Plans, projects and How-to's for Home Machinists and Other Makers
This is the last article in Mikey’s series about grinding lathe tool bits. In part 1 he discussed his experiences with grinding bits, why he uses a belt sander instead of a bench grinder and introduced some terminology about tool bit shapes and angles. In part 2 he covered tip geometry and tool shapes in more depth. … Read the rest
Here is a table that presents the table angles we need to set when we grind standard lathe tools. Note that the headings at the top of each column eliminate the word “angle†after each heading but otherwise matches the diagram above. The front relief (angle) in the table is the same as the end relief angle in the diagram above. … Read the rest
I’m a believer. As a new guy I totally sucked at grinding lathe tools. It’s almost painful to admit how many stubby, misshapen, multi-faceted, overheated and just plain ugly lathe tools I made back then. The amazing thing is that some of those tools actually worked as well as the pre-ground tools that came with my lathe. … Read the rest
The Craftsman 2 X 42-inch belt sander is a very good general purpose belt sander. With its 1/2 HP motor it can handle most light duty work in the shop, including grinding lathe tools for both metal and wood lathes. This grinder allows for very fast belt changes, tracks well with a simple adjustment and has enough power to grind tools without overheating or bogging down. … Read the rest