Bench Grinder

[Tapper]

Well, a complete newb at metal working.  I recently got a 10EE lathe and a Excello knee mill.  So far, I've managed to make a few passable items (mostly tooling) and break about a dozen end mills.
  I still need to get a bunch of cutting tools.  I seem to live in used tool hell, so I'm tooling up only as needed. 

I use my Worksharp 3000 with diamond disks for touching up carbide and HSS blanks.  I don't use it to hog off material.  I pretty much suck at sharpening but the WS makes me better.  I have a cheap 6" grinder for initial shaping.

Sounds like we are are in about the same place on the experience scale but with your Monarch 10EE you are definitely in a different league than I! I have a South Bend Heavy 10 and a SB 9A, along with a Bridgeport milling machine. Also picked up a Peerless power hacksaw and a couple of other tools; just getting started.

I do have a Worksharp 3000 so maybe I'll take a look at that option for refining the profile. I think tool grinding is definitely something you have to do for a while to become proficient. I've been practicing facing off some material and was not getting a good result; either concave or convex ends. Checked my cross slide with instruments and it was "dead on." It was the tool profile. Went back the the "How to Run a Lathe" book by South Bend and refined my tool point and finally got it right. It takes a while.

Doug

[Timberwolf]

Great question! Yes, I have a six inch Taiwanese model my dad gave me many, many years ago and heretofore I've used it primarily with a wire wheel to clean up old rusty parts and miscellaneous grinding tasks. Now that I'll be grinding tools to use on my South Bend lathes, I'm looking for something better and more convenient to use. 

The tool rests on the one I have are stamped steel and not very adjustable. I'm finding it's important to have solid tool rests that are adjustable in a couple of planes. I did buy a new wheel for my grinder and used it yesterday to grind a tool. It worked but was not as convenient as a better 8" model would be I'm guessing. Jack also mentioned the variable speed feature which I'm finding on many of the models now offered. 

Don't want to break the bank with this purchase, just want to have the most useable features and hopefully some reliability. 

Doug

......................
Doug, you may want to consider buying an el cheapo HF 1"X30" belt grinder with some silicon carbide belts..When it comes down to it, a belt can go where a wheel cannot..It can produce a very strong flat grind unlike an ordinary bench grinder wheel. I recommend the model with a disc on one side...Rikon makes a very good one for a little more money..this in addition to your wheel grinder. I just could not be without one {or four.}

[Mr_Mike]

Sounds like we are are in about the same place on the experience scale but with your Monarch 10EE you are definitely in a different league than I! I have a South Bend Heavy 10 and a SB 9A, along with a Bridgeport milling machine. Also picked up a Peerless power hacksaw and a couple of other tools; just getting started.

I do have a Worksharp 3000 so maybe I'll take a look at that option for refining the profile. I think tool grinding is definitely something you have to do for a while to become proficient. I've been practicing facing off some material and was not getting a good result; either concave or convex ends. Checked my cross slide with instruments and it was "dead on." It was the tool profile. Went back the the "How to Run a Lathe" book by South Bend and refined my tool point and finally got it right. It takes a while.

Doug

The WS can only do flat or convex of course.

I also have a Rockwell/Delta 10" lathe. I was pleased enough with it, but then the 10EE came up for a good price.

Maybe in a few days, I'll make a post showing the entire metal working part of the shop. It needs much cleaning up first though.

[iclark]

I use my Worksharp 3000 with diamond disks for touching up carbide and HSS blanks.  I don't use it to hog off material.  I pretty much suck at sharpening but the WS makes me better.  I have a cheap 6" grinder for initial shaping.

Since Doug said that he also has a WS, I will ask about this.

What has your experience been with the diamond disks?

When they were first introduced my knee jerk reaction was that I had to have a set of them. But, then I read the fine print on the website that seemed to indicate that they could be prone to gouging the disk if you presented the tool being sharpened in the wrong way. It sounded like the diamond disks were okay using them from the top with the wide tool adapter, but that they might have issues when sharpening chisels against the underside of the disk. I decided to wait until I could get reviews from someone who had actually used them.

Sadly so far, my WS3000 w/ wide adapter, my Sorby belt sharpener, and my sharpener conversion kit for my 1" SS belt sander are still in their original boxes waiting for me to get time in the shop (or set up the new shop). The Woodturning Wonders 1hp Rikon does get used when I get time at the lathe.

I just noticed that this week's sale at WW has their magnet to collect metallic dust from the grinder as part of the sale. I have been using a disc magnet in a plastic bag for that, but their rod magnet with plastic sleeve is tempting.

For dry grinding of steels, I do recommend the magnet trick to collect dust (unless, of course, you are grinding austenitic (300-series) stainless steel).

[Timberwolf]

Since Doug said that he also has a WS, I will ask about this.

What has your experience been with the diamond disks?

When they were first introduced my knee jerk reaction was that I had to have a set of them. But, then I read the fine print on the website that seemed to indicate that they could be prone to gouging the disk if you presented the tool being sharpened in the wrong way. It sounded like the diamond disks were okay using them from the top with the wide tool adapter, but that they might have issues when sharpening chisels against the underside of the disk. I decided to wait until I could get reviews from someone who had actually used them.

Sadly so far, my WS3000 w/ wide adapter, my Sorby belt sharpener, and my sharpener conversion kit for my 1" SS belt sander are still in their original boxes waiting for me to get time in the shop (or set up the new shop). The Woodturning Wonders 1hp Rikon does get used when I get time at the lathe.

I just noticed that this week's sale at WW has their magnet to collect metallic dust from the grinder as part of the sale. I have been using a disc magnet in a plastic bag for that, but their rod magnet with plastic sleeve is tempting.

For dry grinding of steels, I do recommend the magnet trick to collect dust (unless, of course, you are grinding austenitic (300-series) stainless steel).

.................
I have been preaching diamond discs from Amazon for over two years now for the WS....I also have them for my MKII in the 8" diameter. In all sizes from 400 to 3,000 grit...I have nothing but good to say about them..You can even use them as diamond hones for sharpening without power, and you get more diamond for your dollar.

I put the magnet in a small plastic baggy, then use it to collect the swarf. Remove the magnet and the swarf falls off..Reuse the baggy. Works in the water tray on a Tormec also.

[iclark]

.................
I have been preaching diamond discs from Amazon for over two years now for the WS....I also have them for my MKII in the 8" diameter. In all sizes from 400 to 3,000 grit...I have nothing but good to say about them..You can even use them as diamond hones for sharpening without power, and you get more diamond for your dollar.

I put the magnet in a small plastic baggy, then use it to collect the swarf. Remove the magnet and the swarf falls off..Reuse the baggy. Works in the water tray on a Tormec also.

When you get the chance, I would appreciate a link to which diamond discs you bought on Amazon. There is such a huge range of quality on Amazon (and not always correlated with price) that a pointer to good stuff would be appreciated.

I very well may have learned the magnet-in-baggy trick from you. It has been so long ago that my memory fails me. Either way, thank you.

I have a couple of the 600 grit, teardrop cross-section, diamond hones that (I think) Alan Lacer first promoted and sold. One lives in my turning smock and the other lives in the top drawer of my rolling tool cart. That hone is great for maintaining the edge on my skews and honing the inside of the channel of the gouges when they come off the grinder. Now that WW is selling a version of that teardrop hone in CBN, I will probably pick one up the next time that I catch it on sale.

For the turners reading this thread, if you ever get the chance to take a course from Alan Lacer or Richard Raffin, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. I have seen Glenn Lucas at several symposia and taking a class from him is very high on my wish list. Sadly, with the demise of the Utah symposium, I might need to go to Ireland for that class.

[ajkoontz]

.................
I have been preaching diamond discs from Amazon for over two years now for the WS....I also have them for my MKII in the 8" diameter. In all sizes from 400 to 3,000 grit...I have nothing but good to say about them..You can even use them as diamond hones for sharpening without power, and you get more diamond for your dollar.

I put the magnet in a small plastic baggy, then use it to collect the swarf. Remove the magnet and the swarf falls off..Reuse the baggy. Works in the water tray on a Tormec also.

Do you have a link to the WS diamond discs you like?

[Timberwolf]

When you get the chance, I would appreciate a link to which diamond discs you bought on Amazon. There is such a huge range of quality on Amazon (and not always correlated with price) that a pointer to good stuff would be appreciated.

I very well may have learned the magnet-in-baggy trick from you. It has been so long ago that my memory fails me. Either way, thank you.

I have a couple of the 600 grit, teardrop cross-section, diamond hones that (I think) Alan Lacer first promoted and sold. One lives in my turning smock and the other lives in the top drawer of my rolling tool cart. That hone is great for maintaining the edge on my skews and honing the inside of the channel of the gouges when they come off the grinder. Now that WW is selling a version of that teardrop hone in CBN, I will probably pick one up the next time that I catch it on sale.

For the turners reading this thread, if you ever get the chance to take a course from Alan Lacer or Richard Raffin, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. I have seen Glenn Lucas at several symposia and taking a class from him is very high on my wish list. Sadly, with the demise of the Utah symposium, I might need to go to Ireland for that class.

.........................
Ivan, I have discs made by two different suppliers on Amazon. Scottchen is one and Uxcell is another..Their construction is identical as far as I can tell..both brands have about the same diamond density..Diamond electroplated on a flat steel plate thats about 80/90 thou in thickness...When the diamond eventually "wears off", you can use silicon carbide wet.dry sandpaper glued to the disc...silicon carbide is almost as hard as diamond and will abrade tool steel very nicely...and it will polish tungsten carbide.

You can look for the laps at Amazon search box under diamond laps.

I have not tried this on steel but I have made a copper lap disc and charged it with diamond paste and it works fine..I suspect the old steel discs would work also. You can get the paste at Amazon also.

This is the Uxcell disc:

[Tim in Indiana]

Great looking grinder! Is there a model # on this one? The tables look very nice and I assume that's a water cup up on that brass or copper rod? As Jack said, not sure I'm going to get in the $1K range for this grinder but there are some nice looking knockoffs that might do the job nicely.

Doug

There are a few different part numbers for the Baldor models, depending on your input voltage preference. They are expensive new, in the $2,500 range. Mine was purchased at auction many years ago.

My Asian copy was purchased new, also many years ago. If I remember correctly it was in the $275-$300 range. 

Grizzly currently has a version that is $335 with free shipping. It comes with two silicon carbide wheels which will grind carbide tools although not as quickly as a diamond wheel would.

Grizzly tool grinder

There's other companies offering essentially the same thing for similar money. I imagine like most import clones they all originate at one or two factories and come out with different labels and nameplates.