Since I've started to regrind twist drills using a Picador jig and a 6" bench grinder I've discovered a need for a wheel that doesn't require frequent re-dressing [on the side], doesn't spray abrasive dust all over the place whenever it does, and won't make me want to throw it away in the not too distant future when I think the degree of lateral thinning warrants it.

I've looked at a few UK suppliers of CBN and diamond wheels, but none seems to sell a 150mm version with a generous enough side for grinding on. Bigger drills need a fairly big sweep across the side of a wheel, and even if it's possible to grind, say, a 3/4" drill in one sweep when the side is only 10mm, the narrower the side, the more fiddly it will be to set up for grinding in order to hit exactly the right spot on the wheel.

Any pointers on a wheel that answers my needs would be appreciated. I'd rather buy from an established UK-based supplier than an Amazon third party seller or random overseas eBayer.

Thanks to everyone for your answers.

Axminster do 8 inch, but not 6 inch, CBN wheels with 15mm sides. They're even on offer at the moment, but I'm not sure about the wisdom of mounting one on one side of a 6 inch grinder.

Clive, I take your point about the contact area being minimal. My remaining reservation about a narrow rim is that with limited bench space and me setting up for drill grinding more or less from scratch each time I might appreciate a bit more leeway in my set-ups than a 10mm rim would provide, even if I'm rarely going to be grinding drills above 1/2". Having said that, I could try a low cost white cup wheel of the kind you used [page 708 in the MSC virtual catalogue Jason linked to?] and see how practical a prospect it is before writing off narrow-sided wheels.

The Axminster white wheel Bill links to is a different style but the same material as the Draper one I'm using at the moment. I find it leaves a nice finish but it does seem a little soft compared to the grey grinding wheels I've mostly used before. Hence my fairly frequent dressing of the side of it each time I've ground a dozen or so drills, taking only light cuts at that.

Joseph's cautioning about big drills ground with diamond strengthens my initial belief that a CBN wheel would be better for my present needs than a diamond one. However, Jason's link does at least answer my query on the availability of a 6 inch wheel with a side grinding zone above 15mm in depth.

What's frustrating is that if I lived in the US I wouldn't need to open threads asking forum members to point me to what isn't out there because exactly what I'm looking for is out there and only a click of the mouse away:

https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/4-in-1-cbn-wheels/products/6-4-in-1
https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/6-inch-wheels

Edit: Forgot to say I've contacted T&J Tools for clarification on the grit rating and side widths of their 6 inch CBN wheels.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 21/11/2022 17:10:44