Small Cutter Grinder

This is my first post to this group, so thought I'd firstly introduce myself.

My name is Kevin, and I am a 56 year old and early-retired Engineer with a 8x10 workshop so space is limited for my Myford plus and Champion Mill , I am from Bracknell in Berkshire.

Can anyone help I am looking to scratch build a small cutter grinder can someone point me in the right direction for drawings it needs to be small and simple and low cost

Thanks Kevin

Edited By dcosta on 26/12/2011 11:25:54

Hi Kevin

I'd support looking at the Harold Hall design in the "Sharpening" book. The simpler design of grinding rest can be built using just hand tools, machining isn't necessary (been there, done it), the only caveat I have with that design is that the fixing for the support column to the base could do with a broader footprint than the two bolts in line through the bottom flange of the angle.

Also have a look at this E-Bay item no 120831238673, RJH cutter grinder. It's closed now but the design is very simple, and meant for lathe tools primarily, but with a few jigs to Harold's designs it could be used for drills and milling cutters as well. You'll see where the inspiration for the Worden came from!

Combining the idea of the RJH (also Worden) tilting table, and Harold's ideas for improving a cheap bench grinder I think you could put something together quite quickly, cheaply and simply, that would allow you to do quite a bit of the sharpening you need. The table initially could be made from mdf or plywood as it's purpose is support for the tool being ground. You could always laminate a skin of thin steel sheet to the mdf for wear resistance, and if distortion occurs over time well a replacement wouldn't be expensive.

One though that has often struck me with replies to this question is that a number of contributors suggest that a Quorn or Bonelle etc should be one of the first approaches to getting a tool grinder - without saying what machine the would be Quorn etc builder is supposed to use to sharpen all the tools that they will need for the build.

The main thing is to get a simple design up and running and get the tools sharpened. Building fancy designs using the sharp tools can come later.

Keith

Once again thanks for the help

Kevin … It all depends on what cutters you want to grind and how much you wish to grind off. For ordinary work like touching up lathe tools, drills, cold chisels etc. One of the first tools I bought was a small 6” offhand grinder. I still have it 65 years later. I now seldom use it. At one ME exhibition at Wimberley I bought two diamond coated files to do a job. They were a large flat file and a large rat tailed file. They were to straighten op some glass wear my mother in law had. I started to use these to ‘touch up’ lathe tools. I now have several diamond files and plates.

Drills I seldom break, but when I do I use the offhand grinder and true them up and finish them with a hone on a coarse diamond stone cutting plate. In the UK I could buy them for £2-£3. I run them in a small angle grinder (which someone had had binned) with a backing plate to stop the stone cutting plates from flexing.

In the late 1970s I bought my first vertical milling machine and then I made my tool grinder around 1980. Now I seldom use it. With a packet of Chinese diamond files and a bit of thought I can touch up an end mill by hand. I now use a trick written up by our good editor (David). This to touch the surface you are going to file with a felt tipped pen. It helps guide your filing. I know it is not as accurate as setting up a tool grinder but it is far quicker. Many of these tricks I learned at the SMAEE stand from Prof Chaddok.

Most of the complex equipment we have for sharpening things was designed for de-skilling and speeding the job up. If we have to do a ‘one off’ it is often better to do it by a bit of thought and by hand.

Oh by the way it is illegal to change a grinding wheel unless you have a certificate issued by your local authority.

Edited By David Littlewood on 27/12/2011 12:37:37

The HSE Executive are only concerned with H & S in the workplace which is where the regs apply in order to counteract the unscrupulous or careless employer - so you needn't lose any more sleep over them invading your private territory.  We can all utter a sigh of relief and throw away those 'Keep Out' signs.

Hi Kevin,

 

I concur with the others about Harold Hall's designs.  Build as per instructions or make mods if you are able, either design is a useful piece of kit I built both.

 

Best regards for a safe new year (and the rest of Yuletide ),

Edited By Terryd on 27/12/2011 17:47:46