"Charles A. Sherwood" wrote in message
...
Ok, easy it is. However, I can't see a reason to use anything beyond
aluminum oxide. I especially can't see a good reason to use a carbide
type
grinder for HSS. At best, they're too restrictive to be functional.

I respect Harold's opinion. But I find it very hard to hand grind
toolbits with consistant angles and I also tend to generate
multi-facets. Also it takes a very talented person to hand grind
a 1-2 degree relieve angle for a groove cutting tool.

Chuckle!

Maybe I've lost track of the fact that I may have a little talent! I have
never paid for a grooving tool in my life, nor have I used any kind of guide
to hand grind them. It's not difficult for me to hit width, which I do with
the wheel, not by stoning, and I can do it with a single face grind, it's
not chopped up. I also hand grind all my parting tools (typically made
from 1/2" square HSS blanks), and did so when I ran my machines for gain.
I never felt I had any particular gift, although not all the guys I worked
with could hand grind them equally.

One of my friends ran his own shop for years, selling out when a skin
condition became more trouble than he could deal with. He always relied on
insert tooling or had his custom tools done by a shop with a cutter grinder.
He lacked the confidence to do them manually.

If you can hand grind toolbits great, but I can't and I don't have
the time or inclination to destroy expensive mo-max toolbits.
So I use a carbide grinder with AO wheels to grind HSS toolbits.
I can very consistantly grind toolbits and touch them up.
chuck

Under those circumstances, I agree. You're likely not trying for the
exotic designs that can be accomplished freehand, so your method likely
serves your needs to your satisfaction.

I'd compare this entire concept to using a computer. Many of the readers
here are very adept at running theirs, and rely on systems that would likely
be well over my head. I'm content to limp by using Windows and IE, if
for no other reason, they do what I expect of them. Maybe if I was
better educated in computers I'd have higher expectations.

I see no right or wrong way where it comes to grinding toolbits. My
position in that regard is if you learn the basics and apply them well,
you'll be set free. It gets down to how important it is to each
individual-------just like computers.

Harold