Abrasive

ENGIN.

LIBRARY

1
aterials

CO

SEARLE

Abrasive

Mechanics Dept

London, E.C

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this book ivhen replying, yon will ol

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(5377)

ABRASIVE WHEELS
MADE ON

THE HART SILICATE,

VITRIFIED,
and ELASTIC

PROCESSES,

FROM CORUNDUM
(NATURAL AND
CARBORUNDUM & EMERY
ARTIFICIAL)

McEWEN, DENBY AND

HART-BRIGGS,

Ltd.

TURRET WORKS,

SUNBURY-on-THAMES
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and Publishers

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imimimiiiiimmimimiim

ESTABLISHED
1781.

ACTON &BORM AN Ltd.

Manufacturers of

Emery
Emery

Cloth and Paper

Glass Cloth and Paper

and Paper
Garnet Cloth and Paper
Flint Cloth

and

all other Abrasives in

Sheets, Rolls, Discs, etc.

London Emery
51

&

Black Lead Mills

HOLLOWAY ROAD
LONDON,

N.7

ENGLAND
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

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PITMAN'S TECHNICAL PRIMER SERIES

NEALE, B.Sc., Hons. (Lond.)
A. C.G.I., A.M.I.E.E.

Edited by R. E.

THE
MANUFACTURE AND USES OF
ABRASIVE MATERIALS

PITMAN'S
TECHNICAL PRIMERS
Edited by R. E. NEALE, B.Sc. (Hons.),
A.C.G.L, A.M.I.E.E.

IN each book of the series the fundamental

principles of some sub-division of technology are treated in a practical manner,
providing the student with a handy
survey of the particular branch of technology with which he is concerned. They
should prove invaluable to the busy
practical man who has not the time for
more elaborate treatises.

Uniform with

this

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each 2s. 6d. net

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THE MANUFACTURE
AND US-ES;:O:F^:::\
ABRASIVE MATERIALS
A CONCISE TREATMENT OF THE NATURE AND
PREPARATION OF RAW MATERIALS,
AND THE MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,
WHEELS, PAPERS, CLOTHS, POLISHES, ETC.

WITH NOTES ON THE CHARACTERISTICS,

SELECTION, AND TESTING OF ABRASIVES,
AND MANY EXAMPLES FROM PRACTICE
BY

ALFRED

B.

SEARLE

Technical Advisor on Abrasives,

etc.

LONDON
ISAAC PITMAN & SONS, LTD.
PARKER STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C.2
BATH, MELBOURNE, TORONTO, NEW YORK
SIR

1922

Engineering
Library

PRINTED BY
SIR ISAAC PITMAN

&

SONS, LTD.

BATH, ENGLAND

PREFACE
THE

industrial importance of abrasives is seldom

even by those who are concerned in their

realized,

Yet there

production.

is

scarcely

any manufac-

tured article of commerce which does not come

in contact with some form of abrasive during one
or more stages of manufacture. Such staple
articles of food as wheat and oats are ground to
flour or meal by means of abrasive stones or
rolls, many metallic articles are now
"
instead of being cut or turned
to
size
ground
as was formerly the case, their rough portions are

crushing
"

made smooth
them by the
"

or a cutting edge is produced on

application of a suitable abrasive

stone," and a fine polish

may be imparted to
wood, leather, ivory and numerous
other materials by means of abrasive powders.
In the engineering industries in particular, recent
years have seen the development of much that is
entirely new and have also witnessed great exten-

glass, metal,

sions in the previous practice of grinding.

Much
of this development is a direct result of the vast

growth of motor work, which offers for solution

many problems peculiarly its own, but a large
proportion has arisen in consequence of new views
relating to the economies of grinding in the wider
field of general machine shop practice.
It is hoped that the present volume will prove
of value to

many who

are called

D8l3fti

upon to deal with

PREFACE

VI

grinding problems without any very extended or

specialized experience in the art. No one can
become an expert grinder by reading a book or
articles in the technical press, but if the underlying
principles of grinding are carefully considered they
will frequently assist in solving many of the

with abrasives and with

In
the
more difficult problems,
solving
grinding.
the assistance of a grinding specialist or other
expert should be sought and welcomed, as it is easy

problems

associated

to incur serious losses through

"

"

experimenting

without sufficient knowledge.

ALFRED
SHEFFIELD.

B.

SEARLE.

CONTENTS
PAGE

PREFACE

CHAPTER

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

Nature

Forms

of abrasive action

materials, natural

and

artificial

CHAPTER
RAW MATERIALS

CHAPTER

artificially

.14

prepared

III

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

Re-crystallized alumina

Carbide abrasives
Grading.

Grinding

II

Natural abrasives Constituents of

abrasives Binding materials.

Cleaning

Abrasive
Proprietary names.
of abrasives

30

Crushing

CHAPTER IV
MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS, WHEELS,
ETC.

.......

45

Rubber-bonded wheels

Shellac-bonded wheels Silicate

wheels Vitrified wheels Finishing operations on wheels,
Abrasive blocks, hones, etc.
etc.

CHAPTER V
MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE PAPERS AND CLOTHS
Coating processes

CHAPTER
POLISHES

57

Abrasives and grits employed.

VI
.

Composition -Applying polishes Machine

Strap machines Polishing wheels.

polishing

.60

CONTENTS

Vlll

CHAPTER
SELECTION OP ABRASIVES

VII

....

PAGE

68

Speed of cutting -Quality of finish Rate of wheel wear

Composition of abrasive Grit of abrasive Selection of
bond Wet grinding Grade of wheels -Peripheral speed
of wheels
Surface speed of work Area of grinding contact -Type and condition of grinding machine
Personal
factor
Overall cost Types of machines Cylindrical
grinding Surface grinding Sharpening edge tools
Polishing metals
substances.

Grinding and

polishing

CHAPTER

non-metallic

VIII

TESTING ABRASIVES AND POLISHES

98

General observations on service Quantitative tests for

wheels Testing grade and grit Precision grinding

Judging polishing agents.

CHAPTER IX

.......

ERECTION AND OPERATION OP MACHINES AND

WHEELS

104

Types of machines Constructional features Guards

Dust collectors Mounting -Truing and dressing wheels
Vibration Poor cutting, glazing, and burning.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

.113
115

ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE

FIG.

1, 2.

Microphotographs showing correct and

incorrect forms of metal removed by
abrasive wheels
.

3.

Typical

of

collection

polishing

brushes, tools, etc.

5.

Cotton

6.

Double dry grinder

7.

Norton plain grinder

8.

Cylinder grinder

9.

Pedestal-type grinding
dust -collectors

G5

.68

bench -mounting

....

84

planetary spindle type

88

for

machine

10.

Diamo-carbo wheel dresser

1 1

Huntingdon wheel dresser

.63

Ahcol band polishing machine

or dolly

7,

wheels,

4.

mop

86

with
.

.107
.110
.111

TABLES
I.

Abrasives and grits for paper and cloth

....

II.

Peripheral speeds for grinding wheels in

III.

Revolutions per minute corresponding to

a peripheral speed of 3,400 ft. per min.

various applications

IX

59

79

80

THE MANUFACTURE
AND USES OF
ABRASIVE MATERIALS
CHAPTER

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

AN

abrasive

may

be defined as a material or

employed for removing undesirable projections from other articles and, eventually, for
imparting a smooth or even a polished surface to
the latter. The action is of an erosive nature, the
article

"
"
or
abrasive material gradually
wearing away
"
"
it
is applied.
off
the
material
to
which
grinding
When the abrasive is in the form of relatively
large, sharp pieces the material is removed rapidly

when much
action, but for polishing
smaller particles are used the object is not to
remove the material rapidly but to take such
extremely shallow cuts that the material shows
by a cutting

no signs of scratches. When abrasives are used

in the form of hones, oilstones and whetstones,
consisting of very small particles, their action is
Coarser particles would remove
necessarily slow.
too much metal at a time and would prevent a

sharp cutting edge being produced.

Abrasive wheels are also employed as cutting

sufficiently

agents

when

their

employment

is

cheaper or more

MATERIALS
convenient than^t{jie /^uso of customary cutting
tools.

Nature of Abrasive Action. The extent to which

one material will wear away or cut away another
depends on the hardness of the abrasive, the
sharpness of its cutting edges, the pressure at
which it is applied, the resistance of the material
to be removed and the freedom with which the
abraded particles fall away after they have been
separated by the action of the abrasive.
The ductile metals yield in a very peculiar
manner to abrasives, the grains rolling over one
another until each finds its place between some of
the remainder. Thus, the raw edges of such a
metal as aluminium appear like stiff dough when
the metal is prodded with a sharp needle point

during microscopical inspection.

Moreover, the cohesion of the various particles
of metal to one another is unequal, and during
abrasion the looser ones, especially those of a
crystalline character, tumble out and leave tiny
cavities in their places, thus causing irregularities
in their vicinity.

The

metallic grains which are larger than those

and grooved by the

up into smaller dimensions,
and may become more closely welded together.
The fracturing of the grains of the abrasive
during use is of more importance than is generally
tupposed. Corundum, carborundum, and similar
of the abrasive are scored

frictional contact, cut

substances, being very hard, do not readily split

when they do

they form sharp cutting edges

and enable the abrasion to be continued until the
but

so,

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

binding particles are reached. The bond must be

of such a nature that it breaks off exposing fresh
of abrasive.
Sand (which is somewhat
rounded, with a few points and edges) and glass
(which is jagged) leave conchoidal surfaces when
but although they are servicetheir grains break
able in some ways, the particles are so liable to
crumble completely that they are useless for

grains

grinding metals.

When

grinding hard substances, the sharp ends

abrasive particles sometimes get worn
instead of broken. In some cases this may be
of

the

beneficial, but it usually entails a loss of gripping

and abrasive power.
In grinding and smoothing metals, the abrasion
is at first due to the cutting action of the most

projecting points of the grains of the abrasive.

As these are removed by the friction, a larger

number of less-effective prominences are opposed
to the metal.

Their value

particles of metal
the fixed grains,

is

lowered, because the

which are rubbed off fall between

and are compacted so tightly

together as to render the surface of the abrasive

"
smooth and slippery, or
glazed," unless means
are found to remove the incorporated dust.

The heat generated on account

of friction is

often very considerable, but as its area of distribution is circumscribed, it often passes unnoticed.
Naturally, when either water or other lubricant is

tends to prevent too rapid a rise in

temperature, but lubricants may introduce undesirable chemical reactions which prevent their
being used in some cases.
present

it

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

In dry grinding, the

rise in

temperature occasion-

numerous particles of metal, which do

not necessarily become removed, but are pressed
more firmly into the surrounding interstices, and
thereby produce a smoother surface, which is
ally melts

retained

when the substance

Ductile

metals

is
thoroughly cooled
the
fusion
If, however,
again.
goes beyond the
useful limit the harder grains between the softer
ones fall out and leave the metal jagged in parts.
This is especially the case with iron and steel.

do not disclose

this

conspicuously as brittle ones.

Forms of Abrasives. Abrasives

defect

are

so

chiefly

(i) Blocks and stones,

employed in the form of
(ii) Powder,
(iii) Wheels, discs, cylinders, rings,
rolls, plates and cups,
(iv) Paper coated with
:

abrasive

material, e.g. sand-paper.

(v) Cloth
coated with abrasive material, e.g. emery cloth,
(vi) Abrasive liquids, e.g. various metal and other
polishes,

(vii)

Buffing wheels,

made

of calico

and

running at from 4,000 to 6,000 r.p.m. for a wheel

of 12 in. diam.
Each wheel is composed of a
large number of discs of cloth, and when the wheel
is in motion the
edge of the cloth presses against
every part of the surface to be polished, even when
this is irregular.

Abrasive Blocks and Stones. These are usually

applied by a simple rubbing action, the stone
being rubbed on the article to be abraded, or the
latter (in the case of tools requiring to be sharpened)
(i)

being rubbed to and fro on the abrasive block.

Such blocks and stones may be made by cutting
or grinding natural stones to the desired shape, or

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

they may be produced by compressing abrasive

powders into blocks as described in Chapter IV.
The chief uses of abrasive blocks are for smoothing and
polishing stones and metals, or (in the form of hones,
etc.) for

sharpening edge

tools.

Combination Stones which are coarse on one side

fine on the other are made by filling the lower
part of the mould with the coarse abrasive mixture,
and then completing the filling with the finer
mixture. The same bond is used for both materials
and it is necessary to proportion the materials
very carefully or the two sides of the stone will

and

shrink differently and cause it to crack.

Two stones of different grit and grade

sometimes cemented together.

The stones

are usually

"

finished

are

"

by grinding
on a revolving bed using carborundum
and water as an abrasive.
Abrasive Powders are prepared by crushing
(ii)

their faces

the various materials to particles of suitable size.

The resulting powder is usually rubbed on the
article to be polished, the requisite pressure being
applied by means of a rubber made of iron, wood
or cloth, as

may

be most suitable.

Water

or other

also be used to facilitate the grinding

action of the abrasive and to prevent overheating
liquid

may

of the article to be polished.

The chief uses of abrasive powders are as smoothing and

polishing agents for glass, wood, ivory, leather, various
metals, etc.
Abrasive Wheels, Discs, Cylinders, etc. These
(iii)
are usually rotated at a considerable speed so as
to produce the same effect as the application of a

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

great pressure without the disadvantages of the

latter.

The

form of abrasive wheels which was

in India long before such wheels
used
extensively
were known in Europe consists of a disc of wood,
dressed on the edge with powdered garnets in a
matrix of shellac, and mounted on a wooden arbor
having an iron peg at each end resting in uprights.
It is a near relative of the Indian dead -centre
lathe that is driven in just the same way, and both
are carried about the country by wandering
earliest

workmen.
had

Impure garnets

unfit for cutting are

for the gathering, so the whole machine,

including the bit of old leather rein used for
It
driving, is of native origin and manufacture.

to be

is
probable, however, that grindstones, made by
roughly cutting a sandstone slab into a circular
shape and mounting it on a spindle, were in use
at an even more remote period. Artificially made
wheels have many advantages over those cut from
natural stones on account of their greater homo-

geneity, the much greater variety of abrasive

materials which can be used, and the ease with
which such wheels may be adapted to suit a great

variety of requirements on the part of the users.

For some polishing purposes the wheels are

made

of canvas, leather, etc., to which the abrasive

fastened by means of glue or cement. Abrasive
wheels, discs, caps, rings and cylinders are used
so extensively in shaping parts of machinery that
is

meet modern requirements they must be made

with the utmost accuracy and precision, strict
attention being paid to many minute details, such
to

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

as the size and shape of the constituent particles,

the nature and proportion of the binding agent,
and the speed at which the wheels are driven.
The action of a modern grinding wheel, disc or
that of a steel
cylinder, when at work, resembles
On the face of
milling cutter or a circular saw.

Alfred Herbert, Ltd., Coventry

FlG.

MlCROPHOTOGRAPH.

Showing the correct form of chips produced by the

cutting action of an abrasive wheel which is suitable for
its

work.

such a wheel or cylinder the innumerable particles

of abrasive material present an even larger number
of minute edges which act as tiny cutting teeth,
and although these are neither so large nor so
strong as the teeth of a cutter or saw, they work
at a much greater speed and are consequently far
more economical. The chips of abraded material
should also resemble those produced by a milling
when this is not the case (see
cutter (see Fig. 1)
;

(5377)

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

Fig. 2), an unsuitable wheel has probably been

used or a suitable wheel may have been employed

an improper manner.

in

The uses

of grinding wheels and abrasive discs, cylinders,

so numerous that it is hardly possible to
Wherever a material requires to be
specify all of them.
made accurately to shape, or to be smoothed, some form

etc.,

are

now

Alfred Herbert, Ltd., Coventry

FlG.

2.

MlCROPHOTOGRAPH.

Showing the form of material removed by an abrasive

wheel which is unsuitable for its work. Many of the
particles have been melted by excessive frictional heat.

may usually be employed

with advantage.
In the manufacture of ball and roller bearings, phonographs, typewriters, adding machines, watches, clocks,
of abrasive wheel or cylinder

registering apparatus, motor cars, tractors, engines of all

kinds, agricultural implements and machinery, large
numbers of abrasive wheels are employed. The chilled
"
rolls used for crushing,
ground
ironing," etc., are now
"
"
are
of

instead

being turned, and

when worn they

trued

In the textile industry, grinding wheels

grinding.
are used for sharpening cards ; in engineering works they

by

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

are used for snagging castings, and in maintaining tools,

c utters, and dies. In the leather and shoe industry, grinding
wheels are used for buffing hides and for sharpening
leather-cutting and shaving knives.
Steel works use grinding wheels for cutting billets of
high-speed steel preparatory to rolling into bars. Foundries
use abrasive wheels for snagging and for cleaning castings
of steel, iron, brass, bronze, and aluminium.
On the
railways and in allied industries abrasive cylinders are
used for grinding locomotive piston-rods and valves,
guide-bars, steel car-wheel treads and flanges, wheels,
and for surfacing manganese -steel frogs and switches.
The optical industry uses abrasive wheels for grinding
lenses, and the cut-glass industry employs grinding wheels
to a very large extent for cutting intricate designs on
In the marble industry, thin abrasive wheels
glass ware.
are used for sawing marble into slabs, and thick wheels
for surfacing or shaping the marble in various ways.
The final polish on marble slabs used in interior building
operations is obtained by means of abrasive blocks composed of very fine grit, silicon -carbide or alundum abrasive,
followed by putty powder.
The very thin wheels (some are only J^ in. thick) used
by watchmakers, dentists, etc., are made by passing the
mixture of abrasive and a rubber binding agent between
a pair of smooth, steam-heated rolls, and cutting out the
"
"
resultant
ribbon
with circular cutters similar to those
used by pastry cooks. The discs are then subjected to
high pressure and baked as described in Chapter IV.
In the manufacture of bath-tubs, lavatory basins, and
other sanitary ware, porcelain, pottery and enamelled
iron ware, abrasive wheels are extensively used for
removing irregularities on the surface, or for enabling the
In the
pieces to be fitted more accurately to each other.
manufacture of buttons, electrical appliances, articles of
rubber, bone, etc., abrasive wheels are now used to a
very large extent, and enable much greater outputs to
be produced.
(iv) Abrasive Papers consist of sheets or rolls of
stout paper, one surface of which is covered with
a mixture of abrasive powder and a suitable

The size of the abrasive particles should

be selected according to the purpose for which the

adhesive.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

10

is employed, the coarsest particles

being used for cleaning purposes, and the smallest
particles being preferable for polishing.
The chief uses of abrasive papers are for smoothing and

abrasive paper

polishing flat surfaces.

Abrasive Cloths closely resemble abrasive

papers, but the cloth on which the abrasive paper
is mounted forms a more flexible support which,
(v)

for

some purposes,

is

more convenient.

Abrasive cloths are used for the same purposes for

which papers are used, and they may also be employed
for curved or irregular surfaces which would rapidly
destroy abrasive papers.
(vi)

Abrasive Liquids consist essentially of

suspended in a
a
so
convenient
as
to
polishing
liquid
produce
agent. The function of the liquid is to act as a
vehicle for the abrasive powder, enabling it to be
applied in small amounts at a time with a maximum
of polishing and a minimum of scratching action.
solid abrasive material

which

is

Abrasive liquids are extensively used for polishing

metals, but are not so suitable for wood, leather, and other
organic materials, on which a polish is produced by filling
up depressions in the surface by means of wax, gum or
other suitable material, whereas an abrasive liquid
produces a polish by grinding away all projections and
reducing the whole of the surface to a uniform level.

The materials used as

Abrasive Materials.
abrasives may be divided into two groups
(6) artificial abrasives.
(a) natural abrasives
:

(a)

Natural

Abrasives.

The most important

natural abrasives are

various kinds, including sandstone,
of
(i) Stones
rottenstone, pumice, chert, emery, and corundum.
and
(ii) Coarse particles, including diamonds, garnets,

quartz (sand).

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

(iii)

Powders,

including infusorial

earth

11

(kieselguhr),

and powders produced by

crushing pumice, emery, corundum, and other materials,

Tripoli powder,

diamond

dust,

as described in Chapter III.

The natural abrasives which occur as massive

minerals are merely cut to the desired shape, but
others require to be cleaned and crushed, and may
then be mixed with a suitable bond and moulded
or compressed into blocks, wheels, or cylinders, of
or the crushed particles may
the desired shape
be fastened to cloth, paper, or other suitable
;

support by means of an adhesive.

(6)

Artificial

artificial

Abrasives.

The most important

abrasives are

Crushed steel is chiefly

(i) Steel Turnings or Filings.
used in the United States. It is made at Pittsburg and
"
diamond steel emery." It is used only
is there sold as
in the powdered form and is noted for its great hardness,
cutting power, and toughness. Angular grit is a similar
product, made from chilled iron, .and is superior to sand
for sand-blasting as it abrades quickly without being
reduced to powder so rapidly as sand.
(ii) Aluminous Abrasives.
Artificially prepared corundum and other aluminous abrasives are known by a variety
of names, such as alundum, aloxite, borolon, adamite,
carbo -corundum, oorundite, etc. They are prepared by
fusing bauxite or other available forms of alumina in an
electric furnace, as described in Chapter III.
The best
of these aluminous abrasives consist almost wholly of
crystals of corundum which resemble the natural mineral
(p. 21) in every respect, but are usually purer and harder.
When properly prepared, artificial corundum shows signs
of fusion at about 2,050 C.
This group includes
(iii) Silicide or Carbide Abrasives.
silicon carbide (or carbon silicide) and similar substances
prepared by fusing sand and carbon in an electric furnace.
Silicide or carbide abrasives are also known by several
trade names including carborundum, carbalon, crystolon,
and
carbosilite, diamantin, dynamidon, and dialunite
are made by heating coke, sand, sawdust, and a little
in
salt
an electric furnace until the carbon in the coke

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

12

and sawdust combine with the silicon in the sand and

produce a new compound which may be termed silicon
carbide or carbon silicide, as it is composed of 70 per
cent of silicon and 30 per cent of carbon. The compound
represented by the formula SiC. These abrasives are

is

harder than artificially prepared corundum, and much

harder than emery, but they are not so tough. For some
purposes, their brittleness is an advantage, as the grains
break before the edges are dulled and so expose fresh
cutting edges and promote rapid work.

Carborundum was first prepared by E. G. Acheson, in

and was the first artificial abrasive material to be
manufactured on a large scale. It is one of the hardest
It is made
of abrasives and possesses great durability.
up of small, sharp crystals, which are just brittle enough
The sharp edges of the
to break slightly when in use.
while the brittleness, by
crystals cut clean and fast
1891,

constantly

fresh cutting edges, prevents

combination of these qualities durability,

presenting

The
glazing.
rapidity, and uniform efficiency
of the best of abrasives.

makes carborundum one

Carborundum is insoluble in all ordinary acids, but is

slowly attacked by hydrofluoric acid. It is insoluble in
water and this is an invaluable property in any grinding
material, as the use of water expedites the work and
catches almost all of the dust.
(iv) Rouge and crocus martis are highly hydrated oxides
of iron.
They are made by heating ferrous sulphate in
Their
crucibles until all the sulphur has been volatilized.
precise composition is not known nor is the cause of their
difference in colour, rouge being red and crocus martis
purple.

good
not

The

precipitated hydrates of iron do not give

results, as their consistency is gelatinous ;

form the spongy articles which have the

Black oxide of iron

abrasive nature.
ingredient of the trade article Glassite.
(v)

is

they do

desired
the principal

tin oxide, was formerly used

medium, although not superior to
now prohibited on account of its poisonous

Putty powder,

i.e.

largely as a polishing

rouge

it is

nature.
(vi) Manganese dioxide is an excellent polishing medium,
it is
but not frequently used, owing to its blackness
very difficult to remove it from the pores of the skin.
(vii) Whiting and slaked lime are both extensively used
as abrasive powders, being chiefly employed in polishes.
;

ABRASIVE MATERIALS AND THEIR USES

13

(viii) Bath bricks are made of river silt which is moulded,

These bricks and
dried and burned at a dull red heat.
the powder obtained by crushing them are used extensively
for cleaning and rough polishing.

noted that the above-mentioned

are prepared from various
materials which are not necessarily of an abrasive
It should be

artificial

character.

abrasives

Thus,

artificial

fusing bauxite, which

corundum

is

made by

a very soft mineral, and

by heating sand, coke, and

is

carborundum is made
sawdust in an electric furnace.
The trade names
Proprietary Names.
principal artificial abrasives are as follows

of the

Adamite is an Austrian product, containing only about

80 per cent of alumina. It is very dark blue almost
black in colour and remarkably tough considering the
proportion of impurities present.
Aloxite is artificial corundum made by the Carborundum
Company in the south of France, and at their Niagara
works.
It has a purplish-blue colour and is highly
crystalline.

Alundum is the registered name for the artificial

corundum made by the Norton Company, Chippawa,
Canada.
Borocarbone is made in France and closely resembles
the other aluminous abrasives.
Carborundum is the trade mark of a firm, but it is now
applied generally to silicon-carbide, even when that
material is produced by other firms.
Carbosilite is very similar to carborundum, but less
pure.

It is

made

in

Germany.

Corubin is a crude form of fused alumina picked out of

the slag produced in the manufacture of chromium by the
Goldschmidt " Thermit " process.
Crystolon is the trade name of carborundum, made by
the Norton Company, Chippawa, Canada.
Electrolon is a carborundum made by the Abrasive

Company, Philadelphia.
Oxyalumina is an American product made by fusing
earths similar to bauxite.
New names are constantly being introduced but most of

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

14

them

relate to one form or another of artificial

or of silicon carbide.

CHAPTER

corundum

II

RAW MATERIALS
As

explained in the previous chapter, the raw

materials used in the manufacture of abrasives

be the abrasives themselves (as is the case

with the natural abrasives) or they may be substances of little or no abrasive power, such as

may

bauxite, coke, sawdust, etc.

The most important of these
(

1)

For natural abrasives

tripoli,

raw materials are

pumice, emery, chert,

kieselguhr,

sandstones, rottenstone,
etc.

sand, bauxite, coke,

(2) For artificial abrasives
sawdust or other carbonaceous material.
Sandstones. The chief stones used for abrasive
purposes are sandstones which occur in large

masses in

many

parts of the world.

These stones

of grains of sand (i.e. of impure

silica, usually in the form of quartz) firmly united
with a bond of amorphous silica. The lightness

are

composed

of the colour is a

rough guide to the purity of a

its utility as an abrasive

sandstone but not to

material.

Until comparatively recent years, the deposits

Millstone Grit in Derbyshire, and especially
around Matlock, served to furnish grindstones for
all purposes, but similar stones, found in other
of

localities, are also used.

in one quarry,

from

The grades vary, even

very coarse and from

fine to

RAW MATERIALS
very hard to

soft.

Many

sandstones

15
are

not

suitable as grinding agents as they lack sufficient

tensile strength

When

and uniformity.
form a cheap and

suitable, sandstones

generally satisfactory abrasive material, but they

wear away so much more rapidly, and consequently produce so much more dust than good

prepared stones, that the latter prove to

be cheaper in the end, though more costly at first.
In selecting a sandstone from which to produce
grindstones or abrasive blocks, attention must be
paid to the sizes of the particles, their angularity,
and to the nature and proportion of the bonding
The selection requires both care and
material.

artificially

skill

as

it

is

stones from

far

some

their appearance.

to

from easy to distinguish good

of inferior quality merely by
Lately, harder abrasives have,

some extent though by no means

entirely,

superseded the natural stones.

For some purposes, sandstones are crushed and
the resultant sand is used as an abrasive. To be
effective, the particles of sand should be angular,
not rounded.
These are composed of fine-grained
Oilstones.
sandstones or slates, the particles of which are
united by a natural cement composed of silica.
They are called oilstones because they work most
efficiently when supplied with oil.
Turkey stone,
mined in Asia Minor, is an argillaceous or slatey
stone with minute particles of quartz in it, which
its sharpening power.
The Belgian razor
a natural sandstone containing innumerable
tiny garnets, to which its chief value is due.

impart
stone

is

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

16
Artificial

oilstones

are

made

of

fine-grained

carborundum or corundum with a silicate bond.

The stones are immersed in oil prior to use, and
require the use of further oil to remove the dust
and particles ground from the knife blade, and to
serve as an external lubricating agent. The objection

is

sometimes urged that

artificial

oilstones

oil, and so
are
which
gradually
large pores
filled with dirt and metal.
Furthermore, the oil
dries up or oxidizes on the surface of the stone
and, in time, interferes with sharpening operations.
It has also been found that the oil tends to adhere
to the surface of surgical instruments which
are being sharpened, and so prevents proper

must be porous
have relatively

in order to hold the

sterilization afterwards.

Hones. Hones of various shapes are usually

cut from sandstones, but many of the more modern
for razor
ones are made with a shellac bond
hones a silicate or vitrified bond is usually
employed. Artificially -made stones and hones are
usually more uniform in texture and hardness
;

than the natural stones, and

to be preferred.

The action

of abrasives

are,

consequently,

when used

in the

form

of hones, oilstones, and whetstones differs from

that when used in the form of wheels, as the cutting

action in stones

is

much

slower.

To produce a

keen, sharp edge on the metal, it is necessary for

the abrasive particles to be of small size. The
stones are used either with water or oil, or, in rare
instances, in a dry state.

Rottenstone.

This

is

a soft siliceous stone of a

RAW MATERIALS

17

yellowish-grey or brownish colour and of a very

It consists of the siliceous skeleton

fine texture.

behind after the solution of calcium carbonate

from dark-coloured impure limestones.
left

Kieselguhr and diatomite. are earths composed of the

siliceous remains of minute forms of life, and may readily
be identified under the microscope.

This

Tripoli.

material

siliceous skeletons,

and

is

is

also

composed of

often almost

w hite
r

in

usually contains about 80 per cent

small
amount of alumina, and up to
a
silica,
8 per cent of iron. In some cases, however, the
material contains much alumina and little silica.
The best quality of tripoli is found at Corfu.
colour.

Chert.

It

Chert

which

is

known

stone, hearthstone, andfirestone

very similar to

flint in

is

locally as malma siliceous stone

composition and occurrence.

It consists chiefly of the siliceous spiculae of sponges,

together with fragments of foraminiferae and other

marine shells, and crystalline silica. It occurs in

irregular masses in almost all the strata of the
Upper and Lower Greensand, and in the Portlandian formation. It also occurs extensively in
the Carboniferous Limestone, being quarried at

Bake well

in Derbyshire for grindstones.

It is also
quarried near Holywell and Prestatyn in Wales.
It varies in colour from light grey to black, is
frequently banded, and has a radiating structure.

The polishing value of highly burned

has afterwards been finely ground and
which
clay,
levigated, is seldom properly appreciated, though
this material is used in a number of polishing
liquids instead of sand or other forms of silica.
Clay.

18

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

Bath bricks, which are made of a muddy deposit

from the River Parret at Bridgwater, have long
been known as excellent for rough polishing, and
a similar material when sufficiently finely ground is
used as an ingredient of high- class polishing fluids.
Very fine particles of burned clay have a much
and for the
greater polishing effect than rouge
final polish, raw clay of sufficient fineness, such as
china clay and some of the finer pipe clays, is
invaluable, as its particles are so minute that they
polish without scratching.
Alumina is closely allied to burned clay in its
The form of alumina used
polishing properties.
for this is red sludge, which is a by-product of some
importance, obtained in large quantities in the
manufacture of pure alumina from bauxite or
In addition to oxide of iron, it contains
clay.
;

small quantities of caustic alkalies or soda, all of

which have a cleansing influence. The wellwashed red sludge is dried, finely ground, and
sifted.
Owing to the manner of its production,
consists of very fine particles which, under some
conditions, are sufficiently angular to form an
excellent polishing agent and of much greater
it

power than rouge.

Pumice. This is an igneous rock which has been
cooled very rapidly from the molten state. It is
generally used in the form of powder, but pumice
blocks are also used.
Owing to its porous charit has a low specific gravity, and can therefore
be separated from some of the impurities present
by a process of flotation in water. Pumice requires
to be selected with care, as the felspar and other

acter

RAW MATERIALS

19

impurities present are usually harder than the

pumice and tend to scratch the articles which the

pumice is intended to polish.

Emery. Emery is a natural mineral consisting
of impure crystalline alumina (see corundum,
p. 21) mixed with about half its weight of black,
magnetic iron oxide.

This ingredient has

little

or

no cutting power and so reduces the abrasive

power of the mixture, but it is of value as a bond
in the manufacture of vitrified wheels.
The chief sources of emery are in the basins of
the Sarabat and Mender rivers in Turkey and on
the Isle of Naxos in Greece. In the United States,
the deposits at Chester (Mass), and Peekskill (N.Y.)
are also used.

The Grecian material

is

usually

the best.

Emery grains are very dark in colour (owing to

the black iron oxide present) and are tough and
durable. The chief impurities are tourmaline,
magnetite, and mica. The surface of the grains
so rough that they are retained very well by the
bond or adhesive. The specific gravity lies between
2-7 and 4-3, according to the proportion of impurities present, and the percentage of alumina varies
from as low as 10 to as high as 75 per cent, with
an average, for the material used in this country,
is

about 64 per cent, but the proportion of true

(crystalline alumina) present seldom
exceeds 50 per cent. Some users of abrasives fail
to understand that the difference between emery
and corundum is merely one of purity and not of
any essential difference in the nature of the
of

corundum

material.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

20

The

relative abrasive

powers

of different

samples

emery are best judged from the percenalumina present, and the appearance of

of crushed

tage of
the particles

when viewed through a microscope

of 75 diameters.
The
microscope readily shows the amount of angularity

under

magnification

of the grains, to

and

chiefly due,

which their abrasive action

it

also gives

some idea

is

of the

proportion of iron oxide and other materials of

low abrasive power.
If the particles in a sample of crushed emery
are rounded or have few sharp angles, the abrasive
will be low, whilst another sample in which
the grains are highly angular, but of very small
size, will be useless where coarser particles are
required.
Owing to the roughness of the particles

power
all

emery

is

sometimes preferred to more modern

abrasives as

it is

retained more firmly by the glue

it on to the cloth, etc., on

or cement used to hold

which

it is

applied to the articles to be polished.

Although the value of emery as an abrasive material

was known to the ancient Greeks, its use was very limited
prior to 1870, when means were discovered for producing
satisfactory artificial grinding stones from crushed emery
and a bonding agent. Since then emery has gradually
been displaced by artificially prepared materials which'
contain less impurities, and so have a better abrasive
action, are more uniform in action, and can be better
adjusted to the requirements of the user.
Notwithstanding the efficiency of many artificial
abrasives, natural emery still holds the field for grinding
some classes of steel castings and heavy malleable irons.
Emery wheels are relatively low in price and so are
popular among users who only employ them intermittently, and therefore are not concerned to use an
abrasive of the very highest efficiency at a correspondingly
high price.

RAW MATERIALS

21

Owing to the presence of the softer iron oxide, emery

leaves a finer finish than abrasives made of nearly pure
corundum or silicon carbide. This is important in some
precision work, such as gauge grinding.
Artificially-made emery wheels are largely used for
grinding wheat and oats and for polishing rice, as they have
been found to be superior to many of the wheels of natural
stone formerly used for these purposes.
Blocks or bricks made of coarse emery are used for
rubbing stone and metals, the finer grades of emery are
made into sharpening stones for knives, scythes, etc.
Emery powder is used for finishing bevels on plate glass,
lapping hardened steel, polishing gems, metals, edge tools,
parts of firearms, etc.

Corundum occurs as a natural

Corundum.
mineral composed almost wholly of crystalline
alumina and, though it is seldom quite pure, it
ought not to contain less than 96 per cent of
alumina.
Corundum is brownish-yellow to pale
in
colour, and the purest crystals are quite
yellow
transparent and almost colourless. The mineral
is worked in Eastern Ontario (Canada), in India,
and in small quantities in North Carolina and
but the superiorGeorgia, U.S.A., and elsewhere
and the fact
of
corundum
ity
artificially prepared
that, for most purposes, carborundum and other
;

cheaper and equally effective,

have prevented natural corundum from being as
widely used as it might otherwise have been.
Corundum occurs in syenite and peridotite
silicide abrasives are

(a) as massive blocks which, owing to their

hardness, are extremely difficult to break
(6) as
and (c) as
smaller masses of crystalline alumina

rocks

corundum sand.
with
it is

The material

is

often

mixed
and

felspar, hornblende, mica, garnet, etc.,

sometimes very

dum, when

pure,

is

difficult to purify it. Corunwholly abrasive and does not

22
"

rub

ABRASIVE MATERIALS
"

or

abrasives.

"

"
glaze

The

like

emery and other impure

corundum are much

particles of

lighter in colour than those of emery, the dark

colour of the latter being due to the iron oxide

present.

The

crystals

of

corundum

are of the

hexagonal system and they are sharper and more

angular than those of emery, and, being harder,
they remain sharp for a longer time. Corundum

no definite cleavage, but, in larger

masses, there are usually parting planes along
which the crystals fracture. Care should be taken
in selecting corundum that the parting planes
do not run through the small crystals used for
crystals possess

abrasive purposes or the particles may break

prematurely along these planes and the efficiency
of the material will be reduced.
The hardness of corundum for various sources
is about 9 on Mohs' scale (p. 76), i.e. that of the
sapphire, but the abrasive power of different

specimens of corundum varies greatly.

Neither emery nor natural corundum are so
uniform in angularity (sharpness) and hardness
as the artificially -prepared aluminous abrasives,
described on pp. 11 and 31.
Although corundum is a particularly good abrasive
where a hard material of great cutting power is required,
the carelessness and ignorance of some manufacturers of
grinding wheels, blocks, etc., made of corundum has led
to unfavourable opinions being formed by some users.
This is a matter of great regret, as in most of the cases
investigated by the author, the poor results obtained have
not been due to the corundum but to the manner in which
the wheels and blocks have been made.
The hardness and cutting power of natural corundum
(a) the use of true corundum and
depends chiefly on
not diaspore which has a similar chemical composition
:

RAW MATERIALS

23

but is a much softer material ; (6) the absence of notable

proportions of impurities, particularly lime compounds
and (c) the shape of the crystals, which indicates whether
;

they have been produced under suitable conditions. The

variations in the hardness of natural corundum are very
great, and range from a relative hardness of 58 (an
American specimen) to 94 (a Canadian corundum) and
100 (Indian sapphire, taken as a standard).

Sand. Quartz, which is one form of silica, is

one of the commonest and most widely distributed
minerals, and is the chief constituent of most
Its crystals are well defined, have no
sands.

marked
fracture.

cleavage, but break with a conchoidal

Its hardness number is 7 on Mohs'

and its specific gravity is 2-64.

As an abrasive, quartz is chiefly used

scale,

in the form
white sand, the individual grains of
which are seen to be glass-clean when examined
with a powerful lens.
Loose quartz is chiefly used as an abrasive for
of a sharp

polishing glass and for sawing stone, but it is also

employed in the form of glass-paper or sand-paper

smoothing wood, leather, etc. In the form of

it is used extensively in the
manufacture of grindstones, but sand which has
been mixed with a bond and made into grindstones is not satisfactory. Fine sand is one of
the chief ingredients used in the manufacture
for

natural sandstone

carbide abrasives, as described in

IV.
Chapter
Only those sands can be used for polishing and
abrasive purposes which consist of sharp grains
of almost pure silica.
Grains with rounded edges
possess little or no abrasive power, whilst those
of

silicon

containing
3

(5377)

much impurity soon have

their edges

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

24
coated

with the latter (which is usually of a

than the silica), and so cease to be

softer nature
useful.

Sands used for polishing and

also

consist

uniform

of

size,

fine grinding must

grains of as nearly as possible
or the surface will be unduly

scratched.

Sands for these purposes can best be valued by

examining them under the microscope, as by this
means the sizes of the grains may be seen, their
and if the
shape and general nature observed
microscope is provided with the necessary fittings,
;

the various minerals present may be identified

and their proportions determined with sufficient
accuracy.
"
"
is applied to a
Garnets. The term
garnet
the
essential
of
minerals,
composition of
group
which corresponds to the calcium alumino- silicate
Ca 2 Al 2 Si 3 O 12 though in some garnets the calcium
is replaced by iron or magnesium or the alumina
,

by chromium.
Garnets occur very extensively, but usually in
quantities too small to be of commercial value.
The chief sources at present are Spain (" Spanish
"
used for garnet cloth), India, and the
mineral
Adirondack mountains in the United States.
Garnets are softer than either emery or coruntheir hardness being between 6-3 and 7-5
on Mohs' scale. Their specific gravity varies from
3-3 to 44.
Garnets are not very suitable for the manufacture of grinding wheels but are highly satisfactory

dum,

when

fastened to cloth or other suitable support

RAW MATERIALS

25

of glue or cement, and used for smoothing

wood, etc.
Diamonds. The diamonds (including carbonado
and bort) used as an abrasive material are precisely

by means

the same as those regarded as precious gems,

except for flaws, discoloration, etc., which do not
detract appreciably from the abrasive qualities of
the material though they render it useless for
ornamental purposes.
The chief diamond mines are in South Africa,
but this mineral also occurs in India, Brazil, New
South Wales, Borneo, and British Guiana. Most
diamonds occur in a blue clay, but carbonado or
black Brazilian diamonds occur in gravel.
Diamonds crystallize in the cubic system and
when perfect in shape they take the form of a
double pyramid or octahedron. The fracture is
conchoidal. cleavage occurring along planes parallel
to the faces of the crystal. The true diamond is

the hardest substance known, and is indicated by

the figure 10 on Mohs' scale. Its specific gravity
is 3-5.
Carbonado has a rather lower specific
it has no true
gravity than other diamonds
and
breaks
with
a
granular fracture
cleavage
"
"
and its colour ranges from water clear through
;

brown to black, yellow diamonds being found in

the largest numbers.
In use, the diamonds are mounted on the
circumference of a wheel made of copper or cast
iron, so that they project like the teeth of a circular
saw. Occasionally they are mounted on a metal
slide which is moved to and fro by means of a
crank or other reciprocating mechanism.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

26

CONSTITUENTS OF ARTIFICIALLY
PREPARED ABRASIVES
The principal ingredients used in the manufacture of artificial abrasives (see also Chapter III)
are as follows
Angular

Grit.

See Crushed Steel, p. 11.

natural aluminium hydroxide

first found
around Les Beaux in South of France is a
which is light yellow or buff when pure, and
deep red when seriously contaminated with iron oxide.

Bauxite.

in the hills
soft earth
It

occurs extensively in Ireland, Australia, France,

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Africa, India, and in

the United States. It is also a by-product from some
chemical works. Bauxite is almost destitute of abrasive
power, and can only be used for this purpose after it has
been fused and allowed to cool slowly, whereby crystals
of corundum are formed.
Coke is used in the manufacture of the silicon carbide
In itself it is almost destitute of abrasive
abrasives.

power.
Green

vitriol, or ferrous sulphate, is used in the manufacture of rouge and crocus martis.
Salt (sodium chloride) is added to the materials used in
the manufacture of silicon carbide abrasives in order to
convert any iron, etc., present into chlorides which are
volatilized at the high temperature attained in the electric
Salt thus acts as a valuable purifying agent.
furnace.
Sand is chiefly used in the manufacture of the
silicon carbide abrasives (p. 34).

Sawdust is used in the manufacture of silicon carbide

abrasives, it being added to the mixture of coke and sand
to make the mass porous and thereby permit the escape
of the gases generated during the process.
Silt from the River Parret, in Somerset, is moulded into
small bricks which are dried, burned and sold as Bath
bricks. Some people prefer to use the powder formed by
grinding broken Bath bricks.
Various materials are sometimes used as a source of
abrasives for polishing and cleaning purposes. Their
composition is unimportant provided they possess the
desired physical properties and can be readily freed from
Thus, finely granulated slags
objectionable constituents

RAW MATERIALS
and the waste products

27

of various industries are largely

used as abrasives in certain soaps and cleaning agents.

BINDING MATERIALS
In the manufacture of abrasive blocks, wheels,
and cylinders it is often necessary to bind the

by means of a suitThe bonds used are of five types

particles of abrasive material

able adhesive.
(i)

Glues or cements such as those used for

abrasive paper and cloth.

The glues and cements used as binding agents should be
if inferior ones are used, the abrasive
of good quality
is liable to break away without working efficiently.
;

(ii)

Elastic bonds, such as celluloid, rubber or

vulcanite, asphaltum, tanite or shellac.

As in the case of glues and cements, the bond must be
of good quality to prevent the abrasive from breaking
away prematurely. Shellac may be improved by melting,
skimming, cooling, and then breaking it into lumps. It
is next ground to fine powder and is then ready for use.
(iii)

Silicate

bonds, chiefly water-glass

(silicate

of soda).

The water-glass used

is

a thick viscous liquid, the value

is the

which depends on its specific gravity, which

simplest measure of the sodium silicate present.
of

Rock

composition to water-glass but contains only a small proportion of water.

As it must be
dissolved in water before use, there is little or no advantage
in using it instead of water-glass, and the latter is much
silicate is similar in

cheaper.
(iv) Hydrous cements, such as Portland cement
and Sorel cement.

Portland cement

not satisfactory as a binding agent

and its use has now been abandoned
except by a few experimenters.
is

for abrasive materials,

cement (made of magnesia and magnesium

and a similar cement made of zinc oxide and
phosphoric acid have been used. They enable grinding
Sorel

chloride)

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

28

wheels and the like to be made very cheaply, but the

products are unreliable and for that reason should not
be used except under such conditions as are free from all
risk to the user.
In such cases, the bond should be made of the bestmaterials, as undue striving after cheapness may have
disastrous results.
(v) Vitrified

bonds composed

of fusible clays,

mixtures of felspar and china clay, or mixtures

resembling hard paste porcelain.
Vitrified bonds are seldom made of a single material,
though some fusible clays have been used satisfactorily
More often, such bonds are composed
for this purpose.
of a mixture of china clay, felspar, flint, and whiting,
with or without the addition of ground glass or enamel.
Under normal conditions glass and enamel do not produce
good bonds as, when melted, they are too fluid and,
when solid, they are too sensitive to sudden changes in

temperature.
The simplest vitrified bonding material is a natural clay
No precisely
occurring near Klingenberg, Germany.
Where
similar clay has been found in the British Isles.
the bond consists wholly of a single clay the latter must
melt completely to a slag-like material at or below
C.
It is often stated in articles

1,400

on abrasive wheels that

refractory clays, such as kaolins or china clays, are used
as bonds. This is incorrect, as such clays are too
infusible
they may, however, be mixed with felspar and
;

a very good bond be thereby produced.

Felspar a complex mineral silicate fusing at 1,300 C.
is sometimes used alone as a vitrified bond, but it lacks
viscosity and toughness unless clay is mixed with it.
Hard paste porcelains are made of mixtures of finely
ground felspar, flint, and china clay. A typical composiand flint, 25
tion is
felspar, 25 parts
clay, 50 parts
By modifying the proportions of these ingredients,
parts.
bonds of varying hardness, toughness, and fusibility may
be prepared. As the particles of abrasive should be
completely covered with the bonding particles, and the
proportion of the latter should be as low as possible as
the bond has very little abrasive power it is essential
that the binding material should be finely ground. The
various ingredients should be ground together until the
:

RAW MATERIALS

29

will pass completely through a sieve having

100 holes per linear inch.
The production of a wholly satisfactory vitrified bond
As abrasive
is a matter requiring great care and skill.
tools are required for so many different purposes, the
manufacturers have to produce them in many grades,
each of which has a different proportion of bond or a

mixture

different

bonding agent.

of bonding material must

be so chosen that the abrasive article has the desired
hardness, and that, in use, it maintains its abrasive
"
on account of an excess of
character without " glazing
bond, or wearing away too rapidly and irregularly because
an insufficient amount of bond, or a bond of unsuitable
nature, has been used.
The precise proportions depend so much on many minute
details connected with the manufacture that recipes
would be out of place in this primer. Roughly, about
10 per cent of bond is used, but, as already stated, the
actual proportion varies within somewhat wide limits.
It may be as low as 5 per cent and as high as 25 per cent.
A good vitrified bond should not melt below Seger cone
8 (1,250 C.)
when molten it should be a thick viscid

The nature and proportion

fluid

which

solidifies

on cooling to a tough glassy mass

of great strength, not very brittle and not readily affected

by sudden changes in temperature. If the bonds melt
at too low a temperature the articles in which it is used
If the
will be blistered and irregular in composition.
molten bond is too fluid the articles will warp unduly

during the

firing.

other binding materials have been tried,

but they have been found to be unsuitable as the
conditions under which grinding wheels, etc., are
used are very severe and require a bond of

Many

exceptional strength.
Each of the five types of bond, mentioned above,

has

advantages for particular purposes

bonds are regarded as the most
scientific and efficient, as in them the binding
material employed is in itself a fairly good abrasive,
whereas, with other bonds, substances are employed
its special

but the

vitrified

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

30

which are decidedly injurious to the wheel,

some cases causing a gumming or glazing, and

in

in

others a softening when exposed to moisture.

Among the advantages claimed for wheels with

bond are ability to cut faster and more

do more work, and to hold their shape
better than wheels with glutinous cement or bond.
The vitrified bond is of the nature of a hard
porcelain, and the wheel has relatively less weight
than any other kind of wheel, and is less liable to
burst.
A wheel with a vitrified bond can be hard
or soft, and of any degree of fineness or coarseness
desired to adapt it to every kind of work
it can
be run equally well wet or dry, and successfully
vitrified

freely, to

resists

the action of either

oils

CHAPTER

or acids.

III

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

THE

preparation of abrasive materials consists

essentially of either four or five stages according

as the materials employed occur in Nature or have

to be

made

artificially.

In the latter case, the

five stages are

(1) Production of the abrasive material from
other substances.
(2) Crushing the abrasive.
(3) Cleaning the abrasive to free it from adherent

impurities.
(4)
(5)

Grinding the abrasive.

Grading or sorting the abrasive material into

particles of suitable sizes.

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

"

In the case of emery and other

abrasives the

first of

these stages

is

31

natural

"

omitted.

PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL
ABRASIVES
As the present volume

is

a primer, the

full

methods

of producing various
abrasive materials are not described in the followdetails of the various

ing pages, but sufficient information is presented

to give the reader an intelligent grasp of the

For the same reason, only a limited

number of abrasive materials has been selected,
and the production of such materials as whiting,
lime, and other substances which are common
subject.

commodities or by-products from other industries

is not described.

As previously stated (pp. 10, 14, 26), artificial

abrasives are chiefly of two kinds
(a) those
:

which consist chiefly of fused alumina, typified by

alundum and (6) those which consist chiefly of
silicon carbide and are popularly known as carborundum, though this word is strictly a trade-mark
belonging to one particular firm.
Preparation of Re-crystallized Alumina. Artificially-fused re-crystallized alumina or corundum is
;

made by
emery |

calcined*

fusing

(p. 19) in

an

electric

bauxite (p. 26) or

furnace of the arc

type using carbon electrodes.

* Calcination at a red heat
decomposes the hydrous
alumina and drives off the water thus liberated at a much
lower cost than if the raw bauxite were placed directly

in the electric furnace.

with

When emery
it

state.

is used, charcoal or coke must be mixed

so as to reduce any iron compounds to the metallic

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

32

The process is simple, yet by no means easy to

work profitably, on account of the very powerful
electric currents employed and the exceedingly
high temperatures to be attained (far above that
required in steel manufacture).
The furnace consists of a square or circular

chamber which may be

built of firebricks, or

made

of sheet iron, lined with graphite or coke dust,

which is kept cool by water flowing over it. In

the latter case, the chamber must be large and the

part of the charge of bauxite nearest the walls
In the centre of the chamber
acts as a container.
are

two carbon

current

electrodes or rods which carry the

mounted on rack-work in such

they are

a manner that the lower end of one rod can be

made to touch that of the other or can be kept at

any desired distance from it.

At the bottom of the chamber is placed several
pounds of iron or steel turnings and the two lower
ends of the electrodes are brought into contact
with these. If the current is then switched on an
is formed and the iron is rapidly melted.
Before complete fusion occurs, bauxite is shovelled
into the furnace in small quantities at a time
and at such a rate as to make the best use of the
heat developed by the electric arc. When the
temperature of the bauxite is about 2,200 C. it
melts and, owing to the highly reducing action of
the arc flame., any iron compounds present are
reduced to the metallic state. As fusion proceeds,
the material becomes so intensely hot that most
of the silica is volatilized and so escapes.
Finally
the metallic iron settles to the bottom of the

arc

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

33

furnace, the molten alumina occupies a central

position with a light slag, due to various impurities,

above it, and unfused bauxite all around. From

time to time, the molten iron may be run off, but
with an almost pure bauxite there will not be
When no more
sufficient iron to permit this.
alumina can be fused in the furnace, the current
is switched off and the furnace is allowed to cool.
The current is usually alternating and the
consumption may be 300 A at 1 10 V, but for
the larger furnaces 6,000 A at 100-200 V are
used.

When

cold,

the contents of the furnace are

removed and sorted according to their various

natures, the central mass of re -crystallized fused
alumina being the desired product.
In order to obtain a satisfactory abrasive
material, large furnaces must be employed, and
at the Norton Company's works masses of corundum each weighing five tons or more are regularly
obtained. When such large masses are cooled
they develop cleavage planes, and by splitting the
mass along these, the crushing is facilitated. In
the best type of furnace, the hearth can be lowered
gradually during the fusion, and by this means a
much larger quantity of alumina can be fused
than when a fixed hearth is used.

The more slowly the product cools, the better are

the crystals and the greater the toughness and
abrasive power of the product. Hence, by regulating the temperature and rate of heating and
cooling, the hardness and toughness of the mass
and the angularity of the particles formed when

34

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

crushed can be varied. By this means a

"
"
is secured.
product with different
tempers
An alternative method patented by G. Dollner
in 1897
consists in igniting a mixture of metallic
aluminium with various oxides, whereby the
product attains so high a temperature that partial
fusion of the resultant alumina occurs. A product
formed in a modification of this process is known
as corubin, which is picked out of the slag produced
in the manufacture of metallic chromium by the
it

is

Goldschmidt Thermit process.

Preparation of Carbide Abrasives. Silicon carbide

(carborundum, etc.) is made by heating a mixture of

sand, crushed coke, sawdust, and salt in an electric
furnace.* In the centre is a core of granular coke,
and around it is placed the mixture of materials
to be heated. When the current is switched on,
it passes through the carbon core, which offers
such a resistance that it becomes intensely hot,
thereby heating the coke-silica mixture sufficiently
to reduce the silica to silicon and cause it to combine with the carbon. The sawdust rapidly chars
and is converted into wood charcoal which combines with some of the silicon. The gases evolved
from the charring sawdust keep the whole mass
very porous and facilitate the process of carbide
formation. The salt fuses at an early stage
of the heating and assists in the formation of
glassy or slag-like materials which flow down-

wards and tend to carry the

them.

impurities

with

* See also The Electric

Furnace, by F. J. Moffett,
uniform with this volume (Pitman, 2s. 6d. net).

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

35

Owing to the intensely reducing conditions, any

compounds present are reduced to the metallic
state and some of the silica and impurities are
iron

volatilized.

In this process, the contents of the furnace are

not fused directly, but the heat resulting from the
combination of the carbon and silicon is sufficient
to form crystals of the carbide which is required
as an abrasive.
In order to produce crystals of
good quality and size it is necessary to use very
large furnaces and to occupy about 36 hours
"
for each
run." The consumption of electricity
the supply is
averages about 70,000 h.p.-hr.
initially 6,000 A at 190 V, but after about 4 hours
running, the voltage may be reduced to about
125 V. The temperature attained is estimated at
over 3,000 C.
some of the published figures
relating to the temperature reached are little more
"
than wild guesses.'*
When it is judged that the contents of the furnace
have been heated sufficiently, the current is
switched off and the furnace is allowed to cool.
The contents are then removed carefully, each
;

product being kept separate.

The colour

of carborundum crystals varies from

dark brown, and pale green to various
shades of blue and purple, so that a mass of them
presents a beautiful and striking appearance. The
colour appears to be due solely to the state of

black,

oxidation of some of the impurities in the material

and is of no commercial importance. The idea
that the pale green crystals form the best
abrasive has been shown to be incorrect.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

36

CRUSHING ABRASIVE MATERIALS

Natural abrasives, like emery and corundum
artificial ones made in the electric furnace,
are obtained in large masses, some of which weigh

and

several tons each.

size

for

To reduce these

to a convenient

grinding and

cleansing, very powerful

crushing machines are employed. The masses are
first examined by a skilled workman who chops
off any obvious impurities, and by paying due
attention to the cleavage planes of the mass he is
able to break it by heavy blows from a sledgehammer. These pieces are then reduced to a
smaller size by means of a power-driven crusher.

Two
(i)

types of crusher are in common use, viz.

Jaw-crushers, in which the material is passed

between two plates or jaws of specially hardened

manganese steel, one of these jaws being fixed and
the other having a slight to-and-fro motion. A
powerful flywheel stores up energy during its
rotation and delivers it to
t^ejasyoying jaw, thereby
applying a very powerful pressure to the material
to be crushed.
(ii)
Gyratory crushers, in which the material
falls

between two cones, one

of

which rotates

rapidly.

As

abrasive materials are extremely hard and

a series of crushing machines is

sometimes employed, the material passing through
difficult to crush,

each of these in turn. The cost of repairing the

machines is heavy for they must be kept in
good working order, or the waste of power is
enormous.

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

37

CLEANSING ABRASIVE MATERIALS

Both natural and artificial abrasive materials
must usually be separated from adherent impuri"
ties
this is known as
cleaning," and it may
;

be effected either before or after crushing, or the

material may be cleaned, then crushed and
cleaned again, according to the nature of the
material and of the impurities present.
Cleaning Aluminous Abrasives.
Corundum,
emery, and other aluminous abrasives are usually
cleaned by passing the coarsely crushed material

over magnetic separators and then over classifying

tables similar to those used in other metal-mining
industries. The essential principle underlying the
cleaning process is that if a mixture of substances
of different specific gravities is subjected to the
action of a current of water flowing at a carefully
regulated rate, the solid particles being kept
separate by vibration or other simple means, the
"
"
light
particles will be carried away by the
water whilst the heavier ones settle and remain
behind. The older process of washing the material
in a stream of water was not efficient enough for
modern requirements, but various improvements
which have been made in it result in a very
well-cleaned product.

As corundum crystals have smooth edges to

which the binding material used in grinding- wheel
manufacture does not readily adhere, the crushed
crystals are sometimes subjected to a further
cleaning process, which consists in heating them
to a temperature of about 600 C. in sodium or
potassium hydrogen sulphate (" nitre cake ")

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

38

which has a powerful corrosive and solvent action

on the corundum and on its impurities, the former
being thereby roughened and the latter removed
by solution. After this heating, the particles are
washed thoroughly with water and are then dried.
Cleaning Carbide Abrasives. Carborundum and
other carbide abrasives are crushed to a coarse

powder and washed with strong sulphuric acid

which dissolves any adherent iron oxide. The
crystals are next washed thoroughly with water
and then dried.
Cleaning Powders by Elutriation. Pumice, rouge,
and other abrasive powders are cleaned by a
process known as elutriation, which consists in
subjecting them to a stream of water the rate of
flow of which is carefully regulated so as to carry
off

the particles required for use, whilst the largest

and coarsest particles sink and remain behind.

The water containing the very finest particles is
run into large vats where it remains stationary
for several days (or weeks) until the particles have
settled
the clear water is then run off and the
residue dried ready for use. The process is slow,
tedious and by no means as satisfactory as could
;

be desired.

Recent improvements in centrifugal

shown that these appliances afford

a superior means of cleaning fine abrasive powders,
but their use commercially for this purpose has
only just begun. The employment of centrifugal
separators for removing water from larger particles
has long been known.
separators* have

* See also
Filtration, by T. Roland Wollaston, uniform
with this volume (Pitman, 2s. 6d. net).

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

39

GRINDING ABRASIVE MATERIALS

The crushed abrasive material must usually be
reduced to powder before it is fit for use, though
some abrasives, such as diamond, corundum, and
carborundum, are employed in the form
J

in.

or

more

in diameter.

of particles

The crushing

is

usually

effected in edge-runner mills, which consist of a

circular pan with a bottom of hard manganese

surmounted by a pair of vertical grinding

wheels, the rims or tyres of which are also made of
hard steel. The material is placed on the pan

steel

and the grinding wheels or runners reduce

it

to

pass the uncrushed

material beneath the grinding w^heels and take the
crushed material to a perforated part of the pan
"
"
through which it falls into a well beneath. By

powder,

whilst

scrapers

means, the material is removed from the mill

In
it has been ground sufficiently fine.
most grinding mills of this type used for abrasive
materials, the pan is stationary and the runners
are mounted on a horizontal shaft attached to a
vertical one which is rotated by a crown wheel
and pinion, so that the runners follow each other
around the pan. An equal output is obtained
with the expenditure of less power by making the
pan revolve and mounting the runners on a fixed

this

as soon as

shaft,

and these " revolving pan

replacing the

older

"

mills

chaser mills

"

"

in

are

now

modern

works.

powders, ball- and tube-mills are

These consist of a revolving drum
containing the material to be ground and also a
large quantity of steel balls or globular masses of

For the

also used.

(5377)

finest

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

40

As the drum revolves these masses are

and then fall, beating the material beneath

abrasive.
lifted

them

until it is reduced to fine powder.

In a well-designed crushing plant, a series
mills is used, a jaw- crusher being employed
reduce the material to pieces 2 in. and less
diameter, edge-runner mills to reduce it to

of

to
in

moderately coarse powder, and either enclosed

edge-runner mills or ball- or tube-mills to reduce it
to a fine powder.
Various other types of grinding
mill are used in some works, but they are not extensively

employed

Diamond

for grinding abrasive materials.

"
"

bort
prepared by crushing
the bort being very brittle and
readily reduced to powder by repeated blows.
dust

is

in a small mortar

The product is graded by stirring it with oil and

pouring off the latter after ten minutes, and
repeating the treatment with gradually increasing
The following grades of diamond dust
intervals.
are thus produced
After 5 minutes' settlement
10
30
1 hour's

Grade No.

2
10

Remainder

GRADING ABRASIVE MATERIALS

The process of separating a ground abrasive
material into particles of various sizes is known as
grading, but the size of any given particle is known
as its grit. The use of the word grade, to indicate
the degree of hardness of a block or wheel made
of abrasive material

is

liable to lead to confusion,

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

but it is too well established in the trade for
be lightly abolished.

41
it

to

Grading by Screens. The process of sizing or

grading is necessary in order that the abrasive
may be really suitable for the purpose for which
it is to be used.
For all but the finest abrasives
("flours"), grading is effected by a series of
riddles, sieves or screens, the coarse and medium
screens being made of perforated steel or phosphor

bronze gauze, whilst the finest are

made

of silk.

With

recent improvements in making fine bronze

gauze, the use of silk lawns is rapidly diminishing.
The screens are usually in the form of long
troughs, the bottom of which is made of perforated
sheet or gauze. The material is placed at the

upper end and flows down the screen, the fine

particles passing through and the coarse ones
passing away over the lower end. The apertures
in the screen vary from six meshes to 200 meshes
per linear inch, twenty grades of abrasive being

produced. These are distinguished by the number

of the screen to which they correspond, the screens
being numbered according to the number of
apertures or meshes per linear inch, viz.,

6, 8, 10,

12, 14, 16, 20, 24, 30, 36, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90,

100, 120, 150, 180, 200.

Thus, a No. 24 abrasive is one the grains of

which have passed through a 24-mesh screen, but
are too large to pass through the next finer screen,
which has 30 holes to the linear inch.
The standard for screens which is usually
that of the Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy, which specifies that the diameter of

adopted

is

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

42

the wires forming the screen must be exactly

equal to that of the aperture. Unless the size of
"
the wires is specified, the
number " of the screen
has no definite value, and the results from nonstandardized screens are not comparable. If such
a screen is made of coarse wire, the particles will
whereas if thin wires are used, larger
be fine
will
particles
pass through the screen for the same
number of meshes per linear inch. It should be
observed that the size of the largest particles of a
"
"
or mesh is slightly less than that
given
grit
of the aperture in the screen.
If the standard
screens mentioned above are used, the reciprocal
of the number of the mesh is twice the diameter
of the largest particle,* because the aperture and
the wires are of equal diameter. If other screens
are used, the size of the particles cannot be stated
unless the size of the aperture is correctly known.
Revolving, vibrating and various other types of
screen are used, but these additions are intended
merely to increase the output and do not affect
the general principle on which the screens work.
In order to separate the abrasive material into
the desired series of sizes or grades a correspondThe
ing number of screens must be used.
product should be tested frequently as the screens
wear rapidly and then do not serve their purpose.
Grading by Sedimentation. It is not practicable
to use finer screens than those with 200 meshes
per linear inch, so that in order to separate the
;

= 2A(oT2AN=l), where N= the " number "

screen and A = the diameter of each aperture.

i.e.

of the

PREPARATION OF ABRASIVE MATERIALS

43

grades of abrasives usually known as

flour" and designated by letters, ciphers or
numbers, such as F, FF, FFF, and FFFF, or
a process of elutriation is
0, 00, 000, and 0000
employed. Some of the flours are known by
numbers which indicate the time they require to
thus a 60-minute
settle when suspended in water
is
one
which
has
settled
out
of suspension
powder
in 60 minutes.
Unfortunately, this designation
gives no real clue to the size of the particles unless
the depth of the liquid in the settling tank is
known. Usually it is about 3 ft.
In the process of elutriation, the powder is stirred
violently with water, to which a little soda is
sometimes added, and it is then either (i) allowed
to settle for a few minutes after which it is poured
off and allowed to settle for a further period, run
off again, and again allowed to settle, the process
being continued indefinitely as the particles of
various grades are collected in the various vessels
or (ii) the abrasive, suspended in water, is allowed
to flow slowly through a series of tanks, each one
in the series being of greater diameter than the
preceding one. By this means the rate of flow of
the liquid is reduced progressively and the particles
of abrasive are deposited according to the rate of
flow and their own size.
finest

"

The

residues in the various vessels are collected

and are then ready for use. The

times of sedimentation or the rate of flow must be
controlled carefully and the vessels must always
be of the correct size, or the grading will be
irregular, as it depends wholly on the rate at which
separately, dried,

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

44

particles of any given size will settle out of suspension and this rate depends on the depth of the

on the rate

settling vessel or

through

of flow of the

water

it.

Whereas emery can be graded most satisfactorily by

elutriation or decantation with water, these processes cannot
be used for the finest grains of carborundum flour as this
material, when beyond a certain fineness, entangles air
to such an extent that a certain amount of coarse powder

among the finest particles. If alcohol is

substituted for water a much better separation is effected.
The makers supply grits which are quite satisfactory
thus, the 15M, 30M, and 100M flours
except the finest
(to take the last degrees of fineness) are very satisfactory
so far as they go ; but 100M is hardly fine enough for the

persists

grinding of a first-class speculum. Examination of

these fine flours under a microscope reveals at once the
extraordinary uniformity in size of grain in each separate
grit and reflects credit on the care of the makers in the
process of grading, but the finest grit of all (100M) has a
final

different appearance.

The grains

do not seem to be much

finer

of which it is composed
than those in the previous

fraction (30M) ; there is less uniformity of size, and there

present, mixed with the coarser 30M particles, a quantity
of dust which is very fine indeed, so fine that a 1 in.
objective only shows it as consisting of shapeless dots.
If this material could be separated, it should prove to
be a very fine finishing powder, but it is a most elusive
material, and it does not appear to obey the ordinary
laws of sedimentation. It is probably somewhat colloidal
in character and partakes more of the nature of minute
particles of mineral jelly than of what are commonly
regarded as solid particles. This material has never been
fully investigated, and as the subject of colloidal particles
is too large to be discussed in this primer, it must suffice
merely to indicate that it is probably colloidal in
character.
is

There is no wholly satisfactory method of separating

from the coarser (but still very fine) particles with
which it is associated, though minute quantities may be
obtained by shaking up 100M flour with alcohol in a tall
bottle, allowing it to stand for several days, pouring off
the liquid, and scraping off the extreme surface of the
sediment with a strip of metal. Even then, some of the
it

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,

ETC.

45

coarser powder is always included and the quantity of

the finest material obtained is not sufficient to enable the
process to be used commercially.

Grading by Air Current. The finest particles of

abrasive and mica, etc., are sometimes separated
at an early stage in the screening by dropping the
material into a funnel through which a regulated
current of air

passed. The air

and the coarser ones

is

carries off the

settle and pass

out through trap doors.
The action of such a device is often improved by
inserting a revolving disc on to which the material falls,
prior to separation, and one or more fans which ensure
finest particles,

the uniform motion of the air through the

"

air-separator."

The graded material is dried, if

necessary, and placed in bags, each holding about
100 Ib. of material and clearly marked to show
the nature and grade of the contents, or it may be
stored in bins until required for use.
In some
Packing.

works, the materials from the first series of grading

"
operations are sent to a "finishing
department,
where materials from different sources or furnaces
are mixed and re-graded so as to give a more
uniform material and prevent any mistakes made
in the first grading from damaging the final product.

CHAPTER IV
MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,
WHEELS, ETC.

THE manufacture

of

abrasive

blocks,

stones, sharpeners, grinding wheels, etc.,

a very important industry.

Such

articles

rubbing
is now
may be

46

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

produced either by cutting or turning natural

blocks of material to the desired shape, or. by
mixing graded particles of abrasive material with
a suitable binding agent, moulding the mixture
to the required shape, and fixing the binder by
baking or other suitable treatment.
Skilled
blocks.

masons are required to shape natural

The process is costly and not wholly
so

satisfactory

that,

artificial abrasives, it

with the introduction of

has become more common

produce the desired

Large grinding wheels (5
to

are

still

made

articles
ft.

or

by moulding.
more in diameter)

of natural stone as it

is,

at present,

impossible to rely on moulded wheels of more

than 4 ft. 6 in. diameter except for a few special
purposes.

Notwithstanding the amount of labour involved

in cutting wheels and blocks of natural stone, they
are usually cheaper than artificial ones in first

but when the cost of mounting and dressing,

of working are taken into
consideration the apparently cheap natural stones
cost,

and the slow speed

are generally the

The

more
"

so-called

costly.

artificial

"

grinding

wheels,

blocks, etc., are chiefly made from carefully graded,

abrasive materials by the use of one of four types
of bonding agents

viz., rubber, shellac, silicate,

bonds, the first two being sometimes
as elastic bonds.

and

vitrified

also

known

Some

moulded grinding wheels were made

emery and Sorel cement (a mixture of
magnesia and magnesium chloride) in the proportion of
15 to 20 per cent of the cement and 80 to 85 per cent of
the abrasive. The materials are mixed with water to
of the first

of a mixture of

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,

ETC.

47

form a soft paste and this is shaped by placing it in iron

moulds and tamping it lightly. Heavy pressure is conThe moulded
sidered unnecessary or even harmful.
articles are exposed to the air for two or three days, after
which they are turned true to shape and then allowed
to stand for a week or more to complete the hardening.
On account of the low cost of manufacture, such wheels
ar,e still made, though in diminishing quantities, as they
are seriously affected by water, and so cannot be used for
wet grinding. Moreover, they are not so reliable as
wheels made with a rubber, shellac, silicate or vitrified

bond.

Rubber-Bonded Wheels.

In the manufacture of

wheels, graded abrasive and carefully

selected crude rubber in small pieces are mixed

these

and the mixture is passed between

a pair of steam-heated rolls so as to form a ribbon.
This ribbon is passed through successive pairs of
rolls until the abrasive is thoroughly embedded in
the rubber and the final ribbon is then laid on a
table and discs or other shapes are cut out^Sf it
with a cutting tool similar to that used by pastry
cooks, or with a sharp knife.
Some manufacturers mix the rubber with oil
or other solvent and heat the mixture until a
"
"
solution
is
obtained. The liquid is then
allowed to cool somewhat and is mixed with flowers
of sulphur or other vulcanizing agent, a little
colouring matter being sometimes added. This
binding material and the abrasive are then thoroughly mixed in a steam-heated mixer so as to
form a sticky paste which must be moulded whilst
still warm.
The moulding is effected in the same
manner as with vitrified wheels, but the pressure
is greater (about 2,800 Ib. per sq. in.) and must be
maintained for several minutes.
For smaller

in a dry state,

48

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

may be passed between rolls and

cut out, as previously described. The moulded or
cut-out article is placed in a metal case (weighted,
if necessary, to
prevent warping), and is then
vulcanized by heating it in a suitable stove at
articles the paste

about 150 C. for 24 hrs., whereby the soft rubber

converted into hard vulcanite. The heating
may be effected by coal, gas or electricity, and
some makers prefer steam at a pressure of about
90 Ib. per sq. in.
The baked articles are allowed to cool and, in
the case of wheels, are then turned true to shape
with a diamond dressing tool.
These are made by
Shellac-Bonded Wheels.
mixing the abrasive powder with finely -ground
shellac in a dry state, and transferring the mixture
to a hot mould where it is subjected to pressure.
The heating is continued until the shellac has
melted sufficiently to unite the particles of abrasive.
The pressure is then released and the articles are
baked in an oven at a slightly higher temperature
is

so as to complete the bonding process.

For small articles the cold mixture of abrasive

and shellac is sometimes placed in an iron mould

and tamped, rolled or compressed with an iron-shod
tool.
The very fragile articles are then baked at a
sufficient to make the shellac
the
viscous,
heating being continued as long as is
considered necessary.

temperature just

The proportion of bond required is usually

from 5 to 7 per cent of the weight of the
abrasive, but larger proportions are sometimes
employed.

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,

ETC.

49

In some cases the binding agent does not consist of

"
boiled linseed oil," to which a varnish
shellac but of
resin or gum has been added so as to produce a sufficiently
viscous mixture. Rubber and flowers of sulphur are
sometimes added for the same purpose. The materials
are mixed so as to form a paste which may then be passed
between rolls so as to produce a ribbon which is afterwards
cut into wheels, or the mass may be shaped in moulds.
The binding agent is hardened by baking the articles for
about 12 hrs. at 120 C., allowing them to cool down
during the night and then reheating at 170-180 C. for
a further 12 hrs. The time and temperature must
naturally vary according to the binding agents used.

The great advantage

bonds

is

of shellac over all other

the elasticity which

wheels in which

it is

it

imparts to the

used.

As the name implies, silicate

Silicate Wheels.
wheels are made by using a bonding material
composed of" silicate of soda in the form of water"
"
or
rock- silicate." They
the abrasive and silicate with
water, placing the wet pasty mixture in an iron
mould, and tamping or compressing it. For some
unknown reason, mechanical tamping does not
appear to be satisfactory.
Silicate wheels made by the dry process or
glass or of

are

crystal-

made by mixing

under great pressure have not proved to be so

sound as those made by hand from a soft paste.
The wheels are dried and are afterwards baked
at a dull red heat.
This process of manufacture
is
specially used for grinding- wheels more than
30 in. diameter, which are very difficult to make
with a vitrified bond.
More recently the Carborundum Company has
patented the use of a mixture of abrasive with
sodium silicate and zinc oxide as bond. The

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

50
materials are
in iron

made

into a paste, which

is

shaped

moulds and the

articles, after drying, are

temperature sufficient to fuse

heated in a kiln to a
the silicate of soda and cause the formation of an
insoluble double silicate of sodium and zinc.
The
is
from
850
to
firing temperature
preferably

1,100C.

silicate bond is used largely by small firms engaged

in the manufacture of abrasives, as it requires comparatively little machinery, and is free from most of the
difficulties involved in the manufacture of vitrified
articles.
As the baking temperature for silicate wheels
is quite low, impure abrasives (which would fuse at the
temperature required to bake vitrified wheels) can be

used satisfactorily with a silicate bond. Abrasive wheels,

made with a silicate bond can be made and finished
in a few days, whereas wheels with vitrified bonds require
several months.
Silicate-bonded wheels can be made of
any size. The harder grades of silicate wheels are less
than vitrified wheels of the same grades,
but the softer grades cut very freely. Silicate wheels
are very close in texture and are chiefly used for wet
grinding, as they are not readily affected by water.
etc.,

For this type of wheel the

mixed with clay, felspar or other
binding agent, which forms a vitrified or glassy
mass when heated. The maker weighs out a suitVitrified

abrasive

Wheels.

is

able quantity of abrasive, selecting the materials

so that its particles are of suitable diameter (i.e.
"
of suitable
grit ") and, if necessary, mixing
material of various sizes in suitable proportions.
To the abrasive is added a suitable (weighed)
proportion of bonding agent and usually a meas-

quantity of water. A little water-glass

(sodium silicate) is sometimes added to the water
so as to form a bond prior to the articles being
burned. These materials are then thoroughly

ured

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,

ETC.

51

mixed in a power-driven mixer. The mixture is

shaped in moulds usually under pressure and
the resulting articles are dried and burned. When
cool, they are dressed accurately to shape and the
"
"
before
balanced
larger ones are carefully

being sold.
MIXING AND MOTH-DING. Three methods of mixing and
moulding the materials are employed
(i) Dry mixing, in which little or no water is used and
the damp powder is shaped by the application of great
The mixing is effected in a
pressure to the mould.
tumbler or cylinder mill, the moulds are filled with the
powder, which is then subjected to a hydraulic pressure
of 2 tons per sq. in.
Abrasive articles made by the dry
process are compact but not necessarily hard, and there
is always a tendency for the pressure to have been
distributed

process

is

unevenly (owing to entrapped air). This

used chiefly where dense articles of moderate

toughness are required.

(ii) Wet mixing, in which sufficient water is used to
"
"
which is placed in a
produce a soft paste or
slop
mould and tamped with a hand-tool or rammer. This
"
process is sometimes known as
puddling." The paste
must not be too soft or the articles made from it will be
difficult to draw from the moulds, will break too easily,
and will be of irregular density and so will easily damage
the edge tools to which they may be applied. The paste
is placed in an iron or steel mould and the latter is then
dried slowly in a steam-heated chamber. The drying
Somerequires several weeks in the case of large wheels.
times a stiffer paste is prepared and after placing it in
the mould it is tamped by hand or compressed hydraulically so as to make the mass compact, after which it is
dried carefully. The dried wheels are then turned true to
shape on a special form of lathe known as a shaving machine.
(iii) Combination mixing in which a wet paste is prepared and moulded, the article is then allowed to stiffen,
and is afterwards re -moulded under pressure. The
moulds are made of iron or preferably steel, as they have
to withstand considerable pressure.
For wheels, each
mould consists of a circular rim, into which are fitted two
The lower plate is placed
plates and a central rod or core.
at the bottom of the mould and the latter is filled with the

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

52

mixture to be moulded.
in position

and the mass

The upper
is

plate is then placed

consolidated by tamping or

ramming the upper plate. Some manufacturers place

only a small amount of material in the mould, tamp it,
add another portion of material, tamp that, and continue
"
"
the mass in this manner until the mould
building up
is full.
The upper plate then merely serves as a convenient means of handling the mould and its contents
without finger-marking the latter.
RE -PRESSING. The mould with its contents may be
subjected to a pressure of from 560 to 700 Ib. per sq. in.
in a power-driven or hydraulic press, after the moulded
"
article has been allowed to stiffen or
set."
This repressing is objectionable as it tends to separate the
particles in one direction and compress them in another
(thereby altering the texture of the mass), after it has
begun to stiffen. By pressing the freshly moulded paste,
this objection is overcome.
The pressure should be
applied from above and below, as a one-sided pressure
It is also desirable to press
gives unsatisfactory results.
the article twice and to allow any entrapped air to escape
before the second pressure is applied.
DRYING. The articles are allowed to stiffen and are then
dried at a temperature of from 100 C. to 120 C. in
stoves through which a gentle current of air circulates.
The drying period in the stove is usually about 24 hrs.
BURNING. After being dried and trued to shape the
articles are burned in a kiln similar to those used for
bricks and pottery, to a temperature of about 1,300 C.
to 1,450 C.
The kilns used for burning abrasives with
a vitrified bond were formerly circular (about 16ft.
internal diameter and 29 ft. high internally and 60 ft.
externally) and of the down-draught type, but these were
wasteful in fuel and the larger works have now abandoned
them in favour of continuous-chamber kilns heated bythe waste gases from one chamber pass
producer gas
to several other chambers in succession and so reduce
the amount of fuel required to about one -third that
needed when separate kilns are employed. Large chambers are not satisfactory as they are very difficult to heat
uniformly at the high temperatures attained in this
;

industry, but chambers 16ft. by 9ft. by 9ft. internally

are quite satisfactory.
The goods are placed in the kiln
in circular cases made of burned fire-clay and known as

"

saggers."

On

the bottom of a sagger

is

placed a

little

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,

ETC.

53

On this is
fine sand forming a layer about J in. thick.
is moved
placed a wheel or other article to be fired and it
" bedded."
to and fro so as to ensure its being properly
and this
wheel
A second portion of sand is placed on the
is followed by a second wheel, this procedure being
continued until the sagger is full. A fireclay plug is
usually placed in the holes in the centre of the wheels
Some manuto ensure the latter retaining their shape.
facturers do not use ready-made saggers but build the
saggers in the kiln, using flat bottom discs of burned
fireclay and segmental sides of the same material.
The saggers are piled one on another until the kiln is
In the large continuous kilns, now used in this
full.
industry, the wheels are kept for about three weeks,
during which time waste heat from one chamber passes
in to succeeding chambers, so that the fuel consumption
In these continuous kilns the wheels
is relatively low.
are being heated for about 8 days and cooled during about
These slow times of heating and cooling are
15 days.
essential for the production of articles of good quality,
and undue haste in this part of the manufacture results
in the production of a defective bond.
Small wheels, cylinders, etc., are sometimes burned in
muffles of about 1 cu. yd. capacity as they do not require
so prolonged a firing, but may be burned and cooled in
from four to six days, whereas larger articles require a
fortnight or three weeks.
The burning of abrasive articles with a vitrified bond is
a delicate matter requiring great skill, as an error of 20 C.
in the final temperature may spoil the articles.
The
burning is usually controlled by means of Seger cones,
which are small pyramids of fusible material which bend
over when they have been heated for a sufficient length
of time to the temperature which they are supposed to
indicate.

The temperature must be raised very slowly until the

finishing point is attained, and the cooling should be
equally slow or the articles will be cracked, and not merely
useless, but actually dangerous to use.
The final temperature attained in most kilns is between
1,300C. and 1,350 C. (Seger cones 10 to 12), from 90
to 102 hours being required to attain it, after which the
kiln is maintained at the maximum temperature for at
least an hour, in order that the whole of the contents
may be burned properly.

54

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

When

the burning

is

complete (as judged by the Seger

cones, the appearance of the fire and by the examination

"
"
of
trials
withdrawn from the kiln) all openings into
the kiln are closed and it is allowed to cool slowly for
about 14 days. When properly burned
(i)

(ii)

An emery

artificial
(iii)

wheel

is

light

brown.

corundum wheel is reddish, but if made of

corundum it will probably be yellow.
carborundum or carbide wheel is black with a

greenish tinge.
It is generally considered that the more porous the
wheel, the better is its quality, and that a candle can be
extinguished by blowing through a good wheel.

Owing to
itself

its

hardness, the vitrified bond is

assists in the cutting or
unaffected by water, acids, oil,

an abrasive and so

grinding.

It is

and by heat and cold and the porosity of the

wheels makes them very free-cutting.
The production of vitrified wheels involves great
skill and attention to detail.
For instance, the
must
be
conducted
drying
carefully or the articles
will crack.
Similarly the burning must be controlled with equal care and skill.
Even with the
etc.,

greatest care

it

reliable wheels

have a

vitrified

almost impossible to produce

in. diameter if they
bond.
is

more than 36

Finishing Operations on Wheels, etc.

Sorting.
As the wheels are taken out of the kiln they are
examined for cracks, etc., and are tested for

soundness by striking them sharply, when they

should emit a clear, ringing note. They are next
sorted according to the grit and grade, these being
indicated on the unburned wheels by certain

marks made by the moulder.

Checking the Grade. The next stage
"

is

known as

checking the grade

"

of inspection

or as

"

grading,"

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE BLOCKS,

ETC.

55

and its object is to ensure that the product has

"
"
the precise hardness and toughness or
grade
"
The test consists in jabbing "
(p. 40) required.
the abrasive article with a short, wide screwdriver, and by constant practice an inspector is
able to judge the grade by the sound emitted and
by the amount of force required to separate
particles of abrasive.

Various mechanical means have been devised

grading abrasive wheels, etc., but in prac-

for

they are less satisfactory than an experienced

inspector with the simple tool just
mentioned.
Mounting. After being sorted, the wheels are
"
""
bushed by fitting a mandrel or core of suitable
tice

and filling the intervening

with
lead
molten
or a suitable alloy.
space
By
this means the wheels are made ready to fit on any
shaft of specified size and the user is saved the
trouble of fitting a special bush.
After being fitted with a bush the
Dressing.
wheels, etc., are placed in a lathe and turned true
to shape by means of a diamond or a dressing tool,
consisting of three or more wheels of specially
hardened steel mounted on a handle (see Fig. 11,
size into the central hole

Conical dressing tools are particularly

111).
useful for trimming the interior of cylinders, rings,
etc. All lathes used for dressing abrasive wheels,
p.

should be connected to an induced-draught

dust -extract ing system to carry away the particles
of
dust which might, otherwise, injure the
etc.,

dressers.

Balancing.
5

(5377)

The wheels are then placed on a

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

56

balancing stand and carefully tested in various

If any part of the wheel is too light,
positions.
so as to throw the wheel out of balance for a given
position, a weight is attached in such a manner as
to counteract this deficiency or, if the amount of
correction is very large, the wheel is rejected or
the defect is eliminated by turning the wheel to

a smaller diameter or thickness.

The proper balancing

of

modern grinding wheels

very important as they are run at high speeds

and if out of balance might cause a very serious
accident. An ill-balanced wheel is very liable to
break, and even before this occurs it is impossible
to obtain accurate results with an ill-balanced
is

wheel.
Testing. Before an abrasive wheel, cylinder or
ring leaves the maker's works it should be tested
by revolving it at twice its normal speed in a

which will collect all the

should
the
article
break.
fragments
Labelling. In order to reduce the risk of damage
through faulty mounting, abrasive wheels are
usually fitted with a cardboard disc at each side,
and on this are shown the nature, number, grit
and grade of the wheel, and the maximum speed
at which it may safely be driven.
Abrasive Blocks, Hones, etc. Abrasive blocks,
"
"
rubbers
artificial hones, sharpening stones, and
are made by the same processes as are used for
specially strong casing,

grinding-wheels, silicate and vitrified bonds being

the most largely used. Makers who prefer to
shape these stones under pressure, naturally use
a vitrified bond.

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE PAPERS,

ETC.

57

Sharpening stones are designated as follows

Coarse : with a No. 120 grit abrasive.
Medium*: with a No. 180 grit abrasive.
Fine : with a flour abrasive F to FFF or
equivalent

(p. 43).

useful form of rubbing stone for sharpening

scythes, and other cutting tools is made from one

one part
part of good fat pipeclay, well washed
and three parts of emery,
of fine white sand
well washed, and sifted. These ingredients are
well incorporated, moulded, dried and subjected
to a bright yellow heat for three hours
For a
harder stone, up to three parts of powdered French
chalk is added. Attention must be paid to the
blocks which are properly fired are
burning
good, but those which are over-fired, i.e. too highly
vitrified, are of little use.
Greatly under-fired
;

blocks wear

away Rapidly and

are too soft to

sharpen tools well.

CHAPTER V
MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE PAPERS AND
CLOTHS

ABRASIVE

made

cloths

and papers

of

all

kinds were

by coating any convenient cloth

or paper with glue and then sprinkling on an
excess of the abrasive whilst the glue was still hot.
The surplus abrasive was removed, when the glue
had set, by inverting the paper or cloth and
originally

tapping

it

gently.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

58

At the present day, mechanical coating appliances are used in which a band of paper or cloth,
travelling rapidly, passes between a series of
rollers in such a manner that the glue applied to
its upper surface is spread uniformly over the
The band next passes beneath a
cloth or paper.
hopper from which flows a steady stream of the
abrasive, in rather larger quantity than is needed
to coat

it.

The band

of

carried over further rolls

paper or cloth

and

cross-sticks,

is

then

during

which movement the excess of abrasive falls away,

and a second coating of glue is applied to the
band. The paper or cloth then travels through a
long drying chamber, heated by a current of air,
and is afterwards wound on rolls. As each roll
is filled it is taken off the winding machine and
removed to the store, where it is kept until the
glue hardens after which it is cut into pieces of
the requisite size and shape.
Recently, endless bands of abrasive cloth have
become popular. They are best made of cloth
in one piece so as to avoid awkward
The bands are then mounted on rolls,
the glue and abrasive are applied as

woven

all

joints.

and

Such
in the preceding paragraph.
bands cost more to produce than plain strips or
rolls of cloth, but the absence of a joint is a
great advantage which fully justifies the higher
described

price.

The abrasive and grit are chosen according to

the purpose for which the paper or cloth is to be
used. The combinations specified in Table I are
.

largely employed.

MANUFACTURE OF ABRASIVE PAPERS,

TABLE

59

ETC.

ABRASIVES AND GRITS FOR PAPER AND CLOTH

Abrasive.

Grits.

Emery on paper
cloth

Carborundum on paper
cloth

Garnet paper for finishing woodwork

,,

Sand paper

cabinet

,,
.

work

From FF

,,
,,

FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
F

to 24

mesh

24 mesh
,,

,,
,,

20
46
50
20
20

mesh
mesh
mesh
mesh
mesh

Many manufacturers of abrasive cloths and

papers have their own numbers for identifying the
various grits or sizes of particles, but it is desirable
that users should ascertain the mesh corresponding
to such private numbers. In order to do this, the
abrasive may usually be separated by boiling the
cloth or paper with several changes of water
after being rinsed, the abrasive may be dried,
Various
sifted, and its true grit determined.
;

tables of comparison have been published, but

most of those tested by the author have been

found to be incorrect.

When testing abrasive paper or cloth from a

fresh source of supply a sample of the material
should be placed alongside a sample of the make
previously employed and both samples should be
used simultaneously. It should then be fairly
easy to judge which gives the best results. In
more elaborate investigations the tensile strength
of the cloth or paper and an analysis and microscopic examination of the abrasive are sometimes
necessary.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

60

CHAPTER VI
POLISHES

POLISHES are employed to render a surface smooth

and reflective. They may be divided into two
groups
(a) Materials which form a smooth coating over
a rougher surface, e.g. boot and furniture polishes.
(6) Materials of an abrasive nature, which owe

their polishing effect to their ability to remove

projections from the rough surface and to fill up
any hollow portions in the material to be polished.

In polishes of the

first

group the action

is

not of

an abrasive character, the reflective power, " gloss "

"
"
or
on the article being chiefly a property
polish
of the coating and not of the article beneath. In
this chapter only the abrasive class of polishes is
considered as the others partake more of the

nature of lacquers than of true polishes.

Composition of Polishes. The ingredients of an
abrasive polish must not leave any appreciable
scratches on the work and must, therefore, be in
a finely-divided state, consequently the choice of
material

is

comparatively limited.

The materials most generally employed

abrasives are

fine sand, Tripoli

as fine,

powder, rotten-

stone, kieselguhr, bath brick (a variety of burnt

fine emery, pumice, lime, whiting, and chalk.

silt),

Notes on most of these materials are given in

Chapter II.
The abrasive need not necessarily be in the solid
state but is usually mixed with a liquid or grease

POLISHES

form a

so as to
is

suspended.

61

fluid or paste in which the abrasive

It is frequently of considerable

advantage to mix the abrasive with a detergent,

such as paraffin, or a solution of soap, so that the
article is cleansed as well as mechanically abraded.
The use of oxalic acid is not usually desirable,
though it is present in some well-known metal
polishes.

typical composition for a paste metal polish

follows

Powdered oxalic acid

Levigated red iron oxide

Rottenstone
.

Palm

as

1 Ib.

is

25
10

30
4

oil

Castile soap
,,
In such a paste, the iron oxide and rottenstone act as
abrasives, and the particles being minute and of only
moderate hardness, they do not produce large scratches
on the work. The palm oil and soap act as media in
which the abrasive is suspended, whilst the oxalic acid
has a detergent action.
.

typical liquid metal polish consists of

Soap

flakes

.1 oz.

Rottenstone or other suitable form of

silica

Methylated
Paraffin

spirit
.

Ib.

pint

.1 gallon.

This polish which is of an abrasive nature may be

compared with the following furniture polish, which is of
an entirely different character
White soap
oz.

White wax
Beeswax

.12

120

Boiling water

Spirit of turpentine

1 Ib.

,,

The waxes should be melted and the turpentine added

When

a thorough mixture is obtained it is

carefully.
(whilst still hot) to a solution made by dissolving
the soap in the boiling water and then stirring the whole
until it cools.

added

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

62

In the preparation of both pastes and liquid

polishes the solid materials are intimately incorporated in a mixing mill, and a portion is tested

by being passed through a sieve having 80 holes

per linear inch. Unless this test shows the mixing
to be complete the process is continued as long as
may be necessary. Any fluid constituents are
mixed together in another vessel with the aid of
heat, if necessary, after which the solid materials
are added and thoroughly mixed. In some cases
better results are obtained by mixing part of the
liquid with some of the solid materials in an
edge-runner or tempering mill. Thus, where soap
is used it should be cut into shreds, added to
water, and mixed thoroughly until it is brought
into solution prior to adding the other ingredients.

To

facilitate solution

the mixture
Polishes

Applying Polishes.

may
may be

be heated.

applied by
hand the material being spread on a brush, pad,
cloth, or other suitable device, and rubbed on to
the article to be polished or they may be applied

by mechanical means, the polishing materials being

held on a rotating disc of cloth, wood, leather or
metal. The disc may be vertical in which case
the polish is applied to its circumference or rim
or horizontal, when the polish is applied to its
upper surface. Occasionally horizontal endless
belts charged with a polishing paste or powder are
prepared for small objects, and are replacing the
leather-rimmed wheels which are extensively used
for this purpose.
wheels and tools

A
is

typical selection of polishing

shown

Polishing wheels, bands,

in Fig. 3.
etc..

enable a polish

POLISHES

63

to be obtained very rapidly, but the final effect is

not so fine as that obtained by rubbing with the

(IF.

FIG.

3.

Canning

&

Co.,

Birmingham.)

TYPICAL COLLECTION OF POLISHING WHEELS,

BRUSHES, TOOLS, ETC.

outer side of the hand, and the latter is always

used for the best polishes on silver and gold
ware.

Machine-Polishing.

employed

for polishing,

When

a machine is to be
no pains should be spared

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

64

in selecting one

which

will

do the work to best

advantage. For instance, some machines are

adapted to polishing flat surfaces where the edges
are required to be very sharp, whilst others are
required to polish irregular surfaces where the
edges do not matter so much. Each type of
machine has its own class of work for which it
should be used and a careful consideration of the
type required will save much loss after the machines
have been installed.

Whichever class of machine is used, it is very

important that it should be kept in good condition,
the bearings being oiled at frequent intervals,
unless automatic lubricators are installed.
If
attention is not paid to the maintenance of the
machine, more time is required to obtain a polish
and the finish is not of such good quality.

The polishing is usually

Stages of Polishing.
divided into three stages
(1) roughing
(2) dry
and (3) finishing, for each of which various
fining
For the
grades of abrasive are employed.
:

roughing process abrasives ranging from No. 20

to No. 80, according to the quality of the work,
are used, generally on a dry wheel.
For dry fining,
abrasives from No. 90 to No. 120 are used on a
dry wheel, whilst the abrasive for finishing is
usually carried by means of some liquid or plastic
The fineness of
vehicle, such as oil or beeswax.

the abrasive for finishing depends on the nature

ot the polish required and varies from No. 150
to the finest grades, whilst the polishing medium
consist of either a hard abrasive in the form
may
"
"
of
flour
or a soft powder, such as rouge, slaked

POLISHES
lime, or other material, with a hardness of
3 or 4 on Mohs' scale.

65

about

In these
Strap or Band Polishing Machines.
machines a belt of canvas or leather charged on
the outer surface with a mixture of glue and
abrasive, is carried on two or more flanged pulleys,

The belt is charged by coating

as shown in Fig. 4.
the belt with glue and passing it forcibly through
a trough containing the abrasive powder, the

FIG.

4.

AHCOL BAND POLISHING MACHINE.

latter being piled up round the belt so as to force

the abrasive into the glue. The belt is then hung
on pegs until quite dry. The glue should be of
good quality and should be heated by steam pipes
surrounding the glue-pot so that it is sufficiently
heated but is not actually boiled. It should be
made fresh each time a belt is charged, so as to
ensure the glue adhering strongly to the belt, as
old glue is less tenacious.
It is preferable to heat
the abrasive to the same temperature as the glue
before applying it.

66

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

Other types of belts sometimes employed are

of paper, but they are not so satisfactory
as those made from canvas or leather. Leather
loelts are more resistant than those of canvas and
form a better cushion for polishing.
Polishing is done by pressing the surface to be
polished on to the belt whilst the latter is moving
at about 2,000 to 2,500 ft. per min. over a flat
metal supporting-plate.
Strap-polishing machines are largely employed

made

for brass, cutlery,

and jewelry and

for

some

silver

and plated goods.

Glazing Wheels. These are used intermediately
the grinding and polishing wheels
especially in cutlery manufacture in order to
remove the coarser marks left on the surface of
metals after grinding. Glazing wheels usually
consist of a wooden centre and a leather rim which

between

supplied with a moderately coarse emery mixed

with glue (see next paragraph) When a smooth surface has been obtained, the articles are polished on a
similar wheel provided with a much finer abrasive.
These are used extensively
Polishing Wheels.
is

"
for fine polishing and
buffing."
They usually
consist of a wooden disc covered with a leather
band fastened to the wheel by glue, aided by

wooden

pegs.

The wooden centre should be so

constructed that
it

is

made

in

it is

not likely to break

usually

pieces fastened securely

abrasive is fixed by means of glue

several

The
together.
to the outside of the leather belt rim, and the
wheel is rotated at about 5,500 ft. per min. The
size of the wheels varies,

but the most popular one

POLISHES
is

12

in.

67

diameter, requiring about 3 h.p. to drive

fitted with a double coat of leather,

When

it.

these wheels arevexcellent for finishing purposes and

are much used for polishing large flat surfaces when
it is

essential that the edges should not be

rounded.

Such wheels are so good that until a few years agowooden wheels were used almost universally but

now

being replaced by endless bands.

about 12 in. diameter and 2J in,
wide, with a strip of canvas or other cloth charged
with the abrasive, are very satisfactory for polish-

they are
Cast

steel wheels,

ing boots and shoes, but less so for cutlery. They

are made by placing small squares of cloth or
leather edgewise around a steel centre, and the
cloth or leather

is

retain its position.

"

then compressed sufficiently to

"
Such wheels known as com-

are strong and durable.

pressed wheels
They
are very easily balanced, a property which is very
valuable for fine polishing, and on the whole they

are

much

safer

than wooden wheels but they are

users in this country, as inferior to

regarded, by
the wheels described in the preceding paragraph.
Their chief drawbacks are
(1) they cannot be
:

(2) the position of the leather

easily recovered
in these wheels is an unsuitable one, as both the
;

hard and

soft sides of the hides are presented

simultaneously, whereas when a leather strap is
"
"
used only the flesh or
side is precushioned
sented
and (3) they are much more easily
;

damaged by cutting than are the ordinary wheels.

Canvas and Muslin Wheels. A wheel, consisting
of a series of cotton discs mounted close together
on the same axle and known as a " mop " or

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

68
"

"

(Fig. 5) is
generally used for the
preliminary polishing of irregular pieces, such
as stoves, shovels, taps, etc., and for silver
ware. Such wheels can readily be cleaned when
required by means of a
"
"
buff stick
or abrasive
brick and they are not

dolly

expensive.

Hide

wheels,

sometimes

termed "sea horse

wheels,"

are

used

for

special work, such as the

and
polishing of guns

but they are

fine cutlery,

very
are

They

expensive.

made

of walrus hide,

which is cut into strips

and mounted on a wooden
FIG.

COTTON MOP
OR DOLLY.

5.

centre, great

skill

being

needed in the selection of

the leather. Wheels of this class are usually

rotated at a speed of about 7,000 ft. per min.
Felt wheels are used extensively by stove makers
and others for finishing purposes. They are made
of a special kind of coarse felt which is capable
of holding large quantities of abrasive
material.

CHAPTER

and polishing

VII

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

THE

selection of the best abrasive material for a

particular purpose

is

by no means

easy, but

it is

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

69

worth while to take trouble over the matter.

skilled, intelligent user will generally
v
his attention on five factors

concentrate

of grinding or cutting desired

(i) The rapidity
or attainable.
amount of work to be performed.
(ii) The total
(iii)

(iv)

The
The

finish to

be produced.

durability of the abrasive article

and

the cost of replacing it when necessary, including

taking down the old appliance, mounting the new
one, and getting the latter into running order.
(v) The manner in which the article to be ground
and the abrasive are brought into contact, i.e.
"
"
corner
of the
whether at the face, side, or
abrasive wheel, and whether the rticle is made to
pass transversely across the abrasive or vice versa,
and also the rate of traverse.
In addition to these factors, however, the nature
of the abrasive, as well as the size of its particles
(or grit) and the nature of the binding agent should
be taken into consideration. The general behaviour
or grade of the finished abrasive article whether
a block, disc, wheel, etc. should also be investigated, as some abrasive articles are much more
suitable than others for a given purpose.
In the case of grinding wheels, cylinders, and
rings the speeds of rotation of the article and of
the abrasive must be taken into account as they
have a marked effect on the cost and efficiency of
the grinding.

The shape and

the abrasive appliance

Thus, a ring or cylinder
sometimes far preferable to a disc, and when
size of

are also of importance.

is

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

70
the choice

is

limited to grinding -wheels

a small

one may, under some circumstances, be preferable

to a larger one, though usually a large wheel is
the best, as

amount
less

it

costs less in proportion to the

work which it will do, it works with

vibration, and it lasts longer without becoming
of

dulled or glazed.
The influences of the variables enumerated are
discussed in the following paragraphs.

Speed of Cutting. The rapidity of cutting depends

chiefly on the coarseness of the abrasive material,
the softness or friability of the binding agent, and
the speed of rotation. Generally, the speed of
cutting may be increased by using a coarser grit,
or a softer grade, or by rotating the wheel at a
higher speed.

When a grind ing -wheel is in use the particles of abrasive

cut into the material to be ground and are gradually
worn away. Eventually the surface of the wheel would
become quite smooth or " glazed," and no further grinding
would be possible, if sufficient care had not been taken
to select a wheel of such a nature that, as the abrasive
particles were worn they were torn out of the wheel,
taking with them the adherent bond and exposing a fresh
set of abrasive particles ready to continue the grinding.
The time gained by using coarse wheels for roughing
may, in some cases, be very great. One traverse may
often be taken instead of three or four.
Less heat is
generated with a coarse, open-grained wheel than with a
A good general rule is to use the
fine, close-grained one.
coarsest wheel which experience shows can be adopted,
reserving finer wheels to remove the scratches left by the
first.
The tendency is also towards the employment of
coarser wheels for finishing.
The

total

amount of work done by an abrasive

wheel, or similar device,

of wheel-wear

is

a harder grade.

reduced

is

the rate

increased

i.e.

by using a

finer grit or

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

71

The depth

of cut depends
the abrasive particles
and on the extent to which they can be worn
down before they are torn out of the bond. In
the case of an abrasive of 80 grit, the average depth
of each particle does not exceed 0-010 in., so that
if it falls out of the bond when it has protruded
half-way the maximum depth of cut cannot exceed
0-004 in., and in practice the deepest cut realized
with particles of 80 grit will not exceed 0-001 in.
With wheels of 24 grit, the depth of cut can be
increased to 0-003 in.
It is impossible to grind accurately to size when
the work is held in the hand
it must be held
some
suitable
mechanical
means, so
by
properly

Depth

of

principally

Cut.

on the

size of

as to avoid all undesirable

The

movement.

produced on the
work is improved by using a fine grit, a soft grade,
and rotating the wheel or other grinding appliance
comparatively slowly. In some cases, the article
Quality of Finish.

finish

to be ground may also be rotated with advantage.

Coarse, hard and rapidly rotating abrasives cut
or grind rapidly but leave a rough surface.
The rate at which an article to be ground passes
horizontally across the wheel or vice versa also
affects the finish, a rapid traverse giving a better
polish than a slow traverse.
The durability of
Rate of Wheel Wear.

an

abrasive wheel, etc., usually depends on the grade

or toughness of the binding agent, wheels with a
coarse grit and soft grade wearing away comparatively rapidly.

The

total

amount

of

work

done by a wheel or other abrasive appliance

6

(5377)

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

72
increased

is

by using a

finer

grit

or a harder

grade.

The durability of a grinding-wheel varies according to the conditions under which it is used.
When conditions are almost ideal, a wheel may
remove 20 cu. in. of steel for 1 cu. in. of wear fiom
the wheel. With careless or ignorant use, however,
not more than 2 cu. in. of steel may be removed
per

may

wheel worn away.

In grinding very
16 cu. in. of chilled iron
be removed for each 1 cu. in. of wheel worn

1 cu. in. of

large

chilled-iron

rolls

away.
Lack of durability

may

be attributed to

Wheel not
Wheel too

in balance.
2.
soft for the work.
3. Work speed too fast for the wheel grade.
4. Rest or support insufficiently steady.
5. Wheel spindle too loose in the bearing.
6. Very careless and irregular hand feeding.
7. Any vibration of the machine or work.
8. Improper lubrication of the work.
1.

To

increase the durability of a wheel

1.

2.

Use an automatic feed.

Support the work rigidly with plenty

of

steady

rests (no springs).

3.

4.

5.

See that the wheel is well balanced.

See that there are no heavy lacings or knots in the
belts which drive the work and the wheel.
Remove causes of vibration.

Composition of Abrasive.
of abrasive wheels, etc.,

is

The chemical nature

more important

often

than

is commonly
supposed. Thus, for grinding
materials of a high tensile strength such as all
steels and the harder bronzes
an aluminous abra-

sive should be used.

material to be ground

If,
is

on the other hand, the

low tensile strength

of

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

73

such as cast iron, chilled iron, brass, soft bronzes,

aluminium, copper, granite, marble, leather, and
wood, then carbide^abrasives are preferable.

To get the fastest work from a wheel, and also the

longest life, the work should pass before it through a distance
greater than half the width of the wheel and less than the
full width of the wheel during each revolution of the work.
It is also advisable to take the cuts very quickly across
the work, not only to secure a large output but also to
obtain the greatest efficiency from the wheel.
In comparing abrasive appliances made by different
manufacturers or of different materials, it is most difficult
to ensure reliable results.
The letters and numbers used
by the manufacturers do not coincide and no simple means
of comparison (other than actual test) exists.
Thus, a
20 grit carborundum wheel of 6 grade, by the Carborundum
Company, corresponds to an Alundum wheel of Q grade,
and these wheels behave quite differently when applied
to grey iron castings.
Moreover, if the same abrasive
be used with a vitrified and silicate bond respectively,
the former will be more porous and free-cutting. To
overcome these discrepancies a standard grading is
desirable.
F. B. Jacobs has made the excellent suggestion
that the present letters used to indicate grades should
be replaced by numbers and that all abrasive wheels,
etc., should be tested as to their grade before being sent
out.
This suggestion appears to overcome all real
Various
objections to the present system of lettering.
tables have been published to show the designations used
by various manufacturers for certain grades. Unfortunately, these are often far from accurate and they
So far as the
are, therefore, liable to be misleading.
author is aware, no fully reliable and impartial table of
comparisons has yet been published.
Grit of Abrasive.
The fineness or grit of an
abrasive has an important influence on the pur-

poses for which it may be used. Coarse grains are

used for operations where the rapid removal of
stock is necessary, while the finer sizes are used
in wheels intended to remove a small amount of
material and produce a good finish on the work.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

74

The

flours are

used in very

fine oilstones,

rubbing

bricks, etc.

When an
"

abrasive article

is

made

of

"

straight

understood that all the particles are of

"
approximately the same size. When a combinagrit

tion

"

sizes,

it is

or

"

mixed

"

is used, particles of various

of several materials, will be

grit

and possibly

When the abrasive particles are suitably selected a mixed grit is sometimes preferable,
as the abrasive will cut rapidly at first and, as the
coarser particles are worn down, the finer ones
will impart a fine finish on the work.
included.

Selection of Bond. The binding agent or bond

has an important influence on the suitability of
an abrasive wheel, etc., for various purposes. The
proportion of bond is also important. If too
much bond be present, the abrasive articles tend
"
"
to
glaze
badly owing to the bond not falling
with
sufficient rapidity from the cutting
away
With too little bond, on the contrary, the
point.
articles are weak and, in the case of wheels,
cylinders or rotating rings, they may be dangerous
on account of their liability to break when in use.
Rubber-bonded abrasives are very tough and resistant
so are specially suitable where a bond of exceptional
strength is required in conjunction with a thin wheel or
This is the case in various cutting operations, such
ring.
as slotting iron plates, sawing stone, cutting glass and
saw-teeth or sharpening milling cutters of awkward shape,
as well as in cutting metals, grinding chilled iron rolls, and
(i)

and

work where a fine finish is required. Rubberbonded wheels are also used where it is necessary that the

in other

shape of the abrasive article should be retained as long

as possible. This is particularly the case with the thin
cutting discs used by watchmakers, dentists, etc.
wheels are used for cutter and
(ii) Shellac -bonded

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

75

reamer grinding, pointing drills, sharpening knives, saws,

and other edge tools. They are also used for the same
sorts of work as rubber-bonded wheels but, as they are
more elastic, they can be used to give a finer finish. They
will not stand high temperatures, but can be used for wet
or dry grinding.
They are less porous and less freecutting than wheels " with a vitrified bond. They are
glazing," as the baked shellac has
singularly free from
not the stickiness characteristic of the natural material.
as
(iii) Silicate wheels are very close in texture and,
they cut freely, they are very useful for grinding tools

and

cutlery.

Abrasive
(iv) Vitrified Bond.
vitrified bond are characterized

made with a

articles

by a high porosity, a
great resistance to heat and acids and great freedom in
They may be used for almost any purpose if
cutting.
care is taken to select them of suitable grit and grade,
but when very thin cutting wheels are required
preferable to use a shellac or rubber-bond.

Wet Grinding.
abrasive articles

The water used

is

employed

for

in

it is

often

making

producing a

mass suitable for moulding. If it is clean

and not brackish, its impurities are usually of
small moment. When water is used during the

plastic

grinding process its function is to carry away the

heat resulting from the friction between the
abrasive and the article being ground and to
wash away any loose particles dislodged by the
grinding.

For many purposes solutions of soap or emulof oil and water are preferable to plain

sions

water.

solution containing 2 oz. of carbonate

of soda per gallon of water has the

advantage of
not producing rust, especially if a little lard oil
is mixed with it.
Also, the carbonate of soda
prevents the surface of the wheel from getting
greasy, and keeps it in a clean cutting state.
Grindstones are softer when wet than dry and

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

76

should not be left partly immersed in water or

they will wear unevenly. Stones made with sorel
cement as a bond should not be used for
wet grinding as the cement is disintegrated by
water.

Hardness of Abrasive. The grade or hardness of

itself largely controls the purposes
for which it may be used.
The hardness is usually
expressed in terms of Mohs' scale in which certain
substances are arranged in a definite order of

the abrasive

ascending scale of hardness as follows

1.

Talc.

6.

2.

Rocksalt or gypsum.

7.

Quartz.

3.

Calcite.

8.

Topaz.

Fluorspar.
Apatite.

9.

Corundum

4.
5.

10.

Felspar.

or sapphire.

Diamond.

It is important to observe that these numbers

have no numerical relation to each other. Thus,
topaz (8) is not twice as hard as fluorspar (4),
or four times as hard as gypsum (2).
Even when
used with due regard to its limitations, Mohs'
scale

is

misleading as there are not equal differences

between consecutive numbers of the

in hardness

Thus, there is a much greater difference in

hardness between diamond and corundum than
scale.

between corundum and topaz. Nevertheless, Mohs'

common use, principally because

harder than corundum present great
difficulty in being properly tested for hardness.
Artificial aluminous abrasives are considerably
harder than corundum, though not nearly so hard
scale

is

in

materials

as diamond, and silicon carbide abrasives are

between the diamond and the artificial aluminous

abrasives in hardness.

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES
Grade of Wheels,

etc.

77

The hardness

or grade of

a grinding- wheel, etc., must be distinguished from

the hardness of the abrasive particles. The term
"
"
relates to the Behaviour of the wheel as
grade

a whole and particularly as regards the tenacity

with which the abrasive particles are retained in
A maker of
position when the wheel is in use.
abrasive wheels does not consider the hardness of
the abrasive nor the depth nor rate of cutting
when speaking of a " hard " wheel
he refers
the
Conseto
of
the
bond.
solely
binding power
quently, the grade of the wheel depends on the
nature and percentage of bonding agent used. A
vitrified bond is the hardest binding agent, a
silicate bond is next and rubber and shellac bonds
are relatively soft. The larger the proportion of
bond the harder the wheel. The softest wheel now
used is
the hardest now used is T. Wheels of
are
seldom used, and wheels as hard as
grade
P, Q, R, S, and T should not be used for grinding
rough forgings, as such work disintegrates the
wheel rapidly. Where wheels are used for grinding
the burr left by welding, or for grinding sharp
fins from castings, thfcy should be of very hard
grade, such as S, T, and U. For most purposes,
O is the hardest grade of wheel which can be used
:

H
H

to advantage.
It must be observed, however, that the hardness or
grade of an abrasive wheel or cylinder appears to vary
with the speed at which it rotates. Thus, a soft wheel
used above its normal speed appears to be harder than it
is, and on reducing the speed of a hard wheel it appears
to become softer.
Hence, by varying the speed within
reasonable limits a wheel which is normally too soft or
too hard, may be used satisfactorily. As a wheel wears,

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

78

peripheral speed is reduced and the wheel appears to

but on increasing the number of revolutions per
minute, so that the original peripheral speed is obtained,
the wheel appears to regain its former hardness.
its

soften,

Many workers suppose that the faster the work

revolves and the harder the wheel employed, the
greater will be the output. Under such conditions

maximum

mum

wear

driving power is absorbed and maxiis caused in the machine, but in most

work produced is inferior to that which

could be produced more quickly and with less
effort by the use of softer wheels and lower work
cases the

speeds.

The toughness of abrasive articles is, like the

hardness, dependent on the bond. This property
is

a special characteristic' of articles with shellac

or rubber bonds, but those with silicate or vitrified

bonds can also be made moderately tough.

Toughness is very desirable because whilst the individual cuts of each abrasive particle are small they are
deep enough to put great pressure on the grain, which,
to be efficient, particularly in cutting materials of high
tensile strength, must possess the property of toughness
in order to resist that pressure.
Silicon carbide abrasives
are extremely hard, but are not so tough as the aluminous
abrasives.

One peculiar relationship between hardness ot

the work and grade of the wheel may be mentioned.

When an experienced grinder changes from soft

to hardened steel, he puts on a wheel of softer
grade, although he may continue using the same
kind of abrasive. There are two reasons why this
should be done
1. The harder steel will dull or glaze an abrasive
more rapidly than will the softer steel so a softer
;

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

79

grade of wheel is employed which does not hold

the worn grains as long.
2. The harder steel, being somewhat brittle, is
not as tough as the softer steel and has less tendency
to tear out the

worn abrasive

grains.

Hardness of Work. The hardness of the work

being ground determines also to a certain extent
the temper as well as grain-size of the abrasive
best suited to that work.
Hence, different abrasives

and wheels

of different grades

must be used

for different kinds of work.

The speed of
Peripheral Speed of Wheels.
rotation of abrasive wheels, cylinders, and the
should be adjusted according to the work on
which they are engaged. If a wheel is rotated

like

TABLE

II

PERIPHERAL SPEEDS FOR GRINDING -WHEELS IN VARIOUS

APPLICATIONS

Application.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

80

below its normal speed it will behave as though

were of lower grade and soft, whilst a wheel
driven at an excessive speed will appear to be
hard and too abrasive.
The speeds specified in Table II are typical,
but should be modified to suit particular cases.
Except under expert advice the maximum
peripheral speed at which grinding-wheels rotate
should not exceed 3,400 ft. per min. This corresponds to the speeds of rotation shown in Table
it

III for wheels of various diameters.

TABLE

III

REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE CORRESPONDING TO A

PERIPHERAL SPEED OF 3,400 FT. PER MIN.
Diameter of wheel.
ft.

in.

7666
56
4636
26167

5
4

....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....

Rev. per min.

135
144
154
166
180
196

216
240
270
308
360
433
541
721
1,082
2,164

For speeds higher than 3,400 ft. per min., slightly

softer grades should be used to offset the harder

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

81

for lower speeds it is better to use

harder
grades than would ordinarily be
slightly

cutting action

supplied.

For polishing purposes a much higher speed is

desirable
thus, the cloth v wheels known as
"
"
"
"
used for buffing metals
or
mops
dolly s
usually run at from 4,000 to 5,000 r.p.m. for a
;

wheel 12

in.

diameter.

Messrs. Alfred Herbert, Ltd., Coventry, publish on

behalf of the Norton Company a handy sliding scale which
enables the speed, diameter, etc., to be ascertained without

making troublesome calculations.

Surface Speed of Work. It is impossible to state
exactly the speed at which any work should be
ground. This is largely a matter of experiment,
as the speed should be suited to the abrasive and
to the nature of the material to be ground.
On
Norton cylindrical grinders a peripheral speed (for
the work) of from 60 to 80 ft. per min. is often used
for roughing, and from 30 to 40ft. per min. for
It is customary to use a higher surface
finishing.
of
work
for rough grinding than for finishing
speed
(see also p. 89).

In grinding cylinders, the speed of rotation of the article

is often of great importance, as by running
the grinding-wheels at constant speed and varying the
speed of rotation of the article to be ground, it is easy to
secure uniform results from wheels having a variation in
speed of 2,000 ft. per min., and a variation from true grade
within practical wheel -making limits. Thus, by varying
the speed of the article to be ground, the necessity for
variable revolutions for the wheel, or close limits of speed
and grade for the wheel, are made unnecessary. Variable
speed for the work accomplishes all that variable wheel
spindles can accomplish and much more, in a more simple
way and at less expense.

to be ground

Area

of Grinding Contact.

The shape and

size

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

82

an abrasive article and of the portions of the

be removed by grinding require consideration.
For instance, if there is a large area of
contact between the abrasive and the material to
be ground, a relative soft wheel or other abrasive
of

article to

appliance should be used. When there is only

a small area of contact an abrasive wheel, etc., of
harder grade should be employed. This is especially true in snagging and off-hand grinding.

In cylindrical grinding the contact varies with

the diameter of the wheel and the work, increasing
with larger work or with a larger wheel and thus
making a softer grade, of wheel desirable.

Type and Condition of Grinding Machine. Light,

and those improperly secured to

flimsy machines

the foundation require the use of harder grades of

wheels than would ordinarily be used. This is
to counteract the tendency of the face of the wheel
to be pounded away by vibration in service. For
the same reason, if the spindle of the machine is

and cannot be put in good condition, a

harder grade of wheel must be used than would
otherwise be recommended.

loose

The following precautions

are essential

The wheel must be

fixed properly in a spindle which

is held firmly in rigid bearings having no play.
Should
there be any play in the spindle bearings, even a few
thousandths of an inch, it will seriously handicap the work
and result in a bad and inaccurate finish. There must
"
"
in
or
chatter
1.

be no vibration

the wheel-head,

will

result.

The wheel must rotate at the correct speed.

The machine should be perfectly rigid, free from all
vibrations and casting strains, and the slides should be
perfectly flat and true.
4. The work holder should be exceptionally stiff and
2.
3.

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

83

and if the work moves it should rotate and/or

traverse at the correct speeds.
5. The work should be fed on to the wheel, or the wheel
on to the work, at a correct rate or depth of cut.
rigid,

Personal Factor.

The personal

factor

is

of great

importance in the selection of an abrasive article,

as a wheel, etc., which is quite suitable for a given
purpose may be condemned by an unskilled man
or by one who is not sufficiently well instructed
So important is
in the particular work in hand.
the personal factor that different men on the
same kind of work and using precisely similar
machines, may obtain quite different results as
regards durability or finish.

A common

mistake made by grinders is in

one
grade of wheel to do a great variety
expecting
A wheel admirably adapted for one
of work.
class of work will prove quite inefficient for another
class, so that it is advisable to keep at hand
wheels of several grades. The greater economy
effected will more than recoup the extra outlay
involved, and the work done will be far more
satisfactory.
Overall Cost.

The

total cost of
it

by a

removing a worn

new one and

abrasive, replacing
getting
the latter into good working order should be taken
into account when comparing various abrasives.
For instance, a grindstone made of natural stone
may be purchased for a much less sum than that

asked for one made of an abrasive with a bonding

agent, but if the additional costs mentioned
above are taken into consideration, the artificiallymade wheel will eventually be found to be much
cheaper as well as more durable.

S
&

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

85

ABRASIVES FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS

Although it is not possible to specify in detail
the nature and properties of an abrasive appliance
for any given purpose, unless the whole of the
conditions some of which are purely local are
known, the information in the following paragraphs should enable a user to confine his choice
within conveniently narrow limits.
Without going
Types of Grinding Machines.
into details which lie beyond the scope of this
book,* it may be said that the three types of
grinding machines most commonly employed are
(1)

short

pair of wheels mounted on the ends of a

shaft which is carried by two bearings

between which are the fast and loose driving

pulleys.

This machine

may be arranged for bench -mount ing (as

may be carried from the floor on a suitable
The wheels may be of different grits and grades

in Fig. 6) or it

pedestal.
or of different shapes to suit various classes of work.
Simple work rests are provided, but no provision is made
for graduated or mechanical feed.
The machine is suitable for sharpening tools, for removing excrescences, and
for smoothing the surface of work on which no special

Safety guards should be fitted

precision is required.
to the wheels (see Chapter IX).
The machine can be

arranged for wet grinding.

Universal grinders, in which provision is

to use practically any type of grinding
wheel, etc., in any desired relation to the work,
both as regards setting and relative motion.
(2)

made

* For further information on the

principles, equipment,
and methods of precision grinding, the reader may refer
to Grinding Machines and Their Use, by Thos. R. Shaw,
uniform with this volume (Pitman, 2s. 6d. net).

o
I

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

87

These machines are capable of performing external or

internal grinding (parallel or taper), surfacing, and tool
sharpening, etc., but increase in specialization is responsible for much work being taken away from universal

and being put on other machines which deal

with one kind of work only. This results in increased
accuracy and a great economy of time. It is curious to
note that so great is the present specialization in grinding
machines that the firms who build the leading machines
confine their labours to a few types alone.
Hence, there
are a few names associated chiefly with universal cylindrical grinders, a few others with the hole and facegrinders, some with the disc design, a good many with
grinders

cutter grinders,

and so

on.

(3) Plain grinding machines, which are built

specifically for plain cylindrical grinding and deal

more quickly and efficiently with this than do

universal grinders. The modern plain grinder is
built very strongly for
tion,

heavy work, high producand great accuracy. A typical machine is

illustrated in Fig. 7.

Internal grinders, in which a grinding-wheel

carried at the end of an overhung shaft so that
can operate on the internal surface of cylinders,
(4)

is
it

etc.

The work may be rotated by a chuck, the grindingwheel spindle being carried on a slide-rest, which can be
moved across the bed as required. A greater variety of
work, however, can be done by a machine, such as that
shown in Fig. 8, in which the grinding-wheel spindle has a
planetary motion and the work is held on a table which
is set conveniently at the commencement of the operation,
and thereafter remains stationary.
(5) Plane surface grinders, which often replace
with advantage the functions of a milling or
planing machine.
Four main types of these grinders are made in which
the work is either rotated or moved to and fro beneath

the periphery of a disc -wheel or beneath the annular face

7

(5377)

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

88

of a cup-wheel.
According to circumstances the work
may be bolted to the supporting table or held by magnetic

chucks.

the

Grinding is invading
Cylindrical Grinding.
other
than that of
more
the
lathe
province of

any

machine tool and

is,

indeed, rapidly replacing the

The reason

practice of fine turning.

for this

(Chas. Churchill

FIG.

8.

CYLINDER GRINDER

&

is

Co., Ltd.)

PLANETARY SPINDLE TYPE.

that grinding renders practicable higher refinements in dimensions and in approximations to a

Also, it renders unnecessary
truly circular shape.
any higher accuracy in turning than that of leaving

enough material for finishing by grinding. By

means a skilled turner can be replaced by a
comparatively unskilled hand, and in many cases
forgings may be stamped and then ground without
any preliminary turning at all. Thus, in modern

this

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

89

manufacture, multiple-throw crank-shafts and

cam-shafts of automobiles, and of Diesel and other
internal combustion engines are

now commonly

ground without any preliminary rough turning,

but for pistons, piston-rings, and (in some shops)
cylinders, a rough cut in the lathe precedes the
grinding.

External Cylindrical Grinding.

form the external grinding

is quite easy, but in some

In

its

simplest

of cylindrical surfaces
of the more complex

forms of cylindrical grinding several years' experience are essential. Moreover, there are several
matters in connection with cylindrical grinding
about which there is still much difference of
opinion.
In external cylindrical grinding the article to be
ground revolves on a lathe and either the article
carried past the wheel or the wheel is carried
past the article by a traversing device. Both
is

arrangements give satisfactory results in ordinary

work, but in special cases the stationary wheelmount appears to be best. The wheel is made to
approach or recede from the work by a screw
motion termed a cross-feed, and by this means

The respective
light or heavy grinding is effected.
speeds of the wheel and work have a great influence
on the result, and whilst no hard and fast rules
can be given, it will usually be found that the
peripheral speed of the grinding-wheel should be
constant,

that

of

the

work being varied

as

required.

The following peripheral speeds for the article

to be ground are recognized as standards, but they

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

90

are only approximate and should be modified to

each individual case

suit

ft.

Cast iron
Cast iron

finishing

...
...

Steel

rough grinding

Steel

finishing

per min.
40
50
25
35

When good results cannot be secured and it is

thought that the wheel is at fault, a remedy may
often be found in changing the speed of the work.
In " roughing out " steel the traverse or horizontal
distance through which the work travels past the wheel
or vice versa should be almost equal to the width of the
grinding-wheel for each revolution of the work. Thus,
if a wheel with a 3-in. face is used, the traverse should be
2J in. For rough grinding cast iron a small traverse and
a deep cut are preferable. For finishing steel the traverse
should be reduced and the speed of the work increased.
For finishing cast iron there should be as few passes as
possible.

For grinding crankshafts the work is fed directly to the

wheel by means of a cross -feed, the wheel having no
traverse motion.
Alumina or carbide wheels of moderate
hardness are used, generally with combination grits of
16-24.
Care must be taken that the corners or edges of
the wheels do not wear away too rapidly.
For finishing
crankshafts, softer wheels of 36-40 grit are employed.
For calendar rolls and the rolls used in flour mills,
shellac -bonded wheels of medium to soft grade and 24-80
grit are usually employed, as they are required to impart
a fine finish. These wheels should have a peripheral
speed of 5,000 ft. per min., the rolls having a peripheral
speed of from 15 to 60 ft. per min., according to local
conditions.

For grinding rolling-mill rolls, as used in the manufacture

of steel sheets and plates, soft wheels should be employed
on account of the large area of contact. The peripheral
speed of the grinding-wheel should be about 5,000 ft. per
The
min., and that of the roll about 150 ft. per min.
grit and grade are the same as for calendar rolls.
For small pieces, the quickest method of grinding is to
hold the work on a circular magnetic chuck, or if it is

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

91

beyond the capacity of a circular chuck a machine with a

reversing table must be used.

For internal
Grinding.
used
and they
are
wheels
small
grinding quite
rotate in the interior of a cylinder or other article
In addition to its rotation about
to be ground.
its own axis, the wheel rotates in a circle by means
When possible, the
of a planetary motion.
Internal

Cylindrical

grinding- wheel should revolve in a direction away

from the operator and the cylinder in the opposite
For internal
direction, i.e. towards the operator.
are
bronze
and
iron
cast
usually
ground
grinding,
dry, but steel is ground wet, though in many
cases it may be ground dry with satisfactory
results.

The wheels have a peripheral speed of from

4,000 to 6,000 ft. per min., whilst that of the work
The grades of the
is from 25 to 100 ft. per min.
wheels should be the same as for external cylindrical
grinding, but the work should be driven at a slower
speed to give the freer cutting necessary for the
increased surface contact.
Carbide abrasives are generally used for grinding cast
and bronze, and aluminous abrasives for steel.
Wheels of medium grade are used with a grit of 36-50
for most work, but for special cases wide departures are
The wheels used for internal grinding must
permissible.
be kept as true as possible, and for this purpose a carbide
block rather harder than the wheel is often as effective
as a diamond and much cheaper.
For internal grinding it is found advisable to rough out
by the dry process, and then to obtain a more accurate
finish by applying a coolant.
Dry grinding is a quicker
operation, and while this is being carried out internally,
much of the heat may be dissipated by the external

iron

application of water.

Surface Grinding.

For grinding surfaces truly

92

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

and for obtaining a good finish wheels,

medium-soft grade should be used. The
which depends on the finish desired varies
grit
from 36 to 80 mesh for ordinary work, but for
highly accurate fitting 240 grit may be employed.
For grinding steel articles aluminous abrasives
parallel
etc., of

particularly corundum are chiefly employed,

but carbide abrasives are also used extensively.
The articles or parts to be ground may be fixed
to a moving bench or holder by clamps, but when
they are small or awkward in shape a magnetic
chuck should be used.
In vertical grinding machines special care is
needed in selecting suitable wheels, as a slight
change in the hardness may spoil the work. The
manufacturers of such machines will usually advise
as to the best wheels to use.

For grinding castings and forgings it is false economy to

use wheels less than 20 in. in diameter, wheels 30 in. by
4 in. being the most suitable, though little used.
Castings
are sometimes cleaned by exposing them to a blast of
sharp sand and air, known as a sand blast.
For grinding file blanks and axes and for surfacing
ploughs, natural grindstones are preferred to artificial
ones, chiefly on account of their much lower cost, but
partly because no artificial wheels on the market produce
In the near future, however,
exactly the surface required.
artificial

grinding-wheels will probably be used for this

work.
Steel dies and punches are best ground with an aluminous
abrasive of soft or medium grade, 36 grit and a peripheral
speed of 5,000 ft. per min. The grinding may be either
wet or dry, but wet grinding is preferable for large dies.

For grinding cams, prior to hardening, aluminous

or carbide abrasives of P-V grade and 16-24 grit
are employed. For rough grinding hardened cams
similar wheels, but of grade

H-K

and

grits

24-40

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES
are used,

93

whilst for finishing the grinding the

wheels should usually be of

G-J grade and 36-50

grit.

In grinding balls for ball bearings, the rough

grinding is usually effected by rotating the balls
in contact with an emery wheel.
Many different
machine
in
to effect this,
of
are
operation
types

and employ ingenious devices to hold the balls.

is effected in two stages, the first
with fine dry emery, and the final stage with a
mixture of emery and oil. Much depends upon
this final operation,
which requires frequent
gauging to ensure accuracy. The dull finish is
Finish-grinding

improved by burnishing in a tumbling barrel.

For highly finished work a finer grit is used. The
abrasive should be trued with a diamond as soon
"
as it shows signs of
glazing."
Sharpening Edge Tools. In sharpening milling
cutters and edge tools, the tool should be traversed
rapidly past the grinding-wheel and, at the
time, applied to it with a light pressure.

same
For

large cutters, a cup-shaped grinding-wheel is often

Owing to the
preferred to the more usual disc.
great variety of cutters and edge tools it is not
possible to specify the best type of wheel with
great accuracy, but, broadly, for tools made of
high-speed steel the wheels should be of 4-15
(or M-P) grade and 36-46 grit, whilst for tools
made of carbon steel they should be of similar

grade but rather finer (50-60 grit), shellac -bonded

wheels or cups being preferred.
Straight wheels should revolve at 3,000 to 4,000
peripheral ft. per min., though wheels of 40 to 50

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

94

Cup wheels should

per min.
High speed steel edge tools should be ground
dry those of other steel should be ground wet.
When blocks or hones are used for grinding fine
edge tools the stone must cut freely so as not to
heat the work and spoil the temper, and yet it
grit

may revolve

rather faster.

revolve at 2,500-3,500

ft.

must be

soft

enough to wear away with

sufficient

At
rapidity to keep the abrasive particles sharp.
the same time, a stone slab or wheel which has no
free grit is of no use for sharpening tools, and

when examined under a microscope even the

finest

Turkey

oil-stones will be

found to contain

relatively large particles of abrasive in a mass of

exceedingly fine grained material. For hones,

blocks, and stones and for sharpening steel tools

corundum is an excellent abrasive.
In sharpening saws there are two distinct
operations roughing and pointing the former

being a very drastic operation which requires very

skilfully selected grinding-wheels or the temper
of the saw will be spoiled.
The wheels should be
made of an aluminous or carbide abrasive and
sufficiently soft to cut freely but not to wear

They are usually of H-P grade

combination wheels being very
The bond may be
useful for this class of work.
either vitrified or shellac.
The wheels may revolve
at a surface speed of 3,500 to 5,500 ft. per min.
Grinding-wheels used for sharpening saws may be
the former sometimes have the
straight or curved

away too

rapidly.

and 30-50

grit,

edge bevelled to the same angle as the saw tooth.

Dental Grinding. The introduction of carbide

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES

95

abrasives into dental work has added greatly to

the comfort of patients and enables the dentist
to do his work more rapidly, with a better finish
and with less destruction of tissue. Specially
"
"
shaped points are used for this work.

Pottery Grinding. For grinding off superfluous

material in pottery and other clay products,
abrasive wiieels are particularly suitable, as the

work can be done rapidly and with great accuracy.

The wheels must be selected according to the
hardness of the body or glaze to be removed, those
with a medium or fine grit and a medium grade
being preferable.
Thin wheels made of carCutting-off Wheels.
bide or aluminous abrasives are very useful for
cutting off portions of metal or for cutting bars,
etc., to a given length.
They should have a
shellac or rubber bond and a surface speed of
7,000 to 8,000 ft. per min.
For polishing metals loose
Polishing Metals.
are
Such powders may be
powders
employed.
used in the dry or wet state, and may be rubbed
on to the material to be polished or they may be
"
applied by means of a wheel (or dolly ") composed
of discs of cloth.

For polishing steel articles, blocks of carbide or

aluminous abrasive or cloths or papers covered
with emery or corundum are largely employed.
For polishing brass and other softer metals, very
fine silica, quartz flour, emery, carbide or aluminous

abrasives,

is

For

crocus,

rouge

or

whiting

are

and gold ware, slaked lime

used.
The
largely
polishing powder is sometimes

employed.

silver

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

96

with rouge to disguise

to give white metals a slightly
improves their appearance.

tinted

its

and
which

nature,

ruddy

tint

In the so-called liquid polishes (Chapter VI) a

oxalic acid or other chemical detergent is
sometimes added to the abrasive powder.

little

Grinding and Polishing Non-metallic Substances.

For grinding and polishing marble, stones, and
glass, crushed steel has proved very satisfactory
on account of its hardness, sharpness, and toughness.
It is, however, but little used in this
sand, carbide or aluminous abrasives
country
being generally employed. For final polishing,
;

loose

powders are used as in the case

of metals

(q.v.).

For producing a rough surface on glass, sand is

what is known as the sand-blast

largely used in
process.

For polishing glass sand is largely used, but

carbide abrasives are increasingly employed on
account of their greater hardness and, consequently,

more rapid work.

In polishing glass it is essential that the amorphous surface layer should be removed and that
the forces applied to the glass should not be so
great as to form conchoidal splinters. Therefore
a softer tool of pitch, wax, hard felt, or paper, is
employed with an abrasive medium of an extremely
fine character that will form spongy accretions,
the best being ferric oxide (rouge). By means of
the abrasive, the prominences are reduced until
the bottoms of the cavities are reached. After
this, the polishing must be continued with the

SELECTION OF ABRASIVES
removal

of

more

glass, so

97

that the final polish

is

effected with water.

Glass can also be polished with very fine carborhas been specially treated with

undum which

hydrofluoric acid using oil as a medium. Excellent

can also be obtained from the use of carbon

results

and many other substances, provided they can be

brought into the required physical condition.
For cutting stone, marble, and glass, a metal
wheel with loose sand and water is largely
employed, but grinding-wheels of carbide and
aluminous abrasives of medium grade and 36-50
are being increasingly employed
rapidly replacing metal wheels.
grit

and are

In surfacing, slotting, and moulding and other

work on stone and marble, the use of carborundum
wheels and blocks has greatly reduced the time
required and has also increased the accuracy of
the work.
In mitre-cutting, checkering, lacing, fluting, and
beading glass, and for smoothing and bevelling the
edges of lenses, wheels made of carbide abrasives
are rapidly replacing metal wheels and natural
stones, as the former work more rapidly and with
greater accuracy, as well as being much more
durable.
Similar wheels are also used for cutting
air

vents in gas-globes, etc.

For smoothing wood&nd similar materials, garnet,

emery, and sand, mounted on paper or cloth are
largely employed, garnet being especially suitable
for hard woods.
For finishing wooden handles,
sand mounted on endless belts is largely used.
In the leather industries, and especially in the

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

98

of boots and shoes, corundum and

carborundum cloths are largely used for heel
"
Comscouring and breasting and for buffing.
"
and
carborundum
drums about
pressed wheels
18 in. in length and 16 in. diameter at the centre,

manufacture

tapering towards the ends, are largely used for

finishing skins to be used in the
gloves and for suede leather.

manufacture

of

For work in which an exceptionally hard abrasive

is

required, including the truing of abrasive wheels,

diamond, bort or carbonado, is employed.

New Methods in New Industries. The growth of
new industries which are not hampered by traditional methods of machining has had much
influence on the advances in grinding practice.
The principal factors have been the development
of motor-car work and the remodelling of machinetools.
There is no portion of a motor-car of any
type which is not now being tooled almost exclu-

by grinding, though in the earlier days the

work was done by turning, boring, planing, milling,

sively
etc.

New

applications are constantly being made,

and there are no

signs of finality being approached.

Grinding is evidently going to occupy a far wider
sphere in the machine shop than it does even at

present.

CHAPTER

VIII

TESTING ABRASIVES AND POLISHES

DESCRIPTIONS of the accurate and detailed tests

which are made by the foremost manufacturers

TESTING ABRASIVES AND POLISHES

and users

of abrasives are

beyond the scope

99
of

volume, but mention may be made of

various tests which can and should be made by

this small

every user of abrasives.

In the first
General Observations on Service.
the
from day
a
of
wheels
careful
place,
inspection
to day is a most important matter, particularly
where high speeds are the rule, or there will be a
risk of incurring disasters like those reported from
time to time with wheels bursting, and so forth.
The volume of sparks produced when a grinding wheel is in use gives a sure indication of its efficiency or otherwise, and of the conditions under
which it is operating. If the sparks, or fragments
of metal removed by the wheel are examined
under the microscope, they should appear as
veritable chips, resembling short cuttings or
If they are globular
turnings (see Fig. 1, p. 7).
or globular shells (as in Fig. 2) they show that
too much heat is being generated, so that fusion
of the particles occurs.
If a wheel has been
cutting properly, and then
to

do so

other things remaining unchanged

"
from
glazing." The abrasive
particles have lost their keenness and penetrative
capacity, yet have not become detached from their
matrix, which then sets up friction and generates
heat.
If a wheel which is being tried provisionally,
fails

it is

suffering

becomes very hot and throws out few sparks, a

wheel with a softer bond may be substituted with
advantage, or the grit or materials of the wheel
selected may be unsuitable.
Frequently, more

ample lubrication

will

solve the problem, or

it

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

100

be that an increase in the number of steadies

wanted. The effect of the latter is to prevent
the work from running eccentrically. Eccentric
running produces more sparks on the higher side,
an evil, which if uncorrected, will be persistent.
How slight an amount of eccentricity can cause
trouble may be realized by the statement that
sparks will be given off from a cylindrical piece

may

is

work when the depth

an inch.

of

of

cut

is

only

five-

millionths of
is

Quantitative Tests for Wheels. The fairest test

to use the wheel under ordinary conditions for

50 hours or more, adhering strictly to the peripheral

speed and other directions specified by the
manufacturer and making careful notes of
(i) The volume or weight of the wheel before and after
use.*

The volume of a wheel in cubic inches is found by

multiplying the square of the diameter by the width or
thickness, then by 7,854 and dividing by 10,000, the
measurements being in inches.
(ii) The
weight of the material removed from the
articles ground.
(iii) The time required to do this work.
(iv) The wages of the men employed in the grinding.
(v) The power required to do the work.
(vi) The number of articles ground, and their nature.

From
(a)

The

these data

may

be calculated

cost of abrasive per unit or per

pound

of

material ground.
(6)

The

cost of labour per unit or per

pound

of material

power per unit or per pound

of material

ground.
(c)

The

cost of

ground.

The
*

durability of a wheel

is

not a true test of

In wet grinding the wheel should be dried before

being re -weighed.

TESTING ABRASIVES AND POLISHES

its

101

value, for whilst a hard wfoeeLwii}. tast Jrmger

soft one it works more slowly, involving a

heavier charge for labour, and the cost of grinding
the articles may, therefore, be higher than with a
softer wheel.
Owing to the many factors involved, it is seldom
possible to predict the actual cost of using any
kind of abrasive from small scale or laboratory
For this reason, it is always best to rely
tests.

than a

on a test made on a full working scale, but under

the best conditions possible. Small scale laboratory tests are, however, valuable in studying the
effect of variations in the speed of the wheel or
the work, and in making other adjustments with
a view to increasing efficiency.
Testing Grade and Grit. The grade of an abrasive
The grit of an
tested as described on p. 41.
abrasive wheel or block is often difficult to deter-

is

mine.

The

best

method

consists in viewing it

microscope, with a powerful light

directed on the object, and measuring the size of
the particles by means of an eye-piece micrometer.
If several abrasive articles of known grit are
similarly treated, it is easy to ascertain the grit
of any other sample.
For coarse grits a pocket lens will serve instead
of a microscope, if abrasives of known grit are

through

available for comparison.

Notes on the testing of abrasive papers and

cloths are given in Chapter V, p. 59.
microscope is also invaluable for making

comparisons of the effect of various abrasives on

metals or other articles. To the naked eye many

ABBA'Sl VE

1 02

MATERIALS

surfaces of marble or other

kindred grains, appear to
fineness
yet when they are
suitably magnified vast contrasts can be seen
among them. If specimens are examined under
the microscope at intervals during the grinding,
the process and effect of the abrasion may be
followed to far better advantage than with the
diffeignfr" mifta/U;

or

stones

composed
present an equal

'<th&

of

naked

eye.
Precision Grinding. Abrasives, and particularly
grinding-wheels, are largely used for the production
of

work

in

which accuracy

great importance that it

precautions in working.

of

size

is

of

such

essential to take special

The necessity for this will

is

be clearly appreciated when it is realized that one

chief object in using such wheels is to ensure well-

machine parts in instances where one tenthousandth of an inch makes the difference
between a tight and easy fit, while a few tenthousandths represent a loose fit. The end operations in general engineering work, in which the
highest accuracy is neither required nor economic-

fitting

quickened by the use of limit

standard allowances, but these
workshop gauges in turn demand reference to
standard gauges of a higher degree of precision.
Such standard gauges for reference purposes are
of an accuracy of 0-00005 inch, while flat gauges
of the Johansson type are of an accuracy of
ally possible, are
gauges with their

0-00001 inch, the errors being so small that they

are still small when a number of the gauges are
used in conjunction in testing a given piece.
Modern grinding operations, carried out with

TESTING ABRASIVES AND POLISHES

103

comparative ease with an accuracy of a few tenthousandths of an inch, even with mass production
and with a limited application of highly-skilled
labour, provide a very marked advance in comparatively recent times in machinery operations,
but such accuracy can only be obtained by the

most

careful attention to

many details. Incidenthe use of wheels running at high speeds

also involves adequate protection for the workers,
tally,

both as regards risk of direct personal damage

and indirect ill -health due to dust.
Judging Polishing Agents. The quality of the
polish depends on the smallness of the abrasive
particles, their hardness, angularity or sharpness,
and the ease with which they leave the polished
surface.

If the particles are too large

they will

leave unsightly, broad scratches

if they are too
hard the scratches will be thin, but very deep and
;

difficult to eradicate

whilst

if

the grains are too

round they will roll about on the surface without

producing any polish.

The

best

method

polishing agent

is

of judging the efficiency of a

by means of a microscope.

quantity of the agent (preferably in a

suitable medium such as paraffin) is rubbed six:
times up and down a smooth, but dull piece of
brass.
The material is wiped off with a clean cloth
and the surface of the brass is examined, first by
the naked eye and afterwards under a microscope.
The nature and number of the scratches gives a
good idea of the suitability or otherwise of the
If the scratches are too wide, a
polishing agent.
definite

microscopical examination of the polishing agent

8

(5377) 20 pp.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

104

probably show that its grains are too large.

an occasional large scratch among many small
ones is seen, the microscopical examination of the

will
If

polishing agent will probably show a small percentage of quartz or other hard rock. If the micro-

scope shows that the grains of the polishing agent

are sound and smooth, it is unlikely that the
powder will be of much value for polishing, as its
action

will

be

very

slow.

Excessively

sharp,

on the contrary, usually scratch

too much, and should be replaced by more globular
particles with small facets on angular faces.
angular pieces,

CHAPTER IX
ERECTION AND OPERATION OF MACHINES

AND WHEELS
The main features and
Machines.
the principal types of grinding
machines have already been indicated (see Chapter
VII, p. 82), but it is here necessary to deal with
certain constructional features which affect the
quality of the work done. As good grinding
machines are costly, it is inevitable that there
should be concessions to the requirements of the
smaller firms in the way of various attachments
to make possible the performance of a variety of
work on a single machine. The tendency, however, is towards the use of plain grinding machines
or of special machines limited to one set of functions, every detail being considered and worked
out for that puty alone.
Types

of

functions

of

ERECTION AND OPERATION OF MACHINES 105

Rotary abrasive appliances may be mounted in
in which case the article to be

a fixed frame

ground, cut or polished is moved gradually forward or the work may be fixed and the abrasive
mounted on a moving frame so that it travels
both forward and from side to side. There is an
increasing feeling that the latter principle is wrong,

even hi light machines

it is impracticable in
heavy ones, where a wheel head may weigh
between one and two tons. When a heavy wheel
;

-> whilst revolvexpected to grind within TTMTTT

at
a
of
ft.
min.
at the surface
6,000
ing
speed
per
and operating across a cutting face from 2 to 4 in.
wide, it is clearly not a good mechanical proceeding
to traverse such a mass.
The present practice,
therefore, is to put plenty of mass into the wheelhead, and to support it rigidly directly from the
floor.
Then the only movement which it receives
is that of feeding inwards to the work.
Incidentally,
also, the necessary travel of the table requires a
long table, which, again, avoids excessive wear.
A slow table or traverse speed should be used when
taking heavy cuts, but a high traverse speed is

is

preferable for finishing.*

Constructional Features.

A machine which is too

light or imperfectly made is always

and is liable to prove very expensive.

a nuisance

It is only
too easy for good work to be spoiled by such
machines and they add unnecessarily to the cost
of grinding, because they cannot be driven at the

speed most appropriate for the work, and because

* See also
Grinding Machines and Their Use by Thos. R.
this volume (Pitman, 2s. 6d. net).

Shaw, uniform with

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

106
of

various

"

"

dodges

which must be used to

obtain satisfactory results.

In the best machines no mild steel or cast iron is used
and gears. High carbon or alloy steels alone
are used for these.
Nickel, nickel -chrome, or chromevanadium steels ensure strength and durability, without
which the small shafts and gears of fine pitches would
soon show serious wear. Friction is reduced by the
universal fitting of ball-bearings for taking circular and
end thrust. Lubrication is provided in various ways,
ring-oiling to the main bearings, forced water supply to
the work and the wheel, and a large supply- tank or tanks
with a circulating pump. New forms of steadies have
been evolved, and more are used, besides which steadies
for shafts

The necessity
for some duties are specially designed.
for supporting work almost continuously receives more
recognition than it formerly did, and the work is better
supported on the bottom and in opposition to the
wheel.

The belt drives from cumbrous overhead shafts have

disappeared from all except the smaller and medium-sized
machines, as electric drives have largely displaced this
clumsy method and permit overhead -travelling cranes,
The large cylinor overhead tracks to have free range.
drical grinding machines of to-day therefore have no belt
A motor is installed somewhere alongdrive from above.
side the bed, and the grinding wheel is belt-driven from
that
the work-speeds and the wheel-feeds are changed
through gears enclosed in boxes protected from grit. The
convenience of this arrangement, which is only rendered
possible by the electric drive, is inducing manufacturers
to adopt similar arrangements for the smaller machines.
;

Guards. It is not possible to provide an efficient

guard for every kind of abrasive wheel, but
wherever a guard can be used it should be provided.
Some guards are unsuitable in design, others are
too flimsy to withstand the shock of a bursting
wheel, and others are capable of being so easily
moved out of the way that they are seldom in
active use.

If

workmen and employers

only paid

ERECTION AND OPERATION OF MACHINES 107

sufficient attention to this

matter

many lamentable

accidents would be prevented.

Dust

Collectors.

Artificial

abrasives

have in

themselves no chemical effect upon the

Wfi'jijHiji,

(J.

Farrer

human

iipij;';

&

Sons, Ltd., Sheffield.)

9.
TYPICAL PEDESTAL-TYPE GRINDING MACHINE WITH
DUST COLLECTORS WHICH ACT ALSO AS SAFETY GUARDS.

FIG.

system as the various human fluids have no action

on the abrasive. But when men work in an atmosphere containing a large amount

of abrasive dust
the resultant irritation of the nose, throat, and

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

108

lungs produces conditions which may lead to

For this reason
tuberculosis or other diseases.
and as a safeguard to the eyes, some form of
protective hood and dust collector preferably
with a fan to carry off the dust in a current of
air
should be used whenever dry grinding is

done. Further, considerable quantities of abrasive

dust are apt to collect on machine parts, especially
those which are lubricated.

Such bearing surfaces,

and especially sliding surfaces, must be protected.
The dust problem is entirely absent in wet grinding,
in which an abundant flow of water or other
liquid carries away the dust and also keeps the
work cool, thus making possible a more accurate
product. The workmen should wear goggles and
respirators when a hood or dust collector cannot
protect them fully from flying sparks. A convenient
form of hood is shown in Fig. 9.
Mounting.
carefully

grinding wheel should be fixed

and securely between iron plates or

washers about half the diameter of the wheel,

with a sheet of thin rubber insertion, or one or
two thicknesses of brown paper, on each side
between the wheel and the washer-plates. It
should never be mounted without washers, and
the flanges should be of the same size
if one
flange is larger than the other the wheel is stressed
Care should
tranversely and may crack or "fly."
be taken in screwing up very thin wheels that too
much force is not applied. No wheel of more
than 12 in. diameter should be put on a spindle
of 1 in. diameter and other sizes in proportion.
In order to prevent damage to the wheel through
;

ERECTION AND OPERATION OF MACHINES 109

defective mounting, the shaft or spindle sometimes

has a cardboard packing between it and the

This is not essential, but is advisable for
very large wheels. In the case of wheels less than
36 in. diameter the metal bush should be just
tight enough to enable the spindle to pass through
If the spindle fits too
it without hammering.
tightly, the expansion of the metal used for the
bush (as the wheel becomes hot) may crack the
wheel. There should be sufficient space between
the bush of the wheel and the wheel itself to
accommodate the expansion of the wheel. Any
screws should be tight enough to hold the wheel
or cylinder in place but not so tight as to
wheel.

strain

it.

Before being used, the wheels should be trued

up on their own spindles with a truing tool, and
they should also be turned up when they get out
of truth through wear.
Grinding-wheels should revolve towards the
rests, and the rests should be set close to the

wheels so as to prevent work being jammed

between the rest and the wheel. The rest must
never be moved while the machine is in motion.
Truing and Dressing Abrasive Wheels, etc. A
grinding-wheel consists of a very large number of

cemented or bonded together,

and presented at very different angles. Their
single cutting points

is to produce a large number of very fine

cuts simultaneously, the size of the cuts being

action

determined by the
abrasives.

(even

much

As these
less

size

of the

particles of the

cuts are exceedingly small

than a thousandth of an inch),

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

110

accuracy can only be attained by the greatest

in the shaping of the wheel on its
"
"
This is usually effected by
or
axis.
truing
precision

"

dressing."

The

terms

"

"

truing

and

"

"

dressing

are

Truing usually denotes giving a

or
other
abrasive device an accurate
-wheel
grin ding
shape or a surface which will enable it to produce
a good finish to the work whereas dressing usually
denotes imparting a surface to a grinding wheel,
etc., which will make it grind or cut more rapidly.
Dressing frees the worn and useless grains and
often confused.

MM
(Alfred Herbert, Ltd., Coventry.

FIG. 10.

bond from the

DIAMO-CARBO WHEEL DRESSER.

face of the wheel

and presents new

particles of abrasive.

To turn abrasive wheels, cylinders, etc., accurately to the required shape a diamond is necessary.
Bort diamonds are sometimes used for this purpose,
but carbonado or black diamonds

though more
and are harder and
The diamond is mounted in a

costly to purchase

more

reliable.

last longer

metal holder held in a suitable feeding device, as

it is almost
impossible to obtain the best results
if the diamond -holder is held in the hand.
Substitutes for diamonds are also used.
The one shown
in Fig. 10 consists of a steel tube filled with an
intensely hard abrasive.

ERECTION AND OPERATION OF MACHINES 111

When

wheels are used only for rough work or

them a preliminary truing the
wheel-dressers
ordinary
may be used (see Fig. 11).
These consist of small wheels of irregular shape,
made of specially hardened metal and mounted
in a holder so that they rotate when in use.
They
are unsuitable for truing finishing wheels, but are
excellent for wheels used for coarser work and
are much cheaper than diamonds. In both truing
and dressing, the tool should be held in a suitable
holder, and it should be passed rapidly across the
in order to give

Alfred Herbert, Ltd., Coventry

FIG. 11.

HUNTINGDON WHEEL DRESSER.

surface to be trued or dressed,

with an even

motion, only a light cut being taken at each

traverse.
In each case the wheel should be
with
an abundance of lubricant, as in
supplied

wet grinding.
Vibration. If either the article being ground or
the grinding wheel vibrate to more than a negligible
"
"
extent there will be
chatter marks
or faint
lines

which show

when

it is

on finished

cylindrical

work

lapped or rubbed in a tight fitting hole.

Chatter marks caused by vibration in the work,
the centres of its supports, or the table of the
machine, appear in straight lines parallel to the
axis of the work.
Those caused by vibration of
SA

(5377)

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

112

the wheel, its bearings or the wheel-head, appear

as spiral marks round the work. Occasionally
chatter marks are due to the use of too hard a
in this case they are wavy instead of
wheel
;

straight or spiral lines.

Vibrations in the work are generally caused by
(1) bad
centres in the work ; possibly not the same angle as the
centres of the machine ; (ii) badly worn machine centres ;
(iii) machine centres not bedding properly in their sockets
{iv) work-head or tailstock not properly clamped on the'
table ;
(v) omission of properly fitted steady rests* ;
or (vii) a glazed wheel.
<vi) too fast a work speed
Vibrations of the wheel are generally caused by
(i)
wheel loose on its sleeve ; (ii) wheel out of balance ;
:

{iii)

loose wheel spindle bearings

round

(iv)

spindle itself not

under the wheel slide

or
fastening to the wheel spindle driving belt.

(vi)

a clumsy

Poor Cutting, Glazing, and Burning.

defects are all due to the same cause,

and to

(v) grit

These

remedy them one or more of the following precautions should be taken.

softer or coarser
wheel should be used
the pressure of the wheel
on the work, or vice versa, should be increased
the area of contact should be reduced
the wheel
"
"
should be
dressed
or a lubricant with less
oil (or no oil) should be used.

*
Steady rests are just as much a part of the cylindrical
grinding machine as the wheel itself, and those who do
not use them on all fine work should not complain about
the quality of the finish, although they may succeed in
obtaining a satisfactory finish in some cases without their

BIBLIOGRAPHY
For further information the reader
Advanced Grinding
Jones.

(New

Practice, by D. T.
Industrial Press, N.Y.)

Emery Grinding Machinery, by

Volume on Grinding
(International Text

in

P. B.

may

be referred

Hamilton and F. D.

Hodgson.

(Griffin.)

International Library of Technology.

Book

Co., Scranton, U.S.A.)

Abrasives and Abrasive Wheels, by F. B. Jacobs. (McGraw-Hill

Book Co.)
Cylinder
Worcester, Mass.)

Principles of

Little

Grinding,

by Norton.

(Norton Co.,

Knoicn Facts About Grinding, by H. W. Dunbar. (Norton

Co., Worcester, Mass.)

The under-mentioned Technical Primers, uniform

with this volume (Pitman, 2s. 6d. net), deal with
subjects of associated interest
Grinding Machines and Their Use, by Thos. R. Shaw
details of precision grinding machines and practice.

for

The

Electric Furnace, by F. J. Mofifett ; for information regarding the furnaces used in the manufacture of abrasives.

Oils,

Pigments, Paints, Varnishes,

etc.,

for information regarding protective

for surfaces of all kinds.

other volumes are in preparation for this

which can be obtained frcm
publishers at Pitman House. Parker Street,

Many

series, full particulars of

the

by Rupert H. Truelove
and decorative coatings

Kingsway, W.C.2.

113

INDEX
ABRASIVE

Brass, grinding, 73
polishing, 66, 95
Bronze, grinding, 73
Buffing, 66
metals, 81
wheels, 4

action, 2

blocks, 4, 15, 45, 56

cloths, 10, 57
defined, 1
liquids, 10

papers, 9, 57
powders, 5

Burning,

stones, 4
wheels, 1, 5

work done, 70
Abrasives, aluminous,

12

blocks and stones, 57

wheels, etc., 50, 52

artificial,
-

CAMS, grinding, 92
Canvas wheels, 67

1 1

1 1

Carbalon, 11
Carbide abrasives,

forms, 4
hardness, 76
names, 13
natural, 10

preparation, 30
selection, 68
Acid in polishes, 61
Adamite, 11, 13

Chalk, 60
Chatter marks,

1 1

Artificial abrasives, 6,

1 1 1

Clay, 17

Cleaning
37

wheels, etc., 48, 50

Balancing wheels, 55
Balls, grinding, 93
Band polishing machines, 65

abrasive

materials,

Cloths, abrasive, 10, 57

Coke, 26

Combination stones, 5
Comparison of abrasives, 73
Composition of abrasive

bricks, 13, 18, 60

Bauxite, 26
Belgian razor stone, 15

wheels, 72

Compressed wheels, 67

Binding materials, 27, 49, 74

Blocks, 94
,

59

China clay, 18, 28

Chips, shape of, 7

1 1

BAKING

13,

Chert, 10, 17

Alunduin, 11, 13
Angular grit, 1 1
Area of grinding contact, 81

Bath

34

Castings, grinding, 92
Cements, 27

Aloxite, 11, 13

Alumina, 18, 21, 31

Aluminous abrasives,

11,

Carbo -corundum, 1 1
Carbonado, 25, 98
Carbon silicide, 1 1
Carborundum, 11, 12.
Carbosilite, 11,13

Contact, area of, 81

Corubin, 13, 34
Corundite, 11

abrasive, 4, 15
emery, 21

10, 13, 21, 22, 31

manufacture of, 45
Bonds, abrasive, 49, 58
Borocarbone, 13

Corundum,

Borolon, 11
Bort, 25, 98

Crocus mart is,

Crushed steel.

Cost, 83, 101

Crankshaft, grinding. 90

115

12,
1 1

26

116

INDEX

Crushing abrasive materials,

36

Filings, 11
Fineness of abrasive,

73

Crystolon, 11, 13

Fining, 64
Finishing, 64, 70, 90
operations on

wheels,

Cut, depth of, 71

Cutlery, polishing, 66, 68
Cutting, 112
fluid, 75
-off wheels, 95
speed of, 70

etc.,

stone, marble,

and

glass,

97
wheels, etc., 46
Cylinders, abrasive, 5
grinding, 51

54

Finish, quality of, 71

Firestone, 17
Firing blocks and stones, 57
Flours, 74
Flow grading, 41, 43
Forgings, grinding, 92
Furniture polish, 61

Cylindrical grinding, 88

GARNET,

DEPTH

of cut, 71
Dialunite, 11
Diamantin, 11

Diamonds,

10, 25, 40, 98,

10, 24, 59
Glass cutting, 74, 97
grinding and polishing,
9, 96
-paper, 23
polishing, 96
Glassite, 12
Glazing, 3, 30, 66, 70, 75, 78,
93, 99, 112
Glues, 27, 65
Gold, polishing, 95
Grade of wheels, 77
Grades of abrasives, 43
Grading abrasive materials,
,

110

Diatomite, 17

Dental grinding, 94
Dentists' wheels, 9
Detergents in polishes, 61
Dies, grinding, 92
Discs, abrasive, 5
Dolly wheels, 68, 81
Dressing wheels, 55, 109, 110
Drills, pointing, 75
Drying wheels, 52
Durability of wheels, 71, 100

Dust collectors, 107

Dynamidon, 1 1

40, 41, 54

Green

effect of, 100

Edge-tools, sharpening, 93
Elastic bonds, 27
Electrolon, 13
Elutriation, 38, 43, 44
Emery, 10, 19, 60
bricks, 21
paper and cloth, 59
- wheels, 20
External grinding, 89
,

FELSPAR, 28
Felt wheels, 68
Ferrous sulphate, 26
File blanks, grinding, 92

26

36, 39
,

ECCENTRICITY,

vitriol,

Granite, grinding, 73
Grinding abrasive materials,

external, 89
internal, 91
machines, 82, 85, 92, 104
precision, 102
surface, 91

wet, 75
wheels, uses of, 8
Grindstones, 14, 75
Grit, angular, 11
of abrasive, 73, 74
Grits of paper and cloths, 59
Guards, 106, 107
Gumming, 30
Guns, polishing, 68
,

HARDNESS,

76, 79

INDEX
Hearthstone, 17
Hide wheels, 68

Hones,

1, 16,

56, 94

INFUSORIAL earth,

11

Inspection of wheels, 99
Internal grinders, 87, 91
Iron, grinding, 73, 90
oxide in polishes, 61

JEWELRY

polishing, 66

11, 17, 60
Knives, sharpening, 75

KlESELGUHR,

LABELLING wheels, etc., 56

Leather, grinding and smoothing, 73, 97
60, 95
dlakprl 12

Lime,

64.

117

INDEX

118

Scratches, preventing, 104

Screening abrasive materials,
41
Sea-horse wheels, 68

Sedimentation, 42
Selection of abrasives, 68
Selection of bond, 74

Sharpeners,
45

manufacture

of,

Shovels, polishing, 68
Sifting abrasive materials, 41
Silicate bond, 27, 49, 75
Silicide abrasives, 1 1
Silicon carbide, 11

26

'

VIBRATION, 111
Vitrified wheels, 28, 50, 75
Vitriol, green, 26

WATCHMAKERS'

Wax

grinding, 75
,

-,
,

Speculum, abrasive
Speed of cutting, 70

for,

44

grinding, etc., 96
of,

of grinding, 89, 91
of wheels, 77, 79
surface, 81
Steel abrasive, 11
grinding, 78, 90
- polishing,
67, 95
turnings, 11
Stone cutting, 74, 97
Stones, combination, 5

manufacture

artificial v.

Sorting, 54

in polishes, 61
of wheels, 71

Wheels, abrasive, use

polishes, 61

Soft wheels, 77
Sorel cement, 27, 46

-,

wheels, 9

Water-glass bond, 50
in grinding, 75

Wet

Slag, 26
Sludge, 18

grinders, 85

of grinding wheels, etc., 8

Wear

Silver, polishing, 66, 95

Soap in

UNIVERSAL
Uses

Sharpening edge-tools, 93
Sharpening stones, 56, 57
Shellac-bonded wheels, 48, 74

Silt,

Trade names, 13
Tripoli powder, 11, 17, 60
Truing wheels, 109
Turkey stone, 15
Turnings, 11
Turpentine in polishes, 61

45

Stoves, polishing, 68
Strap polishing machines, 65
Surface grinding, 91
speed of work, 81
,

compressed, 67
dentist's, 9, 74

dressing, 109
durability, 71, 100

68

felt,

glazing, 66

-,

grade, 77
hardness, 77
hide, 68

manufacture, 45
mounting, 105, 108
muslin, 67
polishing,

Testing, 56, 59, 100, 101

Toughness of abrasives, 78

6,

66

rubber bonded, 46
speed, 77, 79
100
truing, 109

tests,

watch-maker's,
Whiting, 12, 60
,

TAPS, polishing, 68

6,

buffing, 4
canvas, 67
cleaning, 68

of, 1,

natural,

Wood,

9,

74

grinding, etc., 73, 97

abrasive, 70

Work done by

Printed in Bath, England, by Sir Isaac Pitman

X (5377)

&

Sons, Ltd.

46
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