Thread: A fishtail chisel in an hour

Rob, I shamefully confess, a hand-cranked grinder is one of the few hand-tools I've never aspired to own. Partly because of the memories of cranking the darn things for my dad when he wanted to use both hands for what he was grinding (that was usually an axe, on the big wet wheel at the back of the shed). But it's mostly 'cos I've only got two hands, and using one of those things is either for well-coordinated folks, or someone with 3 arms! I've watched a few people use them with enviable dexterity, but the thought of shaping a moulding plane iron with one hand, while cranking with the other leaves me goggle-eyed (& envious!), you have gone up another notch in my estimation. Maybe I should practice that kid game of patting my head with one hand, whilst rubbing stomach in a circular motion with the other?

One lasting lesson I did learn from the old cranker was to keep the wheels well dressed at all times - you can still cook things pretty effectively at slow speed with a glazed wheel, as I'm sure you know. Two years ago, I 'discovered' CBN wheels - they are a quantum leap over the while (AlOx) wheels that I 'discovered' 35 years ago (& a quantum leap in price ). With my slow (1440rpm) grinder, and a light touch, it's the coolest, safest way to remove metal other than a diamond file I've ever experienced. I've yet to find out how long the CBN wheel lasts, but so far, it's holding up well. Mind you, I reserve it almost exclusively for woodworking tools, the mower blades and other 'crude' grinding only see the grey wheel...

Cheers,

The speed I crank at is so slow the steel rides up and down over the un balanced wheel Ian . I’ve got a few of these things and some are way out of whack and undressed . Seeing a skew chisel moving in and out or sideways doing a 5mm wobble is not that unusual . It’s still grinding though . Somewhere between one and two revolutions per second is about perfect .

Rob

Rob, I can identify with your description of a hand cranker!

I must confess that I abandoned them many years ago for a Tormek, then several years ago for CBN. For shaping steel, such as a fishtail, I use a small angle grinder, freehand, with a light touch and a dip into water to keep the steel cool. A wide grinder is too difficult to get into corners or create curves. How do you do this?

Regards from Perth

Derek

For getting things done normal speed I'm still using bench grinders Derek .
Ive got narrow width discs in them like an angle grinder cutting disc . I have 5mm saw sharpening pink discs as well . Love the angle grinder , the 115 or is it 125 mm ? I like the hand cranked contraptions for there slow accurate control .
My favorite was a Metabo with speed control . Its just packed up though and needs a angle grinder doctor .


Rob

Rob, I've never seen an angle grinder with a speed control. I must live a sheltered life

I have two Makita 115mm models. One is about 25 years old now and still going strong. Slow(er) speed in these machines would be nice.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Pretty good machines . It is an 15 year old version of this.
I used to have it clamped in my vice going slow for shaping scratch stock blades .

Metabo 1550W Variable Speed Angle Grinder 125mm WEV 15-125Q 600468190 | Get Tools Direct

Rob, I looked at the price of that grinder. I cannot believe how expensive they are now! And the price of one of the Makita grinders I have is getting up there as well. I am so out of touch. But the Metabo is certainly a nice tool. Thanks.

Regards from Perth

Derek

For you guys looking to do this easily, if you have a torch (like mapp) and any reasonable surface to hammer, even on the anvil of a vise, find yourself a chisel with a reasonably thick cross section and hammer the end of it after heating. It will fan out. It'll also be annealed by then, so you can file the shape rather than grinding it, and heat won't be an issue. Reheat and quench. I can guarantee you on something that small, no matter what the modern steel is (other than HSS), as long as it has a lower temper temperature, you'll have a working chisel when you're done. It'll be less work, less critical, easier to shape and if you manage to hone enough of it off to matter, you can just do it again later.

Since I bought my radius master belt linisher, all the grinder gets used for is wire wheel and polish wheel, everything gets touched up on the belt, very little heat, snd with the four seperate wheels, I can hollow grind edges if necessary to whatever I want, it’s brilliant. https://www.radiusmaster.com.au/wp-c...-side-view.jpg

Indeed, these radiusMasters are incredible. I've experience with the N00b grinder, used by knife making dudes. Incredible. Reshapes a raw blade in no time flat.

There are many cheap belt linisher copies from China. I've been thinking of buying one of these little ones and seeing how it goes

Multifunctional Iron Angle Grinder Sanding Belt Adapter

Attach it to a variable speed angle grinder, or motor, and off you go Some even have little motors too: Professional Mini Vertical Belt Sander Machine

Not for serious work, but for the odd boring reshaping or re-angling job, pretty decent.