• Spring 2024 meetup in Calgary - tentative date Saturday, April 20/2024. Other regions are also discussing meet ups. If you want one in your area get going on organizing it! discussion
  • We are having email/registration problems again. Diagnosis is underway. New users sorry if you are having trouble getting registered. We are exploring different options to get registered. Contact the forum via another member or on facebook if you're stuck. Update -> we think it is fixed. Let us know if not.
  • Spring meet up in Ontario, April 6/2024. NEW LOCATION See Post #31 Discussion NEW LOCATION

CBN wheels

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Today on Winks workshop he built a CBN grinder. I had no idea such a thing existed. I know of diamond grit wheels but apparent CBN is best for HSS tool grinding. Looks good. Prices for a 8" wheel are near $200 Canadian. Wow.


I wonder if a 6" wheel on an 8" grinder would be acceptable? Just for the sake of the lower cost of the 6".
 

gerritv

Gerrit
Just buy diamond wheels from Aliexpress, they work just fine for a fraction of the cost. I have a selection that I use on my d-bit grinder. Rough out with silica wheel, then finish with the diamond one.
 

Dusty

(Bill)
Premium Member
My 2 1/2 cents worth (1/2 cent due to inflation). I use CBN wheels to grind my wood lathe HSS tools and a couple of HSS tool bits. Have never regretted my investment and excellent way to sharpen HSS.

The only CAUTION I offer is make sure the tools you grind are good quality HSS because you definitely don't want to load up your CBN wheels with junk metal. Costly error should you ever do that.

DELTA variable speed 8" grinder 2,000-3,400 rpm, model # 23-197 note: model number may have changed

D-way Tools 8" CBN wheels 180 & 360 grit, plus a 360 -600 grit Hand Hone. A CBN hand hone saves time and excessive tool grinding.

https://d-waytools.com/

Plus a One Way Wolverine Grinding Jig system with Vari-grind and Skew Jig


Also a Robo-Rest although I'm unsure they are available!

20210227_072345.jpg 20210227_072449_Burst01.jpg
 
Last edited:

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Just buy diamond wheels from Aliexpress, they work just fine for a fraction of the cost. I have a selection that I use on my d-bit grinder. Rough out with silica wheel, then finish with the diamond one.
I understood that diamond wheels are not for grinding hss and I don't think even any ferrous metal at all?
 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
The only CAUTION I offer is make sure the tools you grind are good quality HSS because you definitely don't want to load up your CBN wheels with junk metal. Costly error
So I'm going to guess that the cheap Chinese hss that I mostly have wouldn't qualify as good quality? I have yet to try and compare good quality hss with the stuff I use.
 

Dusty

(Bill)
Premium Member
So I'm going to guess that the cheap Chinese hss that I mostly have wouldn't qualify as good quality? I have yet to try and compare good quality hss with the stuff I use.

I have no knowledge on use of Chinese HSS tools simply because I do not have them in my collection. My caution as mentioned is a basic fact of service life for CBN wheels, to the best of my knowledge there is no effective way to clean a loaded CBN wheel other than replacing same.
 

Tom Kitta

Ultra Member
Most cheap HSS is M2 and is identical to US made HSS. You really need to get old Chinese stuff or be very unlucky to get some crap HSS. It is relatively cheap of aliexpress. Also I would not recommend "too cheap" - you may get Indian stuff or the 10% of Chinese stuff that is M2 look alike.

Yes diamond is not too effective on steel as it causes chemical reaction. But it still can be used - just CBN is a better choice. You can get CBN cheap online - especially used stuff - for $200 you can get a whole CBN lot.
 

gerritv

Gerrit
I understood that diamond wheels are not for grinding hss and I don't think even any ferrous metal at all?
Yes that is the conventional wisdom. However, there are plenty of folks who use Chinese diamond wheels on HSS, including Stefan G and Robin Renzetti.

An aluminum oxide stick soaked in water is the Jones/Shipman recommendation for cleaning CBN wheels.
 

DPittman

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Yes that is the conventional wisdom. However, there are plenty of folks who use Chinese diamond wheels on HSS, including Stefan G and Robin Renzetti.

An aluminum oxide stick soaked in water is the Jones/Shipman recommendation for cleaning CBN wheels.
Very good to know. Thanks
 

TOBARApprentice

Super User
I understood that diamond wheels are not for grinding hss and I don't think even any ferrous metal at all?

What you are saying used to be correct, with 1 caveat, speed. I have a Toycen Journeyman sharpening system with a variable speed motor. The diamond wheels are remarkably well suited to the slower speed drinding of HSS. In fact, check out some of the Toycen videos on YT. Gerit’s D bit grinder spins at a higher RPM than my Toycen but I have seen his results and what he is saying is true, diamond wheels work beautifully, so even the speed caveat is somewhat incorrect.

4bf4147199bef7f5da23d8b7d9b157f5.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Top