WTB: Accu-finish carbide grinder or equivalent

[L Vanice]

Yes, it's fine at low speed. High speed and temperature are the problem.

Also, for even lower speed, I have DMT, Eze-Lap and other brand diamond-plated metal sharpening "stones" and files that work fine for hand sharpening hard steel cutting edges like knives and chisels. I have even sawed, drilled and turned flat round diamond grinding wheels out of the 1/4" thick rectangular steel Eze-Lap "stones." I mounted a few on 8 and 10 mm watch lathe arbors and sold them to watchmakers for sharpening carbide gravers on their lathes. They worked well, but then came Chinese resin-bond diamond wheels on eBay for dirt cheap prices.

Larry

 

[metalmagpie]

People do very much like these. Never understood why.
Had one and a cold grind which is sort of the same.
The big plus being the oscillating wheel?

My little grinder oscillates too. Only I call it vibration!

 

[michiganbuck]

Pretty simple and useful machine, I have never used one because most often I had a Baldor carbide grinder. I'm surprised if they went out of business.
plus surprised they do not have an RPM chart in the manual, and they don't have a key slot table so one could travel across the wheel.

QT: The big plus being the oscillating wheel?
Oh, I did not notice that

 

[EmGo]

I have never used one because most often I had a Baldor carbide grinder.

They aren't really meant for that. We used to use one for finishing up brazed carbide tooling. Grind it on a green wheel then just do a nice smooth shiny finish on the Leonard Lap. Just hold it up against and woop woop woop the oscillating wheel would make the edge real pretty. Was good for rounding radiusses too.

And then Jim used it for sharpening his pocket knife

They probably went out of business because brazed carbide tooling went away.

 

[michiganbuck]

The Accu Finish I lists for $700-$1000 depending on the package purchased, the Accu Finish II goes for $1500-$2600.
*This is an old ad to show the price range when you could buy a new one.
And the price for a benchtop machine may have aided their demise.

Back in the day I would do a fine job with a Baldor carbide grinder coasting down in RPM
Nowadays if I was still doing that kind of work I would grove the OD of a wheel and run a belt to small DC motor and so have a constant variable slow speed.

 

[jccaclimber]

Buck, are you saying you know of a source for new ones?

 

[lucky7]

Accu Finish sold off their remaining stock of grinders 2-3 years ago, and no longer make new. They were (as of a year ago) still selling wheels and a few parts.

 

[michiganbuck]

Buck, are you saying you know of a source for new ones?

No , just posted an old ad to show the price range.
I will edit that post (#25) to make it clear..Thanks.

 

[CuttermasterPro]

Looking to buy an Accu-finish for the purpose of lapping carbide for scraping projects. I've seen some decent shop-made equivalents which accept Accu-finish style wheels that I'd be willing to entertain because I currently don't have the bandwidth to make one myself.

I'm located in the Los Angeles area and am willing to travel up to ~250 miles to pick one up. Otherwise I'd be willing to offer with shipping/freight for one at the right price. PM me here or email me at [email protected]

-Cole

View attachment 395350

Thats a beauty i think it was one of their better machines

 

[CuttermasterPro]

I did make a few of these, because we had a couple of people asking about it, and i believe Glendo isn't making them anymore.
Changed a few things MIC6 Cast Deck plate, Hard anodized Laser etched, DryLin IGUS Bearings, Rails, 92mm 130V DC Motor 200-2000 RPM PWM Control Variable speed , Reversing --- Replaceable face wheel Face, Run out is pretty good less than .001

 

[rbent]

Glendo also changed ownership a few years ago. The former owner is a very nice person, I've run into him a couple of times locally. I believe they made the Accu finish as a way to sharpen their own tools.

 

[jpt2go]

I did make a few of these, because we had a couple of people asking about it, and i believe Glendo isn't making them anymore.
Changed a few things MIC6 Cast Deck plate, Hard anodized Laser etched, DryLin IGUS Bearings, Rails, 92mm 130V DC Motor 200-2000 RPM PWM Control Variable speed , Reversing --- Replaceable face wheel Face, Run out is pretty good less than .001

Do you have a link to the model you have pictured and described? There are many different variants on your website, with lots of different options.

 

[CuttermasterPro]

I can't imagine why they stopped making these things. Not much else comes close.

I think the indexable tool market put a dent in their sales

 

[MCritchley]

I did make a few of these, because we had a couple of people asking about it, and i believe Glendo isn't making them anymore.
Changed a few things MIC6 Cast Deck plate, Hard anodized Laser etched, DryLin IGUS Bearings, Rails, 92mm 130V DC Motor 200-2000 RPM PWM Control Variable speed , Reversing --- Replaceable face wheel Face, Run out is pretty good less than .001

2 grand for that grinder! https://tradesmangrinder.com/product/accu-finish/ That's a bit of money with a really poor table pivot design. You really need support right next to the wheel!

 

[L Vanice]

Resolution of original post: Payment received, grinder packed with care, FedEx delivered without damage and Cole is very happy.

Larry

 

[eKretz]

2 grand for that grinder! https://tradesmangrinder.com/product/accu-finish/ That's a bit of money with a really poor table pivot design. You really need support right next to the wheel!

Uhhh, unless my eyes deceive me, the table tilt mechanism does have support right next to the wheel... it appears to pivot on a hinge there.

 

[MCritchley]

Uhhh, unless my eyes deceive me, the table tilt mechanism does have support right next to the wheel... it appears to pivot on a hinge there.

View attachment 397042

That's not close enough. The Glendo had knife edge. I've sharpened inserts and scraper blades that would fall through that gap. The gap will also allow more "tipping" of the part being sharpened, that's bad as it will add a micro chamfer to the cutting edge.

 

[eKretz]

That's not close enough. The Glendo had knife edge. I've sharpened inserts and scraper blades that would fall through that gap. The gap will also allow more "tipping" of the part being sharpened, that's bad as it will add a micro chamfer to the cutting edge.

Ah, I thought you were implying that the table was totally unsupported at the wheel end. I agree with you now that you've clarified. The inside edge of the table could have used an angled cut and should have extended past the hinge point on the wheel side. For hand grinding very small tools I always use something like a parallel clamp if possible to hold them on the rest.