A motorized blade rest apparatus for a grinding system includes a carriage, a ram assembly, a work rest assembly, a motor, and a computer processor. The carriage moves a regulating wheel along a first axis towards and away from a work wheel. The ram assembly, which moves along a second axis parallel to the first axis, supports the carriage and the work rest assembly. The work rest assembly includes first and second slide portions and a work rest blade. The first slide portion is mounted on the ram assembly. The second slide portion, which is movable relative to the first slide portion, moves along a third axis perpendicular to the first axis. The work rest blade is mounted on the second slide portion. The motor is coupled to the second slide portion, and the computer processor controls the motor to move the second slide portion along the third axis.