Question for Tormek users

[Marty Baucom]

I just received my Tormek sharpener and I have a question. I would like to sharpen all my chisels and have a question of the steps to take. Do you sharpen one chisel at the 220 grade then dress the stone to the 1000 grade and refine the edge, then strop on the leather wheel then start this process all over again with the next chisel? Seems like the constant dressing of the wheel from 220 to 1000 would wear the wheel down. Can you repeat the angle setting over again and grind all the chisels at 220 then dress the wheel and grind all at the 1000 grade? I have about 18 chisels to sharpen. Thanks to you Tormek experts.

[Richard Wolf]

I think you may have found the weak link in the Tormek system. You could most likely shape all your chisel with the 220 and then finish all of them with the wheel regraded to 1000 but care must be taken in resetting the jig to the same angle, and most likely you will not be dead on.
I finish one chisel at a time, which is annoying because it is slower, but the wheel does last a very long time, so I'm not sure that is a real issue.

Richard

[Luther Oswalt]

I don't have any of the "super" chisels but I did all of mine without changing from the 220 grit to the 1000 grit. I just honed them after sharpening them. I think that after the first sharpening I only honed them most of the time instead of using the grind stone. If you would ask this question at:http://www.sharptoolsusa.com/yabbse/index.php you more than likely get Jeff Farris, a major dealer and expert, to answer as well as many sharpeners!
Sorry that I wasn't of more help!
Leo

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Marty,

Just regrade for each chisel--unless they aren't bad and just leave the wheel graded at the 1k.

It only takes a light touch and a second or two for the grader to change the wheel. It doesn't need to really take off much.

I've had the same wheel on my Tormek for 3-4 years or so. It's only wore about 1/5 of the wheel off. And that's from truing the wheel as my wife is a turner and turning tools are what creates uneven wear.

But I also hone on a stone following the Tormek. 2k and then 6k or 8k, depending on whether it is a chisel or plane blade, or the phase of the moon. I use the Tormek to fix damaged chisels from renovating, installations and pounding sidewalks <--just kidding on the last one...

I also use it to restablish correct plane blade geometry to to create a hollow grind. Most of my sharpening is by hand. I hand hone a few degrees higher than that which I grind. At some point the secondary bevel is across the entire tool's bevel surface, and so grind a lower, new primary and start all over.

Take care, Mike

[Bob Noles]

Dang Mike..... I wish you didn't live on the other side of the world. I would love to spend some time learning first hand from you.

Hope you have a wonderful Easter and keep my alpple dry :)

[Jim Young]

I work on one chisel at a time, 220, 1000 then leather. I'm not too worried about wearing out the stone.

[Tom Hintz]

Unless the edge is badly out of shape, I stick with the fine grit throughout sharpening chisels.
Also, by using the magic marker method of checking the angle of the tool to the stone, you can get it right rhe first time which makes returning to a setting very easy if you do have to change stone settings. That way you can do all of them at 220, then go back through them at 1000 - if need be.

[Don Morris]

Tom,

What's the magic marker method?

[Bob Noles]

Don,

You simply "color" the bevel edge of your tool with a magic marker before applying the tool to the grinder. As you grind the coloring should disappear and tell you what part of the bevel is not hitting the wheel so you can fine tune the angle and so forth.

It is early and I have not finished my coffe yet so I hope this makes a little sense, if not, I'm someone with better writing skills will be along that can enhance this a little further for you.

[thomas boyd]

Has anyone tried something other then the stropping paste, some other brands? I ran out and didn't order in time so i have to wait for mine to get here.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I bought the 4000 grit stone, and love it, but be forewarned- it is rather soft, and easy to nick. (guess how I know that). I rarely ever use the 220 wheel. I use the 1000 and then switch to the 4000. In fact, most of the time I am just dressing an edge, so I use the 4000. I only use 220 if I am fixing a nick on the blade.

As for Thomas' question, I have used green chromium oxide, which in my opinion is just as good as the Tormek stuff, but actually I mostly strop by hand unless doing a gouge or other rounded tool.