XY Table with sensitive feed and lathe tool universal vise:
Deckels have been widely copied in the Asian import market. I was watching some YouTube videos on how to use such a “clone” grinder when I got my inspiration. Watching those videos was very illuminating–it made it easy to understand how the Deckel-style grinders are used. Altoqi lumine v4 cracked. But more importantly, it jogged my memory about a gadget I had sitting in the shop that I had not yet used:
This is a universal vise that I purchased from eBay seller 800watt. They’re very inexpensive and seem well made. Also, I’ve bought a number of things from 800watt without any problems…
Based on the similarity of the universal vise to the tool holder on the T&C grinders, I came up with this idea to create an accessory for the lowly Harbor Freight Tool Grinder that would emulate the more sophisticated style. Here is what it looks like:
The universal vise is mounted to a precision rod that can pivot to stroke the tool against the grinding wheel. The universal vise allows precise control of the angle of the plane at which the tool which sweep the grinder face when the assembly is pivoted. The depth of cut is adjustable with the threaded rod that bears on the end of the shaft. The adjusting rod is mated to a ball bearing pressed into the shaft end. This way the shaft can be rotated for the tool grinding without turning the adjustment rod and move the tool holder left or right.
The shaft itself is held in bronze bushings. For endmill sharpening, one could mount a precision air bearing in the tool holder and go from there.
This sort of accessory looks relatively easy to build, and I don’t know why it wouldn’t be capable of results very similar to a commercial grinder.
Here are some notes on a variety of shopmade T&C grinders that I have collected as inspiration.
The Quorn is probably the most famous. It’s a beautifully intricate little machine:
Quorn Cutter…
Jabra biz 620 drivers for mac. I have entertained the idea of CNC’ing up a Quorn out of bar stock, and I am sure it would be a fascinating project, but there are simpler tool and cutter grinder designs to get the job done.
I recently came upon a tool grinder called the Tinker:
This design is by N.W. Tinker, with plans by Guy Lautard and more information about it on his site. His Machinist’s Bedside Reader series is excellent, so I know that what he is offering is likely of extremely high quality and would be worth the price of admission. I quite like the Tinker design. It looks much simpler to build than a Quorn, and I like the idea of harnessing it to an existing grinder rather than having to fabricate a whole new grinding spindle for the machine. It seems to me that doing double duty with the grinder not only saves fabrication time, but also saves space in what will be an already over-crowded workshop for most folks. Here is another Tinker article with a lot of good pictures.
There is also a simpler variant called a Mini-Tinker, and supposedly a design known as the Raymac may be even more capable than the Tinker.
Hall’s Sharpener from the Workshop Series, “A Complete Milling Course”…
Simpler Hall Sharpener…
This one is a Bonelle…
Various folks like Hoss from Hossmachine and others have done a little tool grinding on their X2’s:
4 of the 5 CNC’d axes, plus a manual tilt axis. The gray represents the milling X and Y axis or the table and saddle.
This is the one that finally inspired me to think in Mini-Mill terms. From the great German Metallmodellbau site…
Here is a compact industrial machine. Note the axes. Looks like a normal 3 axis mill with a head that rotates in the Z axis. It also needs to rotate the tool’s axis to follow helixes…
Small machine, not CNC. Again, note the axes. Z, tool axis, in and out, and looks like a tilt rotary axis…
Simulated view of a commercial CNC T&C grinder. Gives a nice idea of the axes (this looks like a 5 axis) as well as the grinding wheel shapes that are useful…
Same simulation following the helix…
X, Y, and Z. Not much is motorized. I’d assume the controls are more for a DRO than CNC. Spindexer-style tool holder with 3 rotary axes of freedom…
The equivalent of gang tooling for a T&C grinder. Cool!
An add-on CNC T&C attachment for manual T&C grinders. There are 3 axes: X, Y, and a rotary for following the helix. This unit is very similar to the CNC’d spindexer I envision…
CNC T&C Grinder Manufacturer Links
Anca: Very high tech Australian machines with direct drive and polymer granite bases. Be sure to check out their technology brochure.