The TINKER is a simple, practical, and compact T&C Grinding Jig that will sharpen end mills, side and face milling cutters, slitting saws, twist drills, reamers- in fact, just about any cutter you’d find in a small machine shop, a gunsmith’s shop*, or home workshop. Plus it will let you grind lathe toolbits to known angles.

Because it teams up with your existing bench grinder, the TINKER does not require you to make a high class grinding spindle. The basic TINKER consists of only 27 parts in all, most of them very simple to make. The two main elements, the Foot and the Standard, are made from a pair of identical castings, machined just slightly different one from the other. The castings are available from us, or you can fabricate substitutes by welding and machining. Over 60 pages of drawings and instructions include notes for building, and complete user instructions.

"Sixty pages of drawings!" you say?

The TINKER T&C Grinding Jig was invented and developed by N.W. Tinker in England. His drawings ran to 9 pages. When I built my TINKER to his drawings, I had quite a number of questions that I had to go back to him with for answers. When I later arranged with Mr. Tinker to market this excellent design in North America, I did not want each of my customers coming back to me with a similar number of questions. I therefore re-did the drawings entirely, incorporating more detail and many helpful notes so you don't have to waste time puzzling over why this screw hole and that one are different sizes, even though they would seem to have the same purpose - or making something wrong and then seeing the problem after it's made:- I point out such pitfalls to keep you from falling into them. I have sold hundreds of sets of my TINKER drawings over a period of 20+ years, I have had VERY few questions, so I must have done something right.

NOTE: We also have drawings for the Mini-TINKER. This is a much simpler version of the TINKER. It is slightly smaller, uses no castings, and can be built by someone who owns a smaller lathe, but who does not have a milling machine (although access to one would make some parts of the job easier).

* Gunsmiths: The TINKER is not suitable for sharpening chambering reamers. Chambering reamers should be returned to the maker for sharpening.... or see TMBR#3 for an absolute goldmine of info on how to hand stone your own chambering reamers!!


Added February 18, 2008:

Here's what what customer said after getting a set of my TINKER Plans:

"....Guy,

 

The TINKER plans came in the mail yesterday.  It's a great package!!  I just skimmed through them last night, and am looking
forward to studying them in detail.  Your notes and recommendations are excellent, and should be a great help to those with
less than the optimum level of shop experience needed to build the Tinker, and I think they'll be a good reality check for me
before I actually start to make chips to fabricate each component.

My business sense is telling me that the TINKER plans are worth considerably more than you are charging for them. They are
certainly a bargain for the detailed information, and the drawings, which are very clear and easy to understand. You obviously
put a lot of time into producing a first class set of plans.
 

Thank you from a very satisfied customer.  I'll be recommending the purchase of the plans to all of my colleagues that could use
a Tinker to great advantage in their home shops.

 

Jeff M.,   Caledonia, NY...."

US Customers: US$32.50 ppd . Add US$5 for Mini-Tinker plans, if wanted.
Canadian Customers: C$45.00 ppd (includes GST). Add C$5 for Mini-Tinker plans, if wanted.
Customers outside US or Canada: C$50.00 airmail ppd. Add C$6 for Mini-Tinker plans, if wanted.

TINKER CASTINGS. Although castings are not REQUIRED for this project, I can supply a nice pair of unmachined grey iron castings if you want them.

US Customers: US$90.00 (includes surface shipping)
Canadian Customers: C$120.00 (includes GST and shipping); BC Customers add $7.85 PST.
Customers outside US or Canada: Price on application - we feel the castings would be prohibitively expensive to mail, but you may think differently.

If you think you would prefer to build the mini-TINKER, add the appropriate amount, and ask us to send you the Mini-TINKER Drawings when you order the regular TINKER drawings. 

(You will need the info in the TINKER drawings, even if you ONLY plan to build the Mini-TINKER.)

NOTE:  one customer said he plans to build ....."both the TINKER for general shop use, and the Mini-TINKER for very small cutters that drive me nuts to hand sharpen (#2 counterbores and smaller, form tools for HO gauge wheels, and the like). The Mini-TINKER will probably end up with a small cup wheel on a dedicated spindle and base, with a magnifier,  while the larger TINKER will be used with my 8" bench grinder."

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