Hardened flat platens, radius platens, water cooled platen chillers.

When you think of what large radius contact wheels go for, this is a screaming deal. Have to move money around, then I'm ordering a 36".
 
Flat Platen larger radius and cooler. Email sent. Payment sent.

I kid you not, I was thinking about building this exact thing earlier today, and happened to stumble across your post at lunch time! How fortuitous.
I can't wait to see how the hardened platen holds up compared to the stock KMG unit. I've reground my KMG a few times, at least it grinds like butter! :)

Do you use any thermal interface material between the platen and the cooler? Silicon heat sink compound, or similar should really bump the thermal conductivity up. I bet even regular old grease to fill the voids would make a big difference. Aluminum and carbon steel should be pretty low to start with...

-Dan
 
dkemppai said:
I can't wait to see how the hardened platen holds up compared to the stock KMG unit. I've reground my KMG a few times, at least it grinds like butter! :)

Do you use any thermal interface material between the platen and the cooler? Silicon heat sink compound, or similar should really bump the thermal conductivity up. I bet even regular old grease to fill the voids would make a big difference. Aluminum and carbon steel should be pretty low to start with...
Click to expand...

I had to resurface my KMG platen on a regular basis. I had to do it by hand on a surface plate, which as you can imagine isn't a very efficient use of my time. Nathan's hardened A2 platen has stayed flat exponentially longer than my stock platen did.

I do remember Nathan recommending thermal grease to faciliate heat transfer. I didn't have any on hand so I just used regular grease and my platen stays cool even after hard grinding while running the KMG at 100% for 45+ minutes.
 
Yeah, generally speaking I figure at least 10X the regular life.

I have had a platen returned because of a problem. It had been hardness hardness tested before it went out and it was tested again when I got it back and it tested HRC 62-63. I've been using and abusing it here and it's holding up great. The only thing I can figure is the user must have been using it under an unusual combination of circumstances. One clue was a bunch of burnt up looking caked on gritty rubbery black crud that was built up on it. I've seen this happen here with certain belts (3M belts appear to be particularly bad about it) when they get damp.

People need to realize that some of the belts we use may have been designed to run against a contact wheel on a centerless grinder and may have lubricants and cooling aids that adhere to parts of our grinders when used the way we use them. Some belts weren't designed to be run against a platen but work great unless they get damp. Some belts that are designed to be run dry such as the Klingsport 312 run great wet if you'll clean the lube off the back of it, but if you run them damp you'll build up sticky abrasive crud on everything that chews up everything and the platen in particular.

There are too many combinations of belts and running parameters for me to say with certainty that a platen will hold up to any particular person's use. For example, if for whatever reason, you choose to run your belts wrong side out I'm pretty sure you'll see some rapid wear. :D However I can say they hold up exceptionally well for most people. At least 10 times the life before needing flattened. And, being machined nice and flat and made of hardened steel (lower coefficient of friction) I think they grind better too.
 
I would like to order one small radius flat platen, one large radius flat platen, & two chillers.
 
Nathan, if I spend all my money on your toys I won't have any left for beer and hookers. :D
 
Thanks for making these available!

One large radius flat platen
One small radius flat platen

Two chillers

Thanks again,

K
 
I will take one chiller and one flat platen with a small radius.
 
Nathan,

The tolerances on the chiller are so tight. So nice.

I'm looking forward to the articulating kmg rest.

Awesome work..

Thanks
 
I just got mine today (36 platen and chiller). The quality and workmanship is as good as it gets!!

I did have one question Nathan, the mounting bolts are too short. Are you supplying longer bolts for use with chiller and I just got the short ones for platen only use?
 
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