For Those Of You Who Still Grind HSS

[LKeithR]

As many of you know I'm not a fan of using HSS tooling on a lathe but if you do want to grind your own--or do a lot of other grinding, for that matter--this is an extremely interesting read. A lot of information to absorb...

[MetalWolf]

Originally Posted by LKeithR

As many of you know I'm not a fan of using HSS tooling on a lathe but if you do want to grind your own--or do a lot of other grinding, for that matter--this is an extremely interesting read. A lot of information to absorb...

Dang. Keith that just grinds at me to even try to read all that my poor little brain has hardened over the years and not quite sure it absorbed any of it
That first part though causes me to have a bit of flashback. as I thought for a second there... I was back in microbiology looking at parasites and monkey snot...

[terry lingle]

For most things I use insert tooling but sometimes I need a form that I do not have in a carbide insert so I just grind away on a piece of HSS tool blank until I get what I need.
I have on occasion ground an insert when I am working on something really hard.

Kieth will spend an hour driving in chitty city traffic in the rain before he will take a little time and grind up a HSS cutter for a one time job.
He will get back to the shop 3/4 of an hour later with a new tool holder that takes the insert that will cut the profile required a box of inserts plus a neat new toy that he didn't know existed just one short hour ago.
After he has made the part the tool goes into the gathering dust drawer in his tool cabinet.
Or worse he also buys another tool holder so it can be mounted and ready to go in 30 years when he needs it.
He uses multifit holders at $$$ each I use aloris clone at I can find them at garage sales and swap meet $.

OTOH when I get next to the exotic tool places I develop a severe case of the I might need that someday's and the next thing I know the card is maxed out and I am grinning from ear to ear while listening to my wife scream the card was denied and I couldn't buy .........

I guess you can see why it is much too dangerous for her to come into the shop
at least until I get the new treasures put away.

There is no difference between Kieth and I in this except distance from the toy store

Last month I needed a couple of replacement parts for some Kennametal holders so I found the dealer in Surrey (yes Kieth we have been there) and phoned. $43 later I had three of everything needed on the way. ( that $43 included taxes )

The next day I got a call from the Loomis drop off that I had a package.
When I get there it is a 16X16 X3 inch 30 pound box with 3/4 of an ounce of parts and two real paper books a catalogue and a proper selection and use reference.

I had the clerk figure out the cost of shipping that box and the best we could do for preferred customer best rate was $35.
Thank god most of my tooling requirements are already here in my tooling cabinet gathering dust
I should go out and burn those books but there is just to much shinny stuff shown in them

[Shade Tree Welder]

Thanks for posting that it is a very good overview of modern grinding.

[greywynd]

When I first learned to turn on a metal lathe, it was in a high school shop. I found out that, due to cutbacks, the shop budget was a grand total of $300. Not per student. Not per class, but for the year.

We learned how to grind hss, sharpen drills, use lantern tool posts, and used the materials we had on hand to come up with projects.

The first job I had at the end of high school was in a small machine shop, running a CNC mill and lathe. We had all kinds of insert tools and shapes, and were able to max out the use of them.

Being able to grind my own tools for the lathe is something that I take a little pride in. Last job I was at, 3am on night shift, there was no option to buy a tool to cut a profile needed for emergency repairs, I’d grind them.

When an insert toolholder was damaged beyond use, and we still needed to get a broken insert out of a production tool, I’d braze up a tool and grind that to work to remove it.

I love the chips flying from a well setup insert tool. I used to fill a wheelbarrow in 45 minutes with chips.

On the other hand, I also enjoy watching my old South Bend tick away, with chips slowly curling off the part, and simply touching up the tool now and again as needed.


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