Bench Grinder Wheels

[James WaltonParticipant @jameswalton44680]

Hi everyone, I have just taken the plunge and purchased one of these. I want to use it purely for grinding up HSS lathe tools, what composition and grit would you recommend. Are there any suppliers you particularly favour.

1. many thanks James

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Provided it doesn’t leap around when it’s running, what’s wrong with the ones supplied ?

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The supplied wheels are perfectly adequate for HSS. It is carbide that needs special ones (green grit). The first thing is to see how well positioned the wheels are by (unpowered) rotating it by hand with a bit of metal just touching to see if it is still in contact all the way round. Then the next thing is to see how well it is all balanced when running.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Best place to start with improvements is a more substantial grinding rest. The supplied sheet metal type aren’t really rigid enough for confident grinding of tools.

Here is one I welded up from 6 mm and 10 mm steel bar to replace a missing part on a Creusen grinder by almost replicating the remaining one.

Not difficult to make if you have milling facilities. PM me if you’d like pdf copy of the drawings. Obviously you’d have to re-dimension for your grinder.

The Creusen has a bar for the rest to ride on with one locking knob on a fixed stud. I think thats a more secure mounting than the two bolts in slot system on the Draper. Certainly easy to adjust. Relatively simple modification using countersunk screws, preferably hex socket, in the existing holes to retain the bar.

The various versions of the Hart style grinding rest are undoubtably more versatile but I’ve never really felt the need. Although on my previous grinder I used this :-

from Aximinster tools as a cheapskate substitute working against the side of a cup wheel pending building the proper thing. Which never seemed to happen despite serious temptation from Harold Halls excellent, simple to make, design with its versatile set of accessories. In all honesty that Axminster device was a bit marginal when it comes to stability. It never troubled me, probably because I was always aware of the need for appropriate care.

Clive

 

[Charles LamontParticipant @charleslamont71117]

I usually use Midland Abrasives. The supplied wheels will do for now, but probably have a harder bond than ideal. I agree that your first priority is decent, tiltable, work rests. Anyone unfamiliar with using grinding wheels would do well to read this: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg17.pdf

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The simplest rest may be a stack of flat blocks, starting at wheel centre height. As you rise above that you can do a bit of geometry to work out the angle at the end of a toolbit presented to the wheel at that height.

[PeteParticipant @pete41194]

If you want the best recommendation for the correct wheel composition while sharpening. Visit a wood working tool dealer. If anyone is fanatical about sharp HSS tools and what works the best, it’s those wood workers. Most wheels supplied with a new grinder will grind a tool, but there the cheapest wheels possible and used as an enticement since buyers expect any bench grinder to come with wheels. For even rough shaping a new tool blank, the usual OEM supplied wheels all seem to cut and remove material slowly. But even with the correct wheels, you’ll still need a diamond dresser. Those I think are mandatory to have.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Strange that so many grinders come with inadequate rests, even the vaunted Creusen. I replaced those on mine with the Acute style and invested in a CBN wheel on one side and a depressed centre white grit on the other.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

In the context of bench grinders it is seldom mentioned and if it is there is, mostly nothing easy you can do about it ! Balancing the wheels ! The wheels are mounted on the motor spindle with no provision to be able to balance them. Has anybody on here made a carrier so they can balance the wheels ? Was it worth the trouble ? Any precision grinding on an out of balance wheel may well prove impossible. Then there is the issue of safety !

A new and sharp wheel will cut metal, a blunt one will generate heat and destroy the temper. The picture shows the grinder has a wheel dresser, interesting. Noel.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

If the wheel is running out when you rotate it by hand, things can be improved by dressing it.

My Clark bench grinder vibrated fairly badly as received,

By dressing the wheels things improved to point of acceptability.

It has been used, for several years,to grind HSS toolbits, on the original fine wheel, without problems.

Howard

[ega]

On ega Said:

Strange that so many grinders come with inadequate rests, even the vaunted Creusen. I replaced those on mine with the Acute style and invested in a CBN wheel on one side and a depressed centre white grit on the other.

I’d hardly call the Creusen ones inadequate being properly sturdy for reliable dressing and easily switched out if you want a fixed or variable one at a different angle. Which can easily be made. I have preliminary sketches for both a solid variable angle version and a set of fixed angle ones based on the design of my welded from bar replica. But it never got urgent enough to press ahead with full design and manufacture. Preliminaries suggested that a set of fixed angel sets would probably be better but variable with fixed settings is eminently doable.

Fact is the number of sharp, effective, HSS tools that have been ground on standard industrial grinds having simple rigid platform rests is likely beyond convenient, or even inconvenient, counting. Objectively the ME / Home Shop fraternity enthusiasm for the various adjustable devices is something of a fashion elevating nice to have into essential. Says the man who has had the makings of a “better tiplap” tucked away for nearly two decades now deemed unworthy of completion due to the  bench space it will take up!

Given the infinite possibilities it’s way too easy to be seduced into spending our limited hobby time finding, buying making or modifying tooling rather than actually using it. I’m a prime example of that syndrome.

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