Is a tool & cutter grinder worth having?

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

I also forgot to mention that I have added an ER25 collet holder to the workhead. Instead of the GHT derived holder shown. The workhead can also be moved on guided rails to make positioning the workpiece easier. This ensures no loss of position and the work always remains on the original centreline.

Regards

Gray,

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Without realising it, I followed Giles Parkes and made up a ER20 collet holder for my Worden. Far better than having to store dozens of individual collets for all the various drill sizes.

Another simple jig is used to set the cutting edge vertical in the holder. And being square makes 180 degree rotation for the second lip so easy.

Howard

[FulmenParticipant @fulmen]

I haven’t really thought much about work holding yet. I’ve just started on the toolholder, but I now realize that while it has a 25mm bore it can’t hold a 25mm mill easily. I have several 25mm HSS mills that will need maintenance so I need to figure something out. Redesigning it to a 30mm bore is possible, but this would mean scrapping several hours of work. And while it’s not a major redesign I don’t want to complicate this build more than I have to now.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

How about making a V block and clamping the cutters into that?

That is how drills are held in some of the drill grinding attachments for the Worden.

You will probably have to make up a fixture so that the cutter is correctly aligned ready for grinding.

Howard

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

At the museum, we have a box with a couple of hundred threaded shank HSS milling cutters. Not much use to us as they all need sharpening. I long ago removed the usable ones and put them in tubes. We have about 60 sharp or newones, but as we cannot sharpen them, they are kept for use with softer materials and solid carbide is used for harder work. I had a taper ground on the end of one of the blunt ones to produce new  keys for the Smart & Brown model A compound. It was done by the friend of one of the volunteers to match the 55degree included angle of the dovetail track in the cross slide.

If you have a fully kitted cutter grinder specials can be made for specific jobs and it could also be used for lathe tools and drills as well.

It all boils down to whether the budget and space plus the need for having one all coincide.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

I have started to modify my Taylor Hobson cutter grinder, which was made to grind cutters for a pantograph engraving machine. I have made a cross slide from a cross slide from a Myford lathe and a chunk of cast iron and other bits and pieces firstly to give me a base to add cutter holders.

I have also started on design for holding the ER collet set and to give it angle and depth movement.

This will have in and out slide, rotation on base and rotate up and down on other axis to allow angled cutters and shallow angles on bottom of end mills etc.

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

David

Thats an interesting project.

However I do wonder why you went for an all new build rather than adapting one of the “U2” milling cutter holders made for the import Deckel cutter grinder clones that can be found for £100 – £150. Which doesn’t seem to be completely beyond budget. Your Taylor Hobson grinder being, I think, sufficiently similar to the Deckel clones that adaptation is quite feasible. Although the as supplied fit and finish of these imports is generally said to be agricultural it does give you all the bits and nice dials. Best thought of as a part machined kit I guess.

The prime limitation seems to be the limited collet size range and cost of around £20 per collet from the usual suppliers.

I’m interested because I’m wondering whether the nice scales et al would make one worth modifying for my Clarkson as an improvement on the rather basic standard work head. But I wouldn’t use U2 collets.

Clive

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