Messages

Cost Analysis

Is this worth doing?

1) Option 1 - use one Tormek, one Frontal Vertical Base ("FVB") - it takes me about a minute to switch the honing wheels and adjust the Universal Support ("US") up/down (about 30 seconds for each). If you're not a commercial sharpener, this is the most cost-effective method.

However, let's say you are a commercial sharpener and price your services at $60 an hour (a dollar a minute). Then swapping wheels ($.50) and fiddling with the US height ($.50) costs $1 in time for every knife...

2) Option 2 - do this modification (about $120). No swapping wheels, just fiddle with USB height. Break-even is 240 knives.

3) Option 3 - buy a second Tormek; say $500 for a custom T8. Saves swapping wheels, but still have to move the FVB from one machine to the other (say 15 seconds = $.25), and also adjust US height ($.50). Break-even is 667 knives.

4) Option 4 - buy a second custom T8 ($500) with a second FVB ($150) = $650. No swapping wheels, no moving FVB between machines, no adjusting US height. Break-even is at 1,300 knives.

In conclusion, Option #2 seems to be the best value. Option #4, of course, saves the most time.

   

Re-assemble the original drive side wheel and push it through. Insert/build up your washer, then insert the new spring pin through the new hole. Place the new drive wheel onto the new spring pin, then place your right side wheel (CW-220 or LA-220) through the axle, and secure with the EzyLock nut.

(Dimensions below are for a T7. I have not tried this on a T8).

Here is the hole drilled and deburred on the shaft's stone side. Be sure to deburr the hole at both ends to relieve stress on the steel shaft.

I have a 20mm wide spacer from a felt wheel package for serrated knives. Alternatively, get a bunch of M12 or 1/2" washers and use them as spacers. Since both wheels are for honing, with no water used, they don't even have to be stainless steel.

For my situation, with the 20mm long spacer, the hole worked out to be 24mm from the shaft end. Once again, this does not have to be exact, as the slot for the spring pin in the drive wheel is quite deep, and so is forgiving as to the exact hole location. It is more critical to get the hole centred on the shaft, and also perpendicular. 

DISCLAIMER: THIS MODIFICATION IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ENDORSED BY TORMEK, AND WILL PROBABLY VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

Parts needed:

Tormek drive wheel for T7 / S2000, part 0023, $98.50 USD
Tormek locking pin for T7/S2000, part 5071, $2.95 USD (but see below)
20mm wide spacer with 12mm hole (or just use lots of 1/2" flat washers)

Tools needed:

Drill press
9/64" drill bit
Deburring bit


Fortunately I have six Tormeks, so I already had a "spare" drive wheel and locking pin. I chose the worst drive shaft to try this (it has a slight bend - but OK since not as critical for honing).

Taking the regular drive wheel off with a 19mm wrench, you will see there is a spring pin through a hole in the shaft. Conveniently, the stone side of the shaft is the same diameter (12mm) as the drive side.

Therefore, all you need to do is to drill a same size hole on the stone side, and then insert a spring pin in that new hole.

Being a spring pin, the new hole diameter is not critical. Trying drill bits on the factory hole, a 9/64" drill bit fitted the best. As for the spring pin, it measured 3.4mm, so it's probably a 1/8" spring pin. You can order the pin from Advance Machinery, but, really, just get a 1/8" spring pin and cut it to length to match the existing pin.

Is there a way to mount the composite wheel and the leather wheel on one machine?  Just thinking for maximum efficiency it would be nice to not have to remove the SB-250...  So Protocol 2 could be done with two Tormeks - one for grinding and one with the composite + leather wheels...

Yes, there is a way to mount both the composite wheel and the leather wheel on one machine. This modification is easy, costs very little, and is reversible if you want to mount a stone again.

Part 2 of Vadim's video on the CW-220 (see link at post #3 above) includes a summary of six different protocols and resulting BESS values:

Note that Protocol #2 is the fastest method with a BESS score of less than 100 (wired edge removed). That is the method I replicated above.

Impressive work BeSharp! 

Is there a way to mount the composite wheel and the leather wheel on one machine?  Just thinking for maximum efficiency it would be nice to not have to remove the SB-250...  So Protocol 2 could be done with two Tormeks - one for grinding and one with the composite + leather wheels...

Vadim did all the research, not me. The credit goes to him. I merely replicated his research.

I don't know of a way to mount both the CW-220 and a LA-220 on one machine, since both have three pins that fit into the big drive wheel so it doesn't slip. Perhaps custom machining something on the other end? I'm fortunate that I now have six machines, so I'll be using two machines - just ordered another frontal vertical base.

I have a half-speed buffer running at 2,000 rpm with an 8" diameter felt wheel with Autosol. The buffer is mounted on a piece of plywood so I can take it to farmers markets. The wheel is so out of balance that the buffer moves when placed on a table.

I got a Oneway grinder wheel balancing kit. Oneway is the company that also makes the Wolverine sharpening jig for lathe chisels. For some reason Lee Valley Tools seems to be no longer carrying it, so I ordered directly from Oneway - another small family business in Ontario.

It works great. You start with the three balancing weights 120 degrees from each other. If the wheel was perfectly balanced, you wouldn't need to move them.

The picture shows the final setting - which also shows how badly balanced the rock hard felt wheel was. My buffer no longer walks across the table.

Obviously, you don't need this for felt wheels mounted on Tormeks running at 90 rpm.. Running at 2,000 rpm is a different matter.

.25u Chromium Oxide Paste in Canada

I had difficulty finding .25 micron chromium oxide in Canada. Finally found this small mom and pop business in Port Rowan, Ontario (population: 1,102):

https://classicedge.ca

Look under Strops > Strop Paste > Chromium Oxide Paste

It's 50,000 grit chromium oxide.

Tried "Protocol #2" at the farmer's market two days ago. It performed well. This is a superior, and all-Tormek, alternative to using two paper wheels with 180 grit and the white honing compound.

Vadim emailed me and asked if I had done any Shuns this way.. I just so happened to have a customer's Shun on hand. Results below: BESS = 80.

Being able to even hone Shun's VG-MAX steel shows Tormek has indeed produced a superior product!

Part 2 of Vadim's video on the CW-220 (see link at post #3 above) includes a summary of six different protocols and resulting BESS values:

Note that Protocol #2 is the fastest method with a BESS score of less than 100 (wired edge removed). That is the method I replicated above.

That's what it costs for US Postal Service Expedited Air to Canada. Apparently many retailers are refusing to ship by ground as it will be even slower due to the increased volume. Many Canadians, including myself,  used to pop across the border to pick up as many American retailers offer free US shipping. Due to COVID, we can't do that anymore.

I replicated Vadim's protocol as much as possible, so:
1) SB-220 on coarse (doesn't make sense starting on fine?)
2) 16 dps (I sharpen a lot of Shun, and don't want to have to re-calibrate support bar heights)
3) KnifeGrinders FVB software
4) PT-50B

Nice set up!

Out of curiosity, why did you remove the horizontal sleeves on two of your T7s?

Ken

I now have six Tormeks. Each is a single-purpose machine. So, on most of them, the horizontal sleeves will not be used. I took them off as I need six XB-100 for my three buffers.

Here they are being used at work stations at the farmers market.

The total height is 23" / 59cm, Being Asian, it's just the right height  .

I can store two Tormeks in a box. The third box holds a half-speed buffer with 8" wheels (it just fits). The fourth box holds a Viel S-5 belt grinder.