Messages

Pricey, but precision and adjustable. 14A if you want inch gradations.

http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/14MA

Mike

I'm not sure about square edges, but here is a good video discussing the cambering feature of the SE-77.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfd-xzOF5sc

Mike

It certainly is the case that skill makes more of a difference than the tool steel. Turning tools that are sharpened with grinders have to be considered as consumables, and HSS tools just take a little longer to be consumed than high carbon steel tools. For those of us sharpening with Tormeks, however, a turning tool can easily last a lifetime of turning (unless, of course, you are a production turner), particularly if it is made of one of the harder steels. If you are going to have and use a tool for the rest of your life, you might as well go with a good one.

Mike

If you don't have a bowl gouge yet, or are thinking of adding new bowl gouges to your collection, both Glenn Lucas and Nick Agar recommend gouges with parabolic flutes when using the SVD-186 for sharpening. They claim that it is much easier to get the proper gouge profile on the Tormek with a parabolic flute  than with straight sided V or U shaped flutes.

If you have extra money for your gouges, go with the newer powdered metal gouges, since you have the diamond wheels for sharpening. Cindy Drozda talks about that here: http://www.cindydrozda.com/html/ToolSteel.html

Mike

If you are a new turner, a conservative rule of thumb for maximum turning speed is, after the object has been made round and is balanced,  to divide the diameter of the object, in inches, into 6000. Thus, a six inch diameter bowl can be safely turned at 1000 rpm. Some turners, myself included, would say that this is too conservative. In one of Stuart Batty's videos, he mentions a maximum wood speed of 40 mph. This would be the same as dividing the object diameter into 12000 to get the maximum rpm. I think Stuart also says to turn up the speed until you are nervous, but not scared.

Mike

Thanks, Ken

If anyone still has the Tormek box that their diamond wheel came in, could you please provide the external dimensions? I'm just guessing that they aren't the same as the stone wheel boxes.

Thanks,

Mike

Allan Batty's video on using a skew chisel is excellent, also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfeLAHQSbqk

Mike

I have the Super Nova, which I use for wood turning, but it is too bright for using with the Tormek. I think you made the right decision with the smaller lamp.

Mike

Pardon my ignorance about different knife grinds, but how would sharpening a "Scandi" grind differ from sharpening the Dala Horse carving knives in the Tormek Friends video?

https://www.tormek.com/usa/en/about-tormek/tormek-friends/

Mike

The 200 mm grinding wheel should be replaced after wearing down to approximately 150mm. The 250mm T8 wheel will last longer, however, it also costs 40% more. In my opinion the cost to useful life balances out. This will continue to be less of an issue with the advent of diamond and CBN wheels. Incidentally, the slightly higher RPM motor of the T4 balances out with the smaller when calculating the Surface Feet (or meters) per Minute, the actual cutting rate.

Ken

If I've done my math right, there's 72% more usable stone with the 250mm wheels (250mm down to 180mm)  compared to the 200mm wheels (200mm down to 150mm), so if they only cost 40% more, they are a comparative bargain.

Mike

Glenn Lucas' latest e-zine has a short piece on his use and impressions of the new diamond wheels.

https://mailchi.mp/glennlucas/new-friends-new-tools-new-work

Mike

Watching that video reminded me of a trick that Glenn Lucas uses when he needs to move the Micro Adjust a long distance - with the machine running, remove the USB and hold the Micro Adjust against the leather wheel. Flip for the other direction.

Mike

Are you taking the wheel off your Tormek after you have trued it and made it round again? If so, you may want to try marking the wheel and the Tormek so that you always replace the wheel in the same orientation.

Mike

I just went out to refresh my memory of sharpening the GL1. Just make sure that you are standing to one side so that you can stay out of the way of the handle swing.

Mike