A More Secure Cooling Cup (or how to stop spilling water)

[jim tracy]

Yesterday while touching up my bowl gouges on the grinder, I spilled my water cup not once, but twice (now I know why I was not on the bomb squad). So I thought, I need the water cup to cool my tools, but I am tired of cleaning up the spilled water. So here is my solution!

I took an old bicycle water bottle holder and attached it to my grinder stand. Put the water bottle in it and (drum roll please) problem solved.

Pictures:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1620/986894/14019597/295642083.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1620/986894/14019597/295642085.jpg

[Jon Lanier]

Now that is innovation!

[Jim Becker]

HHS shouldn't be quenched. Only carbon steel...to keep it from overheating and getting all soft and messed up.

[jim tracy]

Jim, I quench to cool the tool so not to burn my fingers. Those bad boys can get pretty darn hot from the grinder..... :D

[Greg Just]

HHS shouldn't be quenched. Only carbon steel...to keep it from overheating and getting all soft and messed up.


I was at a "demo" at Woodcraft and the deomstrator said to cool everything so that it did not turn blue. So we are only to cool carbon steel? :confused:

[Dean Matthews]

I was at a "demo" at Woodcraft and the deomstrator said to cool everything so that it did not turn blue. So we are only to cool carbon steel? :confused:

Cooling HHS is not going to hurt anything. And I agree that it is helpful for not burning up your fingers.

I had asked someone about "wrecking the temper" but overheating the metal and having it turn blue. The folks at Oneway assured me that it really wasn't going to hurt much. To truly "wreck" the temper it would have to get way hotter than what we get them to on the grinders.

At least that is what I was told.

[Jim Becker]

I'll rephrase...it's not necessary to quench HSS. What Dean says is true...you'll be hard pressed to get the HHS hot enough to ruin it at the grinder unless you try really hard and like taking a lot of metal off! You can if you want to, but it's just another complication in the process, especially when you're going to the grinder frequently during turning to keep your tool sharp. It's a back and forth thing. And if you quench, you'll also want to wipe it off to keep water off your turning...especially during the finishing steps...

[Bruce Page]

You can water quench high speed steel as long as you haven’t gotten it hot enough to change colors.

[Bill Jack]

A tip I picked up from one of the experienced turners in my local club was to use a fine mist spray bottle to cool the tools when sharpening.
Apparently its less damaging to the edge of HSS tools and of course it doesnt matter if you knock it over:).
Bill