Subject: Homebrew lathe toolpost grinders?

From: [email-masked] (Dave Williams)
Date: 24 Jan 94 07:44:00 GMT

-> Looking at the cost of toolpost grinders made me wonder if there
-> might be an el-cheapo alternative for occasional use.  Maybe a dremel
-> mounted in/on the post?

 You could probably get a Dremel to work with a lot of patience, but
a much better way would be to use a Foredom style ball-bearing handpiece
mounted in the toolpost, then use the flex cable to the Dremel or
Foredom motor.

 You might also want to rig up an attachment for your shop vac or
household vac to hold the hose near your work.  The grit will still go
everywhere, but there'll be less of it.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 24 Jan 94 08:12:09 PST

> mounted in the toolpost, then use the flex cable to the Dremel or

The Foredom was an easy way to go for me.   The Foredom 30H and 44H
handpieces (the most common) are 1" in diameter, just right to fit in 
a collet.   My lathe already had a KDK quick-change toolholder, so I 
simply bought a KDK 119 Collet Holder.   Presto, instant toolpost 
grinder!

By the way, KDK will sell cosmetic "seconds" at their factory at a 
discount.   Just call in advance to see if any are available.   I
seem to recall that I got 15-20% off a 119 with a few "oops" on it.

A side-effect is that the KDK 119 is really great for holding odd-sized
boring bars, etc.   You can also use the Foredom for drilling small
holes around a circle, such as on model steam engine cylinder heads.
If you set up a pawl to hold the lathe spindle bull gear, you can
index to most of the popular numbers.   My 72-tooth bull gear gives 
me 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 72.

--  Alan E. Frisbie               [email-masked]
--  Flying Disk Systems, Inc.
--  4759 Round Top Drive          (213) 256-2575 (voice)
--  Los Angeles, CA 90065         (213) 258-3585 (FAX)

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From: [email-masked] (gary preckshot)
Date: 24 Jan 1994 17:07:41 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
> -> mounted in/on the post?

They're actually not that hard to make.  You need to machine a ball-bearing
arbor, a sliding motor mount, and a clamp that fits into the slots in your
compound.  The motor drives the wheel by a v-belt.  Very simple, and not
much different from store-bought.  Somebody is really making hay out of
straw.

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From: [email-masked] ()
Date: 25 Jan 1994 04:51:17 GMT

> -> mounted in/on the post?

  I used to work for an old tool and die man who built one
by machining an aluminum plate which he welded and machined
a mounting bracket for a precision die grinder.

  EBo --

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From: [email-masked] (John Kopf, X6305)
Date: 25 Jan 94 20:45:13 GMT

I have used a dremel "?(Mighty?)mite" (the minature cordless thingy).

I found the size of my toolpost 'bolt' (1/2") and got a 4" bolt that fit.
I took an 8" length of 2x4, bored a 1/2" hole, and bolted it in place of the
toolpost.  I next drilled a center hole at the other end of the wood, with
the center drill in the lathe chuck.  I next removed the wood (marking the top)
and drilled a press-fit hole for the dremel body.  A slot from this hole to the
end of the wood and a clamping bolt finished the job.

I build ship models, and find that a small circular saw in the dremel allows
me to machine long "whippy" things like masts.

Maybe you can use this idea.

JK