Home made Wilton Square Wheel. Help please.

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Fracis7

Joined
May 21, 2010
Messages
22
Hi All,

I am going to start making a Wilton square wheel style grinder, 2 by 72.

I am going against the rage, not going for the badder/KMG style.

there is something about the S/W I like.

Would someone who owns an original be able to let me in on the main frame thickness, looks like 1/4" almost from the pictures I have seen.
I have heard that the newer ones are not as robust so would like the old measurements if at all possible please.
Also the width of the internal inclosure please.

I have read what i could find on it, speed issues, platen clearance, that will be taken in for mods.

Thanks for your help.

John
 
Hi John,

Mine dates back to the early 80's and the main frame thickness is 0.187"

The width of the enclosure is 3" the depth of the grinder is 23 3/4" it is 15 1/2" tall at it's tallest point and the base is 15" wide.

I hope this helps.

Take care

Charles
 
I have a machine, production made, that is very similar to the Wilton. I made a clone 12 years ago and am still using it witha 10" wheel the original I leave set up for flat grinding. Anyway - I just thought I better give you all of that - what I did that worked super was to get a piece of channel iron that is 4 1/4" wide and 1 1/2" high that is 28" long and used a piece at the back 7" high . This was the frame for the 1/4"side plate because that was a no cost piece, that is 28" long. It is ,of course. 7" high on the back end goes to a height of 16", which is the highest point and is 16 1/2" from the back. The front is 11 1/2" high.
I can give tou more, but I'm sorry to say I can't send pictures. Frank
 
I apologize for the dead URL, used to work. 1-to-10's URL gets you the same stuff. Beware: wheels and other parts from Wilton are sky high.
 
Hi frank,

The channel sounds like a good idea for the frame, would be very flex free.
Did you use plate to cover the main side still, or is it just channel?
Thanks again for the input.
It's a shame you cant get pictures.

What was the original speed of the motor (rpm)? and the sfpm.
I am in Australia and it's been hard to find a motor, finally found one. 2800rpm with a flange mount (face). $240 in either 1 or 3ph. If I go 3 ph i can use the VFD but so far the VFD is proving hard to find cheap. about $600 so far.

John
 
I bolted the 1/4" plate to the outside edge of the channel and later had a friend run some short beads on the seams. I like to grind SLOW so I use a 4" drive wheel with a 3450 RPM motor that has a variable speed that I often do slow down. Frank
 
Just wondering if anyone has some input on the dust collection aspect of the wilton and BEE style grinders.
Bee says that its design spits dust out the rear port without the aid of a vacuum.
Does anyone have pics of the BEE they could post or send me, close ups of inside and rear please?
I hope to have the good aspects of the square wheels combined into one machine.
Hows the tracking on the BEE?
Thanks again.
John
 
My dust collection system consists of a bucket of water with a dab of detergent in it slung directly beneath the wheel. (I am trying to figure out a use for the humongous glob of powdered steel I have collected.) And I don't grind any steel with anything without putting on my AO Safety respirator.
 
Well there you go now. John , my machine is a Bee. That rear exhaust is of no value . I installed a heating vent under the grinding wheel and have a squirel cage from a small furnace outside that draws out the dust, but only the wood dust. I isolate that exhaust whenever grinding on metal. If you are going to grind straight knives I recommend a 2HP motor.I did buy the two springs from Bee.
 
Thanks Frank, I was wondering if the rear vent was much chop.

Hope to have the funds together for the build in about a month.
Found a 2hp and VFD for $800 (Baldor) which is good value here.
Love the look of the BEE.
All the best
 
John,
I believe that would be a great price here as well in Canada. The original and the clone have been real work horses,. When I was making fixed blades it was all flat grinding. I ran that machine all day with a 2HP motor. Frank
 
Well I have been away with work so the build was held up and also changed....a lot.

I posted another thread on a grinder link of 100's of designs before

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750339

and saw a simple design, a CAD only. After some searching I found this

http://www.gendrontec.com/projects.htm

I love it, so I changed the way the motor mounts, to a base mount.

great design i think and I hope no one minds me posting the link.

I hope to have it done in 2 weeks.
 
Fracis7 said:
Well I have been away with work so the build was held up and also changed....a lot.

I posted another thread on a grinder link of 100's of designs before

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750339

and saw a simple design, a CAD only. After some searching I found this

http://www.gendrontec.com/projects.htm

I love it, so I changed the way the motor mounts, to a base mount.

great design i think and I hope no one minds me posting the link.

I hope to have it done in 2 weeks.
Click to expand...

So do you have these plans ?
http://www.gendrontec.com/projects.htm

it's an interesting and uncluttered design, but it looks like you need some pretty advanced fabrication skills. My welds would warp and hard to keep that straight.

What does it use as a tensioning spring and is it adjustable ?

That is one advantage i see the Wilton / Bee has over the KMG/BAder style.

From the pics it looks like either an air spring, or a spring is captured in side a tube at the base of that arm..
 
No i don't have the plans but shouldn't be too hard to make something similar.

i like the tension (spring) idea. I will try a spring in a housing, that can be turned to adjust, if all goes well.
I will mount it up on a base plate like a KMG, motor off to the side but direct drive and the main beam will have 2 feet not one. I have the axle, drive wheel, bearings, idler, just have to pick the steel up.

lathe should be here in a week too, will make my own small rollers and bushings.

I would like to do the Wilson still but the cost of this new one is very cheap for the metal. About $120 so far.

Thanks.
 
Finished!

How things change when you use was you have handy and how sometimes other ways seem much easier, faster. Like using left over 4" RHS for the mounting foot, not fabricating up something that has to be 100% square.
Changed the spring tension set up to something simple.

Got a VSD for the 2hp motor. Can go up to over 5000sfpm or down to 1000 sfpm.

All I have is a serrated 10" contact wheel (old and out of balance) and I find if you run it below say 1500sfpm with a fine belt, it will pull the work down , very hard to keep it smooth and in the groove.
Back up to over 2000 and it is much better with that wheel type.
Until I can afford a 10" smooth it will do.

Anyone in Australia that needs a hand with pulleys and any help with parts let me know and I can help out with cheap idler and drive wheels as I know how impossible it is to get things here. I found it cheaper to buy a lathe/mill combo to make my own parts.

Spoke to a guy who can get 8" smooth contact wheels for under $150 he says.

This is from Blackwoods

Anyways, happy grinding.
 
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