T&CG vs single lip grinder

Hi everyone,

I currently own a Gorton 375-2 single lip grinder, but haven't yet spent much time getting to know it's capabilities. Today I came across an ad for a tool and cutter grinder for a very good price, and ended up buying it. I'll be picking it up later this week. The name plate was missing, but it's in good shape and appears to be one of the Kao Ming / Jet / Tai Ku / Enco / Herless / Hafco BM-450a grinders.

From what I've read, people seem to like the grinder well enough. It's definitely no cincinatti, and I generally much prefer the heavy old iron, but I'm thinking it will be a good tool for regrinding horizontal mill cutters, endmills and general shop use. If nothing else, I'll have some fun learning to use it.

I have a couple of questions:

- is there anything the Gorton can do, that I wouldn't be able to do on the TCG? I would love to keep both, because the Gorton is just very cool, but I don't have the space and am thinking I might have to sell the gorton.

- the grinder has manual work head and tailstock, and a bunch of MT3 arbors for facemill, shell Mills and horizontal cutters. I already have an old DoAll cylindrical grinding attachment I need to rehab, and an air bearing fixture. I also have a radius/tangent dresser for the surface grinder. What other attachments/accessories would be considered essential for general shop use?

Thanks in advance,

Lee



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If you do a bunch of single-lip cutters, like you run an engraving machine, the Gorton may be much more convenient than setting up on the T&CG. On the other hand, with the proper tooling, the T&CG can do anything the Gorton can do.

I know that I would not care to sharpen very many 1/8" shank single lip cutters using the NMTB50 workhead on my Cincinnati #2. On the other hand, a single-lip sharpener would have no hope of sharpening horizontal milling cutters (my primary use for the #2).

So, I come down firmly on both sides of the line. Keep both.

That little grinder in post #1 can do a multitude if grinding jobs.Yes if it has a decent spindle...One can circle grind many different cutters and then come back to bring clearance grind to jut make the sharp edge..
End mill ends. reamers, drills, Hss and carbide mill cutters,Roto broaches.. it a TC grinder just needing some operator Imagination .

No TI don't own one but would if I did not already have other grinders.

QT [What other attachments/accessories would be considered essential for general shop use?]
A tooth rest that goes to the front of your grinding wheel used a a riding finger.
A micrometer raise finger as you see in the Cincinnati manual.

Which one, the Gorton?

Sfriedberg: thanks for the input. I wish I could keep both, but if you saw my wee garage, you'd understand! I just sold my K&T 2HL, and finally have the ability to walk around the remaining machines again. That will go away again when I bring home the new grinder, unless I jettison something.

Lee

Hi Lee:
If it's going to have to be one machine or the other, the tool and cutter grinder gets the approval from me too.
I say this because a tool and cutter grinder can do many other grinding tasks; surface grinding, cylindrical grinding, drill pointing, form grinding; the list goes on and on.

The key to the increased versatility is the linear slide that can carry accessories from workhead to mag chuck to form dresser, and the wheelhead that can go up and down.
So yeah, keep the T&C grinder if it's a decent machine in decent condition.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

Thanks Marcus,

I may have to try to figure out some rearranging of the garage to make it all work. The main problem is that my grinders are all too close to the mill and lathes... probably just need to run some dust collection and make sure the other machines are covered when using the grinders....

I got the grinder home last night. I gave it a quick inspection, and am pretty pleased. I don't think it has ever been used - there's still cosmoline on most of the parts, and the flaking on all of the ways looks pretty much like new.

While it's not exactly a classic piece of American Arn, it looks like it should be fairly capable. It came with a MT3 workhead and tailstock, a vise/clamp to fit the workhead for square bits, a bunch of MT3 arbors and endmill holders, a tooth/finger rest and a diamond dresser. The workhead runs on ball bearings and has the ability to do cylindrical grinding if I bolt a motor on top.

The manual suggests that I'm missing the coolant pump base (which explains why it's so freaking low) and a drill grinding attachment. Otherwise it's complete. Using the included tooling, the manual shows examples of grinding side milling cutters, slitting saws, face/shell Mills, T-slot cutters, end Mills, angular cutters, slab Mills, stagger tooth cutters, and "tipped tools" (insert cutters?).

So....

I see lots of advice that T&CGs are essentially useless without $$$ worth of accessories/attachments, but it seems like this should be fairly capable with its standard complement. What other attachments are potentially useful on one of these machines? I could see myself wanting to grind planer/jointer knives for friends, so some sort of fixture for that would be great. What else would be considered essential/must-have for a general use tool and cutter grinder?

Thanks all,

Lee

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The vise with three bolts is an Ok drill sharpener. Yo just make a V block to set into it having a small V on the top side and a large V in the flip (other top side), You swing it to the desired drill angle and grind a flat grind .. or turn you cup wheel to a disf position and grind a drill point with the Arc of the wheel. yes tip up for secondary or just add secondary by hand on a bench grinder,
*Be sure you are on the right pulley to have the listed wheel speed.

Hi again Lee:
I have mine set up basically as a small surface grinder with a tiny mag chuck (3" x 8")
I use a modified Sherline headstock bolted to a sine plate for small cylindrical grinding, and I have a bunch of specialized fixtures I built over the years for specialized tasks I do over and over.
One is re-pointing tiny left hand drills.
Another allows me to grind special 2 flute taps.
Another allows me to form grind tiny carbide milling cutters, straight or spiral flute
Ditto for special countersinks.
The list goes on, but all are designed to be stuck on the mag chuck so I never have to take it off.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining