The day has arrived! We finally test the toolpost grinder on a poor, unsuspecting piece of mild steel. After some experimentation, it turns out the best recipe is just a dressed wheel and soluble oil coolant. We also try some … Continued

Today we make a magnetic base diamond dresser for the toolpost grinder. This will allow us to dress the wheel square to the work and open up a fresh, sharp grinding surface. Drawings You can download the drawing here:  Wheel … Continued

Today we’re making a wheel guard for the toolpost grinder.  I didn’t really want to hog the whole thing out of a solid block of material, and I don’t have a welder, so I decided to 3D-print the parts.  But … Continued

Today we’re finishing up the tailstock threading die holder for the lathe. This is part 2. We have some projects coming up that will involve small external threads, and using threading dies will be a lot easier than single-pointing all … Continued

This week we’re making a tailstock die holder for the lathe.  We have some projects coming up soon that will require external threads, and using a die will be a lot easier than single-pointing the threads. If you’d like to … Continued

This week we’re making a CNC machined pin spanner wrench for tightening the wheel flanges on the toolpost grinder.  This is a totally gratuitous project.  We could easily buy one, but making one sounds like fun and it gives us … Continued

This week, we finish up the wheel arbor and make a tightening fixture to make wheel changes easier for those of us who only have two hands. Spanner Holes in the Arbor… The first thing we need to do is … Continued

This week we finish up the wheel arbor for the toolpost grinder by turning the taper. Holding the Arbor Concentric The trickiest bit of turning the taper is making sure it’s concentric with the other side of the arbor.  There … Continued

This week, we’re still working on the wheel arbor for the toolpost grinder.  Last time we made the flange, and this week we’ll make an arbor to fit. Turning Down the Blank The main body of the arbor is also … Continued

This week, we’re working on the arbor and flange to hold a grinding wheel in the toolpost grinder. The parts are made from 1144 StressProof steel.  This is an ideal choice, since we don’t plan to heat treat and grind … Continued