HSS cutters

[Ernest Roy]

I am having trouble sharpening thosr small HSS cutters on hollowing bars. I am hoping that those of you with experience in grinding these cutters can share your techniques or jigs.
thx in advance for your insight and direction.

[Brice Rogers]

Would it be possible to post a picture (even if it is a stock picture from the manufacturer's web site) of what you're trying to sharpen??

I have several HSS cutters on hollowing bars with various shapes and each one requires a different approach to sharpening. For instance, this is a copy of a termite (TM) hollower and requires a much different sharpening technique than my 3/16 swan neck hollower (scraper) cutter.

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[John K Jordan]

I am having trouble sharpening thosr small HSS cutters on hollowing bars. I am hoping that those of you with experience in grinding these cutters can share your techniques or jigs.
thx in advance for your insight and direction.


What kind of trouble?

Is the cutter brazed to a long handle which makes it hard to swing through the arc needed to sharpen a rounded tip? If so, that's the reason some CBN wheels are sold with 1/4" radius on the "corners" - you don't have to swing the handle.
http://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/radius-edge-cbn-wheels/products/cbn-wheel-80-grit
A standard grinding wheel could be radiused for this.

Is the problem holding a loose cutter for sharpening? The other John Jordan sells a sharpening jig for his hollowing tools:
http://johnjordanwoodturning.com/John_Jordan_Woodturning/Sharpening_Jig.html

Or is the problem in getting the angles right and a good sharp edge?

JKJ

[Ernest Roy]

The cutter type is a stock cutter sold by Oneway for their 5/8 bars.
sorry no pic.
my problem is holding the loose cutter.
thx again

[Dwight Rutherford]

347074Here I a DIY holder I use to sharpen my HSS cutters.

[Ernest Roy]

Thx for posting a picture of your solution Dwight.
what is it made of?

[Dwight Rutherford]

Just a scrap of 1"X1/2"X4" steel stock.. Drilled at one end 1/4" and at the other end 3/16".

[Ernest Roy]

John, thx for the link to that jig for holding cutter.
It has generated options. My cutters are not round rather flat on top and bottom.Will try and come up with a way to hold them.

[John K Jordan]

John, thx for the link to that jig for holding cutter.
It has generated options. My cutters are not round rather flat on top and bottom.Will try and come up with a way to hold them.

The cutter the other John sells is flat on top and bottom too. The thumb screw presses against the flat on the top.

JKJ

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Dave at d-way tools sells a similar fixture.

[Peter Blair]

I make one from 3/4 x 3/4 aluminum bar any size over that will do. I drill the holes in each end as Dwight does then file the hole square and drill and tap a small set screw. Takes only about an hour to make and will last a life time. Can post photo if wanted. I think the holes could be drilled and left round if sized properly. The set screw will index against the top flat to properly orient the cutter.

[Ernest Roy]

Pete thx for the input. I found it very helpful.Posting a picture of your jig would be most useful.
cheers

[Peter Blair]

Here are some shots of the simple jigs I use to hold various small cutters.
The Hex ones are for sharpening 'Three Point" tools of various sizes.
The square aluminum ones have a square hole (i filed it) on one end and a round hole on the other. The round hole will work just fine for square bits if drilled the proper size. After a bit has been properly located and the set screw tighten it will make a bit of an indent at the bottom which will help orient it in the future.
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