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cutter grinder idea

Mcgyver

Ultra Member
I'm flattered to a be a power that be's....but just remember the difference between an expert and a lay person is a measly 5% more knowledge :)

what do you need? imo, an air bearing and a diamond cup wheel. Getting the helix right is done by the tooth rest following the recess in the front of the cutting edge. Its a challenge imo to do so without the sensitivity an air bearing gives. If you do as I do and not worry about the ends, and you batch things, doing a large lot of them, it goes fairly quickly. Do wear a proper respirator (not just a paper filter) if doing any volume of carbide as grinding it releases cobalt dust which is not on the list of daily recommended vitamins and minerals

to save some typing, some rational cut and paste from the accusize grinder thread

- unless you are plunging, you're not cutting on the end. Indeed the end is relieved a degree or two toward the centre so it doesn't rub. Unless you are plunging, the wear maybe all toward the end, but its still on side of the endmill.
- I stopped bothering grinding the end. Its a PITA (even without worrying about the gash) and 95% or more of what I do is not plunging so when an end mill is worn, its the helical side that needs grinding not the end. grind the sides a go back to work :)
- yes you can sharpen the sides various ways, but it's a royal PITA without an air bearing...and is soooo easy with one.....one of the reasons the usefulness of these is a lot less imo than you might think if haven't ground end mills before.
 
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Tom O

Ultra Member
I have both a Deckel SO tool grinder and a Clarkson T&C Grinder with all attachments except the air bearing. So far, I have not fully ground end mills (my box of “to be ground” is filling up more and more though). I have used both (and the surface grinder) to make specialty tools for the lathe & mill. They work very well for compound, precision angles.

I foresee, when I run out of end mills, that I will setup a “grinding session” and just do all of the dull cutters at once…

I will probably do a little write up on how it went and lessons learned.
I’m in the Doverglen area if you wan to borrow this a collet would have to be made though.

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I guess I'll have to add an air bearing on my Deckel clone...., thats an easy one to do.

For me plunge cuts are what is important for one particular job and there are lots (as in 2000 on a run).
 

a smile

Lifelong hobby - cold iron
Premium Member
Guys, I have always wanted a grinder so I could resurect some of my end mills but grinders are usually too costly to be viable for a hobby guy like me. I have been pondering this dilemma for a while and the other day a bulb briefly flickered on in my brain. (dangerous , I know). A while ago I acquired an old Black and Decker Super Valve Service valve grinding machine. It runs, but it is missing a few pieces like the valve holder for grinding the end of the valve stem. Both stones are there as well as everything for refacing the valve. Before asking the big question, realize that I have not put a great deal of thought into this yet as I have alot going on right now, but,has anyone tried to adapt a valve grinder to grind end mill cutters? I am thinking only the end and not the side. What do you think? : doable ? stupid idea ? not worth the effort ? By the way I'm recently retired so would have some time for this in the future.
It is the most critical to make a good design and quickly put it into the actual production. When you make the first improvement, you will find its defects, and the production will be gradually perfect after modifying the design. I used to do ---- first
 

Matt-Aburg

Ultra Member
Sounds good. I'll see if I can find an outfit like that around here.

I can't really see myself sharpening end mills myself. Heck, I can't even sharpen a drill bit decently. Sure, they work, but nothing beats a 15 minute trip to Varco for a brand new high quality drill bit. Saving up all my end mills and drill bits for an occasional trip to a sharpening outfit makes a lot of sense to me.
This place in Windsor does endmills. Drills, I do myself.. maybe show me on my field trip....

 
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