Models for grinding HSS Lathe Tools

[ttabbal]

I usually do about the same thing Mikey does. 36 ceramic to shape, then a 80 or 120 AO, quick touch to get most of the marks, then hone with 3 grades of diamond cards.

Watch the angles when you switch belts or reposition, dip in water, etc.. It's easy to make the tool look like you're cutting a gemstone. I find it helps to line up and firmly press into the platen. It's more about practice than anything else. And HSS being harder to grind helps a little there.

I have belts to 800 I believe, but I bought them for polishing knife blades, not tool making. I tried it once, but it wasn't really useful. The time spent swapping didn't save enough time honing for tools. One of these days I should make a knife...

 

[mikey]

I use this set from Amazon for honing after shaping a new tool. If I have a lot of them to do, I use DMT 8" dia-sharp bench stones.

I've been thinking about trying a CBN stone. Here is the one I'm considering. It has 80 grit on one side and 1000 grit on the other.

 

[WobblyHand]

Do you recommend switching belts to finer grits while practicing on keystock, or only on HSS? I'm thinking of saving these for a shape reference since I seemed to have gotten them right.

 

[mikey]

I would switch grits for your HSS bit's. Stick with keystock until you're comfortable with grinding, then switch to HSS.

 

[WobblyHand]

Mikey, thanks for the advice. This has been such a helpful and informative thread.

Grinding keystock seemed pretty easy - modifying the grinder and making the table extension was a lot harder for me. Controlling the keystock wasn't difficult. Nonetheless, I'll grind another keystock set, just to see if was just beginner's luck. Have to hook up the vacuum cleaner to the grinder, it's making a mess.

All that will have to wait until the next decade. Umm, I mean tomorrow. Happy New Years everyone!

 

[tweinke]

Mikey, thanks for the advice. This has been such a helpful and informative thread.

Grinding keystock seemed pretty easy - modifying the grinder and making the table extension was a lot harder for me. Controlling the keystock wasn't difficult. Nonetheless, I'll grind another keystock set, just to see if was just beginner's luck. Have to hook up the vacuum cleaner to the grinder, it's making a mess.

All that will have to wait until the next decade. Umm, I mean tomorrow. Happy New Years everyone!

When I need practice or any time I grind bits getting the angle to continue grinding is probably the hardest part ( Like after a belt change ). That for me was the toughest thing.

 

[mikey]

Mikey, thanks for the advice. This has been such a helpful and informative thread.

Grinding keystock seemed pretty easy - modifying the grinder and making the table extension was a lot harder for me. Controlling the keystock wasn't difficult. Nonetheless, I'll grind another keystock set, just to see if was just beginner's luck. Have to hook up the vacuum cleaner to the grinder, it's making a mess.

All that will have to wait until the next decade. Umm, I mean tomorrow. Happy New Years everyone!

You're welcome.

Even after all this time, I still grind on keystock when I'm considering a new tool. Sometimes I just need to see the tool angles and keystock helps me to do that.

 

[mikey]

When I need practice or any time I grind bits getting the angle to continue grinding is probably the hardest part ( Like after a belt change ). That for me was the toughest thing.

I used to have a tough time with this, too, until I figured out how to align the flat I was grinding so it was parallel to the platen. Then all my alignment issues (and facets) disappeared.

 

[mikey]

This thread has brought a lot of us together to share and learn and appreciate how we've all grown. I want to thank you all for making this thread so much fun and I hope 2020 is a great year for all of us.

 

[tweinke]

I wish to thank everyone involved in this thread the experts the beginners everyone ! With all the information, questions and comments this has turned into a very informative source of info for us beginners. Thank you to all and wish all a happy 2020