Flatten with a Tormek???

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HI all

Do any of you Tormek users out there use it to flatten the backs of your chisels or plane irons?
I guess that you would have to use the side of the stone for this though and so it might not be feasible.

Just generally interested really as the Tormek is too expensive for me. Tight? Me? :oops:

Cheers

Tony
 
I don't have a tormek, like you Tony I'm too tight, but I do use the Axminster wet grinder and I use it for the back of my chisels. I've rigged up a sharpening guide similar to the tormek and now I can even sharpen my planer knives. I don't know how long it will last but as I only use it occasionally I don't think it will wear out too soon.
 
Jaymar

Any chance of a picture of your jig?

I ask because my local B&Q have the Rexon 8" wet grinder (850rpm) on offer at £35 whilst stocks last

Cheers

Tony
 
OK......rookie question...

sharpening the bevel I can understand (at least the mechanics of it) but how do you maintain a flat surface with a round stone...? I don't get it...
 
I don't own a Tormek either, but did get a chance to use one briefly during my part-time woodworking course at college earlier this year. More to the point, the video that ships with all Tormeks specifically shows the use of the side of the grinding wheel to flatten backs of plane irons.

That B&Q price sounds interesting - can't justify the price of a Tormek (as much as I'd love to) but £35 might be do-able :).
 
I have used it to "flatten" the back, but only on my "chippies" chisels! (you know, the spare couple I use for removing paint, applying filler, and generally abusing.
I haven't the inclination to start processing my "better" chisels yet. 'Cos I know it'll turn into a major resharpening session of everything I can lay my hands in the workshop that needs doing......

Adam
 
Midnight

You need to make the blade or the wheel move, as in a surface grinder or if the wheel is designed for that purpose use the side of the wheel, BUT not if it is not designed to be used in that way.

Bean
 
Midnight":1ah39al4 said:
OK......rookie question...

sharpening the bevel I can understand (at least the mechanics of it) but how do you maintain a flat surface with a round stone...? I don't get it...
The side of the stone should be flat providing it hasn't had anything ground on it before.
I use wet n dry paper with some light oil on on a flat surface to hone the blades & flatten the backs. It takes time but doesn't everything worth doing well?
 
Well, long established Tormek owner here...
I use it to "flatten" all my irons. The side of the stone is machined deliberately flat for this purpose, and as we're talking only about ½" - 1" or so, it seems to do a good job.
I reckon I can take any manky old 1" chisel and have it shaving the hairs off your hand (and the endgrain off your oak for that matter!) with a mirror finish in 5-10 minutes max.
Might not stay sharp for long mind you :wink:

(No this is not a competition. A bottle of Strawberry wine is no excuse for impulsive posts :roll: )
 
<quietly thinkin I'll stick with my Ice Bears....

less potential for disaster me thinks..

:wink:
 
Tony. The jig I made is simply a 1/2" round bar fixed into two blocks of timber screwed at right angles to the wheel. The chisels,knives etc. are clamped to a piece of hardwood with a reg=bate whic runs along the round bar.It looks crude,in fact it is crude but it works and it didn't cost much.If i can I will post a photo for you
Jaymar
 
Ta Jaymar

Pete the grinder is in fact £39.95 - still a bargain :)

I had to do it at that price and it is now sitting in my garage awaiting 'play time'

Cheers

Tony
 
Tony,

Have you opened the box yet?

I am tempted to get one but the details on the B&Q web site say the wet wheel is only 14mm thick (their word) :cry: this does seem quite a small wheel if it correct, I am hoping that its a typo and should read 40mm :)

Can you measure the wet wheel on your new toy and let me know its size.

I have also found a Ferm one in the screw fix catalogue. It has a 200mm*40mm wet wheel but they don't quote the rpm. :roll: its only 1p more on the price.
 
One of the things we were told as apprentices was to NEVER use the side of a grinding wheel.
It slowly thins the wheel so it could break off.
 
Dewy":2k3atj2i said:
One of the things we were told as apprentices was to NEVER use the side of a grinding wheel.
It slowly thins the wheel so it could break off.

The Tormek has a really thick wheel, it runs very slow, and it's shown inthe corporate "video" of techniques, so reckons it's pretty much OK! :wink:

Adam
 
Dave

Open the box and flattened a couple of old chisel backs :)
Works quite nicely althought the gearbox got a bit hot after an hour or so :lol: :oops:

The water cooled wheel is about 40mm wide.

HPIM0396.JPG


Cheers

Tony
 
Tony,

Thanks for the picture, it answers another question I had not thought of - are there holes for bolting down. I think I will bolt it to a ply base to allow a rest to fixed up for grinding bevels Tormek style :)
 
Hi Bean,

Do I take it that have one of these as well ? Looks quite good for £40 :)

I am sure that between us we can come up with a jig system to make it really useful 8)
 
DaveL No I don't as yet anyway ! I'm pondering but I need to go into town tomorrow night so I may be tempted. Its nice to see a picture of them, strange though the ones I saw in Loughborough were green but still boxed, so i suppose they may be red.
Jigs should not be too much of a problem as there is good access to most of the wheel.

Tony which store did you use ?

Bean
 

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