For those with a surface grinder and want to reshrpen their own mill cutters

[Blogwitch]

I've been scouring the usual UK suppliers sites looking for new things on the block to show you, and yet again, I find our John Stevenson has been up to his usual tricks.

Go to the bottom of the page on here.

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Collets/ER-Collets-Collet-Chucks/ER32-Collets-Collet-Chucks


I just wish I hadn't bought my 5C one now, as his version is a lot lower and uses the more versatile ER32 collets. The price is a lot lower than I paid for mine as well.

Just for those that think these things are not any good. I have been using mine for touch up and resharpening the ends of my slot and end mills, up to six flutes, but these do up to twelve, and they do it a treat.
I usually wait until I have a few to do, say a dozen, both carbide and HSS, and have a sharpening session. It saves having to have too many wheel swaps for the different cutter materials.

BTW, I did a write up on mine a while ago, but I just can't find the post.

Just a question to ask our John.

When are you going to bring out something to sharpen the side flutes?


John

 

[Blogwitch]

It seems that no one has a surface grinder or is not interested in saving themselves a loadsa cash by resharpening their cutters.

John

 

[AlfJones]

John,

A likely stupid question.

I hadn't seen this, and I do not have a surface grinder. It would be nice, but issues such as space and SWMBO mean that it'll be a while before I get one.

However, for the level of simplicity it gives to sharpening I'm wondering if a heath robinson lash-up of a grinder on a perch, a spare X-Y drill press table and a small magnetic chuck might make for a much more compact, much lower cost arrangement?

This wouldn't have anything like the rigidity of a surface grinder, but it could be tucked away under a bench.

I was wondering if you thought there was any point in looking at the idea further, or if there is a glaring problem I haven't seen?

 

[dalem9]

I use my mill as a surface grinder . I made an adaper for a cone grinder wheel works great I reground may kurt clone vise to make it true . I also sharper my mills with it .Dale

 

[kvom]

I use my mill as a surface grinder . I made an adaper for a cone grinder wheel works great I reground may kurt clone vise to make it true . I also sharper my mills with it .Dale

We need pics. :bow:

 

[dalem9]

I Will try to post Some later. Dale

 

[kvom]

If/when I get a surface grinder, does Arc Euro or JS market these in the US?

 

[Blogwitch]

Alf,

I have actually seen a chap in a post who used one of the older ones, like mine, on his mill. I see no reason, if it was rigid enough, for it not to be used with an offhand grinder. I think the secret is in the mag chuck it sits on.

Having used mine for a while now, the forces required to regrind are miniscule, as the faces are so small.

Kvom,

Unfortunately, these are restricted to Arc Euro only, like all the bits and pieces John Stevenson comes up with.

What John seems to do is look at old ideas and makes them a lot better or more versatile, like his spindexer, metric clamp blocks and now this, plus goodness knows what else.

I have nothing to do with Arc Euro, only as a very satisfied customer, but it is the first place I go to look, as it is the only place on the net that seems to be coming up with innovative and new solutions at a reasonable prices. Everyone else is just playing follow the leader, selling all the same products..

John

 

[Ketan Swali]

Thanks for the plug John.

Better link here now. Will be adding other ER fixtures here as we add one or two more John Stevenson products to the range:
http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Collets/ER-Collet-Fixtures

U.S. is a little complicated. Secure shipping costs are expensive, and I am afraid to send goods to U.S.A - just airmail, without "registered". I am trying to find a cheaper way, but so far it is proving to be difficult....unless I decide to open a small operation there....may be...one day.

Ketan at ARC.

 

[mu38&Bg#]

Now here's a dumb question about cutter sharpening. It seems to me an endmill does most cutting on the side, how does a tool like this help?

I have a pile of HSS and carbide endmills here (from toolbox buys), and don't know if they are worth resharpening as most would need resizing due to worn flutes, even if I could find a local place that could sharpen them.

 

[Blogwitch]

Greg,

Side flutes are a completely different issue.

The main reason for not sharpening is the loss of size, and to get it done at an outside shop costs almost as much, or in the case of cheap cutters, a lot more than the cutters cost themselves.

There are fixtures on the market for use on the surface grinder to regrind the side cutting edges, but they are rather expensive.

These little jigs are just the ticket for touching up the ends, which is where most of mine get blunt.

I have jigs and fixtures on my little surface grinder for regrinding almost all my machine tooling, all except for the side flutes on my little surface grinder.

Most lathe tools are handled with a tilting vice and angle blocks, but I do have a dedicated tool holder that can hold a lathe tool at almost any angle, and if profiles are required, I got hold of a diamond tipped wheel profiler for very little cash, and also I picked up a slitting saw/end and face grinding holder for next to nothing off ebay, and one of these jigs takes care of end and slot mills. So really, I don't need much else.


John