Sharpening spindle cutters

[Giff]

Does anyone know if it's possible to sharpen profile and counter profile cutters ? Thanks Geoff

 

[RobinBHM]

If they are HSS cutters then you can use a diamond file on the back face and possibly a light hone using a diamond file on the bevel.

If they are disposable tip TCT not much can be done, they do cut with diamond a bit and if they are a bit blunt not chipped then like router cutters they can be hone on the back edge.

I doubt it would be successful getting them reground, I think the amount taken off in grinding would alter the fit.

Sometimes cleaning the cutters to remove stuck on resin and burns and a light hone can make them useable again, but they will never cut crisp like new

 

[mbartlett99]

You could do worse than call Whitehill in Luton - quite helpful on the phone and hey machine stuff in house.

 

[Giff]

Thanks for the replies. I may try the honing & cleaning Robin. They are not unuseable but not as good as new and I have a biggish run to do. They are Whitehill cutters so I may ask them what they think...

 

[mbartlett99]

Please post the results - I'm in a similar situation.

 

[RobinBHM]

Thanks for the replies. I may try the honing & cleaning Robin. They are not unuseable but not as good as new and I have a biggish run to do. They are Whitehill cutters so I may ask them what they think...

If its a biggish run, you may want to consider the cost of a new set compared to the cost of time spent cleaning up furry mouldings or a moulding with a line down it due a cutter chip (which can be sanded out but tend to reappear after the first coat of primer, esp if waterbased)

 

[Jacob]

I use a 6" bench grinder with 1/2 and 1/4" for flats and 1/2 and 1/4" half round for curves. Sharp corners might need taking out with a suitable file.
They don't have to be exactly balanced as long as they are close, and the bevel isn't critical.
It was normal in the old days to have only one of a pair cutting, the other being for balance - sometimes a completely different profile. But with a modern lightweight machine this might vibrate. Try it and see.

 

[ED65]

If they're HSS basically the sharpening process would be the same as anything else is sharpened: you work the bevel and the flat until you have a sharp intersection. The only awkward part is having honing media with a range of profiles so you can can reach into all the details present.

The trad tools for shaped edges are a range of shaped slipstones but they're not cheap to come by these days and it might not be possible to find the right shapes and sizes for what you need. An obvious alternative is to use wet 'n' dry stuck to various wooden sticks.

Probably not worth it for someone who costs their time but you can make your own pseudo slipstones from pieces of ceramic tiles. I've done this once or twice and it's slow going making radiused edges but they hold up to use really well.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I use a 6" bench grinder with 1/2 and 1/4" for flats and 1/2 and 1/4" half round for curves. Sharp corners might need taking out with a suitable file.
They don't have to be exactly balanced as long as they are close, and the bevel isn't critical.
It was normal in the old days to have only one of a pair cutting, the other being for balance - sometimes a completely different profile. But with a modern lightweight machine this might vibrate. Try it and see.

Or it might just fly out and kill you :shock:

You should be able to touch up and hone your HSS with slip stones, or you can rap Scary Sharp onto the right size dowel or hand made timber profile. The cutter should project 1.1mm more than the balancer so you should be fine just improving the cutters edge.

Cheers Peter

 

[meccarroll]

I sometimes use a mini polishing/sharpening set similar to these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Moun...217359?hash=item2cae34324f:g:6icAAOSw-4BXZuQT. It's best to have them sharpened professionally but honing of the cutting edges can be done if there is no alternative.

Try not to take too much off the cutter otherwise you will loose the dynamic balance from the set. Test them in the block after honing to ensure they still cut clear of the limiters also test to ensure they are still balanced in weight.

Mark

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Tormek market a euro cutter sharpener for their whetstone. It is a sliding carriage that grinds on the flat side of each knife. I should think that a knife double stick taped to a block of wood and rubbed vigorously on a diamond plate would achieve the same result. (Count strokes) Perhaps followed by wet one dry stuck to wooden forms to remove the wire edge. Personally I would avoid grinding on the bevel. I rarely use the spindle for long runs of moulding, so have never got to the point where I need to regrind knives, but when I do, this is what I'll be doing.

Mike.

 

[Jacob]

Hello,

Tormek market a euro cutter sharpener for their whetstone. It is a sliding carriage that grinds on the flat side of each knife. I should think that a knife double stick taped to a block of wood and rubbed vigorously on a diamond plate would achieve the same result. (Count strokes) Perhaps followed by wet one dry stuck to wooden forms to remove the wire edge. Personally I would avoid grinding on the bevel. I rarely use the spindle for long runs of moulding, so have never got to the point where I need to regrind knives, but when I do, this is what I'll be doing.

Mike.

Well yes the modern tendency is to make everything as difficult and expensive as possible! :lol:

I've shaped a lot of profiles by hand on a cheapo bench grindstone, and sharpened them (not often as HSS seems to go a long way), and grinding the bevel is the only way. You may have to trim the limiters too.

 

[RobinBHM]

I found some small diamond files, one round, one square as well as a set of flat diamond mini hones. Between them its possibke to sharpen profile cutters quite well.

What happens with spinfle cutter is that the parts of the cutter that are almost horizontal, cut in a scraping action and is the bit that loses its edge first. Its possible to clean off the burn and get an edge back on thr cutter maybe 2 or 3 times.