DIY belt grinder help

A

Alfazulu

Joined
Mar 24, 2016
Messages
234
Hey guys, I just got my belt grinder up and running, however, I'm having some issues. Mainly, belt tracking. First of all, I got the plastic Lightning wheels from Oregon Blade maker. I'm doubting that I have them attached right. I'm talking about the small ones above and below the platen. Basically, if I tighten them so they stay perpendicular to the attachment plate, they won't spin. If they are loose enough to spin, they tilt and the belt starts to track off. I have a 1/2" bolt holding them on. The stack goes like this (if looking at the platen as if grinding a blade). There's the bolt head, then a washer, then it goes through the plate, then another washer, then a PVC spacer, then the wheel, then a nylock nut. Do I need something on the other side of the wheel, between it and the nylock nut?

Generally, I can't get the tracking to stay still. The belt just flutters about 3mm left and right, which means it's worthless to me, then eventually (like 10-20 seconds) it starts moving significantly because the front wheels aren't tight enough. I really cranked down on them, and the top wheel wouldn't even spin. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? I'll post pictures later. I'm just too disgusted to mess with it for a minute. Want to watch football and forget about it.
 
Yo need to use machine spacers either side of the wheel. They are like washers, but their outside diameter is just big enough to engage the inner, but not outer race of the bearing.
 
Or tapped holes in the plate the bolts are currently just going through. That way you can thread them in just enough to hold the wheel and then tighten the locknut on as a jam nut.
 
Besides the machinery bushings on the outside of the bearings, good grinder wheels will have a bushing or spacer the diameter of the inner race that runs inside the wheel from bearing to bearing.
 
Thanks guys. Where can I find machine spacers? Would Lowes/Home Depot have them? Can I just grind down some washers?
 
Did I mention I love you guys?! It's working! I made some bearing spacers out of 5/16" washers by drilling them out then grinding down the OD. Still wouldn't let the wheels turn freely. I think because there's no spacer in the middle of these wheels. So when you tighten them the bearings don't have something in the middle to keep them from pushing in. Anyway, I used a jam nut to tighten my bolts to the plate, then I was able to just tighten the nylock nut just enough so the pulleys don't wobble. The belt wobble persisted until I changed belts. The fresh belt was fine. The first belt is apparently bad. It's brand new from USA knife maker. Should I send it back? It's never touched metal. It literally may have 100 rotations on it, and zero grinding. Is that common to get a bad belt? It's a 120grit blaze. It it were cheap I wouldn't worry about it, but that's like $12.
 
If you have left it on your grinder under tension it's likely stretched. Try putting it on backwards.
 
kuraki said:
If you have left it on your grinder under tension it's likely stretched. Try putting it on backwards.
Click to expand...

I didn't leave it on. I learned that with my 1x30" grinder long ago. It was never on for more than 1 minute, and was doing the wobble immediately. And I have tried it both ways.
 
Sometimes I get a belt like that. They generally straighten out after running for a few minutes.
 
What lbs tension spring do you have on your grinder?

If it is not enough the belt will wobble and run poorly.

On my GIB I use a 60lbs spring and my grinder tracks perfectly.
 
AVigil said:
What lbs tension spring do you have on your grinder?

If it is not enough the belt will wobble and run poorly.

On my GIB I use a 60lbs spring and my grinder tracks perfectly.
Click to expand...

I have a 40lb gas spring on it, based on recommendations from people here. I currently have three belts. Two track perfectly, just that one wobbles. I'll probably just run it anyway and hope it straightens out. I just won't be doing any plunge lines with it.
 
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