# Dayton 6Y945 2x42 belt sander mods for HSS tool grinding..



## Z2V

Great job Terry, very well documented. Thanks for the write up.


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## mikey

Great job on the sander, Terry! Your presentation here is outstanding and should enable others to easily duplicate your work. Please share details of your tool rest when its done - that should be interesting.

We need to see how the sander does with HSS but your tools duplicate the models very accurately - impressive! I have to say that you're taking the new guy thing to another level, Terry!


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## TerryH

Z2V said:


> Great job Terry, very well documented. Thanks for the write up.



Thanks! I was so much easier to duplicate the tool with the models. Thanks for taking charge of getting those where they need to be. I'll duplicate the others in the next few days and get these back to you.


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## TerryH

mikey said:


> Great job on the sander, Terry! Your presentation here is outstanding and should enable others to easily duplicate your work. Please share details of your tool rest when its done - that should be interesting.
> 
> We need to see how the sander does with HSS but your tools duplicate the models very accurately - impressive! I have to say that you're taking the new guy thing to another level, Terry!



Thanks Mike! Could not have done any of this without your help. I'll add pics and some info once I get the new table. I'm going to wait until then to grind the HSS. More to come...


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## royesses

Very nice job and write up.


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## Z2V

TerryH said:


> Thanks! I was so much easier to duplicate the tool with the models. Thanks for taking charge of getting those where they need to be. I'll duplicate the others in the next few days and get these back to you.



That’s fine Terry, glad it’s working out for you.


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## TerryH

royesses said:


> Very nice job and write up.



Thanks!


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## ttabbal

Good stuff! Always nice to see another great tool getting built. Thanks for sharing your work. I think you are on a good track to getting tools ground.


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## TerryH

ttabbal said:


> Good stuff! Always nice to see another great tool getting built. Thanks for sharing your work. I think you are on a good track to getting tools ground.



Thanks! Once I started using the one you sent me I was hooked. Had to get my sander lined out so I could do my own. Very much appreciate your help.


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## TerryH

Back at it today with work on the tool rest. I went to my local metal supply this morning and picked up a stick of 10"  and 2.5" flat bar. I have a few other things going around in my head which is good because the supply store sells everything in 10' minimums. I used a 10x7 for the rest and 2 - 2.5 x 2.5 pieces for the mounts. Seems like I used every tool in the shop. lol... Really quite a bit to it even though it's a simple project. It apparently required the cold cut saw, portaband, assorted angle grinders/attachments. stationary belt sander, hand held belt sander, drill press, oscillating spindle sander and the MIG. I think it turned out pretty well. Definitely much more substantial and much smoother than the original. I made it a bit wider and longer. I also closed up the opening for the belt as much as possible to maximize support for the work piece.









Slotted mounting brackets so the rest just slides over the all thread.  Belt changes take a couple minutes. The 2 mounting points make the table rock solid.









I think it's kinda handsome. 













I fired it up and knocked out the rest of my models. I'll be sending the models to the next guy on Monday.

















A solid and easily repeatable way to have a few preset angles for the rest is still a work in progress. For now I just drew around the brackets with a Sharpie. Seems to work pretty well but I'll devise something else and update when I do.  For now this will work. The sander performed very well. Plenty of power and the ceramic belts do great.

I worked on a HSS blank and that is an entirely different animal.  Still a work in progress with the HSS.  I get the basic shape without much issue but I need to figure out where to stop in the coarser grits so I don't lose so much as I go finer. More practice....


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## Z2V

Great job on the rest Terry. Tools are looking good also.


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## TerryH

Z2V said:


> Great job on the rest Terry. Tools are looking good also.



Thank you! It's been a fun project. Now if the operator could just perform as well as the machine.


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## ttabbal

TerryH said:


> Thank you! It's been a fun project. Now if the operator could just perform as well as the machine.



Just takes some practice. You're already getting some good tool profiles. And yes, HSS is harder to work than keystock. Try some cobalt when you want a challenge.


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## mikey

The rest came out nice, Terry, and so did your model tools. Jeez, my early tools looked nothing like yours!

HSS is harder to grind, and cobalt is harder still, as @ttabbal implies, but the process is exactly the same. Use your push block, keep the tool shank flat on the tool rest and control the grind. 

Grinding tools is a good skill to have and you're off to a great start, but knowing why you're grinding it the way you are is even more important. Jump in on the model tools thread and the guys can help guide you.


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## TerryH

ttabbal said:


> Just takes some practice. You're already getting some good tool profiles. And yes, HSS is harder to work than keystock. Try some cobalt when you want a challenge.



I think I have enough trouble with the HSS for now.


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## TerryH

mikey said:


> The rest came out nice, Terry, and so did your model tools. Jeez, my early tools looked nothing like yours!
> 
> HSS is harder to grind, and cobalt is harder still, as @ttabbal implies, but the process is exactly the same. Use your push block, keep the tool shank flat on the tool rest and control the grind.
> 
> Grinding tools is a good skill to have and you're off to a great start, but knowing why you're grinding it the way you are is even more important. Jump in on the model tools thread and the guys can help guide you.



Well you didn't have all this help, models to go by and expert instruction with your first ones. 

Very much to learn but I'm starting to get my head around it. The new rest really helped. I was amazed how well the 120 grit ceramic belts cut the HSS. Not sure that I won't just begin with 80 on the next one. Those ceramic belts are the real deal. I need to pick up some more stock and keep practicing.


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## ttabbal

I use 36 grit ceramic belts for the first pass, getting most of the material removed. Then switch to finer grits to finish it. The 36 running at high speed can chew even HSS pretty fast. 

I agree, without @mikey instructing us, I would still be trying to figure out how to make a decent tool.


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## TerryH

ttabbal said:


> I use 36 grit ceramic belts for the first pass, getting most of the material removed. Then switch to finer grits to finish it. The 36 running at high speed can chew even HSS pretty fast.
> 
> I agree, without @mikey instructing us, I would still be trying to figure out how to make a decent tool.



I have 40, 80 and 120. Amazing to me how quickly they cut the HSS. The new platen probably has something to do with that as well. I definitely need to stop sooner with the 40 and 80 so I leave myself more to work with. Think I might order some 320 also.

I'm really liking this sander. I debated on getting the next one up the Dayton line which was more than twice as much as the one I have. Glad I didn't spend the extra money. This little guy works great after the mods. I'm thinking that the sander will get lots of use on other projects besides the HSS.


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## Ken from ontario

This is a great write up, easy to understand and follow, I always enjoy modifying anything especially machines, it must have been fun using all the stuff in your shop for this upgrade, and at the end of it all you have one versatile solidly built grinder.
I bet those ceramic belts are great but needing different grits must cost a fortune , but at least we know they last a long time.


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## TerryH

Ken from ontario said:


> This is a great write up, easy to understand and follow, I always enjoy modifying anything especially machines, it must have been fun using all the stuff in your shop for this upgrade, and at the end of it all you have one versatile solidly built grinder.
> I bet those ceramic belts are great but needing different grits must cost a fortune , but at least we know they last a long time.



Thanks! The belts are only $4 or so each at that link for Empire.


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## chips&more

Interesting use of glass for the platen. Can you report on how that has worked out for you? Thanks in advance…Dave.


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## Ken from ontario

TerryH said:


> Thanks! The belts are only $4 or so each at that link for Empire.


I tried to order a few ceramic belt from Empire but their shipping charge made me cancel it , unfortunately they only ship with UPS, up here we avoid UPS like a plague  mainly for their unfair brokerage fee they add on top of shipping, I think Red Label brand Amazon sells is probably just the same quality: 

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00H8YWKJ0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=AMPGTI1F7G2GA&psc=1


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## TerryH

chips&more said:


> Interesting use of glass for the platen. Can you report on how that has worked out for you? Thanks in advance…Dave.



It’s actually a very common platen material especially in the knife making world. Works out very well. It’s super flat, slick and heat resistant. All the qualities of a great platen.


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## Chris_V

Great post. I’ve been looking for an affordable solution for tool grinding and I think I’ve found it.


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## Ken from ontario

Chris_V said:


> Great post. I’ve been looking for an affordable solution for tool grinding and I think I’ve found it.


It is a good belt grinder but you need to know how much pressure you can exert on the belt , the motor on it is not as powerful as the what I'd like but I manage with it very nicely and have no regrets.


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## Silverbullet

Great mods on the machine, I'm sure you'll come up with more . When you get your tooling ground it'll need stoning by hand but that's another learning curve. If you didn't already know. It helps them cut cleaner and last longer. I've had only a few India hones in forty five years , a taper slip and a 1/2" square , they've given lots of service.


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## Ken from ontario

Yes , Terry's mod was and still is one of the best mod on this type of grinders,  in my opinion this mod should be a sticky .


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## DavidR8

I wish I could find one of those sanders in Canada!


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## Ken from ontario

DavidR8 said:


> I wish I could find one of those sanders in Canada!


I bought mine from Travers, it was a bit less expensive in 2018, paid $358 CAD then:








						PALMGREN 81061 2
					

ApplicationsGrind, sand, finish, polish, deburr and contour all types of materials and parts.FeaturesHeavy-duty capacitor motors.Belts operate in horizontal or vertical positions.Easy belt changes.Slotted tilting work tables.Cast iron base




					www.traverscanada.com


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## DavidR8

After attempting to make the uber-cheap 2x27 grinder I found work I decided to go all in on a Dayton 2x42. Should be here in a week or so!


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