On Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:24:18 +0000, Richard Edwards
wrote:

On Thu, 8 Jan 2009 03:01:38 -0500, "Wild_Bill"
wrote:

snip
I don't like the little General fixture mentioned earlier, because the
little twist indexing finger isn't a good feature. That's the little pointy
adjustment located under the V (only the worst place for it).

I once ground mine away G and made a new one but I have binned it!
The destructions suggest rotating the drill until the helix is in
contact with the finger. Experience has proved that this is wrong
IMHO. When I use the General I rotate the drill until the cutting edge
is vertical by eye and clamp it there. Once the first land is ground I
leave the setting where it is and rotate the drill until the second
land is again vertical
The little General fixture makes a great relief grind as it swings, but it
will make it anywhere on the end of the drill. So ya play and adjust and try
a few grinds, then play and adjust some more until it's leaving the
narrowest chisel point, but ya start over as soon as you try another size
drill.

The destructions are reasonably valid with regard to overhang etc but
you do need to adjust the jig in and out as you note below.

Besides that problem, the only sensible way to mount the General fixture is
on a slide or a mount that allows it to be moved toward/away from the
grinding wheel and held in place. Bolting it to a fixed point as suggested
in the instruction sheet, sucks.

My fixture has a slotted base!
smip

One other point, the grinding position as shown in the instructions is
non preferred IMHO. Better to grind on the wheel face above or below
the spindle. That way the grind is perpendicular to the edge.

I must say I rarely use my jig.
1 I can grind by hand adequately
2 My drills last a long time primarily because I load them and keep
them cutting. A colleague once said when he saw me drilling some steel
with a hand power drill "you don't drill holes you punch them".
Interesting that my drills were never changed or sharpened but his
were always needing replacing G
Richard
I have a couple of these "General" fixtures and have been thinking of
setting one up in conjunction with my 4 1/2" angle grinder as a
roughing sharpener then finishing on my Drill Doctor. Somewhere in
connection with this group I have seen picture of an adjustable mount
for the "General" fixture where it is moved on round rod ways by means
of a lead screw arrangement.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada