Mini surface grinder

[Stilldrillin]

Cy,

Grinding lathe tooling by hand is rather easy. With a little practice, anyone can do it.

The main problem is the fear of not getting the angles just right.

Forget about that, they are only guidelines, just like a lot of other stuff that is spouted about. If you are near enough, and the geometry is basically there, and it is sharp and on centre, the tool will cut just fine.

I know it sounds a little patronising, saying it is easy, but in all honesty, it is. Once you get the angles and the reasons for them being there sorted in your head, it just comes automatically. You will see how the cut is going on the lathe, think it is not quite right, lift the tool, a couple of seconds regrind, and you will be away again, with a perfect cut.

A lot of it is just plain common sense.

Bogs

Johns spot on with this, I grind all my lathe tools free hand its how we were taught as apprentices as long as you follow the basic geometry you can't go far wrong, the angles don't have to be exact to get a good cutting tool. 

Stew

They`re right, you know! 

David D

[28ten]

Cy,

Grinding lathe tooling by hand is rather easy. With a little practice, anyone can do it.

The main problem is the fear of not getting the angles just right.

Forget about that, they are only guidelines, just like a lot of other stuff that is spouted about. If you are near enough, and the geometry is basically there, and it is sharp and on centre, the tool will cut just fine.

I know it sounds a little patronising, saying it is easy, but in all honesty, it is. Once you get the angles and the reasons for them being there sorted in your head, it just comes automatically. You will see how the cut is going on the lathe, think it is not quite right, lift the tool, a couple of seconds regrind, and you will be away again, with a perfect cut.

A lot of it is just plain common sense.

Bogs

Johns spot on with this, I grind all my lathe tools free hand its how we were taught as apprentices as long as you follow the basic geometry you can't go far wrong, the angles don't have to be exact to get a good cutting tool. 

Stew

They`re right, you know! 

David D

I know I have just got lazy with my tooling. once the banana is fixed I will grind some up and you can laugh at my efforts 

[Pelallito]

John,
Good luck with your projects!
I was just curious on how you did it.
I was taught to free hand grind and can do it. For my way of thinking, the most important part of it is that the grinding wheel be properly balanced and ground flat across the faace. Needless to say, this is not a wheel altered as a form grinder. If the two things that I mentioned are done, the wheel spins perfectly smoothly with no vibration to transfer into the tool bit.
Thanks again.
Fred