How would you sharpen this? (Thermomix Vorwerk)

[Josh]

So I had a customer want to know if I can sharpen this… I figured yea why not? (after looking at a pic he send me). After I get it in my hands, I can’t really tell which side the blades are sharpened from (onside or outside?) I’m assuming that Leo and Mark may have more insight into this due to your geographical location 🙂 does it matter which side I sharpen these blades from?

http://www.thermomix.com/en/home/

[Mark76]

So I had a customer want to know if I can sharpen this… I’m assuming that Leo and Mark may have more insight into this due to your geographical location 🙂 does it matter which side I sharpen these blades from?

I can’t even figure out what it is 🙂

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Mark76]

Ah, I should read better 🙂 . I now see what it is. However, I’m afraid I don’t quite understand the question. What do you mean by “which side these blades are sharpened from”. Why not follow the form a blade already has (by sharpening or gotten otherwise)? And what is onside and outside here?

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Robert Gilvary]

A blender or food processor blade?

[Josh]

A blender or food processor blade?

Exactly 🙂

[Josh]

Ah, I should read better 🙂 . I now see what it is. However, I’m afraid I don’t quite understand the question. What do you mean by “which side these blades are sharpened from”. Why not follow the form a blade already has (by sharpening or gotten otherwise)? And what is onside and outside here?

Because it’s actually quite difficult to tell which side it was originally sharpened from… Look close at the pics and see if you can see? I’m leaning on sharpening from the inside edge (or the side of the blade that is closest to the gear and rubber gasket). It looks like there’s some way to take this thing apart, but I don’t want to try and break anything (I think these things are around $150 to replace).

[Mikedoh]

I’ll be interested in hearing how it works out, and what angle you used. I think I’d sharpen the same side you are referring to.

[Mark76]

Josh, I don’t know this brand of food processor, but I took a look at my own. In fact we have even two at home :-). On one of the the blades have quite certainly been sharpened. On the other they have quite certainly not been and these blades look much like yours. I don’t know what process they use to get these blades into shape, but that process has also been used to make a sort-of edge on the blades of the latter. But this edge is not just blunt, it is extremely blunt (and not because the food processor has been used so much). I guess the reason this food processor still cuts relatively well is that quite large forces are used to cut the veggies. But, then, I must say, these veggies sometimes look more mashed than cut.

My intuition also says to sharpen the side you are referring to, because you keep the original angles in tact as much as possible. Maybe a very small bevel on the other side. I’d also use a large angle, since these blades use much more force to cut than a human-driven knife.

Success! And let us know what you did and how it works out.

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Robert Gilvary]

Do you have any way to compare it to an original blade just to be sure how sharp it should be?

[Josh]

Do you have any way to compare it to an original blade just to be sure how sharp it should be?

Nope… They’re apparently harder to find in the US. Well I did end up getting it sharpened! It was ridiculous and pretty difficult to figure it out. I ended up getting cut in a few places on my hands. Unfortunately I forgot to get any after pics! Maybe I can swing by and get a couple in a few. It went pretty well… I used my radiused wheel that I use for serrated sharpening to fit all of the contours, I also used a 1″ belt somewhat. Turned out sharp enough to shave the hair on your arm at least! 🙂

[Leo Barr]

I have one of those fantastic machine I would not sharpen it although if you do I would do it by hand it certainly won’t fit in a WE I also think if the thermomix is working properly and your not either overfilling it of running it too fast it will cope with almost everything; only fill it halfway especially with minced meat it is really sticky .
My thermomix is around 30 years old I got it second hand and whilst the blades are not sharp it copes with most things.

[Mikedoh]

Josh, any feedback from your customer?

[Josh]

Josh, any feedback from your customer?

Not yet… I just emailed him though 🙂

[Leo Barr]

You could just sharpen them by hand using either the WE stones or some small stones. I have sharpened someones blender blades this way and got them near razor sharp it took about 20 minutes(with Arkansas stones for wood working tools) . I do repeat that my thermomix is about thirty years old and the blades are unsharpened and it works perfectly as long as it is not overfilled . I would not and will not sharpen mine; I am betting that if you got a new thermomix the blades would not be sharp the motor is very powerful lots of torque and the speed when can be varies on a scale of 1-10 it will blitz the seeds on strawberries as it is .
The other thing to consider it is German precision made and it is possible the machine may well not work if the blades are unbalanced I suspect the user is overloading the machine it should be not much more than half full in operation .
When I first got it I overladen it with minced beef and it stopped working altogether either it overheated or it felt there was too much resistance these machines are over a 1000€ new and are built to last .
My own feeling is don’t try to sharpen them .

[Josh]

You could just sharpen them by hand using either the WE stones or some small stones. I have sharpened someones blender blades this way and got them near razor sharp it took about 20 minutes(with Arkansas stones for wood working tools) . I do repeat that my thermomix is about thirty years old and the blades are unsharpened and it works perfectly as long as it is not overfilled . I would not and will not sharpen mine; I am betting that if you got a new thermomix the blades would not be sharp the motor is very powerful lots of torque and the speed when can be varies on a scale of 1-10 it will blitz the seeds on strawberries as it is .
The other thing to consider it is German precision made and it is possible the machine may well not work if the blades are unbalanced I suspect the user is overloading the machine it should be not much more than half full in operation .
When I first got it I overladen it with minced beef and it stopped working altogether either it overheated or it felt there was too much resistance these machines are over a 1000€ new and are built to last .
My own feeling is don’t try to sharpen them .

Leo, you’re a genius lol.

I recently got feedback from him, he said that it it cuts amazingly but that at the higher speeds it causes vibration (due to me not balancing the blades).. I really need to disassemble it to sharpen and balance it, which appears pretty straight forward. But my only reservation is that I might disassemble it and then not be able to get it back together. I told him that I did not want to attend that unless I could afford to replace the blade. Leo, do you have any idea how much the replacement blades cost?

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