Adding a dust collector to the grinder

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grizzled gizzard said:
I really find it very surprising that no one gave the easiest, cheapest (by far), and best answer (IMHO), to this very simple question.

Doesn't anyone grind wet around here?

It answers all your questions, beyond question. It cost me a whopping $15 to rig my setup.
Dust is virtually eliminated. Chance of fire non-existent. You're belts stay clean and last longer.

The greatest advantage though is that you are grinding water cooled. No more singed fingers, and no more stopping to dunk the blade. You keep the blade on the belt continuously, speeding grinding by about 50%.

Once you try it, you'll never want to grind dry again.
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I've been wondering about this, I saw john neeman from autine tools wet grinding in a video and have been curious about it since.
 
grizzled gizzard said:
Doesn't anyone grind wet around here?
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Yeah, I used to for a while. My ceramic belts held up fine, but some of my finer belts started gumming up on the platen, etc... I worried that the water was blowing out my bearings too. You have motivated me to look into re-building my wet-sanding unit again. Had to wear rubber boots - ha ha.

Care to hijack this thread just a bit and give us some tips on how to set-up for wet-grinding? Much appreciated.
 
It is also not very compatible with many small shops or inside a home garage.

In the new shop, I had considered going wet on at least one grinder. I couldn't get past the problems I would have with water in the dust collection lines, rust on everything around the grinder, and added shop humidity in already humid Tidewater. I decided to bolt one grinder on a polypropylene shop cart that I can roll outside the shop. It will have a splash guard to try and keep the spray down, but no need for dust collection. Lots of holes drilled in the recessed top and bottom shelf will allow tools and blades to sit there, but water to drain through. I can blow it off with the air hose after use to dry most of the water off, and roll it back inside when fully dry.
 
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Jesse, this next 5 days is extremely busy. I will start a new thread and post early next week my dust collector.

Regards.

DP
 
Tandem Expédition;13529626 said:
I don't know who you are but if you think that stainless steel is flamable, you should find a new hobby.
I understand what oxygen has to do with fire.

Instead of insulting people try to be constructive.
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Then look me up.

All steel dust will burn. You are a clueless nitwit.
 
Patrice Lemée;13530340 said:
I'll be following your progress because I may need something similar. My wife is tired of having her flowers outside covered with a layer of steel dust. :o Me I think it makes them prettier. ;)
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Hasn't the wife heard of steel Magnolias?
 
Kevin Wilkins said:
Then look me up.
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Québec.....Germany

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's not going to happen, but if it does post it on youtube, I'm a big fan of street fight videos where everyone is rolling around in a parking lot messing up their best saturday night cloths ;0)
 
Thanks for the comments and interest on wet grinding, guys.

I don't want to hijack this thread.

This is a different topic, so I'll try to make a meaningful thread about it in the near future.
 
+1 on dangerous design.

I've had a partially full 50 gallon drum full of metal shavings burst into flames. Similar setup, but no water. We went from grinding a lot of 440C and aluminum to some carbon steel and lit it up while the blower was running blowing smoke outdoors. We opened doors and hit it with CO2 based fire extinguisher to get it under control and a hose to water down the barrel, HUGE mess.
We were lucky, if we didn't catch it and left the building for lunch we would of burned the shop down quickly.

Always wondered how long it would of taken that mess to melt through that drum that we had as the collection point of large particles.
Thermite indeed!
 
SamuraiDave said:
+1 on dangerous design.I've had a partially full 50 gallon drum full of metal shavings burst into flames.
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Have you guys made any improvement to the barrel collection system?

I figured the water in the barrel would only be effective until the dust became a slurry, after that it would be a fire hazard again as the dry dust piled up on top
 
I did post a new thread about wet grinding to answer some of the questions asked in this thread.

One thing I forgot to address is Stacy's comment about added humidity in a small shop.

My large forging and fabrication shop is out on the ranch, where I can't bother anyone, especially with the power hammer.

My grinding and finishing shop is a fairly small addition to the back of my garage in town.

I know about high humidity. I heat my shop through the long winters with a large forced air propane heater, which creates pretty high humidity just to keep the shop between 40 degrees at night, and a comfortable (to me) 50 degrees when I'm working.

The wet grinding setup is really inconsequential in comparison. It's definitely not like I can tell any difference in the amount of condensation on the windows.

It's simply a matter of how well you can control the water.
 
J. Hoffman said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubop-51dJjg
Guess what would happen if you add oxygen to the steel wool?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF7kH4XplSg
This 12 year-old figured it out.
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Just to make it clear, I did the desing of 400 millions BTU burner in a furnace that contain 32 of those burner with 20 injector on each burner. You know what? Everything was made of stainless steel. So yes I understand what oxygen has to do with fire.
Steel can oxyde if you heat it up to something around 1300 deg C and there is the good quantity of oxygen. It is NOT flamable. If you don't have en external source of energy, the reaction will stop.
Now if we go back to your first post, you said that a spark of steel can get hotter with more oxygen, you were wrong. Oxygen has noting to do in the process of heating steel.
 
Tandem Expédition;13534738 said:
Just to make it clear, I did the desing of 400 millions BTU burner in a furnace that contain 32 of those burner with 20 injector on each burner. You know what? Everything was made of stainless steel. So yes I understand what oxygen has to do with fire.
Steel can oxyde if you heat it up to something around 1300 deg C and there is the good quantity of oxygen. It is NOT flamable. If you don't have en external source of energy, the reaction will stop.
Now if we go back to your first post, you said that a spark of steel can get hotter with more oxygen, you were wrong. Oxygen has noting to do in the process of heating steel.
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You really can't afford to be this naive, my friend...

Dust particles of almost ANYTHING will ignite with a spark and enough air.

We really are trying to help you...
 
IF there is an ignition source, enough air, and the stainless steel particles are small enough, then YES IT IS.

Never mind. Have at it. Kevin Wilkins was trying to help you, whether you appreciated the tone of his post or not. All attempts to reason with you have been fruitless. Good luck in life, you may consider investing in a good helmet!
 
have you read all the thread?
I clearly said that I WILL built the spark trap under the grinder and I'm not going to turn on the blower when grinding SST.

I don't know what else to do to prove you that I listened to suggestions and warnings.

I understand all this dust thing. But when I installed the dust collector, I didn't Thought it would be hot enough.
After explanation I changed the design.
 
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