Contact Wheel questions.

R

Randydb

Joined
Sep 27, 2014
Messages
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I'm beginning to gather up the parts to make a 2x72 grinder. I've noticed that people use a range of wheels as their contact wheel. Some people have used castor wheels. I spotted an 8x2" castor wheel at Princess Auto for $35

IMG_4713.jpg

Is this something that would work? It feels pretty heavy and I couldn't tell if it had bushings or bearings. If it used bushings could I just change them out for bearings?


Thanks.
Randy
 
Randydb, The only part that comes in contact with your blade bevel is the contact wheel. Do you want it to be true with no runout (side to side wobble) and be balanced and capable of any reasonable speed and have really good bearings? Of course you do. What I'm trying to suggest is that you can build your grinder frame out of any reasonably sturdy material and bolt it, weld it, or glue it together as long as it is straight but the contact wheel will directly affect the quality of your blades. A Beaumont 8 inch wheel will cost you about $250 including the bearings and you can use a piece of all thread or a 1/2, inch bolt with a spacer for an axle and all you will need to do is make it spin with an abrasive belt and a power source and you can grind a nice bevel with some practice. There are other contact wheels for less which some of the forum members can recommend that would do the job but please be careful not get too cheap on this item if you are serious about making good knives. That is my opinion as a guy who has tried to save money and has foolishly done so in the past. Idler wheels and drive wheels can be bought off the net in places like Ebay and are fine but good contact wheels are worth the money in the long run in my opinion . Good luck with your build. Larry

EvOCebAl.jpg
 
Hi Larry,

Where did you get those locking levers? I've been looking for them to fit the Bader style arms. Thanks
 
I agree. If you are going to run it at all speeds then I would purchase one. If you're not doing straight razors then just get an 8" or 10" wheel. That will do most anything you want it too.
 
I definitely want to wind up with a solid grinder when I am done. I don't expect to be producing quality blades for a while, but I recognize how often the finished product and my frustration level is effected by the quality of machine I use. I've gone back a bought a better model a number of times in my life.

I guess I just look at $250US and wonder if there isn't a more affordable option.
 
A castor is not a contact wheel, the balancing issue is what I would consider unsafe.

If a
$30 castor way any good, no one would buy $200 contact wheels
 
Randydb, There are good contact wheels that are less expensive but I cannot name them right now. Perhaps some forum members can help. I think that some of the guys use a Grizzley wheel and bearings that is about half the price of a Beaumont wheel. Maybe a search on this site will help. I know that USA Knifemakers Spply has some "Poly" contact wheels for a good price that have good bearings and are balanced. Larry
 
IIRC, somebody recently posted a link to a 8" or 10" contact wheel from aliexpress/alibaba. It's shipped straight from china (I imagine those casters are too) and was less than $100 if I remember. They had a few other sizes and claimed it was balanced. You could pick your durometer to I think. I wish I could remember who posted it, but they seemed pleased with theirs for the money.

You might also look at Sun Ray Inc if you want to save a few bucks over Beaumont Metal Works, though there's no denying they make a great wheel.

I've also had one made by Contact Rubber Corp and was really happy with it, but they're gonna be a little pricey too.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
Randydb, There are good contact wheels that are less expensive but I cannot name them right now. Perhaps some forum members can help. I think that some of the guys use a Grizzley wheel and bearings that is about half the price of a Beaumont wheel. Maybe a search on this site will help. I know that USA Knifemakers Spply has some "Poly" contact wheels for a good price that have good bearings and are balanced. Larry
Click to expand...

I searched for that Grizzly wheel the other day, be damned if I could find it.


Grizzly G1015 Knife Belt Sander
You can get replacement wheels for that grinder, but they need no have a bearing pocket milled in each side
If you have to pay for that machine work, you don't save anything.
 
I got my Grizzly wheel with bearings from a machinist on Ebay. His user name is vwjackstraw. He makes really good wheels, but I don't see the Grizzly listed right now. You might contact him and see if he plans on making any more.
 
knife to a gunfight said:
IIRC, somebody recently posted a link to a 8" or 10" contact wheel from aliexpress/alibaba. It's shipped straight from china (I imagine those casters are too) and was less than $100 if I remember. They had a few other sizes and claimed it was balanced. You could pick your durometer to I think. I wish I could remember who posted it, but they seemed pleased with theirs for the money.
Click to expand...

It was probably my post(s) in this thread you're thinking about.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1352210-Need-help-to-get-couple-contact-wheels

I'm very happy with my china made contact wheels. They seem balanced enough as far as I can see. The only downside is that you'll have to buy and mount bearings yourself.
 
NC Biker said:
I got my Grizzly wheel with bearings from a machinist on Ebay. His user name is vwjackstraw. He makes really good wheels, but I don't see the Grizzly listed right now. You might contact him and see if he plans on making any more.
Click to expand...

I checked out his ebay store. He has all the other wheels I will need. I'm following him now! Thanks.

I have just begun to research what type of grinder to build but have quickly recognized that the wheels and motor are my biggest outlays of $. I picked up a Baldor 2 hp single phase motor recently for $125. I know it won't be as nice as if I used VFD but I think for my first one I will be happy with step pulley system.

My original question here came out of the jumble of things I have read and seen. That plastic/rubber type surface, a couple guys using castor wheels, another using his lawnmower wheel. I didn't think it would work...but it didn't hurt to ask! In the long run, if I can pick up all the wheels in the $300-$400 range I would be doing quite well right?
 
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