HSS lathe tool grinding

W

westerner

If you are gonna be stupid, ya gotta be TOUGH!
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I have neither the room, or the dough, for a dedicated grinder. I do, however, have the 5C collet block set, some angle blocks, and a 3 inch wide, 1 inch thick, 14 inch long piece of 6061.
My idea is this- mill a pocket in the aluminium to accept the square collet block. The floor of the pocket at 12 degrees in the long way, flat side to side. Use a 12 degree angle for back rake, and end relief. Use the angle blocks to set side relief, and side rake.
Also to adjust back rake as experience dictates.
This setup clamped to the mill table, swinging a CBN wheel on an arbor.
This will be a bit of a pain to setup and use, I know. However, it would make for accurate, repeatable edge angle geometry.
I aim to give my floppy old Atlas/Craftsman lathe all the help I can. The ability to ACCURATELY grind tooling, to assess performance of the grind, and to minimize chatter is my goal.
Got an easier way? Lay it on me!
 
The idea of grinding on your mill is a bad one, unless you want to wear it out with all the grit that goes with grinding.
 
Point taken, and NO, I DONT want to wear it out! I do have way covers installed on the back of the table, that will protect the REAR of the 'x', and the knee ways. Have NOT installed a cover for the front of the 'x', which will be exposed:eek 2:. The table covers the 'y' ways. All these covers ARE useful for debris moving vertically only. If I fit the front cover for 'x', given the limited use the grinding setup would see, do I still risk rapid damage?
Perhaps I should spend my time building a table for the grinder instead.
Thank you for your input, sir!
 
westerner said:
Point taken, and NO, I DONT want to wear it out! I do have way covers installed on the back of the table, that will protect the REAR of the 'x', and the knee ways. Have NOT installed a cover for the front of the 'x', which will be exposed:eek 2:. The table covers the 'y' ways. All these covers ARE useful for debris moving vertically only. If I fit the front cover for 'x', given the limited use the grinding setup would see, do I still risk rapid damage?
Perhaps I should spend my time building a table for the grinder instead.
Thank you for your input, sir!
Click to expand...
Grinding grit and abrasive dust drift everywhere around a grinder, can drift into every nook and cranny; it is not good to have a grinder close to any machine tool for that reason; the very best thing is a vacuum system set up and connected to the exhaust holes on most grinders; no I do not have one, but doo have my grinders in one end of my shop, away from the machines.
 
Mr. York- you are another who has truly saved me from my self!. Mikey's thread on HSS sharpening (thanks for the link, Brino) has shown me the way.
 
When I get my grinding rig set up, I will be sure to post pics. With all the help I have recieved here, I feel happily obligated to share MY experience. Thanks again to all!
 
Mr York- on a side note- given your take on grinding dust, is it safe to assume you have walked past every 'tool post grinder' for a lathe you have ever seen? In a 'cost vs.benefit' scenario, what use would a hobby application have for one? I have not found OR considered one, just curious.
 
westerner said:
Mr York- on a side note- given your take on grinding dust, is it safe to assume you have walked past every 'tool post grinder' for a lathe you have ever seen? In a 'cost vs.benefit' scenario, what use would a hobby application have for one? I have not found OR considered one, just curious.
Click to expand...
I have a tool post grinder, and I do use it, mostly for regrinding chuck jaws; when I use it, I cover the ways with rags and wipe things off thouroughly when I am done.
Along this line, I'll change the subject just a little; note that on tool post grinders there is a chart of spindle speeds and recomendations are that (I think I remember ) that surface speed is perhaps, let's say about 12,000 FPM; well at those high speeds, the wheels scream and usually glaze over and break down quickly. I came across a tool post grinder that ran at only 1750 RPM, made to use with 6 or 7" wheels; it also came with an extension spindle that screwed on the main spindle and was about 3/4" diameter, made to mount a (possibly) 1" diameter internal grinding wheel; I needed to regrind chuck jaws, so thought it would be at least worth a try, although I did not think it would work very well; how wrong I was, it worked quite well! at that slow speed, it hardly threw any sparks, did not scream or break down, it just did the job; the moral of the story is that slowing down a grinding wheel makes it act softer than it's apparent hardness grade/specification and it seems that most internal grinding wheels that I have cone across are too hard to run at high speeds and grind efficiently.
 
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