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this is interesting now as I was once told by a dealer that sells Tormek in Canada that the Japanese wheel and the original wheel can be run in normal tapwater. So am I understanding correctly they should be running in ACC solution as well?

I think it is more on the order that it is "OK" to run those wheels (SG, SJ) in the ACC, but it is in no way necessary or better.  I repeat what I said above, though, which is why the heck would you do that, given how much slurry the SJ gives off, it contaminates the trough solution, whether plain tap water or ACC solution.  I've not found it works to filter that SJ slurry out, so in my opinion, the SJ run in ACC solution would ruin that solution for use with anything afterward.  That would mean discarding the ACC solution and as much whining there often is about how expensive it is, why waste it in that wa?.  I for one, do not find it that much of a burden to pour the ACC out of the trough and replace it with tap water when going from grinding wheels (SG, SB, DXs or CBN) to the SJ wheel. 

Hello,

First of all, I would like to thank you very much for both answers.

Unfortunately, they confirm my fears that sharpening a blade of this shape can be a difficult challenge.
I also wonder if using a grinding wheel that is significantly thinner than the standard Tormek wheel (50mm) would make this easier?
Do such wheels (e.g. 3-5 mm thick) exist and can they be mounted on the T-8?

Piotr

Indeed they can, with a some accommodations.  Ken S. has said many times before that a stand 1" grinding wheel can be mounted on a Tormek, run in water and used just like a regular Tormek grinding wheel, including truing with the Truing Tool.  It requires buying or making a bushing to mate the 1" grinding wheel's arbor hole (often 1") with the 12mm Tormek shaft.  Many new standard grinding wheels come with a set of plastic bushings in about 1/8" diameter increments.  As I recall, Ken drilled a piece of PVC pipe with a 12mm drill to bore out the ID to fit the shaft.  He also used multiple 12mm ID fender washers to build up the width to serve as flange washers. He recommended Norton 3X, 64 grit wheels.  80 grit can also be used. 

I have done this with two different sets of wheels for my T8, two 8" Norton 3X wheels, 64 and 80 grit and and a 10" no-name wheel.  I machined stainless steel bushing and custom aluminum flange washers, but Ken's method works fine.  The most important aspect is matching the shaft diameter with the bushings.

Here is a video of truing one of these.

The point of the above adaptations was to provide a more aggressive metal removal option to the range of Tormek wheel grits and are very effective.  They may work for what you are asking about but I think the corners would need to be rounded quite a lot to be more effective.  How often would you need to do this? 

Rick

I have recently moved, downsizing my shop space from a 2-car garage to 1-car, but also taking over one of two bedrooms as a workroom.  I've been so burned out from the move that it has taken me a while to get started again with my hobbies/projects. But tonight, I broke the barrier of getting back in to things. 

But, my daughter had presented me with an interesting tool, a folding hatchet that needed sharpening.  I suppose I could have used the axe jig (old one) but, maybe due to its odd shape (narrowness), I didn't even think of it. 

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I did try to figure out if one of the knife jigs would work, but...  nope. So, I decide to do it psuedo-free hand, but braced on the USB to maintain position and angle, cradling the back of the hatchet head even with the USB with the palm of my hand and fingers. 

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After establishing the bevel angle using the black marker method, I did check to see what the angle was, using the new angle setting too.  I had not ever used it yet.  Think I like it.  Grinding angle and honing angles. 

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Turned out pretty good.  This hatchet has two hollow ground bevels, the large visible one and the actual cutting bevel, which is what I ground/honed.  We'll have to see how well it works. 

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Hi all,
I recently got a T8 Black with the coarse diamond wheel that's included as standard (DC-250).

A few questions:
...snip...
4. Is it fine to use this wheel for grinding/shaping rather than only sharpening? Again I don't run a metal shop but sometimes (rarely) I have something that needs grinding down a bit. So for example, today, I bought some skeleton keys for the doors in my flat since the keys were missing. The new keys would go in the lock but when turning would grind to a halt. Took the locks apart, lubricated them, made sure nothing's grinding, turned the key with the lock taken apart to see if there are any obstructions. Nothing, smooth operation. Reinstalled the lock and the same problem occurred. Turns out the dimension on the lower left that's supposed to be 8.5, on my keys was 10mm. Went down and ground them down and now they're perfect. It was a casting error, looks like the cast was worn.

Yes, you can and obviously you did, but personally, I wouldn't do this.  I think a better solution would be to buy a traditional grinding wheel, preferably 10" dia. but 8" works also and fit it with a bushing and flange washers and run it in the water bath just like standard Tormek grinding wheels.  It will grind those projects faster and better than the DC diamond and there won't be any risk of wear or damage to the DC. 

VERY cost effective, under $100 for a wheel and not much for PVC pipe and washers.  Ken S. did this with just that, a drilled out piece of PVC pipe and flange washers.  I machined a stainless steel bushing and aluminum flange washers.  You can true that traditional grinding wheel just like any other true-able wheel, although you probably don't have a Truing Tool.

I did this before I had any diamond wheel (or CBN) because I wasn't happy with how slowly the SG or SB grinding wheels removed metal on edges needed a lot.  Worked great.   

Norton 3X, 64 grit, 8" dia., 1" wide mounted on a T8.
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10" dia, no-name, 1" wide, unknown grit, also mounted on T8
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Machined bushing and flange washers. 
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Video of truing the 10" grinding wheel. 

[which would be silly]

Guys!  The comment about liking the floss clips was strictly in regard to flossing my teeth - NOT - about using them for BESS testing, which would be silly.

The only serious point was that my experience with the floss clips being preferred to the spooled floss is that I actually use the clipped floss, daily like my dentist has wanted me to for decades.  In years past, when the dental hygienist offered me a new spool of floss, I'd say, "sure, but I don't know what I'd do with it..." (as a joke, I totally knew what...)

The point about clips vs spooled is that maybe I should try the BESS clips to see if I liked them better than the spooled BESS filament material for BESS testing.  I have some clips, but have literally never tried one. 

I like these better than that on the spools...  Never tried the BESS clips.
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Too much dwell time in that middle section?  I think it can also happen even when only going from handle to tip.  Possibly could be exacerbated by uneven pressure as the blade passes along the stone

What is the question you are attempting to answer, specifically a clear, concise hypothesis statement?  How will you use these diamond plates and how will you distinguish differences?  How many times will you repeat the tests, that is number of replications? How will you eliminate untested variables?  What about adequate separation of trials to be sure a difference, if real, can be discerned. 

I sure don't expect a rigorous statistical approach, but you need to have some clearly defined objectives and procedures, particularly with so many variables (number of grits). 

Hey guys, I am looking for a little feedback on my first diamond wheel purchase. I have a T8 with the standard wheel and a Japanese waterstone wheel. I'd like to upgrade to a diamond wheel for turning tools and to be able to use the side of the stone when sharpening.

Since I cant afford to buy all three grits at once, I wanted to ask if anyone has a reccomendation for the best 'all purpose' grit? Assuming 600 grit is the best for an 'all purpose' stone?

Thanks in advance.

Rusty

I'm a bit thrown off by the initial question and some of the responses.  First off, I know nothing about turning tools and sharpening them, so maybe that is partially the reason. 

I'm unclear on the benefit of having only one grit level of diamond (or CBN) wheels for the purpose of using the side of the wheel on turning tools, in combination with the "multi-grit" SG wheel.  Part of my confusion comes from my perspective that if I only had one grit of diamond/CBN to complement the SG, I would want something much coarser, such as 80 or 180 grit, but I don't sharpen turning tools and don't use the side of the diamond/CBN wheels that I have. 


I also wonder how much it matters which wheel to start with if one intends to get all three diamond wheels as they can be afforded.  I'm sure much depends on the rate at which the others can be afforded. 

Rick

Found it!  Had the time frame a bit wrong, but I worked back from 2017.

Knife Point Setting Template, by Jan
Started by Jan, October 27, 2015, 10:49:00 AM

[clamp parallel to the flat, with the side of the jig shaft (the pivot point), roughly at the point where the belly of the knife is]

With time, I realized I tend to clamp parallel to the flat, with the side of the jig shaft (the pivot point), roughly at the point where the belly of the knife is. So I'd say a mix of both pictures...

I find this allows for both minimal effort when grinding the flat of the blade, and best control along the curved part and in the tip area.

There was a discussion of this back in mid-2017 where a template was presented that helped in setting this position.  Images I saved back then are below.  I can't remember what if was called, so haven't found the discussion.    It may have have had to do with lifting vs pivoting.  Anyone recall it and maybe point us to the thread?

I use this template to this day for setting up knives. 

Rick

I've noticed the reading from the BESS measurement device vary according to the rate at which I move when cutting the wire. Quickly cut against the wire and the results show a much sharper knife. I was wondering if anyone made a device with which the knife could be mounted, such as the magnetic one from Schlelfjunkies, however, have it connected to a manual or motorized device which lowers at a constant uniform speed.
Mostly I just sharpen to get a knife usable in the kitchen and or boat. There are times though when I like to "Putz" around and see if a new technique produces better results. If someone or company does make such a device I would be more than thankful for that information.
Thank you for your time.

I have one of EOU's BESS testers, and was heavily involved with it use for a while.  But I got to where I learned what I needed to know about my sharpening process and now just about never use it any longer and, like you, just sharpen to make knives nicely sharp and usable. 

Also like you, I never noticed the device for controlling the testing process.  It looks to be decent enough, but it does look like it may still be prone to user variability and would benefit from being motorized or standardized in some manner.  Some years ago, I motorized the Tormek Truing Tool and now use it when truing any matrix grinding wheel (SG, SB, SJ and traditional grinding wheels fitted to the T8). There is a link in that thread showing it use, but here it is directly.  I have more of those motors and more of the threaded rod stock.  It could be interesting to make a motorized BESS testing fixture.  I have a spare dial comparator granite stand that could serve as the platform/column. 

Rick

That part number doesn't come up on an internet search and not on the Tormek web site.  check that you have the letters and numbers correct.  Perhaps you can post a photo of it. 

Plastic pipe makes and excellent spacer and I think there is no need to make the inside diameter match closely to the shaft diameter, it just need to be enough larger to fit on easily.  Using the two washers/spacers clamps an oversized ID quite adequately for the need, of spacing and keeping the shaft in place for operating without a grinding wheel and/or storage/transportation.

I made a close fitting aluminum spacer, 1" OD and reamed 12mm ID.  it is TOO snug sometimes, with the fine residue that often covers the shaft.  Haven't had it freeze the spacer yet, but it can be more tight than needed at times. 

1/2" ID may be preferable.  1/2" = 0.5000", 12mm = 0.472"  Diff. = 0.028"

Thank you, Ken, for laying it out like that. 

I agree and have advocated the similarly  elsewhere in regard to struggles new users have dealt with (albeit in much less detail).  The handbook has been around a long time, although I don't know how much it has been updated much with newer Tormek advances.  The online classes have contributed very much to the information new users hunger for and need.  They are a crucial resource for new users and I suspect good for more experienced users to revisit.