Need Help Sharpening Carbide Lathe Bits

SmokeWalker said:
That looks pretty interesting, but assuming I could get to the side of the wheel (I can make a stand) how much pressure do you think I could apply to the side? It's diamonds embedded in steel plate, yes?
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Yes, just diamond grit on a steel plate. I use very little pressure. It doesn't seem to need much. I've fixed a dozen or so carbide cutting tools since I put it together, and it still seems to work as well as it did on the first one. The RH face of the wheel is dedicated to touching up carbide cutting tools. The LH face of the wheel is dedicated to sharpening my TIG tungstens. Nothing else touches the wheel so there is no cross contamination. I've never used the edge of the wheel for anything.

The grinder is a 5" Ashland (made in Chicago) that I got on Craigslist for $5 because it is so small. It's not very powerful, but it's absolutely perfect for this task. It's still smooth and quiet. Total investment: $15

GG
 
That is the machine that this diamond wheel is a replacement for. It's actually a 2 wheel set, one is a reddish-brown abrasive wheel for standard steel blades, and the other is a little diamond wheel for carbide blades.

grinder wheel.jpg

GG

grinder wheel.jpg
 
What amazes me is the reluctance to reveal the grit size on Asian diamond sharpening tools.
It was like pulling teeth to find that those little 2" discs have a 120 grit rating.

Maybe it's a metric translation thing, or a matter of national security...
 
I bought the same HF diamond wheel with an idea to make a low speed sharpener but may try it on the grinder as the wheel looks a little coarse for finishing. I also picked up a used craftsman wet sharpener which has a 3"? Dia by 3" wide SiC wheel it works pretty well for fixing the edge on cheap brazed tools.
 
As I believe someone already pointed out, it is NOT good to grind steel with a diamond wheel, especially at anything like a high speed. The diamonds simply dissolve in the steel. Cooling spray helps, but it's best to avoid doing it.

You can grind HSS with a "green wheel" but it does a crappy job, and beats up the wheel.

Thanks for the lead on those 4" diamond wheels. I didn't know they existed. And thanks 3x for the photo of that little homebrew T&C grinder... that's going to be on my "project" list pretty soon. The HF saw-sharpener looks like a good basis for a project too -- although the construction seems to be typical HF flimsy, stamped-and-bent sheet steel etc., kind of like their baby "chop saw".
 
I got a PM asking what diamond wheel I use on my HF grinder and figured I share with the forum. It's a resinoid, 100% concentration wheel, 6", cup style. Search for D6A2C wheels.

John
 
jgedde said:
I got a PM asking what diamond wheel I use on my HF grinder and figured I share with the forum. It's a resinoid, 100% concentration wheel, 6", cup style. Search for D6A2C wheels.

John
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Thanks John. You have a 39797 grinder? Or do you have a Baldor style one with tables. I just wonder how you can hold the tool to get at the side of the wheel.
 
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