Well, My frankengrinder is finally running. I had started off with files and a 1x30 when i first picked up this craft, and managed ok for the most part. It didnt take long to realize that there is a pretty limited selections of belts for a small grinder like that, and an even smaller number of decent ones. Combine that with the wasted time and frustration of an under powered motor that bogged all the time, and the difficulty getting a smooth surface on a large full flat grind, and i decided i needed to go big or go home. After looking at the cost of the production 2x72s out there, from KMG, Pheer, Bader, Burr king, etc, i decided i would do something crazy like try to build my own. It has been a real test of patience and determination at times, but its finally up and running, about 6 weeks later than i hoped. First off, i had to order my drive and contact wheels online, so i had to wait for shipping, no big deal. The second delay was that I had to order my 5/8 keyed drive shaft from princess auto as nobody locally carried it. It took 4 days to even leave their warehouse, and was so poorly packed that i received an empty box a week later because the 3 foot long piece of shaft had fallen out of the box and been lost. I reported it to them, and they started a claim with Canada post, after which they shipped out a second piece to replace the lost one. This piece was packaged the same way, and not only showed up bent, but was far from precision as the keyway actually curled around the rod as it ran down the length. I had a friend make me a new one, since this one was useless and they would not respond to me, and after that we were up and running. Here are a few random pictures of it throughout the build, and one with it complete. I cant even believe the difference it makes not only in the finish quality but also the speed at which i can now remove metal. Please excuse the mess as i am very short on storage and have everything strewn all over the place while i was working on this piece of equipment. My bench is not usually messy like that, but i am limited on space for storage so some stuff has nowhere to go but sit there. Any questions or comments are welcome. For anyone interested i have about 450 bucks into the completed grinder including the 1hp 120v motor on it. It seems to work great considering i built it myself for less than half of a production one. 3/4 of the entire build cost is tied up on the wheels and bearings, the rest is all minimal. The motor was a sweet score at a lawn sale for 20 bucks. and is reversible. Currently running about 2750 sfpm as the motor is 1750rpm but i am running a 6 inch drive wheel.
I agree. Well done! You'll be a grinding fool now; no steel will be safe. I remember when I got my Bee Grinder. After a year of filing, the speed and precision was amazing.
It really feels good to have it up and running. The one thing i have learned however is that i certainly have to be more careful when grinding bevels, as these ceramic belts are not very forgiving when you wobble. A dull AO may make a little wave when you screw up, A sharp 60 grit blaze makes a half finished knife into a finished template pretty fast haha.
Nice work Grayzer86!! That gives me some serious food for thought. It's simple. Simple is what I need to make one. Where did you order the wheels from?
The wheels were ordered from usaknifemaker dot com, and where by far the most expensive part of the build. The total build cost without belts was somewhere around 450, and the 4 wheels alone were roughly $250 dollars of that. I did a lot of looking and did not find wheels of comparable quality anywhere else for less money. My next investments for it will be a 10 inch contact wheel and possibly a small wheel attachment. I didnt know how useful those items would be until i built it without them. If you ave any more questions dont hesitate to ask.
I considered going with beaumont wheels also, but the cost difference was a huge factor for me. Tracy at the website i listed does sell all the beaumont parts wheels and pulleys as well i believe for the same cost as straight from beaumonts site. i went with the cheaper wheels to save about 35% overall. If i was getting a wheel to do my main hogging i would probably suggest a Beaumont as i have heard the durability is very good.
