D.I.Y. MILLING CUTTER GRINDER WITH MINIMAL EQUIPMENT

[lesfac]

I have made a means to regrind the flutes of milling cutters using minimal equipment and very little cost. Its hardly precision engineering but it is a way to reclaim blunt cutters even if they are only used for roughing. Here is a link to a video showing the device.

 

[celsoari]

great ideia...congratulation
greetings from Brazil
Celso Ari

 

[lantain1982]

Well done! Good practical engineering with a well presented video.
Thank you.

 

[tornitore45]

Super clever and resourceful BUT you need to know that diamond is not indicated to grind steel.

Unless the grinding is done by hand or at very low speed grinding generate high local temperature, sure enough to make sparks.
Diamond is carbon, at the local high temperature is extremely soluble into Iron (steel). The diamond wheel is quickly dulled basically dissolving into the steel.

 

[fabricator]

I have made a means to regrind the flutes of milling cutters using minimal equipment and very little cost. Its hardly precision engineering but it is a way to reclaim blunt cutters even if they are only used for roughing. Here is a link to a video showing the device.

Do you have a way to grind the face?

 

[SmithDoor]

This can be done on a lathe.
Both side and face.

South Bend show using lathe for tool grinding in adds be for world war 2.

Today the end mill cutters are so cheap and grinding changes the of cutter it not worth the time.

Note Form cutters like gear cutters can be re-shapen and save money.

Dave

 

[retailer]

Good work - who needs an air spindle and a T&G grinder ?

 

[chrsbrbnk]

great video! just a small caution I quit wearing knit sweaters while running machinery after the right cuff got caught in the arbor that super quickly did a pretty good imitation of a tourniquet that sorta jamb's my hand so I couldn't reach the off switch unless I let go with my left hand that I was using to stop the rotation. all turned out ok but kinda left an impression

 

[willray]

Super clever and resourceful BUT you need to know that diamond is not indicated to grind steel.

Unless the grinding is done by hand or at very low speed grinding generate high local temperature, sure enough to make sparks.
Diamond is carbon, at the local high temperature is extremely soluble into Iron (steel). The diamond wheel is quickly dulled basically dissolving into the steel.

Interesting. Irwin/Lennox makes super-durable cutoff wheels with diamond-impregnated rims for cutting steel. They do seem to work and last - I use them for rough-carving HSS. I wonder why that works?

https://www.grainger.com/product/48RW98

 

[tornitore45]

I wonder why that works?

I was told by a trusted source. Is common knowledge to grind away the steel shank of brazed carbide bits with a Al-O wheel before tacking the carbide to the diamond wheel.

Steel can be ground wit diamond at very low speed that do not generate sufficient temperature.

Anyway for $10 I just ordered one and try it.

 

[willray]

Anyway for $10 I just ordered one and try it.

I have not used them for typical cutoff purposes (well, not more than once), as they're stupendously loud and "rough" feeling compared to normal cutoff disks. But, they maintain diameter "forever", which I find really useful for hand-shaping HSS.

For example, I hand-carved a set of HSS square broaches recently because I needed to be able to seat carriage bolts in steel plate. The consistent diameter of the diamond-edge wheel made it really easy to get a nice hand-rest position and just manually rotate the HSS blank past the wheel to shape each successive gullet. I also find them nice for roughing HSS blanks for the lathe/etc, to save wear on the carbide grinder.