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Thread: Tormek T7 Issues

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Woodway Texas
    Posts
    396

    Tormek T7 Issues

    I recently purchased a Tormek T7. To the owners out there, I have a few questions.
    1. It seems to me that the stone is glazing pretty quickly and needs to be flattened and glazing removed with the diamond truing assembly. Is this normal? I am putting new bevels on a fair number of tools, but it seems I am having to do this every 2nd or third item I work on.
    2. The grading stone seems to not do much to remove the glazing, is that normal? The manual implies it should, but it only seems to help restore the cutting action to a limited degree.
    Aside from that I am getting pretty good and quick results, which makes sharpening less of a pain then others methods I have used over the years. Also, I can now sharpen carving tools which I never could before freehand, which almost makes the system worthwhile for that reason alone.
    Feedback appreciated.

  2. #2
    It seems like the grading stone requires more pressure than expected to be effective, and it helps to grade the wheel more frequently. The wheel cuts fastest right after diamond truing, but if you are not careful you can remove a lot of wheel diameter with frequent diamond truing.

    As I own an 8" dry grinder, I do the really heavy work on it, then move to the wet wheel and finish up with water stones. If I did all my grinding on the wet wheel, I would have spent lots more time at it and probably had to buy a new wet wheel by now.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Woodway Texas
    Posts
    396
    I am noticing that a lot of pressure works and also with the long bottom edge of the stone angled a bit instead of simply holding the stone flat like the videos show. I wonder if the "black stone" requires fewer refreshing's?
    I also have a grinder with friable wheels, so I may just get the Tormek grinder mount so I can use the jigs to rough shape. Great idea, thanks.....

  4. #4
    I use the same machine. My stone doesn't keep a clean looking surface for very long. It almost always looks glazed. As far as I can tell it works just fine.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
    Posts
    2,545
    I can only speak of grinding wheels in general. A wheel to work well needs to break down slowly to keep exposing fresh cutting edges. If it's to soft it loses shape and a flat circumference quickly. If it's to hard it will glaze and not cut well and want to burn the metal being ground. The type of steel in your tools can be a factor as well. Some tool steels can be very demanding of the wheel and difficult to grind requiring frequent wheel truings. I would use the lightest passes possible when truing also. It has been to many years and I don't recall which tool steels were the most difficult but it seems like the T series steels were the most challenging. Just my .02 worth. Good luck.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Woodway Texas
    Posts
    396
    Thanks guys, I'll keep at it.

  7. #7
    when you say 'putting new bevels' what tools are you referring to? If I am restoring the angle on a 2" plane iron I would expect the re-true the stone after I am finished - that is a lot of metal to be removing. the diamond truing does not need to remove much material to restore the stone just to remove glaze - if you are careful not to groove the stone with a small surface like a gouge or narrow chisel then resurfacing is fast with minimal stone loss.

    the grading stone takes a fair amount of pressure and you use it for 30-60 seconds to get it to change grits - to be honest I have never used it to remove glaze - I see a glazed wheel I reach for the diamond truing tool

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Kapolei Hawaii
    Posts
    3,236
    The Tormek is slow. You need to remember that. I think what you see is quite normal. I very seldomly re-true the wheel. Only when it gets really out of round. Even glazed, I think it's working. It's just slow. If I have a lot to sharpen, I bring it inside and watch TV and sharpen.

    The Blackstone wheel is for High Speed Steel tools. Woodturning type steels. It does wear a little better, but I think the grey wheel is better for the regular steel stuff. If you have HSS tools, I would suggest buying it. If you don't have HSS tools, use the grey wheel.

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