# Diamond Dresser



## RV-N8ZG (Mar 20, 2017)

Gentlemen -
I have several bench grinders fitted with an assortment of general-purpose stones.
most have been "abused" with lawnmower blades and other heavy grinding tasks.

 I do not have a tool for dressing the stones - didn't need such a thing before I bought a lathe.  If I am to learn to shape HSS tooling, I need better stones and the tools to maintain them.

To that end, I would appreciate any suggestions on diamond dressing tools and holders/jigs.

Neal


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## intjonmiller (Mar 20, 2017)

I just use a T-shape diamond dressing tool I got on eBay for a few bucks. Just a coating of diamond grit across a short length of square tubing and a handle. For bench grinder use I find it perfectly adequate. I've even used it on my 14" abrasive chop saw (not under power, just as it's slowing down) to deglaze it. 

The carbide (?) dressing tools with many spoked wheels should give you a more open dress that will allow you to grind faster without generating as much heat. It's a marginal difference in both factors, but can still help. But I find that type to be rather difficult to use to actually true up the wheel, square the corners, etc. *I think* the diamond tool is best for that, then the rotary dresser thing with a couple light passes to open up the surface a little would be ideal. No doubt there are many schools of thought here.


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## Bob Korves (Mar 20, 2017)

Wheels for grinding HSS do not necessarily need to be dressed with single point diamond nibs.  The options listed above, T shaped tool with diamonds, Desmond type star wheels (hardened steel), abrasive dressing sticks, and others will all do the job.  The star wheel type dressers remove the most material in the least time, leave an open surface on the wheel, and can be done accurately enough by hand if a bit of care is taken.  They are great to get abused wheels back to something useful.  The Desmond units are quite a bit nicer than the import clones.  Single point diamond jigs are also useful and more accurate, but slower, and without care you can lose the diamond in one accidentally deep pass.  Single point diamonds should only be used with an infeed of about .001" maximum per pass.  The diamond dressing fixture needs to be rigidly mounted relative to the grinding wheel.  A wheel dressed square by hand and eye is perfectly acceptable for grinding HSS tooling.


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## MozamPete (Mar 20, 2017)

+1 on the T shaped diamond dresser for doing the bench grinder.
The single point diamond tool is great in a fixture for truing up the surface grinder, but I find the T style is easier for hand dressing the bench grinder.
This style is what I use


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## Tozguy (Mar 20, 2017)

Whichever way you choose to dress a wheel be prepared for a considerable amount of grit to fly everywhere. 
Use a full face mask for yourself and cover up anything nearby until you see what gives for yourself.


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## yendor (Mar 21, 2017)

Agree with TO.

Be prepared for a mess of grit especially if this is your first time truing up an abused wheel.


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## chips&more (Mar 21, 2017)

A single point diamond in a ridged translating device is the only way you will get the grinding wheel truly round and on center. Other methods can suffice depending on your finesse. All of this only applies to a grinder with good bearings and properly mounted stones/wheels. I find the single point diamond with translator much faster and with excellent results. Trying to dress a wheel with the star or other wastes wheel diameter trying to fight all the bouncing and out of round conditions…Dave


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## Bob Korves (Mar 21, 2017)

chips&more said:


> A single point diamond in a ridged translating device is the only way you will get the grinding wheel truly round and on center. Other methods can suffice depending on your finesse. All of this only applies to a grinder with good bearings and properly mounted stones/wheels. I find the single point diamond with translator much faster and with excellent results. Trying to dress a wheel with the star or other wastes wheel diameter trying to fight all the bouncing and out of round conditions…Dave


Dave does a lot of accurate horological work on watchmakers lathes.  Thanks Dave, a good reminder that we do not all do the same types of work and do not all expect the same class of results...  In fact, in our shops we may go from an angle grinder and 1/4" electrodes on one project to using drills under .010" diameter on the next project.  Gotta know when and how to change hats to match the work!


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## RV-N8ZG (Mar 21, 2017)

Thanks all, helpful so far. 



yendor said:


> Be prepared for a mess of grit especially if this is your first time truing up an abused wheel.



I expect so.  I generally begin messy jobs such as this by strategically positioning the dust collector hose...



Bob Korves said:


> Gotta know when and how to change hats to match the work!



Indeed.  As an aircraft mechanic I often have a hammer in one hand and tiny hemostats in the other...


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## Bob Korves (Mar 21, 2017)

RV-N8ZG said:


> Indeed. As an aircraft mechanic I often have a hammer in one hand and tiny hemostats in the other...


RV-7, eh?  I have some time in a RV-6...  Not an RV in your photo, though, looks more like a Cherokee...


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## RV-N8ZG (Mar 21, 2017)

It is.
N8ZG is my Amateur Radio call.
The RV-7 is in year 12 of a two-year plan...


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## Bob Korves (Mar 21, 2017)

RV-N8ZG said:


> It is.
> N8ZG is my Amateur Radio call.
> The RV-7 is in year 12 of a two-year plan...


Two year plans have a way of doing that...  When I saw transponder and encoder serial numbers I thought it was flying...


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## Rustrp (Mar 21, 2017)

RV-N8ZG said:


> I do not have a tool for dressing the stones - didn't need such a thing before I bought a lathe.


Of course you did, you just didn't know it. I just wanted to add a twist to your comment.  Wheels should always be dressed and grinding should be done in a manner that requires minimum dressing. The first reason is safety. Gouged out, uneven wheels do fly apart, especially the cheaper brands. It's also a good safety practice to stand aside until your grinder comes up to speed, no matter what the wheel quality is. 

Cutter tool grinding placed a degree of importance on the grinding wheel that comes with specific parameters. I have a general purpose wheel I change out with a higher quality and finer grit. I do the rough cutting with a course wheel and then move to a finer grit for the finish, then hone for the final. 

One thing I don't see mentioned is the location of your grinder to your machine equipment. This is one thing that fits into my "Cardinal Sin" category. 

I'll add; You can dress the wheel in the same manner in which it came to the condition to need dressing, without a wheel dressing tool. Just use a hard tough metal and something soft alternate between the two. When time is money use the dressing tool. I see you already mentioned dust collection. Using the full face, along with the conscience effort to do so will become a habit.


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## tmenyc (Nov 22, 2018)

A bit of necroposting here -- will a dresser be needed for a new wheel, one that hasn't been abused?  
Many thanks,
Tim


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## Technical Ted (Nov 22, 2018)

When you mount a new wheel there will be some run out. Dressing can help true it up for better performance.

Ted


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## Tozguy (Nov 23, 2018)

tmenyc said:


> new wheel, one that hasn't been abused?


 
Interesting concept , any new wheel should be tested for ring before mounting it.
When mounting it, try to get as little run out as possible (there is usually some clearance in the bore of the wheel). Once mounted, it should be dressed as Ted mentioned.


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## tmenyc (Nov 23, 2018)

How is this for a dresser option?  
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/272549960407


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## Dave Smith (Nov 23, 2018)

for an inexpensive excellent wheel dresser every machinist can make easily----just find an old diamond grit circular saw blade that still has some diamond grit on the sides----with your cut-off blade on your angle grinder cut a section of the diamond blade approx 2-3 inches wide angled to center hole like a slice of pie---then cut it so it is approx 2 1/2 " deep---enough to hold  with both hands at an angle so you are dressing with the flat side----most old diamond saw blades have the diamonds on the outer edge worn off, but you don't dress with them so it doesn't matter----you can make many out of an old blade and I drill a hole in each piece so I can hang one on each grinder-----take your time on trying them out and you will be able to fine dress a wheel professionally.---Dave


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## Tozguy (Nov 25, 2018)

tmenyc said:


> How is this for a dresser option?
> https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/272549960407



See post no. 4


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## tmenyc (Nov 26, 2018)

ha, looks like I got it!  thanks


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