Messages

Stig,
Thanks for the input.
I always use my fingers to see what my eyes can't.
I'm glad that you've had a certain degree of success with that black stone. I can't say if I'd ever recommend it to anyone for anything as my results left me frustrated.

Rick.

Ken I appreciate your enthusiasm for all things Tormek but genuinely struggle to understand how you can come out in support of a component you haven't used??

I sense where you're coming from is perhaps related to Ionut's comments?  But you also cite Jeff Farris' noticeable silence on this particular jig.  Surely you must all realise that it was because Jeff is an honest bloke that he never commented on the jig.  He "knew" it basically only works half the time and then only with very soft metals, so to avoid having to tell "porky pies" (cockney rhyming slang for lies) he just remained tacet, thus avoiding any conflict.  I always felt that reading between the lines of Jeff's very tentative comments about the planar jig that he had no faith in it.  My experience (with very hard steel) absolutely bears that out.  Recall it took me 8 hours to grind my 3 knives and even then was unable to remove a ding.  The stone glazed over so fast, one spent the whole time regrading the stone.  There's no operator error involved in the stone glazing, it was clearly cutting but the qty and hardness of the steel were too much for it.

Honestly, I really hate to be the one that bursts your extremely exuberant about Tormek bubble but the planar jig is simply not fit for purpose.  I feel if you analysed all the planar jig comments scientifically you'd find more frustrating fails than significant successes.  Ionut being the obvious good one but then he isn't your average punter, he's a highly skilled, engineering minded "veritable inventor" and I imagine few problems will prevent him from seeing a creative method round the obstacles.

Ironically, the jig isn't the problem, the jig is another triumph of Tormek design.  The problem is the grinding medium.  Yet again (my hobby horse I know), the problem is that the Tormek system is not good at removing a lot of steel when it's hard and large in surface area.  If such a thing as an industrial diamond wheel existed then we might have a solution!!

The challenge is that the wheel glazes too quickly, stops cutting leaving one with the dubious pleasure of either leaning on the SP 650 literally every minute or so...or trying to get even more aggression into the wheel, truing it with the diamond dresser.  That causes sufficient wheel wear to throw out the very precise jig settings.  The wheel wont cut for long enough to get through the job.


Rob, I couldn't of said it any better than the way you just did. However, I did come to a resolve on the planer blades, I used the planer jig, the XB-100 on a homemade mount that I attached to my high speed belt sander using alumina zirconia blue belts finishing with stropping belt....all I can say is.....OMG, 10 mins a blade with no sweat involved! The results are beyond expectations.

I would like to know the exact arbor size of the T-7? Thanks

I think it's 12 mm.


Thanks Herman.

the SP650 isn't ruined though.  The surface is meant to wear away slowly so you can persevere with it and it will work on the grindstone.  You really need to lean on it, don't be shy with the weight, you wont hurt the Tormek.  You could try roughing the 650 with one of those T shaped diamond dressers just to take the skin off so to speak but you shouldn't need to.  Just give it some welly on the grindstone.

Your problem isn't the sp650, its grinding anything with a large surface area that has very hard metal.  All HSS fits into this bracket and some planar knives are even more exotic alloys which are incredibly hard.  The planar jig/Tormek combo are simply not up to the task of grinding those difficult metals.  I went through all this myself with Startrite 12" planar knives. I had to grade it so often that the wheel was sufficiently reduced in size to throw off the precision settings of the jig!!

Rob, I put a ton of effort pressing down on that thing, I'm 225lbs at 6', and fairly strong if I may add. Bustin a sweat on them planer knives is simply not right.

This all started when I tried to sharpen DeWALT planer blades with the SB-250. I found that the stone glazed over rather quickly (about 20 revolutions) requiring frequent grading. If you have a slightly damaged blade DO NOT try to re-edge it with the T-7 and the SB-250 unless you have a few hours to waste. Best scrap the blades and buy a new set. Now I need a new SP-650. Very frustrating considering the cash spent on this equipment.

Welcome to the forum, Rick. You will probably get a more precise answer by emailing Tormek support directly in Sweden. They would have the factory specs. Send your email to:
support.tormek.se

Ken

Thanks Ken

I would like to know the exact arbor size of the T-7? Thanks

That's what I'm doing Herman, but I don't think that the grader should glaze over as this is an important tool for the obvious reasons.

I just thought taking it to an 80 grit might take the shine off and give it more teeth! Anyhow, its nice and shiny now!

My stone is doing exactly the same thing. Looks as if its getting polished. I was wondering if the grading stone can be reconditioned?

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I'm working on DeWALT 13" planer blades. The re-sharpened area looks great almost the entire length of the blade, looks true and parallel. But when I get to the ends, seems that the sharpened surface tappers off right before the end of the blade. I trued the surface of the stone, I then tried with little pressure applied, I tried with slightly harder pressure..etc.. always with the same results. I tried running the blade to either edge of the stone and also to the middle of the stone but it still does the same thing! Is the jig support misaligned? I'm simply dumbfounded! Has anyone else experience this kind of result? if so, what is the solution? Thanks. Rick.