Sharpening Wheel Direction of Travel

[Spindle]

Hi

I've just purchased an 8" Record Power bench grinder with a white wheel. I bought it to supplement my Tormek system which I predominantly use to sharpen turning tools.
The Tormek is great, in my opinion, for restoring an edge to an already profiled tool, however, even after re-activating the wheel, it can be a bit slow when changing or initially applying a tool's profile.
My intent is to fabricate a system of rests to allow me to use the Tormek jigs on the Record grinder.

All OK so far, but I'm now wondering if there would be any advantage to either reversing the direction of rotation of the grinder or modifying it to run in both directions.

In use the Tormek wheel rotates away from the tool cutting edge - the grinder currently would operate in the opposite direction.

Would I get a better edge straight from the white wheel if it rotated away from the edge rather than toward it?

Hope this isn't too daft a question - all advice welcomed thanks.

Regards Mick

 

[thomvic]

It sounds risky to me. Running the wheel the "wrong" way will loosen the securing nut with the probablilty of spectacular results! If you go ahead with this idea, make sure that you really secure the wheel nut.

Richard

 

[CHJ]

......Would I get a better edge straight from the white wheel if it rotated away from the edge rather ...

You could easily answer your own question with a little extra thought, out of the millions of bench grinders sold throughout the world how many can you find for sale that are configured to run with the wheels rotating away from the tool support and safety stops.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Apart from the point already made about the wheels potentially coming loose if the grinder was running backwards, there is also the problem of the stream of sparks being projected upwards instead of down.

I don't think there is any great advantage to the grinder running backwards so I would just use it as it is.

Axminster sell the a bench grinder mounting set for the Torkmek system. See here

 

[monkeybiter]

If you want to try grinding in the other direction you could configure a new jig to hold the tool upside down above the wheel, leaving the grinder untouched.

 

[RogerP]

......Would I get a better edge straight from the white wheel if it rotated away from the edge rather ...

You could easily answer your own question with a little extra thought, out of the millions of bench grinders sold throughout the world how many can you find for sale that are configured to run with the wheels rotating away from the tool support and safety stops.

Yes, the vast majority of grinders run with the top of the wheel coming towards the user and I'm sure that for most of the work done on them that's correct. But there are exceptions.

The Scanslib/Scangrind/Record Scan150/200 (according to badge) wet stones run in either direction but, according to the manual, is seems they are most often used with the top of the stone running away from the user.

Also it's normal to use bench mounted polishing mops with the top running away from the user - in the opposite direction to most grinders.

 

[CHJ]

Wet stone grinders run somewhere in the region of 90-120-rpm, their potential to snatch a tool out of the hand and project it at high velocity is far less.

Standard bench grinders run at 2850 rpm in UK.
Reconfiguring a bench grinder so that the wheels are rotating away from the operator, by changing the guards around for instance, is extremely dangerous unless adequate stop barriers are fitted to the top of the wheel guard to prevent items being dragged around the top of the wheel into the guard cavity.

 

[RogerP]

......
Standard bench grinders run at 2850 rpm in UK.
Reconfiguring a bench grinder so that the wheels are rotating away from the operator by changing the guards around for instance is extremely dangerous unless adequate stop barriers are fitted to the top of the wheel guard to prevent items being dragged around the top of the wheel into the guard cavity.

Agreed - not something I would do.