Models for grinding HSS Lathe Tools

[Jim F]

Red Label - proven to work well, available on Amazon. 36 grit cuts fast, 100 grit smooths nicely and then you can hone on diamond stones after that. Works good!

This !!!!!!!
I got the assortment kit for my 1x42, they work great !!

 

[Grader Johnny]

OHH, my mistake ... NZD, not usd. Still, I would still go for the belt sander if I were you.

No drama there Mikey, I’ve never been a fan of belt sanders tbh

 

[riversidedan]

bought this nice HSS form set last year and couldnt figure a couple out, so searched around the internet and seen some examples
so put them to use, right now have used some for examples and made my own HSS tools, works great so far.......thanx to the internet figured out how to make chip breakers and yes I use a grinder......

 

[Aukai]

Much less dust than a wheel, especially if you need to dress the wheel. I put CBNs, and took off the dust makers, I also use the belt quite often as a first operation with HSS.

 

[mikey]

No drama there Mikey, I’ve never been a fan of belt sanders tbh

I spent a decade grinding on a bench grinder so I know it will work fine for you if you go with that. However, I have since spent more than 20 years on a belt sander grinding lathe tools and I can tell you that I find belt sanders to be faster, more accurate, easier to use, cooler to grind with and far more efficient that any bench grinder I have used. I will never go back to using a bench grinder for grinding lathe tools.

In the end, go with what you think is best. If you do go with a bench grinder, consider Aukai's recommendation and look at CBN wheels.

 

[Grader Johnny]

I spent a decade grinding on a bench grinder so I know it will work fine for you if you go with that. However, I have since spent more than 20 years on a belt sander grinding lathe tools and I can tell you that I find belt sanders to be faster, more accurate, easier to use, cooler to grind with and far more efficient that any bench grinder I have used. I will never go back to using a bench grinder for grinding lathe tools.

In the end, go with what you think is best. If you do go with a bench grinder, consider Aukai's recommendation and look at CBN wheels.

My gut is saying bench grinder I have looked in the CBN wheels $153 nz =87ish us so later down the track when I get semi ok at fringing tools I’ll upgrade.

 

[Karl A]

My gut is saying bench grinder I have looked in the CBN wheels $153 nz =87ish us so later down the track when I get semi ok at fringing tools I’ll upgrade.

If you are inclined toward a bench grinder, then I recommend you read this article:

Advanced Tool Sharpening

Sharpening Lathe Tools

www.conradhoffman.com

The article explains the advantage of the hollow grind (concave surface) that grinding on a wheel gives for honing a tool. I see the advantage of hollow grind for the side and the end of a tool. I think that a flat grind is better for the top of a tool.
One accomplishes a flat grind using a flat grinding surface, such as a belt on a platen, a disc, or the side of a grinding wheel. Regular grinding wheels are not designed for grinding on the side, though.

 

[Grader Johnny]

If you are inclined toward a bench grinder, then I recommend you read this article:

Advanced Tool Sharpening

Sharpening Lathe Tools

www.conradhoffman.com

The article explains the advantage of the hollow grind (concave surface) that grinding on a wheel gives for honing a tool. I see the advantage of hollow grind for the side and the end of a tool. I think that a flat grind is better for the top of a tool.
One accomplishes a flat grind using a flat grinding surface, such as a belt on a platen, a disc, or the side of a grinding wheel. Regular grinding wheels are not designed for grinding on the side, though.

Thanks for sharing the article Karl looks like a good read so far. My thoughts were that because the wheel is already concave it would do some of the relief as it ground.

John

 

[mcdanlj]

There are serrated rubber wheels in a variety of sizes meant for belt grinders. That way you can get both flat and hollow grinds with a single appliance, just changing the backing surface.

 

[Karl A]

There are serrated rubber wheels in a variety of sizes meant for belt grinders. That way you can get both flat and hollow grinds with a single appliance, just changing the backing surface.

I imagine that the greater flexibility of a serrated rubber wheel, compared to
- a wheel grinder, or
- a hard, flat platen on a belt grinder,
results in more rounding of the tool edges when a tool is pressed against the abrasive belt. I expect, though, that such rounding of an edge of the hollow grind is relatively easy to remove by hand honing on flat stones.

I imagine the following order of operation, for grinding a tool bit using both
- a belt grinder with a flat platen, and
- a wheel grinder or a belt on a serrated rubber wheel:
1. Using the flat platen on the belt grinder, with a course abrasive belt, do most of the metal removal: side, end, and top. (Aukai wrote above, "... I also use the belt quite often as a first operation with HSS.")
2. Using a wheel grinder or a belt on a serrated rubber wheel, perform the hollow grind on the side and end of the tool bit. Use a fine abrasive wheel or belt.
3. Using the flat platen on the belt grinder, with a fine abrasive belt, finish grinding the top of the tool.
4. Using flat stones, hone the hollow grinds on the side and end of the tool bit by hand. Don't hone the top of the tool by hand, because of the risk of ruining the edges with a facet. If you want to hone the top, use a honing fixture -- such as the one described by Conrad Hoffman in his article "Advanced Tool Sharpening" (link in post #1,828).

Caveat: In this thread, Mikey describes using a belt grinder with a hard, flat platen, and hand honing on flat stones, to achieve sharp tools. I expect that achieving it requires some combination of talent and practice. I am partly motivated to write this post by WobblyHands' statement in regard to honing: "Doesn't seem to be a skill that I have at the moment. Not for a lack of trying. But need to move on."(post #1,762)