What have I bought?

[TDA171]

I am setting up my first 'shop' and have just bought a TORMEK grinding machine at auction. It has an 8" solid ,lined metallic 40mm wheel, which looks as though it could have a fine grit/?diamond surface. Apart from being.....RED.... it has no indication of maker etc. Does anyone recognise the description,...and can anyone tell me if it designed to used wet or dry?
Many thanks!
Tim

 

[wills-mill]

Sounds like a CBN wheel. (Cubic Boron Nitride?)

They are a very hard abrasive and maintain their diameter and flat surface until finally worn out. They are used for sharpening all sorts of hard materials.

 

[deema]

They are used dry, and are used for reshaping with the advantage that they should not over heat the steel. They are normally very expensive to buy, so if you didn't pay much for the machine you gave a real bargain.

 

[TDA171]

Many thanks for the replies! I will do a bit more research to see if it is indeed a CBN wheel, and if so, any further info.
Great to know that it is to be used dry, and that is borne out by the fact the water trough was missing I guess!

Last question is not related. Has anyone ever come across a purpose made 4 or six inch belt sander 'bed' without a motor? They seem to exist in the States. I have a great, nearly new half HP electric motor that I would like to use to power such a table,....if I can find one. There are loads of DIY projects on You Tube to build one, but would prefer to take the 'easy' option if it is available.

Thanks again
Tim

 

[dickm]

Picador used to make one years ago. Fitted one to an old Coronet and it worked fine. Don't know if Picador still exist, but it might give you a starting point to find one secondhand.

 

[Rorschach]

If its red and made of metal with a very smooth finish then it is a diamond wheel, I have one for my machine.

 

[SVB]

Any chance of posting a photo - sounds intriguing!

 

[TDA171]

Thanks Rorschach!!
I will post a few pics tomorrow as requested by Simon. If you were able to confirm it is the same as yours, I would be extremely grateful.
Also if you have the source or any other info on where they come from, it would be great!!
Many thanks
Tim

 

[Rorschach]

I'd be happy to check out the pics and drag out my own wheel if required. No idea where they came from though, I got mine with an old style tormek I bought almost 10 years ago. I since sold the tormek and bought the Rutlands version (great value for money) and kept the diamond wheel for use on that.

 

[TDA171]

Here is a photo of the 'RED' smooth wheel I was querying. From what Rorsach has said, it looks as though this might have been a 'standard' inclusion on the early TORMEK machines. The one I have recently bought as auction was labelled as a SUPER Grinder 1200 which Axminster now say it is the same as a current Tormek 3.

In the meantime many thanks for all comments and advice offered thus far

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Just to let you know Tormek have a very active forum run by a lovely senior gentleman called Ken. They are the font of all knowledge with respect to Tormek. If you ever have any questions they're worth a visit and it's accessible via their website

 

[Rorschach]

Yep thats the same machine I had, an early 1200 and my wheel is identical to yours.

 

[Kev]

Dont know if it helps but looks like one of the t-j tool wheels.

http://t-jtools.co.uk/diamond-and-cbn-wheels/tormek-replacement-diamond-coated-wheel/

 

[Rorschach]

Woah! That's more than I paid for my whole machine back then. Considering how little use it gets maybe I should sell it! haha.