Home Built Surface Grinder

i bought the genuine TW SGA and yeah its expensive, but i didnt have to spend any other time on it and i am glad i went that direction. but even so i have followed this thread and admired everyones efforts. i found the magnets were too strong on in and tapped half of them out. i mainly use it to taper tangs and i am pleased with it.
 
Thanks guys I really appreciate it.
Im a see it and i can build it kind of guy.
So if the cost is much lower then the wuertz unit
And i can buy more handle materials and belts id be up for it.

john april john april thanks for the input man!
Time is money thats why I ponied up the dough for my Northridge cause I wanted something that was good to go from the start... buy once right lol
After knowing and using the wuertz would you buy one tomorrow or build your own ?

bmilleker said:
Take this for what it is because I haven't compared mine to Travis's. I can't see how its any more, or any less, performant than what I built. The only change I would make on mine is with the magnets. I would use thicker N52 magnets which will give more holding power. And even with saying that, mine works just fine. There is a video review of the Wuertz SGA and the reviewer shows how it can flex if you don't slide it properly. So I would say that even the Wuertz unit is "perfect".

After building mine, they are really quite simple machines. I debated the OBM, Wuertz, and the new Reeder. Ultimately deciding to build my own. I couldn't be happier. I use mine all the time. I even use it to flatten and even out handle materials.
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This is why I thought about building my own as well
I have watched Every video travis has out and i have also seen his machine flex.
Thanks for your input!

K Ken H> .001 would be plenty enough accurate for me!
My main goals for using it are tapered tangs and flattening since i dont have a surface grinder or a disc grinder atm.

Any chance I could ask on the cost to build....and a parts list so i can shop around.
Again I'm sure its in the thread but I appreciate it


thanks guys
Paul
 
You're right Paul, the parts and where to order them are listed in the thread. To find the parts I'd have to go back and work thru the thread myself. Total cost if you're purchasing everything is in the $300 to $500 range, all depending on what equip you've got and how you do the project.

Good luck and have fun.
 
I traded a knife to a machinist in exchange for making me the magnetic chuck component of a DIY surface grinder. Based on your experience now, any recommendations on dimensions.

Length, width, thickness, size of slots, spacing of slots?
 
Slots should be .255 wide, .300 deep, and anywhere from 1/4"- 1/2" apart.
This is assuming you're using 1/4×1/4 magnets.
You want the magnets well below the surface of the table.
A steel table instead of aluminum is a good idea.
 
ashwinearl said:
Length, width, thickness, size of slots, spacing of slots?
Click to expand...
The size of the slots depend solely on size of magnets. Most of us used the 50mm X10mmX5mm size N52 magnets. The slot width should be just enough for magnet to slide in easy, and depth sufficient for magnet to be perhaps 1/8" below the surface of bar.
 
I literally just bought a mini mill over the weekend, and this will be my first project

This is a 60x10x4mm magnet, and the slot is .4375" x .27"

Does this look about right?

2aj52b.jpg
 
That would work ok, depth looks good. Since 10mm is .394", I might try a slot only a tad over .400" wide to provide a tighter fit. The reasoning is with your .040" extra space in width the epoxy will squeeze up requiring it to be cleaned good. You want the top of magnet pretty clean so the metal sanding material will be easier to clean.
 
KnightBird said:
Damn NICE drawings! I thought I was the only one that did blue-prints / drawings of my self-built equipment... Of course I use a drafting square and pencil...Wish I had the time to learn CAD... lol Your're amazing Stefan!
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Thanks for the kind words, but it's not that detailed. I just put it together to help other knifemakers who wanted to build themselves a SGA and wanted an overview of the assembly. "A picture is worth a thousand words", I believe would be the correct proverb.
 
I've got mine together, minus mounting the contact wheel to the tool arm.

Just wondering how everyone else has theirs mounted.
 
The contact wheel is mounted to an axle same as any other wheel is mounted to tool arm, except the mounting location is based on where the chuck face winds up.
 
Ken H> said:
The contact wheel is mounted to an axle same as any other wheel is mounted to tool arm, except the mounting location is based on where the chuck face winds up.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the confusion. I was looking for some specifics. What hardware are you using, etc. I was planning to drill and tap a 1/2" hole in the tool arm and then mount the wheel on a partially threaded bolt. I just can't seem to find a bolt where the threads that extend through the arm to attach a nut to.

I also thought about a shoulder screw, but it would have the same issue with the threaded portion.
 
I used a bolt all the way through the arm and hardened washers to space the wheel up. Made it easy to align.
 
I can't seem to find a 1/2" partially threaded bolt with enough threaded portion to screw through the arm and bolt on the other side...
 
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