I'm not sure what this is used for.

[bionicback321]

What did that eBay vendor call them?

I asked but he never responded.

read Mikey's thread on Models for grinding HSS lathe tool bits

That's on the top of my to-do list. I spotted it right away and thought "I need to spend some quality time on that thread".

I don’t see any tool bits in your picture that would be useful for normal turning. Buy a few blank tool bits in high-speed steel and grind your own.

I have the 21-piece set of indexable holders and carbide inserts which has the right, left and center tool holders, as well as the parting tool. The previous owner of my lathe (he bought it new in 2020) included a couple of 8" 3/8 X 3/8 HHS blanks, which I cut in half, and tried my hand at grinding some turning bits. They work reasonably well, but I need a better grinding wheel (mine vibrates like crazy) and sharpening stone.

Welcome to the forum.

Thank you all for responding. I had to smile when I checked my post this morning and saw the number of responses I'd received. It's very heartwarming to see this level of support.

 

[projectnut]

Over the years I think I've made every one of those tools and probably a hundred variations thereof. I can't say I remember the jobs they were made for, but they're still in the tool drawer should I need them in the future. At $.50 a copy for HSS blanks I bought boxes of them for future use. I rarely regrind one to a new shape since I never know when I'll need the original.

 

[Aaron_W]

As combo mills go that Grizzly is better than some. Having the mill column seperate and on the back of the lathe is the way Emco did their combo machines and they are well regarded.

 

[bionicback321]

As combo mills go that Grizzly is better than some. Having the mill column seperate and on the back of the lathe is the way Emco did their combo machines and they are well regarded.

The price was right, and it fits into the space available. The original owner bought it with the intension of using it, but then let it sit in his garage (in central Florida) gathering rust. He had a lot of extras that came with it that made it even more appealing, price wise. The odd thing is he bought 12mm tool holders instead of 10mm, and with the fixed tool post all the bits were 2mm too high. With the 10mm (3/8") tool holders and a generic OXA 250-000 tool post I'm off to the races. I've watched all the Blondihacks lathe and mill videos, which I found to be very helpful, but if you have any suggestions as to what else I should watch (or read) I would really appreciate it.

 

[mickri]

I struggled with grinding HSS when I started. I didn't have a bench grinder or a belt sander. I used my makita 4.5" high speed grinder. The resulting tool bits didn't work very well. Next I picked up a bench grinder at a garage sale. Better but still not very good. Then I happened onto a 1x42 belt sander in a thrift store. Wow what a difference. I could now quickly grind any tool bit that I needed. And they worked. Get a belt sander. Even a cheapy HF 1x30 will get the job done.





In using the belt sander the first step is to set the angle of the table to 15*. This is per mikey's recommendations in his thread. Then I use my angle square (wrong term??) to the get the rake and relief angles. Again per mikey's recommendations.. I use a 35 grit belt to get close. Then an 80 followed by a 300. Last is a leather strop belt. You want the tool bit so sharp that you can shave with it. I also use a hone at times. I don't bother with picking up someone else's tool bits at garage sales or Ebay, etc anymore.. I now buy 7" to 8" 3/8" HSS I cut them into 3 pieces. This is long enough to fit in my qctp holders. I made a Norman style QCTP.

Blondihacks is good but Mr. Pete is the best. Whenever I have a question about how to machine something I go to Mr' Pete's videos first.

 

[GeneT45]

If your grinder vibrates excessively there are two potential causes: the wheel isn't true, or the bearings are shot. The former is easily dealt with. If you're going to use a grinder you need some sort of dressing tool. I like the "star wheel" style, but there are also abrasive sticks and diamond dressers. I have all three, but find the star wheel style the easiest to use. Grabbed this link for illustration, I don't know this company at all. https://www.victornet.com/tools/Grinding-Wheel-Dressing-Tools/85.html

If you true your wheel and the grinder still vibrates excessively you probably need a new grinder (unless it's a Baldor, or something equally worth repairing, in which case you need new bearings).

HTH,
GsT

 

[bionicback321]

Even a cheapy HF 1x30 will get the job done.

I have one but never thought of using it for that purpose. I'm heading out to the garage and drag it out of storage.

per mikey's recommendations in his thread

I literally just finished copying and pasting the entire thread into a Word doc so I don't lose track of it. Getting a solid work surface to grind on is going to be the real trick. I'm going over his modification to his belt sander, to see what I need to do to mine. I have a lot of reading to do!

 

[bionicback321]

If your grinder vibrates excessively there are two potential causes: the wheel isn't true, or the bearings are shot. The former is easily dealt with. If you're going to use a grinder you need some sort of dressing tool. I like the "star wheel" style, but there are also abrasive sticks and diamond dressers. I have all three, but find the star wheel style the easiest to use. Grabbed this link for illustration, I don't know this company at all. https://www.victornet.com/tools/Grinding-Wheel-Dressing-Tools/85.html

If you true your wheel and the grinder still vibrates excessively you probably need a new grinder (unless it's a Baldor, or something equally worth repairing, in which case you need new bearings).

HTH,
GsT

With nothing on the motor (it's an old Delta), it spins quiet and true. The wheels I have are ancient (probably 20+ yrs old) and need dressing. One has a 1/2" hole and the other is 5/8" with a plastic bushing (which I think is part of the problem). All the wheels at the local big box hardware stores are for a 1" arbor with a bunch of plastic bushings, they're all garbage. My plan is to order a 150-grit wheel with a 1/2" arbor and diamond dresser from Amazon, unless I can find something at a local supplier (it's slim pickings around here).

 

[mickri]

You've got a lathe. Make some bushings to fit. My makita uses 5/8" discs. I bought a bunch of 7/8" discs that were on sale. What can I say. Some say I am a cheap. I prefer frugal. Didn't take much time for me to make a bushing for the 7/8" discs to fit on my makita. Turn any steel or aluminum you have on hand to the OD then bore the ID and part it off. You are done.

 

[toprecyler]

You've got a lathe. Make some bushings to fit. My makita uses 5/8" discs. I bought a bunch of 7/8" discs that were on sale. What can I say. Some say I am a cheap. I prefer frugal. Didn't take much time for me to make a bushing for the 7/8" discs to fit on my makita. Turn any steel or aluminum you have on hand to the OD then bore the ID and part it off. You are done.

+1.

Cheap, frugal, either way, it probably being a better steward of our resources that we have available. Unless you are a business that is billing out it’s time at $100 plus an hour, it can be beneficial to grind/ resharpen your tooling, if you have the patience and knowledge to do so.

Most employees today don’t have the knowledge to grind their own tooling, and have no desire to learn. Fastest and easiest and cheapest is what they desire.

I’ve heard it said many times, you can have quality, quickly,or cheap. Pick any 2. Can’t have all three.


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