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Grinding Lathe Tools
Grinding Lathe Tools
http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_lathe/Tool_grinding/tool_grinding.htm
Tool grinding is part science and part art, but can be an enjoyable side activity to working with the lathe. My goal here is to teach beginners enough to get them started with a few basic tools. Here are some additional resources:
You can, of course, buy ready-made carbide-tipped cutting tools. If good quality, these work well and last a long time. The real advantage to grinding your own tools is not cost savings, but having the ability to make a tool for whatever purpose you may run across in your work. For example, I have made some very small boring tools from 3/16" tool blanks which are quite handy for boring out a small hole, say .373 in diameter, to press-fit a 3/8" shaft. Additionally, a properly ground High Speed Steel (HSS) tool often will give a better surface finish than a carbide tool. The essence of lathe tool grinding, as I think of it, is to undercut the tip of the tool to provide 'relief' so that the metal just below the cutting tip does not contact the work. This concentrates enough cutting force on the tip to cut into the metal of the workpiece. Although the shape is different, I find it useful to visualize the bow of a ship - the tip projects out beyond the lower part of the bow. The tip of the cutting tool must similarly project out beyond the surfaces below, and this is done by grinding them away. Most of the regular cutting tools I make are undercut on the front and left edge of the tool. Since most tools are designed to cut while moving from right to left (towards the headstock) it is not necessary to provide relief on the right side of the tool. Additionally, I usually grind a similar relief, or rake, on the top surface of the tool. When you order your lathe, be sure to order about 10 5/16" x 2 1/2" High Speed Steel (HSS) tool blanks. (Note: the older, non-Sieg, Homier/Speedway lathesuse 3/8" x 2 1/2" tools) I usually get mine from Enco. They are normally about $1 each but often go on sale for about $0.80. And, like just about anything else you might need for the minilathe, you can get them from LMS. LMS also sells pre-ground tools if you're more comfortable starting out that way. Note that they're 1/4" square rather than 5/16", so they'll require a thicker shim than normal to bring the tip of the tool up to the centerline of the lathe. The four sides of the blank are ground to a smooth, shiny finish. The ends usually are a coarse finish with a preformed angle of about 15 degrees.
We will use a simple four-step procedure to make our cutting tool 1. 2. 3. 4. Grind the end relief Grind the left side relief Grind the top rake Round the tip
Grinding the End Relief First we will grind the end of the tool blank. Use the coarse wheel of your bench grinder and hold the tool blank angled downwards from the tip to the rear and with the tip pointing to the left about 10-15 degrees.. The tip of the tool blank should be a little below the center line of the wheel. Remember to use a wheel-dressing tool from time to time to freshen up the surface of the grinder wheels. Doing so will make the job of tool grinding go more quickly and with a better result.
Grinding causes the tool blank to get quite hot so you will need to dip the end of the tool into a water bath every 15 seconds or so during the grinding operation. When you see the tip of the tool start to discolor from the heat its a good time to make a cooling dip. Fortunately, HSS does not conduct the heat to your fingers very fast, but you can get burned if you go too long between cooling dips.
My water cup was cut from the end of a plastic bottle. Here's a picture of the tool after grinding the end:
Grinding the Left Now we'll grind the tool. The essentially the we hold the tool about a 10 degree grinding wheel.
Side Relief left side of the procedure is same except that with the side at angle to the
Grinding the Top Rake Now we grind the top surface to form the rake. Be careful during this operation not to grind down the cutting edge or you will end up with a tool whose tip is below the center line of the lathe. If this happens, the tool will leave a little nub at the center of the workpiece when you make a facing cut. The usual remedy is to use a thin piece of shim stock or feeler gages under the tool to bring it back up to the center line. A much nicer solution is an adjustable-height tool holder.
After this operation we have a working tool with a very sharp tip. This tool is useful as-is for operations that need a sharp tip to turn down to an interior edge such as a shoulder.
Rounding the Tip We will round the tip to form a tool that is useful for facing and turning. Hold the tool so the tip touches the wheel and with the tool tilted downward. Rotate the tool gently against the wheel to round the tip to about a 1/32" to 1/16" radius.
Here's the finished tool in action making a finishing cut on a facing operation:
As a final step, you may wish to smooth the cutting tip on a fine diamond hone or oilstone. I've found that the tip tends to get smoothed pretty quickly after a few cuts, so I usually skip this step, but it does make a difference if you need a fine finish. So now you know how to grind the most basic of cutting tools. There are many other types of tools that you can grind including shaping tools, cutoff tools and boring tools. Here's some additional info posted by Brian Pitt: You usually want to set the tool on center to about .003-.005 above center but almost never below (the workpiece will try to roll over the top and chatter) cutoff ,threading and most carbides should be on center while HSS for general turning can be a hair above to make up for the deflection of the workpiece and machine which will bring it back on center, it can also add a little burnishing action as the work rubs the front face of the bit and will give smoother finishes the side and top rake reduce the amount of cutting force and heat generated and help to control the chip by giving it a different angle to curl on depending on the material being cut , softer and stringier materials like aluminum and 1018 steel need more rake to give a knife like edge while materials that break up easily like brass and cast iron use less rake to keep the tool from digging in and grabbing One of the most important facts often overlooked by beginners is that the cutting face of the grindstone wheel quickly becomes dulled and clogged with metal particles. To maintain an aggressive cutting face it is essential to refurbish the wheel face frequently with a dressing tool. I use a dressing tool with a single industrial diamond point for this purpose. I got it from Enco for around $15. I use this tool to refresh the grinder wheel after about every 10 minutes of grinding time. It makes a big difference. Here's some great information on various types of tool rake, posted by Dub Thornton:
No, rake angles and front relief are NOT the same. Front relief is the angle ground into the front of your tool which allows ONLY the front cutting edge to contact the workpiece. If the tool contacts the workpiece below the cutting edge, you will get a "rubbing" action, and the tool cannot bite into the workpiece. Side relief (or clearance) is the angle ground into the side of the tool which allows only the side cutting edge of the tool to contact the workpiece. There are two rake angles, both on the top of the tool. Back Rake is the angle from the tip of the cutting tool toward the back of the tool. It may be either positive, neutral, or negative. If it slopes down from the tip of the tool toward the back of tool, it is positive rake, an upward slope would be negative rake, neutral is self explanatory. Rake angles, particularly back rake, may be built into the tool holders. The old lantern type holders I grew up on usually had a positive back rake angle built in. This was a help when grinding your tools, as you did not have to grind any back rake into the tool itself. When grinding threads tho, a neutral back rake angle is desirable, thus one had to grind a negative rake angle (point of tool pointed downward) to compensate for the positive back rake angle built into the tool holders. Side rake is the angle from the side cutting edge of the tool toward the opposite side of tool (across the top of the tool). It can also be ground for negative, neutral, or positive side rake. A negative rake angle is usually used for brittle materials, such as brass, which are notorious for "hogging in" as you cut. A positive rake angle would increase this "hogging in" action, while a negative rake angle will push the tool away from the work, eliminating the tendency to "hog in". "Hogging in" is an old term for the material grabbing the tool, pulling it into the material for a deeper cut than you are set up for. Backlash in your machine increases the possibility for such"hogging in". Many projects are spoiled, as well as tools broken, etc, by this action. A very general rule of thumb. For heavy, roughing cuts, use less clearance and rake angles. This leaves more material in the cutting tool to withstand the pressures of heavy cutting, plus more "beef" in the tool, means more ability to carry heat away from the cutting edges. For finish cuts, and turning such "soft" materials as aluminum, use more clearance and more rake angles for a better finish. I have seen may references on this reflector to Top Rake, which is confusing to me, as it does not define whether side rake, or back rake is being referred to.
Grinding Your Own Lathe Tools Tools shown above, left to right: A right hand cutting tool, a left hand cutting tool and a boring tool.
As with any machining operation, grinding requires the utmost attention to "Eye Protection". Be sure to use it when attempting the following instructions. My first experience in metal cutting was in high school. The teacher gave us a 1/4" square tool blank and then showed us how to make a right hand cutting tool bit out of it in a couple of minutes. I watched closely, made mine in ten minutes or so, and went on to learn enough in one year to always make what I needed. I wasn't the best in the class, just a little above average, but it seemed the below average students were still grinding on a tool bit three months into the course. I believe these students didn't have the confidence in themselves to work with their hands. Grinding lathe tools is easy, and the only reason we sell them is to help a beginner get started. If you are to be successful in making metal parts on a lathe, you have to teach yourself to grind tool bits. Consider a Carpenter who didn't have the confidence to drive a nail because he was worried about missing the nail and hitting his thumb. He/she wouldn't be in the trade very long! Some things you do in trades require a positive approach and tool grinding is one of them. If you keep stopping to see if you're grinding it correctly you'll not only waste a lot of time, but will end up with a less than perfect cutting edge. Set up the grinder correctly and do it! It shouldn't take but a few minutes to make simple cutting tools and only a few seconds to resharpen them.
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A bench grinder doesn't have to be expensive to work well, but it does require good "wheels" for high speed steels. Try to find a source for grinding wheels from an industrial supplier. Some of the wheels that come with inexpensive grinders wouldn't sharpen a butter knife. Sixty grit is a good place to start. A wheel dresser is also a necessity. They cost less than $10 and are readily available from good hardware stores.
FIGURE 1--A wheel dressing tool and spare "star wheel" sharpening insert. Grinding wheels should be considered cutting tools and have to be sharpened. A wheel dresser sharpens by "breaking off" the outer layer of abrasive grit from the wheel with star shaped rotating cutters which also have to be replaced from time to time. This leaves the cutting edges of the grit sharp and clean. A sharp wheel will cut quickly with a "hissing" sound and with very little heat by comparison to a dull wheel. A dull wheel produces a "rapping" sound created by a "loaded up" area on the cutting surface. In a way, you can compare what happens to grinding wheels to a piece of sandpaper that is being used to sand a painted surface; the paper loads up, stops cutting, and has to be replaced. For safety, a bench grinder should be mounted to something heavy enough so it will not move while being used. The tool support must be used and should be set at approximately 7. Few people have the skill to make tools without a tool support and in essence it's wasted effort. Tool supports are usually made up of two pieces that allow you to set your tool rest above or below center. It really doesn't matter whether its above or below as long as the support is at 7.
FIGURE 2--Set tool rest at any height, but at 7 angle from centerline of wheel. The reason tool supports are designed like this is so they can be used for a variety of uses, not just tool bits. What this means is that if the tool support is above or below center it must be adjusted as the wheel diameter changes. 11
Now it's time to make a tool, and whether you turn this job into a major project is up to you! When working around grinders it is an absolute necessity to wear EYE PROTECTION. Grinding debris is thrown out at high velocities and can damage not only eyes, but also expensive glasses. Wear safety glasses or a full face shield. If you've never sharpened a tool, take a close look at how ours are sharpened. Let's duplicate the right hand tool on the opposite end of the blank. Be careful you don't cut yourself on the blank or the sharpened end while working with it. First dress the wheel by taking the dresser and setting it on the tool support square with the wheel and while applying a light pressure move the dresser back and forth with the grinder running. Unless the wheel is in bad shape, it should be ready to use in a few passes. Grinding Side 1 of the Tool Turn off the grinder and set the tool support for approximately 7 if you haven't done it yet. If you're not good at guessing at angles use a pre-sharpened SHERLINE tool to set the angle. Metal cutting tools are very tolerant on angles. I've always found wood cutting tools more difficult to sharpen. Too little angle and the "heel" of the tool will rub, too much angle will cause the tool to "dig in" and chatter.
FIGURE 3-- Heel of tool . Have a cup of water handy to cool the tool with and set the blank on the tool rest and start grinding side 1.
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FIGURE 5--Properly ground side 1. Move the blank back and forth across the face of the wheel until you have ground a 10 angle on approximately 3/16" (4mm) of side 1. This is where the "positive approach" comes in. Unless you push the tool into the wheel with enough pressure, the tool will bounce around and you'll never get a good flat cutting surface. It isn't necessary to worry about getting the tool too hot. Modern day tool steels don't anneal and a little discoloration doesn't effect the tool life in tool room use. What you should worry about is not burning yourself or grinding the tips of your fingers off! Concentrate on holding the 10 angle while moving back and forth. We'll give this edge a final sharpening later; it's time for side 2. Grinding Side 2 of the Tool
FIGURE 6--Grinding side 2. The reason the tip angle is ground less than 90 is to allow the tool to get into corners.
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FIGURE 7--Properly ground tool cutting into a corner. Side 2 is ground the same way as side 1, moving the tool back and forth until you have a point. After you get side 2 ground, cool the tool in the cup of water. Now I want you to learn another aspect of tool grinding. It's important to know when you have ground the surface up to the cutting edge, especially when resharpening lathe tools. Take the tool you just ground and bring it up to the wheel at a slightly different angle than you just ground for this experiment. Watch the point that touches the wheel first and you will notice that the sparks will bounce off the cutting edge only where the wheel has ground from top to bottom.
FIGURES 8A--Tip not yet ground flat and 8B, Tool ground flat all the way to the tip. This tells you when the tool has been sharpened without taking it away to look which allows you to grind flat and true surfaces. If you sharpen a tool for a SHERLINE lathe, use a 1/4" square tool blank and keep the cutting edge up to the top of the blank; the tool will come out on center without shims. You will have to be precise grinding the third side to accomplish this. Grinding Side 3 of the Tool
FIGURE 9--Grinding the "Hook" into side 3. Use the skill you have developed grinding the second side now. Set the blank on the support with the 10 (side 1) up. The tool has to be brought up to the grinding wheel with a slight angle so you don't grind the tip below center. With the tool setting on the rest, move the tool in and 14
grind until you see sparks bouncing off the cutting edge where the corner of the wheel is lined up with the back part of the 10 face. When this happens, slowly decrease the angle without pushing the tool in any more until sparks bounce all the way to the tip. Stop as soon as this happens. You may inspect it, and the surface should be entirely ground. The recommended way is to put more "hook" on the tool than I have suggested, but I have found that the slight increase in performance is offset by the problems encountered resharpening these tools.
FIGURE 10A--Normally recommended "hook" ground into tool and 10B, Simpler method suggested for SHERLINE tools. To put the finishing touches on your tool, you have to "kiss off" sides 1 and 2 again. You must carefully line up side 1 with the wheel and bring it to the wheel in a positive manner with very little pressure; watch for the sparks on the cutting edge. What you're trying to accomplish is to make the tool set against the wheel on the same plane as when you first ground side 1. If the tool is held too rigidly, it will not align itself, too loose and it will bounce around. "Breaking" the Point Use the same method on side 2. The tool should be ready to use except for the point. I always put about a .010 (.2mm) "break" on the point by holding the tool with the point aimed at the wheel face. Because two angles converge at the point, the angle in relation to the sides is greater. Think about it!
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This means that if you set the tool flat on the tool rest the tool rest angle would have to be increased to get an even flat. This wouldn't be worth the effort, so the easy way is to free hand it. I always start by touching the heel of the tool first, and then change the angle until a slight flat is put on the tip. Of course, the angle you're holding it at has to be close when starting to get desired results.
FIGURE 12--Handholding the tool to "Break" the point saves resetting the angle on the tool rest. The purpose of this flat is to improve finish and tool life. I don't recommend a large radius on the tip of tools used on small machines. These machines are not rigid enough to get the desired results from this practice and cause "chatter" problems. The finished product should be a right handed tool, have flat cutting surfaces (except for the radius caused by the wheel), have a slight flat on the tip, and a tip angle of less than 90. Tools used on lathes such as the Sherline will do all their cutting at the tip of the tool because they don't have the horsepower for 1/4" (6mm) cuts. I don't recommend using oil stones to improve the edges. After a few minutes use with an occasional dab of cutting oil a properly sharpened tool will hone itself in. I always believe the final sharpening to a tool should take place with the wheel cutting the cutting edge of the tool from the top of the tool to the bottom when using bench grinders. I realize I've given a great deal of information on how to do what I call a simple operation, but these are very complex instructions to write because I'm trying to tell you how to control your hands, not a simple machine. Incidentally, the reason we call a tool a right handed tool when the cutting edge is on the left is because it is designated by which way the chip leaves the 16
cutting tool. Cutting tools such as left or right handed tin snips are also designated in this manner because the cut-off falls to the left or right. The left hand tools are ground the same as right, in the same order with the angles reversed. Boring Tools
FIGURE 13--Typical Boring Tool. Boring tools are the most difficult to grind. They should always be made as rigid as possible. Tool angles around the "tip" can be the same as any cutting tool, but clearances of the tool body have to be considered careful. A tool ground with enough clearance for a finished hole may not have enough clearance to start with when the hole has a smaller diameter. If you have to bore a hole in a part that has a lot of work in it, have a tool ready to use that's been checked out on a piece of scrap. Form Tools Form tools are used to create a shape the same as the tool. To grind form tools, a pattern of the finished shape should be at hand and there should be some possibility of success with what you have to work with. You can't grind a 1/8" (3mm) groove into your tool 1/4" (6mm) deep with a 1/2" (12mm) wide wheel.
FIGURES 14A--A Typical Form Tool made by a custom tool making shop and 14B, a home shop method of achieving the same finished shape in two steps with a tool that can be ground on a bench grinder. This type of tool is usually made by Tool and Cutter specialists that have high shop rates using precision grinders, diamond dressers, and a large variety of wheels available to them.
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All is not lost if we have a good pair of hands with a good mind driving them! We can use the grinding wheel corners on our $50 grinder and generate the shape half at a time on each side of the tool and still get our job done. Form tools don't need any top relief (hook) to work. Use low spindle RPM and steady feed rates to prevent chatter. The width of a form tool should never exceed three times the smallest diameter of the finished part. Like any skill, tool grinding is one that has to develop with time. It is also the skill that allows you to go one step beyond the average hacker. Joe Martin, President and Owner SHERLINE Products High Speed Steel Tool Bits Available from SHERLINE PART NO.. DESCRIPTION 11950 H.S. Steel Cutting Tool, Right 11960 H.S. Steel Cutting Tool, Left 11970 H.S. Steel Cutting Tool, Boring 1200* H.S. Steel Internal Threading Tool 3005 H.S. Steel 1/4" Square Tool Blank 3005B H.S. Steel Tool Blanks (5-Bulk) 3007 H.S. Steel Set (Right, Left, boring) *NOTE, the Internal threading tool is very difficult to make on just a bench grinder. If a precision thread is required, I recommend you buy our P/N 1200 which is pre-ground.
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