On Feb 18, 2:45*pm, Tim Wescott wrote:
Of late when I need a cutter I rough it out of an appropriate HSS blank
with a Makita hand grinder, then finish it on a bench grinder.

This works fine, but it's ugly as hell.

Is there a "more right" way to do this?
--http://www.wescottdesign.com

Which Makita?

I grind them roughly to shape with an angle grinder, 7" to cut fast
and 4-1/2" for more control. The bits stay in place better at the end
of the vise jaw if the jaws are padded with sheet aluminum the bit can
press into and there is another bit taped in place on the other end to
make the jaws close parallel. Then I can really lean on the bit with
the coarser grinder and form the basic shape quickly. I try to grind
both sides and the end without having to move it because pliers slip
on the extremely hard metal and I don't want it melting through my
shoe.

Some examples:
http://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/T...43778674022866

The smaller inside threading bit was cleaned up on the bench grinder,
the larger one still has some angle grinder finish.

The concave rounding bit was finished with a small conical stone in a
die grinder. The other end is for pulley grooves. The two half-rounds
were matched by eye to the holes in a drill gauge.

The One Right Tool would be the 4-1/2" grinder, the 7" one is too
heavy. It's fine for horizontal weld grinding because the wheel
supports its weight but I can't be accurate with it for long on a
vertical surface.

The cheapie $20 angle and die grinders are OK for short jobs like
this. They heat up quickly so I use them with specialized wheels and
burrs for small details, but not to smooth the larger welds.

Jim Wilkins