, thin knives. In my opinion, I think it would be clumsy for most knives. Please let me know if other members disagree.

Ken
#13
Drill Bit Sharpening / Re: drill sharpener
May 12, 2025, 02:17:29 AM
Welcome to the forum, Tim. I hold John in high regard, and I am a devoted fan of the Tormek online classes. However, with the DBS-22, my first recommendation would be the video Alan Holtham made for Tormek. Alan made it around the time the DBS-22 was introduced. I have owned my DBS-22 for many years, but use it infrequently. Whenever I use it, I always watch Alan's video first to refresh my skill. Here is a link:

https://youtu.be/fSUa1iFUzkM?si=zF1taOfMlfBHES1V

Keep us posted.

Ken
#14
Andrew,

Your jig design looks like it has possibilities. When I developed the kenjig many years ago, I wanted to have a set up whichwould eliminate or at least greatly lessen the need to reset for individual knives. The constraint I encountered was the thread length of the jig shaft. Tormek knife jigs made before 1992 had longer threaded shafts. They were redesigned because some users were leaning on them.

I set up the kenjig to work with three preset jigs to accommodate the range of widths of kitchen jigs. Fine tuning was accomplised by how deeply the knives were placed in the jigs. To use 139mm Projection universally, I had to use the SVM-00 with the SVM-45. I found this clumsy. Your longer shaft would overcome this. As the end stop would be preset, threading would not be necessary.

Good design!

Ken
#15
Hand Tool Woodworking / Re: Square edge
May 10, 2025, 05:23:53 AM
Welcome to the forum, Brent. Chisels and plane irons are my favorite tools to sharpen! A few tips will get you up and running.

First, make sure your grinding wheel is true and dressed. Spend some time studying the Tormek online classes to to make sure you understand the stone grader Make sure your grinding wheel feels coarse. Using a grinding wheel which is "sorta coarse" will lengthen your grinding time considerably.

Using the angle notches in the Anglemaster, see how close your bevel angles are to what you want.Resharpening to the same angle should be quick. 25° is the standard angle. If your tools are far off that mark, consider correcting the angle over several sharpenings.

You will want a black Sharpie marker and a small square.The black marker will tell where you are grinding on the bevel. Used in combination with the small square, it will also tell you if you are grinding square. I recommend spinning the grinding wheel by hand (power off) and then checking with the square. Get your setting right before completing the sharpening. Why waste time grinding out of square?  :)

With experience,this checking will take little time, certainly less than regrinding to correct out of square grinding. Develop a light touch with the two small adjustment knobs.

For what it's worth, I don't grind secondary micro bevels. They go back to the bench stone days when sharpening by hand was labor intensive. Let the electric motor of the Tormek do the heavy lifting. As you start to feel your tool starting to cut a bit slower, touch up the sharpness. One of the forum oldtimers says,"the fastest reload is a second gun". If you have a second sharp chisel at the ready, you are back in business.

Please keep us posted.

Ken