Product Description

Sharpening workshop tools is probably the most diverse of all workshop activities and the one that is least understood by the majority of workshop owners. This is not unreasonable in view of the wide range of equipment suggested for the task, ranging from the complex (typically an industrial tool and cutter grinder) through to the humble off hand grinder. This book illustrates how most sharpening tasks can be carried out using an off hand grinder and a few simply made accessories to a standard comparable to that achieved using much more sophisticated equipment. Follow the instructions in this book and working with blunt tools will be a thing of the past! "The Workshop Practice Series" is the world's leading range of books for model engineers and mechanical crafts: some of the books have been in print for 50 years; most of them still reprint every 18 months. It is fully illustrated step-by-step with photographs and technical drawings.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #116924 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 133 pages

From the Inside Flap
WORKSHOP PRACTICE SERIES from Special Interest Model Books 1. Hardening, Tempering & Heat Treatment - Tubal Cain 2. Vertical Milling in the Home Workshop - Arnold Throp 3. Screwcutting in the Lathe - Martin Cleeve 4. Foundrywork for the Amateur - B.Terry Aspin 5. Milling Operations in the Lathe - Tubal Cain 6. Measuring & Marking Metals - Ivan Law 7. The Art of Welding - W.A.Vause 8. Sheet Metal Work - R.E.Wakeford 9. Soldering & Brazing - Tubal Cain 10. Saws & Sawing - Ian Bradley 11. Electroplating - J.Poyner 12. Drills, Taps & Dies - Tubal Cain 13. Workshop Drawing - Tubal Cain 14. Making Small Workshop Tools - Stan Bray 15. Workholding in the Lathe - Tubal Cain 16. Electric Motors - Jim Cox 17. Gears & Gear Cutting - Ivan Law 18. Basic Benchwork - Les Oldridge 19. Spring Design & Manufacture - Tubal Cain 20. Metalwork & Machining Hints & Tips - Ian Bradley 21. Adhesives & Sealants - David Lammas 22. Workshop Electrics - Alex Weiss 23. Workshop Construction - !
Jim Forrest & Peter Jennings 24. Electric Motors in the Home Workshop - Jim Cox 25. The Backyard Foundry - B.Terry Aspin 26. Home Workshop Hints & Tips Edited by Vic Smeed 27. Spindles - Harprit Sandhu 28. Simple Workshop Devices - Tubal Cain 29. CAD for Model Engineers - D.A.G.Brown 30. Workshop Materials - Alex Weiss 31. Useful Workshop Tools - Stan Bray 32. Unimat III Lathe Accessories - Bob Loader 33. Making Clocks - Stan Bray 34. Lathework: A Complete Course - Harold Hall 35. Milling: A Complete Course - Harold Hall 36. Photo Etching - Brian King 37. Dividing - Harold Hall

38. Tool and Cutter Sharpening
Sharpening workshop tools is probably the most diverse of all workshop activities and the one that is least understood by the majority of workshop owners. This is not unreasonable in view of the wide range of equipment suggested for the task, ranging from the complex, typically an industrial tool and cutter grinder, through to the humble off hand grinder.
This book illustrates how most sharpening tasks can be carried out using an off hand grinder and a few simply made accessories, whilst doing this to a standard comparable to that achieved using much more sophisticated equipment.
A lack of understanding of the processes almost certainly results in the workshop owner attempting tasks with far from perfect cutting tools that can diminish the satisfaction of a job well done. With the information in this book this situation can be avoided and working with blunt tooling should be a thing of the past.

About the Author
Author Harold Hall has established his reputation as a mentor to tyro engineers through the pages of Model Engineers' Workshop of which he was the editor for a number of years and through his other two titles in the Workshop Practice series, Lathework: A Complete Course and Milling: A Complete Course.

Excerpted from Tool and Cutter Sharpening (Workshop Practice S.) by Harold Hall. Copyright © 2006. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
From Chapter 1 - Sharpening: An Introduction
Ask most workshop owners, especially those relatively new to the situation, what piece of equipment is used for sharpening workshop tools and I anticipate most will refer to the "off hand grinder". Whilst many will get by, to a greater, or more likely, a lesser extent, results will be limited both in range and in quality. However, the off hand grinder, despite its severe limitations, is an essential piece of equipment for basic grinding. It is though, totally inadequate for the cutter sharpening often attempted free hand using it. The major problem is the very limited rest provided with these.
Many workshop owners, and even some in industry, will attempt to make do with such a grinder using it solely for off hand use. Typical items sharpened in this way are screwdrivers, lathe tools and drills. This is so inadequate that I am not going to attempt any detailed explanation as to this method. Having though said that the off hand grinder, as supplied, should not
be used for sharpening workshop tools, it can when aided by various accessories rival that of the tool and cutter grinder for many applications.
Even with a tool and cutter grinder, sharpening workshop tooling will still be an operation fraught with complications, and sometimes, using an off hand grinder with a simple accessory will actually be easier. Number one decision to be made will be the angle at the cutting edge and like numerous charts of machine speeds giving differing advice, reference to cutter angle details will bring up a similar situation.
In industry, a lathe tool with a greater angle may cut easier and allow faster speeds, but the finer edge and higher speeds will result in more rapid tool wear, thereby needing it to be changed earlier in the batch. In this situation it will be a case of a balancing act between higher production speeds and longer times between tool changes. Such considerations do not occur to the same extent in the home workshop and as a result the cutter angles are not as critical. It should be obvious that a cutter with a sharp edge and not the best angle is superior to a blunt
cutter but with a better angle.
The most prominent tools requiring sharpening will be drills, lathe tools and milling cutters. Where you are dealing with tools that have been made commercially, almost always the case with milling cutters, attempt to replicate the existing angles when sharpening. A deviation of a degree or so from the original will have little consequence in the home workshop. With milling cutters therefore it is preferable to set up with reference to a cutter that has never been sharpened. More about the process later in the book.

Customer Reviews

Abridged version?
Typical Harold Hall. Clear and with a good mix of practical and theory.
I was really enjoying this book until I came to Chapter 10 when part way through I found myself reading Chapter 8 again. Chapters 11, 12 and 13 were completely missing.
Amazon replaced this copy with an identical one. I wonder if they read the reason for returning a book; after all they do ask for one.
Sorry Harold, perhaps YOU should have a word with the printers.
Never mind, I'm hooked now, let's see what the second replacement brings.

A very useful reference for the home workshop
Having tried to sharpen drills and lathe tools on the bench grinder in the past without having much of a clue what I was doing I can now see why the results were less than satisfactory. This book explains all you need to know, it's more complicated than it looks. The book covers sharpening of all the tools encountered in the home workshop, not just drills and lathe tools, but also milling cutters, slitting saws and woodworking tools to. For less than the price of one decent cutter it should repay the investment in no time at all. Oh, and all the pages were correct in my copy.