Grinding your own hss lathe tools. Tips & tricks?

[HuubParticipant @huub]

I to start using the angle grinder to roughly grind the shape in HSS. Then use the bench grinder (white HSS stone) for a better shape. Finally I use a small 80 mm diamond disk (€10,–) and jigs to grind and regrind the tools.

Drills, mills, slitting disks, roughing mills, rotary broaches and some form tools are ground on the CNC lathe.

I can regrind a HSS tool faster than replacing an insert. Nevertheless, most of the time I use carbide because they last longer than HSS tools. Sometimes HSS does a better job and small internal HSS threading tools cheap to make.

My HSS grinder (finish grinder) and some stackable holders.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Surely using diamond on HSS is counterproductive?

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

A diamond wheel gives a very fine finish on a HSS tool, after grinding with a pink, white or grey wheel.. Not much different, but a bit more precise than final honing with a diamond file.

I said that 5 thou "cuts" were puishing things a bit, but probably better than risking glazing the wheel by tiny licks.

As ever, there is more than one way of skinning a cat (Not that I am advocating that as an activity! )

The objective is to finish up with a cutter that does what is required.

Howard

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