doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Fixed blade turnscrews

Just thought I would add grinding screwdrivers and wood chisels are fraught with the problems of over heating when grinding using a high speed bench grinder in consequence ruining the blade's temper. So to end this frustration I would seriously recommend one of these grinders, you get the best of both worlds fast but hot grinding of tools and slow cool and wet with no change to the blades temper guaranteed. I seriously would not be without one in my workshop. I am not recommending the one in the picture, they come with many names and all look the same so go for the lowest price.

Wet and Dry Gringer?

Must be Chinese.

SRH

I was just going to Jack Rowe it and hand file a couple

I think SDH did an article on this?
But you can always read Damascus's (Ernie) thread on Gunsmithing thread or buy them from William Powell or Pendleton Royal.

If that grinder has a water reservoir, it should be left empty after each use, to protect the "wheel".
Mike

I have this exact machine and the slow water cooled wheel is ideal for putting initial grinds on tools, the cutting is slow which gives you time to adjust - its probably just as quick as setting an awkward shaped tool up on the cutter grinder.

Grinding turnscrew blades

Link above is me using my clarkson cutter grinder to grind the tips on turnscrew blades, they are ganged up in the vice and ground either side at the same angle.

I set the workshop up to offer turnscrews for sale. The biggest issue is that people want to buy a turnscrew and expect it to fit any random screw they might want to turn; the turnscrew is a tool thats always being ground and re ground, on selling them you have to grind a tip that is a one size fits most kinda deal. I also provided instructions for re grinding to fit other screws.

Blade Blanks made.

photo_1048218192013961 by james reynolds, on Flickr

Rough out shape.

photo_1048218372013943 by james reynolds, on Flickr

Harden and temper.

heattrear by james reynolds, on Flickr

My pattern handle loaded in the duplicator ( i turned this by hand from steel )

photo_1048161932019587 by james reynolds, on Flickr

This is the produce from the duplicator ( manually operated )

35920371_1095384430630670_4641952489753542656_n by james reynolds, on Flickr

Gives good repeatable results all turned from walnut off cuts made into these blanks in the workshop

photo_1052355984933515 by james reynolds, on Flickr


Finished product is boxed up and with instructions on re grinding.

photo_1050754105093703 by james reynolds, on Flickr

photo_1050665511769229 by james reynolds, on Flickr

boxes made and printed in the workshop too.

photo_1049428035226310 by james reynolds, on Flickr

Example.

photo_1049083631927417 by james reynolds, on Flickr

photo_1027331270769320 by james reynolds, on Flickr

Ive even sent some to the states with hex holding bits in them for brownells bits.

tsf by james reynolds, on Flickr

photo_1048158828686564 by james reynolds, on Flickr

The pattern is vesatile as depending on what blank i load in depends what result i get out, slab sided and 8 sides blanks are nice!

Untitled by james reynolds, on Flickr

The round and slab sided ones are in walnut and the 8 sided ones are in best fiddleback English Ash from a tree felled from my childhood family home.

This whole project was started with some turnscrews i made up for my own use a couple of years ago.

Those beautiful, thank you for sharing!

Beautiful, wonderful handles. I hate making handles.
Usually use file handles, cut off dowels, golf balls, etc.
More power to the beautiful work.
Chuck