Thread: A question regarding Tormek wheel strop and compound

So I have a few situations, that I hope more experienced sharpeners may clarify.

1: has anyone else used a wheel leather strop? Have they come across any issues using one?
I have one at work (At a knife/kitchen shop), I've used it on a few razors, it does an amazing job polishing the edge, however I fear the curvature of the wheel effects the angle of the bevel-possibly creating a convex bevel.

2: I have a co-worker who debates the amount of stropping compound. He argues that leather imbedded evenly with compound, creating a scraping feel, is faster and polishes micro-serrations better than my method of using more compound in a "slurry" fashion.
I started using a slight excess of compound on the strop wheel because I found the the leather was deteriorating quickly if dried out. I also found that the bevel created by the Tormek wheel was polished out extremely well and seemed to occur more quickly than using less slurry and more abrasive leather.

So: are wheel strops a good way to save time, and does a compound slurry on a strop create a better finish?

Can you show pictures?

I will get some photos of the "slurry" I use. Anything else you want to see a pic of?

Yes, please. I would be glad to see a picture of the wheel leather strop.

What are you planning to use, the tormek PA-70 compound, or do you want to use the wheel without it or with something finer?

It would work and refine the edge if it was clean, but if the tormek is used for anything else, it's never going to get the uniform slick feeling that a good strop will get once it's broken in.

On top of that, because it's near the grinder and because items pulled off the tormek wheel could have significant wire edges (that might end up as metal particles in the leather wheel), you run the risk of placing a finely honed razor bevel on the leather wheel to find that it's full of nicks when you look at it after it's treated to the wheel.

To your question of volume and polishing, I would prefer to keep the amount of abrasive on the strop at a lower level than a floating "compound". The hones should leave you with little work to do polishing the bevel. It is a different problem than you have bringing a chisel, knife or plane iron from the graded tormek wheel (which may be anywhere from 220-1000 grit based on their claims) to the leather.

I have experimented a ton with both the GRS machine using 5 and 6 inch wheels as well as some leather and cork belts on my Bader. The hardest part for me has been to make sure the pressure and timing is the same when I switch to the other side of the razor. When it hits right either when treating with pastes or sprays or even when using without them for stropping, it is very nice. The problem for me has been more with consistency. Whenever one does not hit right, I usually can get it right by going back to a finishing stone and then a bench strop, paddle strop or hanging strop treated and then to regular leather.

Have fun.

Originally Posted by DaveW

What are you planning to use, the tormek PA-70 compound, or do you want to use the wheel without it or with something finer?

I plan on just using the PA-70. You are correct about nicks from the stone wheel. I discovered this on a modified Genco blade I threw on.

Lynn has a good point, when I used either wheel, I noticed that keeping the pressure consistent was difficult. However on a plus side, it is quick and easy to put the blade back on and apply pressure to areas with either lesser bevels or not polished.

For lack of another way to put it, I'd say it's a tool that will work to strop an edge. But I don't think it's the best tool for it, that's just my opinion. (I did have a tormek for a long time, but gave it away to a friend a couple of months ago).

the reason that's my opinion is because once I get a shaver that I really really like, I get really stingy with how much material I want to remove the edge, and to do that, you have to keep the geometry subtle and exact. You can do that easily by hand, but with the tormek wheel, I don't think it'll be quite as easy, and fresh pa-70 is pretty aggressive, I'd consider it on the order of 3 or 4 micron aluminum oxide. I could very well be wrong, though, it doesn't move too fast and it's not going to fling the razor out of your hand, so you will have to make the call.

What, to me, is a better use of the pa-70 for fine edges is to spread it thin on a piece of MDF (like the brown unidentifiable stuff that's in the plywood aisle at home depot) and use it on that like you would a hone, only dragging instead. As it loads and gets embedded into the MDF, it should create a finer and finer edge. Like autosol (sniff both of them if you ever get autosol, and then use one after the other and let me know if you think there's a difference - I don't think there is - I think it's autosol in tormek's tube), it does leave a deceptive film on an edge sometimes, though, making the polish look just a bit better than it is.

Like DaveW i did have a Tormek, i use it for sharpening woodworking tools, actually not for very long and sold it. That said i use leather wheels on my lathe for polishing carving chisels and those work great.But the thought of stropping a razor on a tormek make no sense to me as you have very minimal control.
If leather wheels for stropping worked well for razors i would think every honemeister would use them.