Making the
Most Out of
Your Grinder
T
HE HUMBLE BENCH GRINDER IS A STAPLE
of the handy-person’s home shop, largely
due to its versatility. But, while you can
employ one to remove metal from just
about anything, the traditional kind may
not provide the precision you need for
every grinding operation. Here, we shed
light on the best ways to use the different types of
grinders, gleaned from our testing.Bench Grinder
What could be simpler than using a bench
grinder? Step up to the machine, turn it on, and
press an offensive bit of metal into the spinning,
abrasive wheel. Right? Well, yes, and no. There are
some things to keep in mind to grind both success-
fully and safely.
Heat is your enemy. It builds up very quickly,
can damage metals, and makes things too hot to
hold. Pressing hard to remove material in one spot
will generate a lot of it. Keep your workpiece mov-
ing and make use of the full width of the grinding
stone. Keep a cup or tray of water on hand to cool
metal parts when you feel them getting hot.
Another reason to keep whatever you’re grind-
ing moving is to prolong the life of the abrasive
wheel. Working in one spot on the wheel will cut
a groove in it or round off an edge; it’s better to
spread the wear more evenly. And if being able to
grind something square is important, keeping the
face of the wheel f lat will make it easier.Wet/Dry Sharpener
Sharpening knives and tools seems to mys-
tify people, and there are a lot of gadgets available
intended to make the process simple. However,
using a basic water-cooled sharpener is an easy and
time-tested method for a wide variety of blades,
from a xes to pocketknives. And, while the individual
steps might differ from one item to another, there
are some best practices to follow for all of them.●Figure out the correct angle at which to
sharpen the tool or knife (generally 17 to 20
degrees for kitchen knives and 20 to 30 degrees
for chisels and pocketknives). Set up the jig or tool
holder so that it’s square to the sharpening wheel
and the tool contacts the wheel at the desired angle.
●Fill the reservoir with water and rotate the
wheel, letting the stone absorb the water. Keep top-
ping up the reservoir until the stone has absorbed
all it can and the water level stops dropping.
●Make sure the wheel is turning in the correct
direction for whatever you’re sharpening. For
knives, the wheel should turn away from the edge—
sharpening toward it removes more material faster,
and it’s far too easy to grind away too much. Grind
chisels, hand-plane blades, and axes with the wheel
turning toward the edge. Since these are thicker and
have a lot more material to work with, they generally76 January/February 2022H o w t o
Us e I t
// B Y B R A D F O R D //12
Grinding the end
of steel bar stock
with the work rest
set at 90 degrees
to the platen.PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAKOTA GAMBILL