Good size contact wheels for slack belt attachment, NWG

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obsessis

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Jul 2, 2009
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I want to get a couple different size wheels for the NWG slack belt arm.

for the flat platen I got a 2" and a 3" to use. what should I use on the slack belt? I'd like a bigger one, 4", 5" or 6" but I'm not too sure which one would be best. also, what about the top one? would a 4" up top with a 5" or 6" on bottom be too much?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
also, what general tasks are done on the slack belt?

I can think that rounding handles would be good. I also know you can use it to convex grind a blade.

What other tasks do people use with it?
 
If you're going to use the wheels as contact wheels also, then I'd guess the size you pick would be your preference. For just slack belt use the larger wheels might get a little expensive. Maybe, lay it out on your current flat platen first, because larger wheels may not fit as well as you might imagine.

Good luck with the build, Craig
 
I built a NWSG and used the 2" contact wheels on the flat platen, and use a 4" poly wheel that is softer (red) on the top and a 3" regular contact wheel on the bottom. I just put a single bolt in the tool arm so if I want the 4" or the 3" out front, I just loosen it and swivel it out front. Works pretty well. I mostly use it for shaping handles and putting a little convex edge on a flat grind.

-Mike
 
You can use a 3" and an 8" mount them on a bar of 1/2" and set that up to rotate and lock on the tool arm. That way you can use it as a 8" contact wheel, a 3" contact wheel, a slack belt or a platen. Takes a little more work, but is way more versatile. You can get a cheap 8" wheel from Grizzly and have it machined to take bearings.
 
do Girizzly's contact whels not already have bearings?

edit: Nevermind, I just figured out the obvious that they are drive wheels... duh
 
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we are talking about contact wheels used on a slack belt.

grizzly's 10 inch doesn't have bearings, you need to take it to a machine shop and have them bore out a place for them. I talked to a guy who said $50 to $60 but I have heard it done as low as $30. That still makes it cheap for a $75 10" contact wheel.

I've seen some combination tool arms before. Can you expand a bit about the exact size of the main piece that holds the wheels? Pictures or anything to help me figure out how to design it?
 
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