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Wolfgang makes a very important point in this online class starting at 13:45. (He mentions this in several other online classes.) He correctly states that it is better to start with the support bar a little too low and then adjust the support bar up. Unfortunately, he does not explain why this is important.

Gears and adjustment screws are designed to allow a little BACKLASH. This gives them a little breathing room in order to function. It is important to note that backlash is not limited to the KJ-45 jig; it effects all jigs requiring an adjustment of the jig and the support bar. It is also not limited to the Tormek; all machinery with screw adjustments (and gears) have some backlash. Nor is backlash limited to tools of lower quality.  Both a bargain and a Lie-Nielsen plane have backlash in their blade depth screws, although the Lie-Nielsen will have less.

Following Wolfgang's recommendation of always raising the support bar for adjustment insures that the microadjust is under strain, (no backlash) and therefore more accurate. It should become a habit.

Ken

Ells,

Check this video on the KnifeGrinders you tube channel.

https://youtu.be/-HBpsQn7frY

I remembered Wootz (Vadim) mentioning something about working with a new felt wheel. I found it here starting at about 27:00.

It doesn't exacly match your situation; however, it leads me to believe it may just be part of breaking in a new felt wheel. I would try buffing several chisels and see if it goes away.

Please keep us posted.

Ken

Rod,

You are making progress, not there yet, but going in the right direction. The grinding wheel graded coarse should do "the heavy lifting". Grading it fine should reduce, but not eliminate the scratches. This stage should not take much time. You don't mention using the leather honing wheel. That's where the real polishing happens. After the leather honing wheel, you should have very few scratches.

How do your chisels cut after you sharpen them?

Ken

Rimu,

Your KJ-45 is not defective. The slight bow in the middle is an intentional design feature. Cabinetmakers often use the same principle to edge joint boards for glue joints. It is called a spring joint. When clamped, it allows a tighter fit. With the Tormek knife jigs, both the newer KJ jigs and the previous SVM jigs, it places the maximum clamping pressure to the ends of the clamp.

Ken

3D,

The Amazon listing for your product does not list a grit size. The green chromium sticks are commonly .5 micron. Although Wootz specified .25 micron, .5 seems very close. I suspect it would work well for the majority of the knives we sharpen, certainly for mine.

Ken

Welcome to the forum, Lillibror.

To answer your specific question, no, the T4/T8 jigs do not fit the T2. Nor does the R2 knife jig fit the T4 or T8.

"T2 vs T8". May I suggest an alternative? I like the combination of T2 and T4.
The T2 is a specialist machine for sharpening restaurant knives. It is the product of Tormek working with groups like the Swedish Culinary Team. If I had no other choice, I could sharpen my chisels with my T2. It would work, although, it would be clumsy and outside the T2's primary design area.

Why the T4 instead of the T8? The 200 mm diameter diamond grinding wheels are interchangeable between the T4 and the T2. If, at some point, if you purchase all three (DC-200; DF-200; and DE-200), this represents a substantial investment.
Most users find the DF sufficient for their needs; however, it is convenient to be able to interchange these three wheels between the two machines.

You are asking an important question, one worthy of real thought.

Please keep us posted.

Ken

Here is a link to an alcohol based diamond spray supplier:

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/ri1midisp2oz.html

Ken

Thanks for posting this, CB.

As much as I like the depth of the online classes, I can see also see the value in these short, one question videos. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Ken

PS Well done, Sebastien!

Welcome to the forum, Tilly.

My first thought is that you are correct; those chisels are too short. Traditionally, woodworkers used "bench chisels" while at the workbench. They often had some shorter chisels called "butt chisels" when working away from the shop.

Standard advice is to use the SVS-38 Short Tool Jig. Here is a link:

https://tormek.com/en/products/grinding-jigs/svs-38-short-tool-jig

Keep us posted.

Ken

Regarding the magnet for a T-4, I 3Dprinted a tab that hangs on the end of the water trough and used super glue to fasten a rare earth magnet in a recess. Quick and dirty way to solve the issue.

Interesting idea. My one suggestion would be to tape on a magnet temporarily. Live with it for a few sharpening sessions to make sure you sure you like the placement.

I think 3D printing will have an increasingly prominent role with Tormek accessories.

Ken

I understand and agree with your views Ken. However, this tool is not intended to be a precision tool, it is intended to simplify and speed up the setting and to avoid measuring and keeping track of various measurements and calculations.

Perra, I had a chance to study your tool. I am impressed. You and I are definitely on the same page striving for simplicity. Just as the Tormek is capable of a wide range of sharpening requirements, you and I have different ideas of "simplicity".

When I first started designing the kenjig, I had three target audiences in mind. The first group was new users. The kenjig was designed to simplify the learning curve by allowing the newby to concentrate on grinding without worrying about setting the machine and knife jig. The second group was very infrequent users, the home basement sharpener who sharpened his wife's kitchen knives once every year or two. Again, the kenjig allowed the infrequent user to focus on grinding. The third group came later. This group included farmers market sharpeners who regularly sharpen a hundred knives on a Saturday morning. The automated setting with the kenjig shaved time off of every knife.

At the time, all of my kitchen knives were Henckels. I decided to standardize on 15 degrees per side bevels. With a 15° kenjig and my marker, I can handle the majority of my knife needs. Fine tuning can be augmented with the microadjust, if needed. I understand that other users may want more versatility with angle adjustment.

Other forum members suggested variations on the basic kenjig to automatically compensate for wheel wear. I wasn't too worried about this. Lengthening the groove for Distance setting by one millimeter for each ten millimeters of diameter wear will compensate for this. Occasional sharpeners can go a long time before needing to make adjustments. Also, diamond wheels do not change diameter.

Please continue with your innovative ideas. That is how our forum grows.

Ken

For some time I have been thinking about putting together a "warmup routine" for Tormek sharpening similar to the warmups athletes use. One good candidate for this would be to routinely loosen and retighten the EZYlock before each sharpening session. This would involve perhaps ten seconds. I suspect that overtightening is cumulative over time. A loosening/retightening routine would "reset the torque clock" to zero at the start of each sharpening session. With this simple routine, combined with occasionally lightly greasing the face of the stone washer facing away from the grinding wheel, and lightly hand tightening the EZYlock, should banish stuck EZYlocks forever.

Tooljunkie, I remember you from my early days on the forum. Have you been able to loosen your EZYlock? If we could get a dozen or two members like you and me to make the loosening/retightening part of our every session routine, I think we would have good supporting evidence for a good preventative program.

Be thinking about additional components for a routine warmup program.

Ken

Perra,

I believe we are essentially on the same page. I admit that I probably overfocused on your precision thoughts and need to look more closely at your measuring tool. I will study your ideas more thoroughly and post my thoughts.

Ken

Well stated, Wim.

Ken

"Don't know what deviation Tormek's Anglemaster has.

What deviation do you think is acceptable on a tool like this to use it?"

It is important to remember the function of any measuring tool and its practical deviation. Even a world class precision toolmaker like Starrett makes tools of different deviations for different requirements. Even Starrett's basic protractor type tools for measuring angles are reasonably accurate. The hash marks on its measuring tools are "engine cut" with sharp v shapes, rather than photo etched. Its more accurate protractors have more precise verniers and measure to five minutes or arc. (60 minutes of arc equal one degree) This level of accuracy is adequate for most tool and die work. An anglemaster of this accuracy might cost several hundred dollars.

For laboratory work, precision angle gage blocks are necessary. At this level, these gages are generally shipped to the National Bureau of Standards periodically for inspection and be priced accordingly.

The Anglemaster, like all measuring tools, is a balance between adequate precision and reasonable cost.

I have happily used Dutchman's tables since he first posted them in 2013. They are still my "go to" reference, although I sometimes use and like CB's Calcapp.

The real advances in knife sharpening are coming in honing, deburring. I don't see any real benefit in ultra precise bevel angle setting. I see real benefits in more thorough deburring.

Ken