Grinder recommendations for tool sharpening

[benmychree]

Only thing with belt sanders, there is no way to dress the wheel and keep the abrasive sharp, with the attendant tendency to overheat the tool steel. I prefer an regular grinding wheel with an easily adjustable tool rest to maintain angles.

 

[benmychree]

when I used to grind HSS bits Ilearned early on I needed a grey wheel for roughing and a white wheel for finish and making a chip breaker, Then I bought a Baldor angle table grinder for carbide and a green wheel on one side and a diamond on the other. I also like Benmy (John). Also when grinding HSS wet it or cool it in water ever 5 seconds. if the get blue you just screwed yourself. Another thing now-a-days is a 300 RPM Glendo Accu-finish lapper with diamond wheels. I sharpen HSS steel on mine all the time. Slow diamonds don't plug the way the do on 3450 rpm wheels. I figure john has forgot more about grinding bits the many of us have ever know. He could be teaching machining in a Tech college in my opinion.

THX R-2! There are many aspects of machine work that others may be better at, but I think I had a quite good education at it from so many individuals that I have known since the late 1950s and especially early 1960s; I was blessed by the people that I have know and those who were my bosses and instructors; I think I was naturally inclined towards mechanics, greatly encouraged by others, and if I may be so crass, have a natural talent for it. I doubt that I could teach at a college level, I do not have the patience that my teachers had!

 

[MalR]

Are there any suggestions for either a bench grinder that runs smooth or a belt sander or anything that is turn key that someone recommends? I don't mind spending a couple hundred on something that will work well but I'm only sharpening a couple tools right now and some of these are outrageous in price. I would like something if at all possible with an adjustable tool rest so I can set the angle and not free hand it quite so much but if not, I would settle for anything that is not bouncing all over the stone when trying to sharpen it.

Thanks,
Greg

Whenever a wheel is fitted to a grinder it never goes on truly concentric with the spindle - it has to be trued. To do this you have to hook a dresser over the edge of the rigid workrest like this:

This tool is home made and has an industrial diamond in the tip but a crush-dresser works on the same principle.

Running the diamond across the wheel without hooking it over the workrest will only dress the wheel not true it to the spindle.


Mal

 

[tmenyc]

There is a topic I posted recently on Grinder Problems, a week or so ago. Lots of good responses, from which I think I made the right decisions for my Dewalt 6". Among the constellation of thing I didn't know, I clearly didn't know at the time that most inexpensive new grinders are not made for precision work and come with wheel flanges that are not trued, and that the wheels themselves are often not balanced. Now I know...and my solution was to swap out the flanges for machined ones and to true-dress the wheels. I'm using Norton AO 36 and 80 grit.
Good luck! Feel free to speak up if I can help.

Tim

 

[mikey]

I'm with @mickri. I would use a belt sander. It is way faster and easier to grind lathe tools with.

 

[fishingreg]

My vote is to get a belt sander. I am still a newbie at this even though I have had my lathe for over a year. I started trying to shape tool bits with a hand held makita high speed 4" grinder. Not good. Moved up to a 6" bench grinder. A lot better but still not easy to get the right angles. Then I picked up a 1x42 belt sander in a thrift store for $40. Wow is all I can say. With the tilt table and an adjustable square I was able to grind any angle that I wanted. Do yourself a favor and get a belt sander. Your tool bits will come out better in a fraction of the time. Here is a link to how I grind tool bits on my belt sander. https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...ing-hss-lathe-tools.62111/page-33#post-654305

Thank you. That is kind of what I was thinking. For me the grinding wheel feels like it is not very controllable at least at this young stage for me and I need to crawl a little before I walk. It felt like a belt sander might work easier for me but I have not found any good data on what grit and that kind of thing so I am a bit lost on belt sanders. I think that is the route at least for now I really want to go.

 

[mickri]

Read the thread that Mickey started on grinding tool bits. https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/models-for-grinding-hss-lathe-tools.62111/ The basics are covered in detail starting on page 3 or 4. My belt sander needed a new belt when I got it. My local Ace hardware store only had 80 grit 1x42 belts. That is what I have been using. They seem to work just fine for me. The HF 1x30 belt sanders will work. Also look for garage sales and CL ads. Belt sanders come up regularly.

You will need a stand. Another forum member pointed me to 3 drawer rolling file cabinets. They work great. I picked up six of these at a county surplus sale for under $10 each. You can't make something for that price. I have my drill presses, bench grinder, belt sander, router table and 125 amp welder mounted on these cabinets. Very handy to be able to roll things where I need them and store out of the way when not in use.

 

[fishingreg]

I'm with @mickri. I would use a belt sander. It is way faster and easier to grind lathe tools with.

I thought I had seen you recommended that in a past post I read at some point. It all runs together now, clear as mud. Do you have any recommendations on a belt grinder or just go to HD or Lowes and pick up one?

Thanks

 

[fishingreg]

Whenever a wheel is fitted to a grinder it never goes on truly concentric with the spindle - it has to be trued. To do this you have to hook a dresser over the edge of the rigid workrest like this:

This tool is home made and has an industrial diamond in the tip but a crush-dresser works on the same principle.

Running the diamond across the wheel without hooking it over the workrest will only dress the wheel not true it to the spindle.


Mal

So I see my first issue, I have no tool rests on my grinder. Thats not an option so I think I am to the cross roads of getting something new to grind my tools but I think out of everything I have read, I would be able to control the belt sander the best at this point.

 

[ddickey]

I thought I had seen you recommended that in a past post I read at some point. It all runs together now, clear as mud. Do you have any recommendations on a belt grinder or just go to HD or Lowes and pick up one?

Thanks

Do a Google search for 2x72 belt grinder or sander. Be prepared for sticker shock though,