How do you "dress" a grinding wheel

[rac]

On another thread someone mentioned that you could and should "dress" your grinding wheels to clean them up. I have been throwing them away when they get clogged up. How do you "dress" a wheel?

[GGK]

There are tools that you can use to dress your wheels (dressers). Looks like a handle w/ spurs. I would suggest that you go to Home Depot, Sears, Lowes, Ace, whatever your favorite hardware store is and ask someone there where it is and how to use it.
Luck
G

[rac]

What does it actually do? Does it reshape or scrape the wheel?

[howtobrew]

You can also use a wet brick. You are trying to make the wheel surface flat(ter) and not filled with metal.

[Mergs]

A dressing tool is as HTB said, something that will 'true' up the wheel. If you use a wheel for a repetative task it will not only fill up with metal particles, but aslo wear unevenly. This can not only make it harder to shape parts that you are trying to get a straight edge on, but un-balance the wheel which will cause increased loads on the bearings and wear them out faster.

The tool should be placed on the tool rest and slowly fed into the rotating grinding wheel. Make sure that it is perpendicular to the axle/spindle of the grinder. DON'T move the tool side to side. The tool you are using should be the same size as the thickness of the wheel you are dressing. Keep the tool in place for a couple of seconds, turn off the grinder, and with a combination square, check to see that the face of the wheel and the side are square and that any dips are removed.

[Purple Fencer]

Or you could just buy a new wheel.....but that'd be the easy way....

[Mergs]

Or you could just buy a new wheel.....but that'd be the easy way....

ARE YOU NUTS!?!?!?!?!?Sacrilage, you heathen b*****d! Dan would have your head on a pike!Why would you want to throw away 90% of a perfectly good grinding wheel? You must be made of money!!!

[Purple Fencer]

ARE YOU NUTS!?!?!?!?!?Sacrilage, you heathen b*****d! Dan would have your head on a pike!Why would you want to throw away 90% of a perfectly good grinding wheel? You must be made of money!!!

Well...I didn;t say it was a fairly new wheel, did I???

[fencerbill]

On another thread someone mentioned that you could and should "dress" your grinding wheels to clean them up. I have been throwing them away when they get clogged up. How do you "dress" a wheel?

Maybe you could find the right size doll clothes.

It is all a matter of style.

Some like high heels, some like bikinis.

[Purple Fencer]

Maybe you could find the right size doll clothes.

It is all a matter of style.

Some like high heels, some like bikinis.

Man....I WANTED to go there...decided against it...

[fencerbill]

More seriously, there is also another type of dresser. Basically a carbide stick that I have used. I think it is easier to use if the size doesn't match with the size of the grinding wheel. Should be as easy to find as the "spur" type. I think the spur type is more appropriate if the wheel is metal filled. The stick type works for me when a cheap grinding wheel seems to get "burned" and just seems to stop grinding.

I think the stick type is better for truing a wheel to get the grooves out.