Hirschmann Visible Tool Grinder

A dear friend that was a master tool and die maker just had his 90th birthday. He is now starting to divest himself of a long lifetime's worth of tools and other stuff.

Yesterday he gave me a Hirschmann Visible Grinder - which I had never heard of before. He recalls buying it sometime after WWII when he was an apprentice to grind tool bits for Armstrong lathe tool holders. The rotating disk is about 9" in diameter and you grind your tool bit on the underside with the slots allowing you to see how the grind is progressing. It needs a good cleaning, oiling and a new power cord, so I haven't been able to fire it up yet.

Going online I could find nothing about the thing or its manufacturer and I was wondering if someone on this subforum might have used one.



Cheers,
Brian in Taxachusetts

I'm not familiar with that particular machine, but you can still buy abrasive wheels and flap disks using the same principle from Norton, BlueShark (and probably several others).

Allegheny,

That's pre-WW2. If it was post-war, it would say "Made in West Germany"

That does not preclude the original owner buying it new after the war - it might have been "New, Old Stock" or simply used.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/abrasive-machining/hirschmann-visible-grinder-wheels-174590/

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/anyone-have-beaver-visible-grinder-233065/

Maybe you could adapt this perforated disk: SHARPENING | Kaindl Grinding Technology Reiling GmbH

Neat item.

John Ruth

Back in the 1970's, I saw that grinder or a copy in a mail order tool catalog from Leichtung Workshops. Around then, I visited a local home shop and he showed me his and demonstrated it. I liked it. I think it was German and it did have a light above the wheel. I never saw one for sale after that and have never seen the wheels for sale anywhere but the Leichtung catalog. I think Leichtung is not around anymore.

But there is a slightly similar, but lighter duty machine that I did buy in 2009. The Work Sharp 3000 by Darex is still available. I use it mostly for sharpening wood carving chisels and plane blades and it does a fine job. For visible grinding of a gouge, I can use either a slotted plastic wheel or a thick plate glass wheel. You stick a slotted 6" abrasive disc to the underside of either wheel. You can see your progress as you grind the tool. The abrasive discs are very high quality and durable.

Woodworking Tool Sharpener WS3 – Work Sharp

Larry