Old timer told me I was dressing my grinding wheels all wrong

Been doing this for about 8 years and thought I had it figured out. Then a retired guy with 40 years in the trade watched me true up a wheel and just shook his head. He said I was using way too much pressure and that I should let the tool do the work with light passes. I tried his way the next shift and the surface finish on my castings came out way smoother than before. Plus my dresser tool is lasting twice as long now. Has anyone else gotten a basic technique wrong for years before someone set them straight?

2 comments

2 Comments

smith.matthew27d ago

Twenty years in before I learned you don't have to fight the wheel, @caleb_gibson, but hey, at least our dressers got a good arm workout first.

caleb_gibson27d ago

I was the same way for years. Used to lean into it hard thinking that was the only way to get a wheel flat. Then one day a guy I worked with back in my early days said the same thing. Let the tool kiss the wheel not beat it up. I tried it and hated it at first but after a few passes I realized my wheels were lasting longer and the finish was way more consistent. Felt stupid for not figuring that out sooner but hey you live and learn.