Tosai Motor Sharpener
Made in Japan specifically for honing and sharpening Japanese woodblock carving tools, this unique electric Tosai Motor Sharpener comes with two leather wheels for honing tools as well as three sharpening disks.
Using the leather wheel, it is quick and easy to maintain an incredibly sharp, mirror-smooth edge on your tools. Do this frequently and you may never have to sharpen your tools, resulting in longer blade life.
However, if a tool becomes dull or chipped, then use the coarse, medium and/or fine sharpening disks to create a new edge.
Horizontal honing is better for blades than vertical honing because vertical wheels tend to re-bevel the blade while it is being sharpened, making the blade shorter, thinner and weaker. A horizontal wheel will maintain the correct bevel.
What used to take hours using water or oil stones can be achieved in minutes and with much less effort.
Hone Blades on the Leather Wheels
above: 1) honing the beveled side of the blade and 2) the inside edge of the blade on the leather wheels
The larger leather wheel is used to hone the beveled sides of the blades. The edges of the wheels are used to remove the burr that can form on the inside or backside of the blade. Since the wheels are leather, the metal blade will not heat up while it is being honed so you do not have to worry about ruining the temper of the metal. It only takes about five seconds to bring the edge back to optimal sharpness.
Sharpen Blades Using the Metal Sharpening Disks
Tosai Motor Sharpener with metal sharpening disk attached above the leather honing wheels
Replaceable, adhesive sandpaper attaches to the metal sharpening disks. Connect the sharpening disk by first removing the nut on the top of the spindle. The sharpening disk screws down onto the spindle, while the leather wheels simply stay in place on the machine. If the edge of the blade has been broken or chipped, begin with coarse sandpaper to grind down the blade past the damaged area. For tools that are merely dull, medium sandpaper will quickly re-establish a new edge. Fine sandpaper is used to further refine and polish the blade, while the leather wheels finish the polishing process.
The motor itself is very quiet, so it can be used in classrooms without disturbing other students. Leather honing wheels are safer to use than abrasive grinding wheels or sharpening disks because they will not remove skin if accidentally touched. Once students have been shown how to do it, they can safely hone their own tools (while always wearing safety goggles, of course).
The basic Tosai Motor Sharpener with leather honing wheels weighs only 16 lbs (7.25kg). The total weight with all three sharpening disks is 22 lbs (10kg). At 8¾" x 7¾" x 8¾" it fits nicely in even the smallest studio, so it is always in easy reach.
You can read the full instructions by going to Techniques & How Tos and looking under "Whetstones."
Comes with:
- Hammer tone painted metal base with handles and rubber feet
- Two leather honing wheels
- Three aluminum sharpening disks
- Coarse (120), medium (220) and fine (440) adhesive sandpaper, five each
- Open end wrench and Allen wrench
- Honing compound and cleaning stone
- 1100rpm motor. Wired for use in the U.S.
- Complete instructions
Tool Guide Bar
The Tool Guide Bar holds tools at a consistent angle while you are sharpening with the sanding disks. It is a great help to maintaining the correct bevel on the tools.
| Ship Weight | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3500 | Tosai Motor Sharpener | 24 lb | $495.00 | |
| S3550 | Tool Guide Bar | 1.5 lb | $86.85 | |
Replacement Parts
| S3544 | Fine Sandpaper, 5 Pack | 0.2 lb | $3.95 | |
| S3522 | Medium Sandpaper, 5 Pack | 0.2 lb | $3.95 | |
| S3512 | Coarse Sandpaper, 5 Pack | 0.2 lb | $3.95 | |
| S3523 | Leather Wheel, Small | 0.2lb | $24.00 | |
| S3524 | Leather Wheel, Large | 0.3lb | $26.00 | |
| S3525 | Lava Stone (for cleaning leather wheels) | 0.2lb | $10.95 |