Watching the video on the latest LiDL (again) on line offers I got to wondering if the cheapy chainsaw sharpener could be easily modified to do basic toolbit shaping. Looks to me that suitable carriers could easily be fabricated to present the toolbit at appropriate angles enabling it to be cut off close to the desired shape. Then only a light touch on a fine grinding wheel whould be needed to get a nice sharp edge at the correct angles. Probably too much to hope that the finish would be good enough to need only honing.

Obviously the basic clearance angles cut would need to be a little excessive so the final sharpening grind can be quite shallow realtive to the depth of the tool.

I have a Clarkson T&C grinder which is pants at major bit shaping but will do a wonderous job at the final sharpening grind. I don't much care for the amount of abrasive mess thrown off by the coarse wheel on the double ender grinder when rough shaping and, frankly, there are better things to hang on the grinder than the rough wheel.

Clive

Agree with Les that 5,000 rpm is somewhat ambitious for a normal grinding wheel but the thin cut-off disks are rated for over twice that speed should the supplied wheel prove unsuitable. Currently I rough shape toolbits free hand with a thin cutting disk in an angle grinder. Works OK but would be nice to have mechnical repeatability and ease of set up. I tried using one of the "make your angle grider into a mini cut-off saw" devices but was less than impressed with the mechnical integrity of the grinder fixing and the pressed steel base is neither accurate enough or stiff enough to take a decent bit holder. The LiDL device looks to be rather stiffer and to provide space for a proper holder having an adequare selection of fixed angles.

Looks to have beeen worth a £20 punt but academic as local LiDL has sold out.

I'm very impressed by Wifreds device which is far more ambitious than anything I'd ever envisaged. Certainly the sort of thing we should see more of in MEW. Adding value to a relatively inexpensive but sturdy and functional mass market import device to meet our relatively specialist needs has to be a more accessible approach than scratch building or starting with castings for many folk.

Clive