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.

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).

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).

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).

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

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).

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