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Tormek Sharpening System – Use & Maintenance


With the tool mounted in the appropriate jig, you can sharpen the edge in just a few steps with consistent results.


Sharpening a chisel on a T-8, showing the clearance between the grindstone and the square-end jig .

How to Sharpen a Square-Edged Tool


The sharpening of a blade or chisel consists of three key steps.

1) Sharpening on the grindstone

Start honing on the 220x surface until a burr is felt on the back of the edge. Grade the stone to 1000x, and finish the grinding (Photo 8).


Sharpening a chisel held in a square-end jig on a Tormek T-8 sharpening machine.

Photo 8 – Move the tool side to side across the face of the 1000x wheel until a burr shows on the back of the tool.


2) Honing on the leather wheel

Mount the universal support in the horizontal position, and use the AngleMaster to set the universal support (Photo 9).


Using the angle-setter gauge to grind a chisel to a precise bevel angle on a T-8 sharpening machine.

Photo 9 – Hone in the direction of rotation, away from the edge.


3) Removing the burr

Finally, remove the tool from the grinding jig, and hone the back free hand (Photos 10 & 11).


A chisel held at a tangent to the grindstone of a T-8 sharpening machine to remove a grinding burr.

Photo 10 – The tool is held at a tangent to the honing wheel.


Testing the edge of a chisel sharpened on a T-8 sharpening machine by cutting across end grain.

Photo 11 – Test the sharpness on a piece of paper or with an end-grain cut.

Maintenance


The system needs some periodic maintenance to ensure consistent sharpening results. Learn here about keeping the machine in top shape.

Remember to clean the water trough after each use. Apply honing compound to the leather wheel after using it on about 10 tools, and finally, true the stone periodically (Photo 12).


Reflattening a worn Tormek T-8 grindstone with the included diamond-tipped wheel-truing tool.

Photo 12 – The grindstone will last longer with frequent slight truing than occasional heavy truing.

Discover More About Tormek Sharpening Systems

Getting started with Tormek sharpening systems.

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Getting Started

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