So I want a tool and cutter grinder…

C-Bag said:
All of this is hard to justify as you can buy a LOT of new end mills for that much. But then I’d be like so many with buckets full of dead cutters. And that just hurts my cheap soul.
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I don't want to come across as an enabler, but at least some of what we buy is because we want to play with the machine or the tool. I don't make a living with my machines. I bought most of them when opportunities arose in the economic downturn of 2008. That was a great buying opportunity; I upgraded my entire shop and it's partially to explain for how I wound up with 3 T&C grinders. Now each has its own setup so I don't have to fiddle each time I want to sharpen something different. I don't use them a lot, but probably more often than my surface grinder.
 
matthewsx said:
I know some folks do tool grinding on their surface grinders, might be something to look into.
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It takes about the same tooling as for a T&C grinder. Some guys use their T&C grinder as a surface grinder. They can share the same geometry (not al T&C grinders are created equal) but the SG is a little more planar/accurate.
 
RWL said:
I don't want to come across as an enabler, but at least some of what we buy is because we want to play with the machine or the tool. I don't make a living with my machines. I bought most of them when opportunities arose in the economic downturn of 2008. That was a great buying opportunity; I upgraded my entire shop and it's partially to explain for how I wound up with 3 T&C grinders. Now each has its own setup so I don't have to fiddle each time I want to sharpen something different. I don't use them a lot, but probably more often than my surface grinder.
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Oh I get it, I’ve got TAS(tool acquisition syndrome) bad. In my case I bought my machine tools to upgrade my in house manufacturing. Most of my life I had basic hand tools and often no shop/garage. Not to mention a x who kept us always in arrears no matter how hard I worked or overtime I put in. About the time she left my side hustle I’d been doing for almost 15yrs went live and I went to doing that full time.

Finally I had a garage and time I could dedicate to automating the process. But I had to build everything close to ground up all while putting out product. A life of doing without made me super critical about not over doing it and letting TAS get me in a financial hole. In a certain way my stuff is all parameters. How to make what I need contained in a 19x20 2 car garage and as cheaply as possible. The Checkel was a logical machine because truly time is $$ for me as I try to do production during the week and projects/upgrades on the weekends. So a dull endmill that could stall a repair or upgrade while I have to order a new one got real old quick. Overall it’s been a good move and worth it, or so I tell myself.
 
Christianstark said:
I'd like to be able to heat treat. I'd also like the capability to do precision grinding afterwards. The whole experience is a hobby to me, so Im not sure the old adage of "depends on what projects you have coming up" applies. I don't even need my lathe and milling machine. lol

Friends and family keep asking me why I have all the stuff I do, and I always tell them it's cheaper than the divorce that would certainly come, after spending my time and money on hookers and blow.
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This really resonates with me. I do enjoy producing things with my shop, but a lot of the benefit is my exploration and learning.

A while back, I bought a Toolmaker grinder, which is sort of a lightweight hybrid tool grinder and surface grinder. I have used it a few times and it can be quite handy. I’m only starting to get the hang of sharpening cutting tools. But, for example, when I needed to use a taper pin, I was able to make a d-bit reamer that worked perfectly.

More recently, I bought a Micromaster 618 surface grinder. I wanted the ability to work on some larger surfaces and having played with the Toolmaker a bit, manually grinding a substantial surface is not for me (the 618 is automatic).

Anyhow, I’m sympathetic with your desire for a T&C grinder. The tooling is definitely a significant part of being able to use any grinder. My Toolmaker came with a bunch of the original Rockwell accessories. And I’ve acquired some fixtures that can help sharpen tools, like a Polychoke PC-101, which uses an eccentric spindle to create radial relief. Plus the fairly common fixtures for the ends of end mills. No air bearing yet.

Edit: oh, I’ve also come across a heat-treat oven and the few times I’ve used it so far have been supremely satisfying. I think it does go well with grinding capability.
 
I just bought the “acute tool sharpening system” plans a couple days ago. I plan on building it some time this winter

Seems like a simple rig. Time will tell how well it works for sharpening end mills...
 
I have the Shars single-lip cutter grinder and like it quite a bit. It's *not* a T&C grinder, but you can do a lot with it. However, sharpening endmills is not one of them. Making form cutters, sharpening drills, making boring bars, and thinning endmill shanks are relatively easy. Stephen Gotteswinter has some great videos using his Deckel (IIRC) for various tasks on YouTube. Sorry, I'm too new to be able to post links... ;-)

GsT
 
It doesn't seem accurate enough to me. Perhaps you have a better machine. Or perhaps I should clarify - you can sharpen the *ends* of endmills - just not the flutes.

GsT
 
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