Tool grinding jig

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Can anyone recommend a jig for grinding and sharpening cutting tools to the correct profile/angles for lathe work please? The grinder to be used is a two wheel 6" bench grinder from Record (a fairly cheap model). Many thanks, Adam

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Recommendations for grinding jig to sharpen lathe tools & drill bits

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

The Harold Hall one must be a serious contender

Look in either MEW 89 or his book "Milling – A Complete Course"

John

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Thanks John. Looks very interesting but i would rather go and buy something off the shelf for now. Does anyone manufacture an equivalent? Thanks, Adam

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hi Adam,

I've never come across a commercial lathe tool sharpening equivalent of a twist drill sharpening jig.

Neil

[Anonymous]

For general purpose lathe tools, there is no need for jigs. You've probably already got the two things you need. One, a pair of hands and two, the Mk1 eyeball. None of the angles are that critical and are easy enough to judge by eye. A diamond hone would be useful to improve the ground finish, and add any small radii.

Regards,

Andrew

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

If you want to buy a grinding table, have a look at this one on ebay **LINK**

Adjustable table angle plus a protractor should give you what you need. All you have to do is get the tool the right way round.   It's up to you to mount it in the place you want in relation to the grinding wheel.

I used to have one of these until I made something more hi-tech. It's probably still around somewhere, too good to throw away!

As Andrew says, you can manage with a standard grinder, but I found I was grinding/burning my fingertips!

Phil

Edited By Robbo on 15/03/2014 22:42:17

Edited By Robbo on 15/03/2014 22:44:14

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

David Clark described using a similar table in MEW a few issues back .

May have been the same brand as the ebay item , try Axminster or the local hardware store.

Ian

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Instead of a wobbly adjustable jig you can get an angle on the ground edge by rising above the centre line of the wheel when grinding on the edge not side. The amount of rise can be calculated, estimated by eye, or by making a drawing. You only ever really need 5 and ten degree settings anyway.
You can get up to height with solid squared up blocks of 4×2 wood perhaps notched to fit a little each side of the wheel. Pieces of thinner ply can then be added to increase the grind angle. Then top off with a steel plate say 1/8 thick to give a smooth slidey surface.

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

Why not look in back numbers of MEW and make your self several Eccentric type tool holders, together with the grinding jig. Then it is so easy to grind lathe tools.Cheap, cheerful and they work.Ted

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

If you do not want to make your own tangential tool holder, get one from Eccentric Engineering. Comes with a simple sharpening jig which is easy to use on most grinders.

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Can second Paul's recommendation.

It also has the benefit of having an inbuilt 'fail safe' mode!

This I discovered when in a moment of madness I turned the saddle handwheel left hand down instead of right hand down, the bit digging in, BUT that 'fail safe' mode kicked in and the tool bit was pushed down the holder out of harms way.

Geoff – Old age is a real PITA

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

Ouballie The alternative is worse

Roy

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Posted by roy entwistle on 16/03/2014 10:49:35:

Ouballie The alternative is worse

Roy

Ah but, if I get your meaning, it's no longer a PITA

Geoff – Feeling altogether better today, and that bright hot thing is back in the sky AGAIN.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 15/03/2014 21:47:32:

Hi Adam,

I've never come across a commercial lathe tool sharpening equivalent of a twist drill sharpening jig.

Neil

.

Not really your weekend is it Neil ?

Search for "Universal Sharpener "

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Thanks John, that is exactly what I want, looks absolutely perfect – now searching for it on Google but to no effect! Will keep looking. Maybe the DIY Kennett jig would be good if I could find one of those too.

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

John, I have just now bought this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMA-WEA-50mm-2-Way-Tilt-and-Swivel-Milling-Vice-/261377023967?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cdb48dfdf

I think it looks useful and I just hope it is moderately nicely made. Adam

[TrevorhParticipant @trevorh]

Have a look at this link here

cheers

[TrevorhParticipant @trevorh]

Hi John how would you actually use this tool holder – have it moveable or have the grinder moveable?

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Pootled around and found this. which includes a welded version of the nice castings in JS picture.

It looks like a rather versatile casting as you can make versions with 1 to 3 axes. It would be great if one of the regular ME castings suppliers would make the casting available then Neil could run a whole series of things to do with it. Heck it might even get me to subscribe to the other mag.

Found this USA ebay ad for one at $99 so double the price and add £20 shipping for the UK and suddenly it becomes not so good.
Anyone coming over care to put some ballast in their suitcase to give the x-ray operator a fright?

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Hi Bazyle, you are much better at searching the web than I am! That "Shars Universal Vice Mill" looks exactly the job I would have preferred however I have already this morning paid £51 + £9 shipping for the less beautiful one on ebay UK called AMA-WEA 50mm. The Shars would cost £84 to import excluding VAT which would be charged at customs entry I assume, and although it looks better would need the degree calibrations put on manually to all 3 swivels, whereas the AMA-WEA at least already has the markings on the base swivel and possibly also on the tilt swivels. I plan to dismantle, true up if necessary, and use my dividing head to scribe in the degree markings to the tilt swivels if necessary. I will post better pics when it arrives if you are interested. Adam

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Hi Bazyle, actually on closer inspection the Shars does seem to have degree calibrations on all swivels and so does look to me the preferred choice although unfortunately I have already dealt on the AMA-WEA! Maybe I will buy a Shars as well if mine looks a bit ropey in real life. Adam

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Looks like Trevor was first off the mark on the Shars unit while I was still writing. Importing one would be way more than £85 as they would ship by 'extorsionmail' though I have seen reference to a new system of using a 3rd party consolidation shipper.

Bog's unit is a (home made?) 'universal head' common for most tool and cutter grinders eg Clarkson (this is a great site by the way if you have a clarkson fetish). These are horribly expensive when they come up alone hence need for nice casting to be produced. Ok you can make something out of a bit of big angle iron section or cast angle plate but it's not the same and nobody seems ot make a cheap unslotted 3in angle plate casting.

The AMA is pretty cheap for a universal vice but Harry on ebay is actually our friendly 'shopping partner' on this site Amadeal who also support the Briston show and are very good value.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Posted by Bazyle on 17/03/2014 17:52:54

Nobody seems to make a cheap unslotted 3in angle plate casting.

You could try one these. As cheap as a casting and ground on 2 faces

http://www.axminster.co.uk/ground-angle-plates

The one I bought was nice quality cast iron

Rod

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Bazyle do you by any chance know a supplier of thin strips of steel plate with engraved graduation degree marks such that could be wrapped and pinned around a swivelling collar (a supplier would presumably produce different strips corresponding to different diameter collars)?

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