Strop jig

[JustADudeInSweden]

Presently, after grinding I use the stropping wheel freehand, by feel.

My question is, how important is it to set up and strop via the jig instead of freehand? Does it make a big difference? Because as I understand it - it's just there to take out the hairline burr from the last process...

Thanks!

[Ukfraser]

I am very interested in what responses you get from the assembled wisdom on this as i have a vague recollection that i had read somewhere when i was originally researching whether a t4 would be adequate, that you can only set the jig up to strop on a t8 and you cant on a t4 so ive only ever stropped free hand on my t4 and never attempted to set it up with a jig.  (But i cant find anything in the manual that indicates that i cannot use jigs for honing on a t4.)
Also the tormek guys in their videos always do it free hand so ive tried to get to grips with it that way.

[Ken S]

At the end of the latest online class (upgrades), Sébastien announced that the next class topic would be honing. I believe this will be an especially useful class.

I also read that the T4 could only be used with handheld honing. I was curious to learn why and if this really was true. I also wanted to know if I could sharpen and hone my ten inch chef's knife with my T4. The answer to these questions is yes, with some very minor modifications. The constraint is the large plastic knobs on the tightening screws on the SVM-45 and the two horizontal sleeves on your T4. These all use M6 threads, as do most of the Tormek jigs. Switch these three screws with M6 socket set screws 10 mm length, and the problem is almost solved. The SVM-45 still does not quite clear the US-103. Very minor grinding of the area which still bumps will solve this, while in no way effecting the functioning of the jig.

Your standard tool kit should include a set of metric Allen wrenches. You will need one of these to tighten the socket set screws.

If you sharpen knives longer than eight inches (200 mm), switching to the longer US-430 support bar easily solves that problem.

Ken

[cbwx34]

The only reason I can think that guided honing "can't be done on the T-4", is the grinding stone is more likely to get in the way?  This of course can be dealt with, just like it is on the T-8, by removing the stone and using a spacer.

Whether it's "worth it".... I guess it depends on what your goal is.  Controlled guided honing will result in a sharper knife, but freehand honing is more than enough, and allows you to manipulate the knife/tool so you don't need to remove the grinding wheel.  I suspect Tormek recommends freehand on knives so removing the grinding wheel isn't needed.  But I think on some other tools, don't they teach guided honing?

The alternative to Ken's method is to purchase (or make) and use an FVB... not saying one is better than the other, just pointing out the alternative.

[JustADudeInSweden]

These all use M6 threads, as do most of the Tormek jigs. Switch these three screws with M6 socket set screws 10 mm length, and the problem is almost solved. The SVM-45 still does not quite clear the US-103. Very minor grinding of the area which still bumps will solve this, while in no way effecting the functioning of the jig.

Someone (with more experience than me) should make a video on this...

The only reason I can think that guided honing "can't be done on the T-4", is the grinding stone is more likely to get in the way?  This of course can be dealt with, just like it is on the T-8, by removing the stone and using a spacer.

The box that held the stone in my new T4 holds all the small knick knacks (like polish and oil), including the spacer

[Herman Trivilino]

When honing free hand you can easily feel and hear when you've got the knife at the angle that matches the bevel. And there's no danger in sneaking up on that angle, as long as you do it from the side that won't make contact with the knife edge. In other words, you never want the knife tilted in such a way that only the knife edge makes contact with the stropping wheel; that will ruin the edge.