Models for grinding HSS Lathe Tools

Do you have a bench grinder you can grind tool bits on until you can fit a belt grinder into your schedule?
 
Sort of, with some work. I'd have to buy new wheels, and fab up a tool rest. The tool rest on my bench grinder is just flimsy sheet metal.
 
It’s worth a thought. Use the bench grinder while you accumulate the material and time to do it right and build a 2x72 .
Every time I drive by a metal supply house I stop in and check out the drop zone. It took me a few months to get all the metal I needed but it all came from drops bought by the pound. Keep an eye on Craigslist for a free treadmill and harvest the motor and control board out of it. Many of us here are using treadmill motors on our grinders.
 
What kind of grinding wheel is suitable for HSS? HSS with 5% cobalt? Suggested grit(s)?

Good idea on checking for drops. I'll keep my eye out for treadmills.
 
WobblyHand said:
If I just cut out a 1" H x 1/4"W piece of the platen on the right, why wouldn't it be ok for grinding other stuff?

I hear you on the steel platen. This one is not modifiable to glass. And since it's a relatively big and complex piece, it's bound to be an expensive replacement part. How long do you think the platen would last? A month of moderate use? More? Less?
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If the platen was tool steel, then maybe many months. However, if it is mild steel welded on, then I dunno' ... a few months before you have a noticeable divot. I know on the angle iron platen on my Craftsman grinder, I can make a divot on that within a few weeks when I'm grinding tools. You see the wear mostly on the right side, where you grind the rake angles.

It's your call but I would suggest you build a 2 x 72 or go for one of the cheap 2 x 42 Palmgren belt sanders and use ceramic belts. The two key things: a glass platen liner and a good tool rest that is settable to precise angles.
 
WobblyHand said:
@ttabbal What can I use the square cutter for? Not familiar with it's use.
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He is offering to grind a Square tool for you. This is the general purpose turning tool introduced in this thread as one of the three tools in the model set. If I were you, I would take @ttabbal up on his kind offer. I know personally that he grinds good tools! Then you'll have a tool to use while you decide on which belt sander to buy or make. If you hone it and take care of it, it might last you about a decade or more ... sounds like a good deal to me!

Props to you, Travis! :clapping:
 
I'm shocked that the steel is coming in over 500. I could swear I got mine for about 200 not that long ago. Metal Supermarket, new cut to order. Though I did just have a few cuts done, I had a bandsaw at that point, so I just needed manageable sizes. I don't think I'm 500 all in with a good deal on a 3ph motor, wheels, and VFD, though I did go cheap on the VFD.

The square tool is what I use for about 90% of my turning. If a different type is needed for your project, I can probably make it. Just trying to get you going so you can make what you need to while you decide on the grinder setup you want to use. I'd hate to see someone settle on a grinder they don't want just for lack of a lathe tool.
 
WobblyHand said:
What kind of grinding wheel is suitable for HSS? HSS with 5% cobalt? Suggested grit(s)?

Good idea on checking for drops. I'll keep my eye out for treadmills.
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My grinder has Aluminum Oxide wheels with somewhere around 60 and 30 grit wheels on it , best of my recollection.
 
How far away from you is this?
boston.craigslist.org

Rare Porter Cable WG4 Wet/Dry Belt Sander

Hiya, I have a Porter Cable freestanding belt sander for sale. It is a WG4 model which means that it is designed for wet and dry use. There is a lower tank and a catch basin for it so that it can...
boston.craigslist.org
 
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