WEN 4256 Bench Grinder Manual - Manual (Page 12)

12
OPERATION
Caution: Keep all bystanders a safe distance away from the tool and not in direct line, front or
back of the grinder.
1. Your bench grinder has a medium wheel (60 grit) for medium material removal and general purpose
grinding, and a coarse wheel (36 grit) for fast material removal.
2. To operate the bench grinder, always wear safety glasses and turn the tool on while standing at the side
and not in front of the grinder. Allow it to reach full speed before grinding.
3. Hold the work piece firmly against the tool rest. Hold very small pieces with pliers or other suitable
clamps.
4. Feed the work piece smoothly and evenly into the grinding wheel.
5. Move the work piece slowly and avoid jamming the work piece against the wheel. If the wheel tends to
slow down from excessive force, you should occasionally release the pressure to let the wheel return to
full speed.
6. Grind only on the face of the grinding wheel and never the side of it.
Caution: Prolonged grinding will cause most materials to become hot. Use care when handling
such materials.
SCISSORS
If possible, take the scissors apart to make the sharpening operation easier and safer. Remove material only
from the outside surface and work from the heavy end of the blade toward the tip.
KNIVES
Remove metal from both faces of most knives, working from the heavy end of the blade toward the tip.
SCREWDRIVERS
The end of a properly sharpened screwdriver will be a perfect rectangle, absolutely flat and perpendicular to
the center line of the shank. The two sides and two faces will taper outward from the edge of the shoulder
or shank. They should be flat with intersecting faces perpendicular. Hold each face of the screwdriver
against the wheel to true it up, and then ease the end straight into the stone to grind it true.
TWIST DRILL BITS
Drill bits are best sharpened on a sharpening jig, available at most hardware stores, but can be “dressed up”
on your grinder. Begin on one side of the point at the existing angle, then twist the bit while maintaining a
constant angle with grinding surface. Sharpen only the tip. This technique requires considerable practice, so
take your time and make a few “dry runs” first with the grinder off. Be sure to maintain the original cutting
edge angle as this is important to the efficiency of your bits. One tool rest has a V-groove that is correctly
angled for most drill bits.
LAWN MOWER BLADES
Lawn mower blades are usually sharpened on only one side and dressed up slightly on the other. After
sharpening, be sure to balance the blade by removing additional material from the heavy end. There are a
number of inexpensive cone balancers on the market for this purpose. Unbalanced blades can cause serious
crank shaft damage to your lawn mower. Always remove spark plug wires from the mower before servicing
the blades to prevent accidental starting.