Models for grinding HSS Lathe Tools

Thanks Dan

I think I have reached "information overload" as I could not remember that I had in fact looked at and read you attachments.

....and after watching Utube and seen tons of overbuilt machines I will lean towards the KISS formula.... well built, solid and dependable without breaking the bank or being so bulky I can't move it around.

Thanks for all your patience and assistance.

Bob C
 
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Catch 22......... would be nice to have the grinder to make the parts I need for making the grinder.

Leaning towards the 2 inch 1/4 wall that I have in stock..... and follow Dan's design information.

Concerned with the removal of the weld seam inside a 10 inch long tube. That will be my fist test.

Will weld a few nuts and see how tight I can get a bar to fit with out rattling inside the tube.

solid bar in 1 1/2 by 36 inches......... 12 dollars difference between steel and aluminum...... steel allows me to weld....Alum. means drilling and tapping.

Back up plan is to build one with two 3/16 side plates and 1 1/2 solid steel spacers giving me a more square tube for inserting the 1 1/2 solid bar.

Stay tuned.
 
Unless your tubes are very tight fitting, don't worry about the weld seam. Put the holes/nuts for the locking bolts on that side. Then the off square issue goes away.

The slight slop is a non issue. The only exception is the tracking pillar. You have to shim that a little bit to keep tracking straight. The two arms toward the front are held with the bolts from the side and don't move once those are tightened.

I used all steel per the plans. I wouldn't use aluminum in part because I don't like threads in aluminum. I'm just not nice enough to fasteners, even when I am trying.
 
Finally positive results....

Found a 12 inch long piece of 2 1/2 thick wall ( 1/4 in.) and tried to remove the weld seam....... air die grinder can only do about 2 inches. Then I remembered my old Craftsman "commercial" electric die grinder....... as not been used since I was porting 455 Pontiac engines in the mid 80s... and it still worked. Had to clean all the grinding dust from the casing and oil it a bit but it gave me a 7 inch reach inside the tubing. Takes time but worked great. The insert tube 3/16 thick walled 2 inch tube fitted quite nicely......... some looseness but not much.

I drilled a 2x12 in. square tube at 2 in. and 6 in. and Mig welded two fine thread 3/8 bolts.

Only had to snugged the two bolts and the insert tube is firmly in place.....and I mean real solid.

Now to do the same for the second tube and the vertical tube for the idler wheel.

After all this grinding, in the cut off stock pile I found a 4 foot section of 2 1/2 trailer receiver tube THAT HAS NO INTERNAL SEAM.....but the fit with a two inch insert is somewhat looser fitting...... will know more once the bolt/nuts are installed.

I have turned the corner and committed to a tube construction. For me steel is so much easier than aluminum.
Will be plasma cutting the Base plate from spare 3/16 stock and getting ready to fit a jack shaft for the drive pulley.

Bob C.
 
Bob, remember that we like pics. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
 
Was cruising ebay and saw a listing for 50 Chinese 3/8" HSS (M2?) for $69.00 with free shipping: https://www.ebay.com/itm/50pcs-3-8-...480439?hash=item486dc82c77:g:ITMAAOSwRLZUCgJb

Comes out to about $1.28/bit. This is the kind of bit I use to experiment with and I usually only use my high quality bits for keeper designs that I've worked out the geometry on. I think for you guys who are just learning to grind tools, this is a very good deal. Save your premium quality bits for your best tools and use these for daily drivers - they should be fine for most of us.
 
Thanks for the info mikey! I ordered some, should keep me going for a while. I'm already planning on firing up that grinder you made me build for some practice runs. Thanks for that too, it was a fun project I'm going to get a lot of use out of. :)
 
I ordered some, too. I tend to give bits away to new guys that stumble into my shop and I was running low on Chinese bits so this was a good time to re-supply. This is a very good deal, almost as good as the time I "won" a box of 20 high quality ETM M2 bits for less than $20.00, shipped!

By the way, the price for these bits just dropped $5.00 and they are now $64.00, shipped, for 50 3/8" HSS bits!

ttabbal said:
I'm already planning on firing up that grinder you made me build ...
Click to expand...

I need to get off my butt and build me one so I can blame you guys, too! I especially want to figure out how to make an indexable tool rest for one of these things. If you 2x72 guys come up with a good rest design, please share it.
 
That’s a great deal on the tool bits. I’d like to get some but I don’t think I need 50 of them. If one of you guys is in the same boat and would like to split a 50 ct lot let me know.
 
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