Tormek & clones: Any alternatives to the tt-50 truing tool?

[Aaron Rappaport]

Hi All,

Earlier this month there was a thread on sharpening methods in which at least one professional, Tom King, wrote favorably about the Wen wet sharpener. At $137 this is a lot more budget friendly than a Tormek. However, every account I've read of using Tormek clones, like the Wen, mentioned that they used the Tormek truing tool, which is $105 or so at Amazon. Are there any less expensive ways to true the wheels of these things?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Aaron

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have not had to true my Grizzly Tormek clone yet. It is getting close to needing it. When the time comes I will use my angle grinder with a diamond wheel. I will make a video.

[Tom M King]

I'm not singing great praises for the Wen, but it's well worth what it costs until something better comes along. I already had a lot of Tormek gadgets that I use on it but only because I was able to fabricate a rod that holds the Tormek stuff and fits into the different size holes on the grinder. The Wen rod is a different diameter and a little too short anyway. I haven't needed to true it yet for what I use it for. It does just fine for grinding chisel bevels. I can do any grinding I need to do without the wheel being perfectly true but I think it's still pretty good. I may have gotten lucky with this one though.

[Aaron Rappaport]

Thanks Maurice and Tom! I had not realized the machine was usable even without the wheel trued up. I had been thinking that since the blade is always jigged, it would need a perfectly round and flat wheel. I guess deviations from that are ok because the blade is moved side to side - compensating for out of flat - and also because it can pivot around the rod - compensating for out of round. Slow rpm's probably help too.