My original Tormek grinding wheel is worn enough to be just barely in the water. There seem to be several options for replacement wheel. What would you do?
Printable View
My original Tormek grinding wheel is worn enough to be just barely in the water. There seem to be several options for replacement wheel. What would you do?
When I spoke with them ten years ago the nice man there had a barely used one that he sent me for free.
Give them a call
I put a cbn wheel on mine.
I have a CBN on mine too.
When they first came out I put the blackstone wheel on, it's pretty good but no comparison to the CBN. I have a 350 grit. I think the 600 is better, but when I git mine that was the only grit available.
John & Kyle or others, do you run the CBN wheel in water or dry?
I run mine in antifreeze. I use the one for the imports since it's designed for aluminum.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Williams
Unsure what water will do. Corrosion wise. The maker says to not run with water.
Unsure if this is safe or good for the wheel.
I do not like running it dry. Makes very strange noises. At least the liquid dampens the vibrations.
I use a 1200 grit CBN wheel on the Tormek for my spindle gouges. I use it dry. The only "problem" is when tools get magnetized (they will get magnetized even when never put near a magnet) and the wheel is used in the "away" direction a trail of fine black steel dust can hang on to and obscure the tip which annoys me. I keep a demagnetizer handy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Williams
JKJ
Some day, I will be getting one of the diamond wheels for my Tormek. Diamond doesn't work on our slow speed grinders because even at 1760 rpm, that generates enough heat to ruin the diamonds. With the Tormek and clones, they run slow enough so that it doesn't degrade the diamonds. CBN will work fine also. I think there are special solutions to use in the water for the diamond and CBN wheels, or at least they are available. The metal dust from both wheels does float in the air like wood dust does. I know Lee Valley has the diamond wheels, and think others do as well, but not up to the 1200 grit.
robo hippy
Tormek makes an 'extra fine' diamond wheel with a 1,200 grit. They include with each wheel a bottle of anti-corrosion concentrate to add to the water. Otherwise, the wheel might rust.
I have a CBN wheel for my Tormek that I use dry. I lubricate the wheel with a honing lubricant. It reduces the heat, but, more importantly, it captures the dust.
I wore out the original white wheel and a Blackstone wheel on my Tormek and replaced them with a 320 grit CBN years ago from Woodturners Wonders. Very happy I did and I can't imagine having to go back and redress the wheel all the time like before. WW says run the wheel dry but the high pitch ring it would get drove me nuts so I ran it in water. Water also traps the metal filings just like the original wheel. I'm not sure if it was the water or what but I had a couple of small spots near one edge where the CBN came off. The CBN is suppose to be electroplated to the aluminum core and it's almost as if the electroplating didn't hold. Kind of PO'd me that it happened but I also know I went against the recommendation and the warranty won't cover replacement. So I just avoid using 1/4" of the right edge.
I still run the wheel in water but now I use an anti-rust additive. I like Bora Honerite Gold but it's expensive. An 8 oz (250 ml) bottle used to be around $30 but now it's up to $40. It does last a fairly long time though. I also tried the additive that Tormek sells and it worked OK. When I bought it, it was about the same price as the Honerite ($30) but now is close to $50 for a 2-bottle pack. If I remember right though I had to use almost twice as much additive per gallon as the Honerite.
I never lower the water trough at the end of the day. The only problem I've noticed with the Honerite is a build up of white gunk on the inside edge of the wheel where it sits in the wheel. Maybe if I used distilled water that would help but otherwise I just wipe off the gunk once in a while.
If I ever replace this CBN wheel I think I'd like to go coarser so it works a little faster. Tormek recommends running the Diamond wheel in water so maybe I'll spring for it. Of course they also recommend using their rust additive.
Bottom line - get a CBN and you'll be happy you did.
I have the 600 grit diamond wheel on mine. The only problem is that it would be nice to have the course wheel and extra fine wheels as well. So the problem is the $1000 it would cost. I find the 600 grit a good compromise. If doing it again I think I would get the extra fine wheel for touching up and a CBN wheel around 400 grit for when you need to do a little more than touch up. But I would also get a slow speed grinder for the CBN and the Tormek rest for it so the tool profile would be the same.
Alex, what works for me is along with the 1200 grit CBN wheel on the Tormek I have 1/2 speed bench grinder with a 600 grit and 60 grit CBN. I use the 60 for rough shaping and the 600 for various tools. I did as you mention, mounted a Tormek rest so I can use those jigs or the Wolverine jigs as needed. I rarely go from the 600 to the 1200 so I don't care too much if the profile is not identical. For those times I do the difference in the bevel due to the 8" vs the 10" wheel is so small it's not significant. I did buy a second Tormek intending to mount a spare 10" 600 grit CBN wheel but changed my mind and kept the wet stone wheel on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Zeller
When I sharpen gouges and skews and such on the 8" 600 grit CBN I always remove the grinder burr then polish/hone the edge a bit using the leather flat and/or profile wheels on the Tormek.
JKJ
If you have any carbide insert turning tools it might be worth it to get a Tormek Diamond wheel
That leather honing wheel on my Tormek is what kept me from selling it. Now if only I would get my carving chisels sharpened..... Skews need to be stropped. Easy to find some scrap tooling leather and get some polishing compounds. I will never forget seeing Eric Loffstrom tap his skew on the lathe bed to dull it, take it to a 60 grit CBN wheel, then strop it, then shave his arm clean in one pass. Heard one woodworker say that the black compounds, I think Norton makes it, is about 800 grit. Can't remember the grit of the yellow and green, but he said the red sticks were about 16000 grit.
robo hippy
Something I keep at the lathe for stropping skews:
I resawed some thin slices from a piece of MDF, perhaps 4x6" or so, 1/4" thick. On the fairly rough bandsawn surfaces I rub on a generous amount of polishing compound from a green, yellow, or other bar. This is perfect for honing the skew - set the honing board on the workbench, hold the skew bevel against the surface and raise it a tiny bit, press down and draw the tool back. The board can be hand-held if needed but I prefer putting it on a horizontal surface. You can immediately see how effective it is by the black steel streaks left on the board.
While working I'll hone/strop several times before going back to the grinder. Hair-shaving sharp.
For years I stropped with a piece of hard leather resting on a horizontal surface. I like the MDF better, quit using the leather completely.
Attachment 478684
JKJ
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reed Gray