Bought a grinder at auction and not sure i need it

Dado, you can use that grinder for HSS lathe tools and brazed carbide tools. Just need the right wheels. You can have a green carbide wheel on one end to shape the brazed carbide and a diamond to final sharpen it. Don't underestimate the efficacy of brazed carbide tools - when shaped properly and sharpened, they are really good tools. For your HSS tools, CBN will work well for you. This type of grinder will allow you to grind all faces of the tool, including the rake angles so it is definitely a keeper.

You are correct. For inserts, you either use a machine like a Accu-finish to sharpen them or dump the insert when dull.


My opinion is to sell it. These carbide grinders that MSC, Jet, and the other Chinese grinders sold on well known tool web sites are junk unless you rework them, starting with taking them apart, and turning them in a lathe between centers to get the spindles to run true. There's Youtube videos of how to do it. If you put a decent Diamond Wheel on them out the box you can pretty much kiss your money goodbye. Also, unless you can mount a brake on the spindle, you'll be sitting there for an hour waiting for it to slow down enough so you can reverse the wheel to grind the opposite angles on your tools. They're getting $250-$300 for a good Baldor carbide grinder on Craigslist, so do yourself a favor, and if you don't need this one, dump it and get a good one when you do. And by the way, you will destroy that wheel grinding HSS, and it's not a cheap diamond, so take it off that grinder and keep it for your new one.
 
Keep the grinder , it's only as good as the machinist who uses it. You can set the angles , use the drip coolant and grind your tools to the exact shape you want. It's made for lathe tool sharpening.
 
The Baldor is awesome, but over 1k$ new.

 
Okay, I will send you my Xmas list. But for a start I want a surface grinder, a 12 gauge sheetmetal finger brake, a Miller tig machine, and a 6" D1-4 3 jaw Bison set tru chuck!

Seriously, Craigslist is awful here on the gulf coast of Alabama. It is a wasteland of over priced junk. There is typically nothing on it and when there is, it is ridiculously priced.
 
Okay, I will send you my Xmas list. But for a start I want a surface grinder, a 12 gauge sheetmetal finger brake, a Miller tig machine, and a 6" D1-4 3 jaw Bison set tru chuck!

Seriously, Craigslist is awful here on the gulf coast of Alabama. It is a wasteland of over priced junk. There is typically nothing on it and when there is, it is ridiculously priced.

I know, but the Alabama shore isn't known as a hot bed of manufacturing. It's pretty hard to find tooling when Harbor Freight is the industrial supplier of the South. Merry Christmas, and here's a few craigslist finds for you to drool over.

https://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/tls/d/norton-6x18-surface-grinder/6426964019.html

https://newhaven.craigslist.org/tls/d/surface-grinder-reid/6428728367.html

https://harrisburg.craigslist.org/tls/d/brown-sharpe-618-micromaster/6416307128.html

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/hvo/d/reid-surface-grinder/6425850636.html


https://plattsburgh.craigslist.org/tls/d/pexto-24-finger-box-brake-16/6427579744.html


https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/tls/d/tennsmith-52-finger-brake/6413575198.html

https://capecod.craigslist.org/hvo/d/roper-whitney-24-sheet-metal/6383001779.html


https://longisland.craigslist.org/tls/d/miller-welder/6426427763.html

https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/tls/d/miller-tig-stick-welder-water/6421559765.html

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/tls/d/welder-miller-econo-twin/6385919497.html

https://syracuse.craigslist.org/tls/d/miller-maxstar-150-stl-stick/6377817879.html

https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/tls/d/welder/6425635834.html
 
You can't judge a machine by photos alone(re: CL). A seller can write anything. Unless you know what to look and check for AND if the seller will allow, you're half way there. Remember, they're selling for a reason. Some good, some not so good. Asking the right questions and judging the response is also key. A lot of caution when buying a used lathe, mill, Surf. grinder, etc....
 
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I bought this at a recent auction. 1hp, has 2 diamond whhels. I pretty much only use hss lathe tools since I'm a beginner. Just getting started with mill as well. Is this only good to grind carbide tooling? Shoild i change the wheels or just hang on to it until I'm more mature as a machinist. I have an 8" baldor grinder which grinds my bits now pretty well
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I have a Baldor similar grinder with a diamond wheel on one side and silicon carbide (green) wheel on the other for grinding usually HSS. Also use the diamond wheel for tungsten TIG electrodes (watch the dust!). I use it and a basic Milwaukee grinder all the time. Diamond wheels get somewhat pricey and there are more that one type/quality wheel, but they last a long time and can put a mirror finish on item being ground. Keep the grinder, you will be using it sometime.
 
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