"Jerry Foster" wrote in message
. com...
snip------

Second, you must have a good, solid, flat "table" on which you rest the
work. The table must be adjustable so you can set it at the proper angle
to
the centerline of the wheel (generally 7 degrees). I have a cheapie
grinder
I've had for years. The one which came on the grinder was a piece of
pressed steel, sloppy, unadjustable and not very flat. So, I made a
proper
table for it and it works great.

Given the opportunity, I'd do everything in my power to get you to think
differently about the table. When you're sharpening brazed carbide with a
diamond wheel, where angles tend to be critical, and the operation does
*not* lend itself to offhand grinding, I fully agree, but for sharpening
HSS, where you are inclined to get involved with chip breakers and strange
configurations almost every time you grind a toolbit, a table generally is
nothing more than a nuisance that will hinder your learning to hand grind.
I grind tool bits without so much as a tool rest, preferring to have the
open face of the wheel at my disposal without anything interfering with its
free use. Once you get on to grinding in that fashion, it's almost
impossible to go back to using a tool rest.

I highly recommend a pedestal grinder that is mounted at chest height, which
can be as simple as a single wheel, aluminum oxide, 60 grit, J or K
hardness, vitrified bond. No tool rest. Use a dressing stick to keep
the wheel in trim. It's very important to be comfortable when you're
sharpening toolbits, especially if you're blanking one out. Standing erect
without leaning over as you grind should be your objective. If you have
the luxury of two wheels, a coarse (46 grit J hardness) is nice, but you can
get along without it if you're limited to a single ended spindle. I use
1/2" x 7" x 1-1/4" wheels that are customarily used on cutter grinders and
small surface grinders for tool sharpening. They are generally formulated
precisely for grinding HSS (typically 38A abrasive) and are readily
available. You may have to make the adapter to fit your grinding
motor to run them, but it's not much of a project if you choose to do so.
I'll gladly provide some tips in that regard if you're interested.

Harold