Any competition for Norton 5SG & other Q's...

I have a half dozen or so Norton 5SG cup wheels for tool grinding and like them. But I have not been able to persuade myself to stretch for that spec on a surface grinding wheel. Haven't checked recently but is seems a 1 x 10 x 3 is over a couple hundred$$$ ? 1/2 x 7 x 1-1/4 is often "on sale" for ~$60

I'm guessing if the price is still holding, there must not be any real (performance wise) competition? Or is there?

For general surface grinding, would the 5SG offer any advantage when grinding soft steel, or does the longevity and performance only make a difference on harder, more difficult material? (I only use the cup wheels on hardened tools so don't have much comparison)

Thanks!
smt

Hello Stephen,

I've found Norton and other abrasive mfg's very friendly about sending sample wheels for you to use and draw your own conclusion about performance for your needs.

I would encourage you to ask your Norton distributor for the phone number of your local represenative and get him to send or bring you a wheel to try. It's competitive and other brands will be willing to do the same has been my experience.

Do you get Cutting Tool Engineering magazine? Lots of abrasive mfg's advertise in there. If you have the time, I'd contact several and hold up the comparison of the 5SG to their brand equivelant.

I've only heard of diamond wheels being ones that they either want the sample wheel returned or you can purchase it.

Gus

I like radiac 8BP series wheels.....having used both the nortons and the radiacs, dollar for dollar the radiac usually wins.

Gus-

My primary business is architectural millwork (woodwork), so my grinders primarily support the shop including toolmaking, and machine repair and modification. I do make and sell a few products that include a lot of grinding, but would still feel kind of sheepish asking for a freebie from the majors. But I'm keeping it in mind. One of the things I do is weld CPM M4 to mild steel shanks for woodworking plane blades. Next time I get around to making a batch, that certainly ought to qualify as an interesting & useful project to get a few wheel suggestions for.

Willie-thanks for the tip on Radiac 8BP. I'll check them out. You got any particular (mail order) vendor in mind?

Thanks, guys!
smt

Stephen,

What method do you use to weld up your plane blanks? The traditional forge welding, or ?? (I'm wondering if anything other than a forge weld would give you the "seamless" integrity of the old-fashioned steel-on-iron blades.)

I have found no other wheel that can come close to the Norton SG for surface grinding.

But in your situation with a cup wheel I think you can get decent performance out of a 32AA.

SG likes alot of pressure and on a cup wheel you just can't put this much pressure to it.

If you are just grinding soft steel do not use SG. It is not required. Go with a 32AA wheel.

Awake-
12 yrs after the first one, (& only 2 more batches of 8 - 12 ea) I am still experimenting. I tried TIG but settled on acetylene torch welding for the first few. Mild steel rod, the CPM M4 is in the normalized condition. I have since alternated between TIG & acetylene. The TIG is "easier" but I get more control of the HAZ with a torch and, "I think" less cracking. I have tried Vee from both sides, and single Vee. I think I get less cracking with single vee, but of course the tendency to warp is harder to control/account for.

So the short answer, is I'm still not sure. I have not tried stainless as a filler, not sure why, as I usually have it on hand.

The irons go then go right in the furnace for a 24 - 30 hr anneal.

Originally, I made the irons for myself, did not think there would be a market given the potential cost. But other people (very small sample)seem to like them if I could get the process down to more "foolproof"

The reason this relates to grinding is, with about 1" of hardened CPM M4, & 3" - 7" of mild steel shank, grinding flat and parallel after hardening & machining gets to be time consuming.

Cash- Thanks for that insight. I know grinding knives is your business, on a big scale.

smt

I grind lots of Vanadis 10 that's 58-62 Rc. Miserable stuff to grind. The Norton SG wheels work great, but are not cheap. Neither is the diamond they recommend to dress them with. I have found that the 3SG wheels are cheaper than the 5SG's, and work pretty much the same. I'm using 8" wheels, I would hate to be footing the bill on boxes of larger SG wheels!

I feel as though I hit the lottery after hearing of those prices. I "snagged" a few 5SG wheels this past summer when Norton had a "yard sale" to raise money for a charity.

I "donated" a total of $25 and got (2) 7x3/4x3/4 wheels for the offhand grinder, an 8x1/2x1-1/4 5SG46-L-something, a big handful of honing stones of various grades and grits (including one very cool shape one), 10 3-sheet sample packs of microfiber cloths, a couple of 38A and 32A wheels and other stuff I forget.

All I know if that they aren't likely to repeat that sale, and the good stuff is cleaned out. There were contractors there loading up trucks full of construction abrasives, homeowners stocking up on sandpaper and I can just imagine that any dealer or distributor who saw what was going on would've been ripping mad.

Hey Stephen, tried to send you a PM and your inbox is full. Shoot me a message when you get it cleaned out.

Oops, sorry John-

will go clean out now

smt

Stephen,

There are a wide variety of abrasive types out there - some good for harder materials and others good for softer stuff.

I wish there was a wheel that was great on both, but there isn't.

Please feel free to contact me with any specific wheel needs and I can set you up with the appropriate spec.

Thank you,
The Grind Zone