hello Jeff, Ill send you a PM. thanks.
Rick, you can sharpen HSS turning tools on a Tormek with no problem, in fact there are many attachments available to aid the process. It is slow, however, much slower than using a regular grinder. The HSS tools can withstand more heat then tool steel, turning blue without a problem, so a properly set up grinder is often a better choice. By properly set up I mean an 1800 RPM grinder with suitable wheels, not Al-Ox, and a good tool rest.
Bernadette, one of the more useful accessories for the Tormek is the diamond point stone truing device. It's a simple arrangement that can refresh the stones surface and bring it into a true round. Well worth the expense.
Jim
Regarding wheels - there's another option now, which sounds interesting, but no one I know has tried them yet. CBN is apparently one of the higher-order 'superabrasives' that heretofore have been mostly used in demanding high-volume applications. Now available in a sorta/kinda affordable small-shop version - http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/pag...=1,43072,43080
Jim - when you say, 'not aluminum oxide'... what is your preference? I have Al-ox wheels on my grinder, and have had no issue with them. I do have one woodworking buddy who likes his 'ceramic aluminum oxide' wheels. What do you use?
I have to agree about the SawStop saws. I've had a chance to use several now, and have been impressed. Even setting the pluses & minuses of the unique safety features aside (I think the drawbacks are minor compared to the potential pluses) - they are well designed and well constructed.
Last edited by David G; 04-15-2018 at 09:26 AM.
David G
Harbor Woodworks
http://www.harborwoodworking.com/boat.html
"It was a Sunday morning and Goddard gave thanks that there were still places where one could worship in temples not made by human hands." -- L. F. Herreshoff (The Compleat Cruiser)
The blue ones, David. Here's a link. They're softer than Al-Ox wheels and run cooler. You want to grind with the coarsest grit that works for your use, as they cut faster yet run cooler than the finer grits.
https://oneway.ca/products-category/...nding%20Wheels
Interesting. The one fellow I mentioned that has switched to 'ceramic al-ox' is a serious turner, and used the Oneway wheels before that. He said he didn't notice much of a difference from the al-ox wheels he had previously been using... so went to the ceramic version. He said he has noticed a difference there. Of course, there are a variety of al-ox configurations... so who knows what he was comparing to. May not have been the exact al-ox wheels you had used. You know anything about those CBN contraptions?
David G
Harbor Woodworks
http://www.harborwoodworking.com/boat.html
"It was a Sunday morning and Goddard gave thanks that there were still places where one could worship in temples not made by human hands." -- L. F. Herreshoff (The Compleat Cruiser)
I looked into the CBN wheels and learned that they cannot be used for carbon steel.
Jeff
David G
Harbor Woodworks
http://www.harborwoodworking.com/boat.html
"It was a Sunday morning and Goddard gave thanks that there were still places where one could worship in temples not made by human hands." -- L. F. Herreshoff (The Compleat Cruiser)
Good quality al ox wheels are a grey-blue colour and the best available here for turning tools. They're definitely the go for quality turning chisels. There are white al oxide wheels that are not suitable.
Rick