Quorn T&C Grinders

[KBs PensNmore]

I'm thinking of making a tool and cutter grinder, mainly to sharpen wood router bits also milling cutters. Reading different articles, the Quorn stands out to be the best of the home made. Has anyone on here made or attempted to make the Quorn T&C Grinder? If so, what were the benefits of making it, against buying a second hand unit of commercial made? I have heard that it is a very time consuming effort to make, is this true? Was the finished item as good as you thought it would be? Any comments would be gratefully accepted. My thoughts were to buy the kit a couple of pieces at a time, when money was available!!
Kryn

[bob ward]

I've had nothing to do with the Quorn, but from reading the occasional post about them on HSM, I gather that the work envelope is not all that large. The Bonelle is a bar stock version of the Quorn, which presumably means you can scale up the size.

Harold Hall's Tool and Cutter Sharpening contains a few ideas for DIYing sharpening devices.

[variant22]

*cough* http://www.metallmodellbau.de/MINI_BONELLE_II.php

[simonl]

*cough* http://www.metallmodellbau.de/MINI_BONELLE_II.php

That is just an absolute work of art! I've definitely left it too late in life to start something like that!

Simon

[Gunnaduit]

There is a Quorn Owner's Group on Yahoo, that would be the perfect place to ask how long it takes to make.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/quorn_owners/info

My impression is that in practice it takes a long time to complete. Work of art that takes years sort of thing. Might be overkill for router bits - the justification for making it, other than that life would be too long otherwise - is supposed to be that it is very versatile to accept all kinds of metal cutting tools. Maybe one of the simpler designs would be sufficient?

That Harold Hall one mentioned above (in one of the Workshop Practice Series Books, "Milling: a complete Course" by Harold Hall) is more straighforward, and is made of 1214 and 1020 steel you can get from Bohler Uddeholm or one of the other engineering steel suppliers.

[Michael G]

The simplest I've seen is the Worden -
http://www.hemingwaykits.com/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hemingwaykits.com%2f&WD=worden&PN=Worden_Mk3_Tool___Cutter_Grinder.html%23aHK_20130X#aHK_20130X
When looking around at small T&C grinders a long time ago I decided against a Quorn because as stated it had a smallish envelope, was fiddly to make (something like 14 ball handles required for example) and was limited in what it could do - drills are ground using the 4 facet method for example because apparently it could not manage anything more complex.

Michael

[Pete F]

There's nothing wrong with the 4 facet grind of a drill, and many argue that multi-faceted drill point geometry is superior in many situations when compared to conventional grinds. Here is one paper that discusses this in more detail http://www.icscuttingtools.com/pdfs/Drill_Point_Geometry.pdf

Before seriously considering a Quorn I'd suggest investing in the construction book, available from ebay. Even if you don't go ahead with it, around half the book discusses using the machine hence many of the examples can be translated to other machines. While ball handles are traditional on a Quorn, there's no reason other fixing methods couldn't be used, and you could probably even just shove in cap screws if it came to that. It definitely would not look as pretty, but wouldn't affect the function.

I don't think the work envelope is an issue whatsoever. It's a T&C grinder, and a very specific design at that, based loosely on a D-bit grinder, it's not a 24" surface grinder! However it's a big project to build one. I looked seriously at it, but in the end bought a used Clarkson and am happy with that decision. I think building a Quorn would really be a labour of love rather than a an exercise in getting a "cheap" T&C grinder. However I've seen some beautiful examples of them, resplendent in, as Michael says, enough ball handles to make a porcupine proud, and I really take my hat off to the constructors.

[KBs PensNmore]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Thanks Michael for the info on the Worden, will look it up when I get off here.
Kryn

[Ueee]

Hi Kryn,
If you decide to go ahead with something, i have some info on air spindles. Eskimo sent it to me in disk form, Andre has it now, but the pages on the spindle itself will be emailed easily. I have it in my mind to make one and use it on the Blohm.

Ew

[Michael G]

Poking around I found this which may be of interest

http://www.gadgetbuilder.com/DrillSharp.html

Michael

[eskimo]

Hi Kryn,
If you decide to go ahead with something, i have some info on air spindles. Eskimo sent it to me in disk form, Andre has it now, but the pages on the spindle itself will be emailed easily. I have it in my mind to make one and use it on the Blohm.

Ew

havnt you made that yet...geeez i dunno

[Anorak Bob]

Several years ago I purchased the Quorn book. Professor Chaddock's writing made it an interesting little book to read, a bit of an adventure story in a way as he described some of his techniques and setups on some pretty humble machinery. I hummed and harred for ages, wondering whether I was up to the task. I used to look at the casting kits on the Hobby Mechanics site and in the end I sort of gave up and opted for a set of castings they sold for George Thomas' Pillar Tool. They still reside in a box somewhere in the shed, untouched and probably covered in rust.

As Pete says, there are some stunning executions of the Quorn featured on the Web and they represent a hell of a lot of work. Like Pete, I had the very good fortune to buy a tool and cutter grinder, Peter Fou's beautiful and fully tooled Hercus No.1. At less than double the cost of a full Quorn kit, I saved myself either a few years work or more probably, the guilt of looking at yet another uncompleted project.

http://www.hobbymechanics.com.au/products/Quorn-Tool-%26-Cutter-Grinder-Complete-Mark-II-Set.html

The Worden or some sort of simple derivative would probably have been my choice had the No.1 not been brought home.

BT

ps Ew, if the air spindle info is available for emailing I'm real keen. I have an issue with the No.1's workhead bearing seals.... another thread maybe.

[KBs PensNmore]

Hi Kryn,
If you decide to go ahead with something, i have some info on air spindles. Eskimo sent it to me in disk form, Andre has it now, but the pages on the spindle itself will be emailed easily. I have it in my mind to make one and use it on the Blohm.

Ew
Thanks Ew, I wouldn't mind having a read of it, if it's not to much trouble. :2tsup:Will send a PM with email address.
Kryn

[KBs PensNmore]

[QUOTE=Anorak Bob;1786120 I used to look at the casting kits on the Hobby Mechanics site and in the end I sort of gave up and opted for a set of castings they sold for George Thomas' Pillar Tool. They still reside in a box somewhere in the shed, untouched and probably covered in rust.)


If you happen to find it, would you be interested in selling??? I'm always up for a challenge!!!
Kryn

[Anorak Bob]

[QUOTE=Anorak Bob;1786120 I used to look at the casting kits on the Hobby Mechanics site and in the end I sort of gave up and opted for a set of castings they sold for George Thomas' Pillar Tool. They still reside in a box somewhere in the shed, untouched and probably covered in rust.)


If you happen to find it, would you be interested in selling??? I'm always up for a challenge!!!

Kryn

Hello Kryn,

There's a chance I'd end up kicking myself if I let the kit go. My eldest daughter expressed an interest in acquiring a drill press for her jewellery work. Whilst I have a surplus of drills, they are all on the large side, my beautiful little bench mount Tough, probably the best suited, would require crating up in dismantled form and reassembly in Melbourne. Could be a bit awkward for her at that end. The GHT pillar drill, on the other hand, if started and more importantly completed, would be perfect for her requirements.

When I visit Alan "C-47", I look at his GHT and think I should motivate myself. Beck's interest might just be the motivation I need.

Hemingway sell the kit still - http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Universal_Pillar_Tool.html

I bought mine from Hobby Mechanics but they don't show a price - http://www.hobbymechanics.com.au/products/Universal-Pillar-Tools.html

And here's a motivational :) shot of Alan's.

318380

BT

[KBs PensNmore]

Sorry BT, I thought the pillar tool was a type of Tool Grinder:doh:
Regards
Kryn