Modifying my Home Built Tool & Cutter Grinder

[ShopShoe]

Petertha,

I don't mean to hijack Chuck's excellent thread (Way to Go chuck!!!).

I tried to use the motor (3600RPM) from a cheap grinder for a project: These are designed to start with no load or low load and build up to speed. I couldn't use it because it wouldn't start and spin up to speed with anything but it's original wheels.

I also second the comment that variable speed might be desirable in a grinder like this.

Thanks for the chance to interrupt.

--ShopShoe

 

[Swede]

She's a beaut, Chuck! And very handy, too. I'm surprised by the number of guys who are very active home machinists but rarely sharpen tools. Something like this is hugely useful, and a fun project to boot.

 

[cfellows]

Thanks for the comments guys... always appreciated!

I've got this thing pretty well finished, except perhaps for some additional attachments. Today, I made brass ball knobs for the x-axis spin handle.

I also added 5 & 10 degree graduations on the work holder...

And I reinstalled the belt drive on the y axis crank. I had to move it to the right so it wouldn't interfere with the x-axis spin handle.

Tomorrow I plan to make video tour of the grinder, time permitting.

Chuck

 

[cfellows]

Here's the video of my Tool & Cutter Grinder.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6L8ZYrQm3U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6L8ZYrQm3U[/ame]

Chuck

 

[SBWHART]

Thats a real andy bit of kit Chuck thanks for showing.

Plenty of inspiration their.

:bow: :bow:

Stew

 

[ShopShoe]

Chuck,

That really turned out well. thanks for showing it to us.

--ShopShoe

 

[cfellows]

Thanks, all, for the kind words. Here is a picture of my home made fixture for sharpening the flutes on end mills.

The spindle has just enough clearance so it floats on a cushion of air when hooked up to a low pressure air supply. This makes it very easy to spin while moving in and out. In it's current configuration it will handle cutters with a 1/2" shank on one end and 3/4" shanks on the other end. I can also do other shank sizes by using bushings. I'm going to try to adapt an er20 collet chuck to it so I don't need to use bushings.

Chuck

 

[bronson]

That is a really nice little sharping rig that you have there. Nice work Chuck.

 

[crab]

I like really your grinder Chuck.I have a X-Y table and base from a mini mill I bought at a yard sale that might work good for one.Add your column and a treadmill motor and control I have and it might work.I am going to build it when I get in better shape.Thank you for showing this.
Bill

 

[jct842]

golly jeeze I now have to start looking for a xy table. that grinder is a must for any shop worth working in. I really like it. I got to have one soon! john

 

[steamer]

Sweeeet rig Chuck! ....Is that air spindle to Glen Wilson's design, Phil Duclos design, or CFellow's Design... ;D


Those are not easy to make as the tolerence is quite tight for a simple groove compensated air spindle :bow:

Dave

 

[cfellows]

Thanks to all for the kind words.

Sweeeet rig Chuck! ....Is that air spindle to Glen Wilson's design, Phil Duclos design, or CFellow's Design... ;D


Those are not easy to make as the tolerence is quite tight for a simple groove compensated air spindle :bow:

Dave

Dave, I was using Phil Duclos's design as the basis for my fixture. I think I scaled it down some from Phil's design. I ultimately made mine out of aluminum because I was unable to get the smoothness and tolerances I needed out of steel. I went through 3 or 4 iterations before I finally got the result I wanted. Cast iron would have been the best, but I didn't have any in the right size at the time.

Chuck

 

[cfellows]

I got my end mill flute grinding fixture hooked up to the air supply and have been practicing sharpening on a 3/4", 2 flute end mill. The fixture will "float" the spindle at about 5 PSI and essentially becomes frictionless, except for the flute of the end mill riding on the small post which keeps it oriented withe grind stone.

I began thinking about a fixture that would easily let me grind the bottom cutting edges of the end mill and had visions of a fancy collet holder with indexing, etc., that would let me sharpen a tool at any angle, any rake, any number of flutes, etc. But when I got to looking for suitable material, my practical side kicked in (some might say it was my lazy side :-X) and I remembered this old, cheap Enco end mill sharpening jig I had bought years ago. After some searching I managed to locate it and after some head scratching, here's what I came up with.

Here's a couple of pictures of the lash-up I used to drill the holes for attaching the new base to the old one.

And, here's a picture of it sitting on my T&C grinder, ready to go to work as soon as I bolt it to the T-slot in the table.

Not real fancy, but it will do the job until I get the urge and the time to make something better.

Chuck

 

[Don1966]

Chuck I love your tool grinder this will be a must in my shop. :bow: There was something in the video that caught my attention. I noticed a two conductor cord going through a hole where you mounted your switch. Having your setup made of all steel I see a Danger of Electrical shock or execution. Not meaning to demean any of your work. I am an Electrician and it is easy for me to notice this. When I was younger I ended up in the hospital by 120 volts AC latching on to me and not being able to let go. I hope all that read this heeds my caution. I would not want to know of anyone being electrocuted. Keep all of your equipment well grounded and all circuits going to any outlet properly grounded and polarize. Also when going through any hole use connectors to prevent chafing of the cord.

Kinds regards Don

 

[cfellows]

Thanks Don. I had already fixed that with a rubber grommet, but a gentle reminder never hurts. One of the things I like about this group... The members tend to keep folks from hurting themselves!

Chuck

 

[lee9966]

Nice job Chuck. I happen to have a treadmill motor and controller sitting in my pile of cool things to use someday. Now I know what to do with it!

Lee

 

[Don1966]

If your treadmill motor is not a DC motor and is what we call a universal motor. This is like a drill or saw motor they can run on AC or DC . Only if It has field coils and not magnets. You can use this http://www.grizzly.com/products/Router-Speed-Control-20-Amp/G3555 from grizzly for $34 to control your grinder.

Regards Don

 

[Swede]

The beauty of Chuck's machine also is the ease with which it can sharpen HSS lathe bits. Going from hand-held sharpening in a cheap bench grinder to something like this, it is amazing how superior the results are when you use a true T & C grinder. You can also use one to add neat chip breakers and the like.

One other attractive thing is the ease with which you can create specialized jigs/gadgets and simply bolt them right on to the table... even things like cylindrical grinding rigs or motorized cam grinders. This sort of tool forms the basis for a large number of specialized applications.

Way to go, Chuck!

 

[colin james]

Where have all the images gone that are referred to in the text?