Messages

Rick & cbwx34,

Thank you for the reply and tips for setting the USB.  Light is showing on the left/inside.

The first time it got out of round was when it was under 2 hours of use.  I've been sharpening hand plane blades, bench chisels and turning tools to include skews, gouges, and scrapers.  Nothing too serious. If I had to remove a lot fo metal I ran it trough the slow speed grinder first and then touched it up on the T4.  I could feel the high point in the wheel while applying pressure on the item being sharpened and see it as it made its rotation.  Since then I have paid more attention to it after I trued it out.  The wheel started to do it again, I could hear it and feel it while grinding.  I do grade between the coarses and noticed that sometimes the wheel 'grabs' the stone grader, makes a rotation and grabs it again.  I believe the spot(?) that is grabbing is a flat spot created either by the stone grader or a flaw in the stone as the metal trail in the stone after sharpening doesn't show any gaps or problems where the wheel isnt against the tool. That's another thread though. I don't think I was pressing too hard.  Then just recently while doing a hand plane blade it started getting out of round again.

I think that play in the vertical position is what caused the slant in the wheel.  My horizontal holes seem to be solid.

13 diamonds in mine, seems to be somewhat dispersed but still has a line of them.

Wow Rick-  Like others have said, sweet restoration on that lathe!

This thread interested me since my stone too seems to end up getting out of round.  I was going to post a thread about it but haven't had the time. so thank you for this one.

My T4 is only a few months old and I figure I have 10-12 hours on it.  I've had to redress the SG-200 three times now because it started to get egg shaped.  Is that normal or is my technique causing it to go humpty dumpty?   

When you folks put it away for storage- as in wont be using it for several weeks to longer, do you take off the wheel? I have avoided taking the wheel off since it was trued to its current position and I don't want to take more wheel off if I don't have to.

The last truing I did, I noticed that the TT-50 slanted the wheels grinding surface.  I'm at a loss for what to call it so I'll just say it didnt square it up to the sides of the wheel and there is a little sliver of light when the USB is up against the wheel.  I need to figure what caused that but I have my suspicion that I didn't set the USB correctly.  I discovered there is a slight play in the usb going into the locking holes.  Next time I bring it out I'll look at it closer.

It was sloping.  Its been squared since the picture was taken.  Im using it to rough grind the shapes on the tools so its less time and wear on the tormek wheel. 

Here are the pics of the setup- pictures corrected for size.

This is timely as I just got my bench grinder setup over the weekend and was wondering he same questions regarding height.  I have the rikon slow speed 8" grinder and tried it but with the base wouldn't extend tall enough to be able to present the tool above the centerline on the wheel without having to extend it longer from the jig, so I added a piece of 3/4 plywood and it seems right.  I'd add another one so that the base isn't fully extend - so I want to add 1-1/2" in total. 

I'll post a pic when I can.

Wyn6050,

I don't think the problem is the T4. You may be overfilling the water trough. I fill the trough until the water just starts running over the surface of the grinding wheel. Letyour machine run. The grinding wheel will absorb water until it is saturated. After the initial filling, add water slowly just ubtil the water starts to flow again. Keep the motor running. I do not fill to the line; I think that is too much water.

Most of the water I used to spill was spilled during removing the trough at the end. An inexpensive turkey baster from the grocery store solves this problem.

Personally, I feel that not having an SB-200 for the T4 is no loss. I have found several choices which I prefer. The first wheels I used were the Norton 3X wheels in either 46 or 80 grit. Either grit will do. I use them wet. They work very well for reshaping turning tools. They only cost around fifty dollars US. They require some easy, inexpensive adaptation, however, they get the job done quickly and inexpensively.

My nxt step up was a D-Way 180 grit CBN wheel. These work dry or wet. (Wet use requires either Honerite Gold or Tormek ACC.) CBN wheels work very eell.

I think the two best wheels for the T4 are Tormek's DWF-200 and DWC-200. I find the Diamond Wheel Coarse at 360 grit cits faster than either the GG or SB at 220 grit. I find the T4 with SG-200, DWC-200 and DWF-200 a very versatile combo. Add the SJ-200 if you like.

I bought the SB-250 years ago. Most of my sharpening is with carbon steel; I rarely use the SB. Today, I would buy a diamond wheel instead.

I have certainly made my share of bloopers, however, I admit they were caused by my judgement lapses in technique.

I would not have made the marketing decision to include bandaids (plasters). I'm sure the original intent was to make the point in a light hearted way that Tormek sharp is very sharp. Tormek has put a lot of engineering into making the Tormek safe. Including plasters with all new units, to my, telegraps the message to expect being injured, a poor sales message.

Ken

I was flinging the hand plane blade pretty aggressively (was also the cause for catching my knuckles on the wheel edge) and it would spit water out to the side.  I'll try your suggestion with less water because I do fill it up as high as possible as a bandaid to the splashing till I developed something. 

I dont want to highjack the thread for bloopers-  I'll be looking for any threads on the items you shared.  If I can get a CBN or diamond, I'd be thrilled.

Thanks!

I'm not real sure but the T-8 wheel is 2 " wide (50mm), the T-4 is 1 5/8" (40mm) wide, so I don't know if the shaft is long enough to hold a 2" (50mm) wheel.

I thought the same... but proved myself wrong. 

Outstanding!  Thanks for the link and answer!

Ken,

The T4 works, though I think I'd get along better with the SB wheels that are offered for the T8 for my turning tools.the extra lip on the water trough isuseful too, as when I'm going to town on my hand plane blade I tend to fling water like an orca in a seaword tank.

I've adapted my own magnet system, which is pretty ingenious because it involves magnets from hard drives and duck tape.

Iir would be cool if a worn down SB wheel could fit into he T4.  Has that been done?

First blooper is that I got a T4 and realized after using it for a few weeks that I should have gotten a T8!

Second blooper is thinking the bandaids that came with the Tormek were for when you get cut by the item you are sharpening.  That wheels' edge's are relentless against raisined finger tips and I am already out of those bandaids.

I always had issues with where to put my hands to get the full swing-  I'll try Nick's suggestion to place the thumb behind the elbow on the jig next time I'm doing my gouges. 

One question I've been looking for on here is convex bevel spindle gouge, and if anyone has done that grind on the tormek, but that is for another thread. 

Thanks for the video- I'll have to rethink the my profiles to make it less time sharpening and more time turning.

Hi Everyone,  I've been trying to read through a lot of the threads in this forum since I am new to it and wanted to see if my questions were asked before.  Im still reading but I saw this thread and thought I'd offer my experience.

I've been turning a few years now and I have noticed that some tools' flutes are not ground equally.  I don't think it was asked, but what brand of tools do you have?  It could be your tools.  I'll admit I have Benjamins Best- I'll get my money's worth by the amount of sharpening I'm investing and then I'll replace them with higher quality.  I have a few of each of their sizes (3/4, 1/2, 3/8's I think?)  and each one has a different flute than the other.  I can see the difference in the bevels and wings when I sharpen them too.  The factory grind was largely off too.  I'm still shaping away patches of the original grinds in many of my tools.

I've just learned to get them as close to symmetrical as possible, but I keep in mind that I only use one wing or bevel at a time so symmetrical wings are more for looks.  It hasn't been an issue with turning- or requiring changes of turning techniques.