What is the typical tolerance range for free hand grinding?

• A. +-0.010-0.020 in
• B. +-0.020-0.050 in
• C. +-0.050-0.100 in
• D. +-0.100-0.200 in

Answer: (B)

Freehand grinding relies on the operator’s feel and the wheel’s condition rather than fixturing, so the final dimensions can vary more. Because there’s no rigid setup to control exactly how much material is removed, tolerances tend to be relatively loose. About 0.020 to 0.050 inches is a realistic range you can expect from freehand grinding, accommodating the variability while still allowing a usable finished part. Tighter ranges would require fixtures or additional process control, while looser tolerances would not reflect typical freehand practice.