mike wrote:
On 9/10/2014 2:29 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
mike wrote:
On 9/9/2014 7:17 PM, wrote:
On Monday, September 8, 2014 8:06:54 AM UTC, mike wrote:
With the lathe, I'm not so much cutting metal as I'm rubbing it
off. ;-) Been experimenting with sharpening bits by hand, but I no
longer
have the manual dexterity to get it straight.
It's not logical, but I've spent $10 and a week to save a
dollar... and enjoyed every minute of it.
Thanks,
mike
When you say sharpening bits by hand, I am assuming you mean
holding the bit by hand and sharpen using a bench grinder. It really
is
not that hard to do. I would recommend that you spend a little
time practicing. Getting so you can do it is worth the effort. If you
let us know where you are someone might take a little time
and show you how they do it. I sharpen drill bit by hand but do not
do it as most people do it. I start at the heel and progress to
the cutting edge. Dan
Thanks for the input, but that ain't gonna happen.
Knowing how is not my biggest problem.
Manual dexterity has never been my strength. At 66, my hands don't
always go where my brain tells 'em to go.
Trying to cut a compound angle in three dimensions isn't working for
me. I can't hold the bit still enough to grind a flat surface at any
angle. I need to build some simple guides/fixtures to constrain
movement relative to the grinding wheel. Of course, a better
grinder would help...
Mike , I use the HF 3" grinder that has an orange grindstone on the
right and the "buffing" pad on the left . My rest is set just above
center-of-wheel , and I can hold the lathe bit flat on the rest and
get a pretty decent angle on the sidesand front . It's a cheap unit
, around 30 bucks IIRC , and works really well for lathe bits . If
you'd like I can email you a sheet that has angles and all that for
several common lathe cutters .
Heh , I probably got it here !
I have a 4.5" ShopSmith that I've been using for almost 50 years.
Biggest problem with it is that the tool rest is worthless.
I need to fabricate something more adjustable and stable.
I had a nice 6" grinder with much better tool rest.
Never had anywhere to set it up, so I tripped over it on the garage
floor for a decade or more.
Last month, I cleaned up the garage and sold off some stuff I thought
I'd never use...including the grinder.
Same day, I found the box with the Unimat parts and decided to make
it work. I try not to be a hoarder, but I've run out of space.
I rarely need stuff until just after I got rid of it.
That's a large club , to which I also belong . Toss it today , need it
tomorrrow . This little grinder I use is really small , takes up about 4 by
7 inches of workbench space . I also have an 8" grinder , which I drag out
from under the lathe occasionally to rough new bits . It carries a 3/4" gray
general use stone on one side , and a 1" thick green stone on the other side
for carbides .
Check out the Veritas adjustable rests , adjustable in several directions
and it has a slot you can slide a toolholder in .
--
Snag