Sharpening Metal Lathe Cutting Tools

[RichColvin]

For a while now, I've wanted to have a way to sharpen my metal lathe cutting tools.  As I noted in my Sharpening Handbook (http://sharpeninghandbook.info), these are not easy to sharpen in a normal manner.  In particular, the angles must be precise for best cutting action.

Shown below is what I've put together to achieve the level of accuracy desired.  It is a "sled" which rides atop the SVD-110 Tool Rest, mounted on a BGM-100.  I currently use it on a high speed grinder as even the black wheel (SB-250) is too slow for grinding the carbide tip.  But, with the new diamond wheels coming, it seems like I can move back to the Tormek.

This is the front (left) and the back (right)

The brown piece on the back is a piece of wood which rides across the SVD-110.  The black bar at the top rides on the SVD-110, opposite the wheel, along the back of the SVD-110.


The picture below shows it in use, sharpening a single point, cemented carbide tool on the high speed grinder.  You can also see the SVD-110 in the background (through the curved slot).

I still need to make an indicator of some sort for the hole over the protractor, and I don't have a milling machine, so it is a little rough looking.  But, I can tell you it works wonderfully !

Rich

[Ken S]

Well done, Rich.

The idea of sharpening metal lathe cutting tools has been floating around the forum for years, however, your plan is the first working model I have seen. I have long thought that the SVD-110 platform can be much more versatile (as can Herman's HK-50).

I think you are right that the new diamond wheels and Multi Base will be game changers in many areas, especially for sharpening and forming metal lathe cutting tools.

Keep up your good work!

Ken

[JayBreda]

Thank you Rich for this terrific jig.


Regards

JayBreda

[RickKrung]

Rich,

Nice work!  Impressive that you could make such a nice slotted radius without a mill.  How did you do that? 

I recently mounted a couple Norton 3X grinding wheels (46 and 80 grit) on bushings and made flanges for use on the Tormek.  I intend mostly to use them for roughing and for preliminary grinding of reliefs on drills.  A setup like yours is the next thing I need for the same purpose as you, grinding lathe tool bits.  My most immediate need is to grind a single point cutter for ACME threads.  It will have to wait a bit, however, as the queue is backed up. 

Rick

[RichColvin]

Rick,

Thanks for the compliment.

To do it, I mounted a Steel Cutter in my drill press and rotated the aluminum sheet around a shaft (a drill bit) to cut the slot. 

I thought about marking the angles in the aluminum directly, but figured it was too much work, so I screwed a high school protractor down to the aluminum sheet.  Works fine so far.

Rich

[RickKrung]

OK, wow.  I thought it must have something like that. 

I expect you are aware of this, but you are fortunate your drill chuck did not come off of its taper.  Do you have a drill chuck that mounts on a taper that also has a screw locking it in place?  Or a chuck that screws onto the spindle? 

If not, you must have taken it quite slowly. 

Rick

[RichColvin]

Rick,

You are right.  I had to take it slowly.

But, this is also why a milling machine is on my wish list.  Probably a bench top one.  So much of what I'd like to do needs one. 

Rich

[RickKrung]

Rick,

You are right.  I had to take it slowly.

But, this is also why a milling machine is on my wish list.  Probably a bench top one.  So much of what I'd like to do needs one. 

Rich

Rich,

Over the years since I started "home shop machining" (2000), I have owned and used a:

1) minimill,
2) mill-drill, and
3) knee mill. 

I started with and did a lot of great work on the minimill, over a 7 year period. It is a dovetail column, which is very valuable.  It took a lot of modifications to make it as useful as it was, so off the self, not quite there.  If I were doing it again, I would get a larger version of the dovetail column mill.

I had a milldrill for several months and you could not pay me to have one in my shop.  The round column is a major pain when it comes to needing to raise/lower the head while working on a part.  You have to re-establish registration of the part relative to the spindle centerline every time. 

Both of the above were true "bench top" mills.

My current mill is the knee mill. At 6x26, it is the smallest of the knee mills I know about.  It is somewhere between a bench top and floor model, it requires a stand of some sort.  I've had it for 11 years and I will never be without a knee mill again.  I migrated the DRO from the minimill to this one.  I am in the market for a full sized knee mill.

Whatever mill you get, make sure it comes with or you put on a digital readout system (DRO).  Costs a good bit, but I would hate to have to do without one on a mill.  Until I got my current lathe, a Monarch 10EE, that has a professional quality DRO, I had never used one on a lathe.  Now, like the mill, I would not want to be without it. 

PM me if you would like to discuss any of this further (same for anyone else who may be interested). 

Rick