Grinder Build Kicking My Butt...

[Phil Dwyer]

Phil, you could call some skate shops to see if there any around that sell bearing spacers. Of course, they will be the right size already. Or, in the Hillman drawers at your local hardware store (I recommend Hardware Hawaii, but I used to work there) look at the steel spacers and bronze spacers/bushings to see If you can find a sleeve the right I.D., then you can cut and square it to the proper length with your bandsaw and grinder.

I've checked City Mill, Ace, Home Depot and Lowes. Last night I went on Grainger's site and looked up part numbers to see if the local outlet has them. They rarely have what I'm looking for in stock, but maybe this time. Hardware Hawaii is in the same neighborhood so I can check with them too.

Another thing: if you get some 8mm hex nuts from the hardware store, you might be able to grind the corners off until they will press fit cold into the 1/2" holes in the GIB platen. If you picture it for a minute you'll see how they could be drawn in with an 8mm bolt, a larger nut and a washer. Then you could even braze or weld them in there if you wanted to. Either way, a fender washer on each side will keep them square in use.

Excellent idea, as it is one within my means to accomplish.

As for steel, looks like you may have a line on some already, but remember that hardware stores may have some overpriced mild steel in a pinch, and that job machine shops will often cut and sell pieces of their stock. Don't know if there are any scrap yards in Honolulu area, Sand Island maybe, but that may be an option.

As far as I can discern, scrap yards are nonexistent here.

Another thing, if you are trying to set the motor correctly aligned with the grinder, you can use welding clamps to try-set it, then set the tracking neutral and install a belt. Spin by hand or even power the motor when you think it's close, shift the motor if necessary for correct tracking, when you find where the motor has to sit for the tracking to be correct with the idler in a neutral position and the belt riding centered on the wheels, mark and punch for the mounting bolts. You could get an idea of where to start with motor position by using a long straight edge from the face of the drive wheel to the grinder frame. Not that they should be flush, but more importantly that they are parallel. Good luck!

That's kind of what I'm trying to do. Am using clamps for both the motor and grinder frame along with a carpenters framing level to try and get things lined up. The level has a nice one inch or so flat edge to put against the side the wheels. it isn't too difficult to eyeball parallel in spite of the wheel thickness differences. The drive and tracking wheels are a little thicker, but they're lined with thin light grooves around the circumference surface so it was easy to take a mechanical pencil and draw lines to mark where the edges of the 2" thick contacts wheels should line up.

Part of my problem is drilling shaft holes square. The tool arm will be easy to attempt to redrill. Just whack off the drilled end and redo it. This time I will drill straight through, rather than drilling from one side and the other independently. I'll start with a larger diameter bit to make the pilot. If that doesn't work, I'll have to drop back to doing one side at a time, taking extra care to be precise measuring and center punching.

As for getting the tracking wheel assembly square, that is a bit more challenging for me yet. There is not only the drilling accuracy to contend with for both the pivot shaft and the wheel shaft. There's also drilling the brackets and welding (or bolting) them square. If I have to make a new yoke for the tension arm, I'll confirm the two shafts are square before proceeding with the rest of the fabrication. I'd also probably mount the tension arm in the yoke to help line it up parallel for re-welding.

It's amazing how many variations of being out of square I can muck up. You'd think with only three (X,Y,Z) axis to consider, getting stuff plumb would be a breeze.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

To check the alignment of the drive and contact wheel:
Take a 36" long level and hold it up firmly against the side of the contact wheel along the diameter. Gently clamp it in place. Rotate the wheel so the other end of the level is along the side of the drive wheel. Move the motor until the contact wheel touches the level on both sides of the wheel. That should make them both in the same plane. Tighten the motor mounting bolts down ( or mark and drill them if not done yet). Check again to see that it is aligned.

Next, take the level and hand-hold it firmly to the contact wheel sides again, this time pointing straight up. The level should read about level on the axis of the wheel shaft if your build is square. Note where the bubble is ( it may be a bit off, and that is OK). Hold it on the drive wheel sides the same way. It should show the same reading as it did on the contact wheel. If it is pretty close, OK. If off a bunch, place shim washers as needed under the motor mounting bolts to pitch the wheel until it matches the contact wheel in vertical alignment.