Green wheels instead of aluminium oxide

[Gareth JeffersonParticipant @garethjefferson65077]

Since silicon carbide "green" wheels would obviously be hard enough to grind hss, is there any reason why I shouldn't didpense with my aluminium oxide grindstone and use the now free end of my bench grinder for a diamond wheel? I mostly use hss in the lathe and mill but want to start scraping using carbide scrapers. I have a spare bench grinder but bench real estate is running out fast in my small shop.

— Gareth

[Gareth JeffersonParticipant @garethjefferson65077]

Using a green wheel for grinding HSS

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Green wheels are for carbide and are actually quite soft ?

The harder Grey oxide wheels do HSS

That's my basic understanding

The green stuff is highly sacrificial and produces a lot more dust?

Discuss!

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Gareth,

This post explains why it is normal to use aluminium oxide wheels on HSS and not silicon carbide.

Thor

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Grinding offhand on a Diamond wheel is a no no. Use it only for final dressing of the edge.

Take off the bulk with the green wheel. Mount the spare grinder on a wooden block that you can fix in the work bench vice. Make sure you have a rigid support against your diamond wheel as they are soft and it is easy to dig in !

Clive

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

First off, Aluminium oxide will grind HSS perfectly well. SiC is needed to grind tungsten carbide in the absence of diamond.

A far softer wheel is needed if one is grinding ordinary mild steel compared with hardended HSS if wheel loading is to be avoided, so consider your grinder usage. Obviously a soft wheel will work with soft and hard materials if one is happy with the rate of wear

If you want to sharpen scraper blades, think seriously about roughing them out on a SiC wheel or cheap diamond wheel, then using a cast iron wheel (made on whatever lathe you have), with 2-5 micron diamond paste rolled into it..

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

I just use a cheap diamond plate and hand-sharpen scrapers. I think you need quite a fine finish.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

If You use a green wheel to grind steel You will be amazed how fast the green wheel disappears.

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