.... I have a small but nice Delta grinder, but don't see it being up to the task. Along with the lathe etc, I inherited an "off shore" grinder which is 3/4 HP and has 8" stones. Unfortunately before it even gets up to speed, it makes me want to head for the hills. I tried it with a good quality (at least I think it is) 6" stone and it wasn't any better. A DR shows runout on the shaft at about ,0045" and the shoulder that the stone buts up against is almost non existent and questionable at best. .
Norton grinding and wheel selection as a downloaded pdf:
vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1834/6637.pdf
Grinder basics:
Safety Glasses
Never wear gloves
Dressing Tool, best is a diamond mounted in a holder passed across the face of the wheel.
Grinding Wheel, paper blotter on each side and a 'cupped washer' (flange) on each side of the wheel.
Grinder Wheels can range from hard to soft, coarse to fine grain size, strong to weak bond of grains.
Motor RPM is constant. Grinding wheel peripheral speed depends on diameter. Calculated as Surface Speed
Grinding wheels are manufactured with a range of properties. Grain-grit size, Bond strength from (A) friable to (Z) strong, Structure as open or closed, and type of abrasive.
A wheel that is designated as hard may burn and over heat steel while turning at that wheels rated rpm. That same wheel will cut 'soft' at a smaller diameter (therefore a slower surface speed). Likewise a 'soft' wheel will seem 'hard' at a higher rpm.
Choose the correct wheel for the work that you will do and that 'inferior' grinder may perform well.
Fasten the grinder so it cannot move. The work rest should be about 1/16 from the face of wheel.
Or build a larger solid tool rest out of a hard surface. Particle board with a tough veneer will work, replace as it wears.
There is so much more to effective grinding than this.
I hope it gets you on track to productive tool grinding.
Train your hands to repeat movements when grinding. Movements using the shoulders are better than flexing the wrists.
John
The HSS tool should not get so hot that the tool turns light brown or blue at the edge. Have some water nearby to keep the tool below the 'hot zone'. Quench the opposite end to draw the heat to avoid thermal cracks.
HSS: grind with an aluminum oxide wheel - generally
Carbide: grind with a silicon carbide wheel and never grind any steel or iron with this wheel
True the wheel each time a new wheel is mounted.
A ring test of a wheel should produce a clean clear sound, not a fuzzy one. Hang by a string or cord, tap and rotate. wood hammer handle should work ok.