Tormek Sharpening Stones

Choosing the correct Wet Sharpening Stones

One of the greatest challenges in wet sharpening is the performance of the stone grinding wheel. Most wet sharpeners fail to satisfy in large part because they use inexpensive, underperforming stones which typically fail both in performance and durability.

TORMEK addresses this problem head-on by employing a proprietary composition for its standard sharpening stone. Custom-designed and manufactured exclusively for TORMEK by one of the world’s leading abrasives manufacturers, the TORMEK SG-200 (8”) and TORMEK SG-250 (10”) Sharpening Stones are not only the most durable stones in the industry, but they offer another highly valuable benefit: they are dual-grit stones.

These sharpening stones default to 220 grit coarseness for greater efficiency for shaping an edge, but the TORMEK SG-650 Stone Grader (included with the T-8 and T-4 wet sharpeners) allows the surface texture to be modified to 1000 grit, simply by holding the grader against the sharpening stone for approximately 30 seconds. This means you can do both coarse and fine grinding on the same machine with the same wheel and the same jig settings, ensuring perfect grinding angles throughout the grinding and sharpening process with no need to reset your jig.

In addition to saving time and improving the typical tool sharpening result, this also saves the cost of a second sharpening stone.

For most common sharpening, this original Sharpening Stone is perfectly sufficient, and will comfortably handle both carbon and high-speed steel tools. However, sometimes a considerable benefit can be achieved by using an alternate stone, typically when either very heavy grinding or very fine sharpening is called for.

For heavy grinding, the TORMEK SB-250 Silicon Blackstone is highly recommended. This 220 grit wheel is considerably harder than the original stone, and its grains are relatively small and sharp for additional wet grinder efficiency, making the stone both faster and more durable. Popular uses include shaping of turning tools and repair of planer blades. This stone can also be used to touch up tungsten carbide. Please note that the Silicon Blackstone is not available in the 8” size required for the T-4 or T-3.

For fine sharpening the TORMEK SJ-250 (10”) and TORMEK SJ-200 (8”) Japanese Waterstones are unmatched in their ability to produce an incredible clean edge with no need for further honing. Their 4000 grit texture produces a mirror-like finish which is perfect for hand tools in both home and shop: knives, scissors, chisels, plane irons, carving, and turning tools, just to name a few. This stone is not intended for material removal: it is strictly a sharpening stone. For best results, a finish pass with light pressure is recommended.

Both optional stones will benefit from the use of the TORMEK SG-650 Stone Grader. The TORMEK SB-250 Silicon Blackstone can be refreshed using the coarse side, while the TORMEK SJ-250 Japanese Waterstone should be cleaned of steel particles every minute or so using the fine side.

For ease in changing wheels, all new TORMEK wet sharpeners now include the EzyLock shaft, which enables you to change stones in only seconds and without the use of tools. The stainless steel TORMEK MSK-250 EzyLock shaft is also available as a retrofit for all older wet sharpeners from TORMEK. And lastly, after a certain amount of use, don't forget to true your stones back to perfectly round and flat shape using the Tormek TT-50 Truing Tool.