How To Grind A Lathe Tool

For more about the open source machine.

How to grind a lathe tool. The cutter bit is usually made of high speed steel and held in a lathe tool holder as shown in Fig. You can grind right hand and left hand tools at the same time just by changing sides on the rest. The tool will come out on center without shims.

The more dead the nerves in your fingers are the faster this will go. Sharpening your metal lathe tools is easy to do but theres a bit of knowledge required when it comes to the correct angles. If you sharpen a tool for a SHERLINE lathe use a 14 square tool blank and keep the cutting edge up to the top of the blank.

In this example we are making a normal right handed tool for the lathe. How to Grind Tool Bits Use a bench grinder to sharpen your tool bits. You can grind the compound angle.

If this happens consider starting over again from the beginning. Hold it flat against the tool rest which remember is at a 10 downward angle and slide it smoothly back and forth across the entire wheel. Grinding could cause the tool to become excessively hot due to the extreme friction.

Using the 60-grit wheel grind the long edge first. During sharpening major flank face the lathe tool shank should be shifted an angle to the left as major cutting edge angle. Any discoloration on the bit indicates it may no longer be hardened.

The reason I mention this stuff is that the Navy thought that learning how to grind a proper tool bit was Totally fundamental to ever learning how to be a machinist. You will have to be precise grinding the third side to accomplish this. How to Grind Lathe Tool Cutter Bits The cutter bit is that part of the lathe tool which cuts the metal that must be removed to bring the work to the desired size and shape.