Homemade disc sanders with VFD

adammichael · Jul 27, 2008

Ive been working on this for about a year now and I finally got it finished. The disc sander stands are my own design. Disc #1 is a Baldor 3/4 horse motor with 1/4" mild steel frame painted copper colored and a steel disc. Disc #2 is 1/4 Stainless steel frame with a 3/4 horse Baldor stainless steel washdown motor and a steel disc. Disc #3 is 3/8" mild steel frame painted silver with a 3/4 horse washdown motor with an aluminum disc.

The control enclosure is a nema 4 with a speed pot and forward/reverse toggle switch and pilot light for disc #1. Disc #2 and #3 have the digop in the door and include a speed pot and RPM readout. The small magnetic tags and the numbers written on them are the grit of sandpaper that is on the sander. I plan on making better looking ones eventually.

The whole unit powers up with an Allen Bradley disconnect. The inside has a cooling fan and eventually will have an emergency stop as soon as I get the correct size contactor. The amp draw with all 3 sanders running at once is about 7 amps and it is on a dedicated 220 circuit with a 20 amp breaker. (no, I wont be running all 3 at the same time)

adammichael · Jul 27, 2008

The drill press on the left is a Rockwell from about 1950. It is completly rebuilt with new spindle bearings. The VFD is connected to a 1/2 horse motor. The drill on the right is a Walker Turner from 1944 that is also rebuilt. This thing is a monster it weighs almost 200 lbs and the wall thickness of the tube is 1/2". Its built like a tank. Both drills have homemade frames for the VFD.
I am currently setting up a 3 horse Baldor motor with a VFD on my KMG. I'll post pics when im done.

Let me know what you think.

jll346 · Jul 27, 2008

Absolutely awesome.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Allen Newberry · Jul 27, 2008

That is one serious disk sanding set up.

Allen

gixxer · Jul 27, 2008

I was gonna say all that stuff is -out- of control, but it looks like you have that covered with the most badass VFD I have seen posted on this forum yet. Wow.

Steven Penner · Jul 27, 2008

An interesting setup - some very good ideas there...

cadillac forge · Jul 27, 2008

do you use the timeclock to record shop hours??

Charles Vestal · Jul 27, 2008

Michael, that is a great setup on the disc grinders and drillpresses.

The control box looks like a factory made piece.

Thanks for showing.

Charles

fitzo · Jul 27, 2008

Totally over the top! Very nice, Michael. The design of the stands make them as compact a footprint as can be. :thumbup:

marekz · Jul 27, 2008

http://www.clay-king.com/itemrkwhisper.html my friend has a 3/4 hp pottery wheel that he never usues--do you think it can be used as a grinding wheel... thanks

Bruce Bump · Jul 28, 2008

Michael, You amaze me with your knowledge of electronics and metal fabrication. Those 3 disc grinders are so cool! I would be happy with #2 and I will pay the freight.

firebert · Jul 28, 2008

That setup is beyond awesome.

FOG2 · Jul 28, 2008

Very nice set up ! And...........

Your knives are STUNNING !

Dan Pierson · Jul 28, 2008

You sure do nice work. Beautiful equipment you've got there. Ever find time to make any knives with it?

mdoyle · Jul 28, 2008

NO wonder your knives are so much nicer than mine! Your tools are just SOOOO much cooler!

This explains a lot. It's not more talent that I need, it's just cooler tools. Thanks for the ego boost!

BTW why do you feel the need for VFD control on even one grinder, let alone 3 seperate grinders? Are you using them for ginding edge bevels?

I realize that with three sep discs you can designate different discs for different grits, which is great, but I haven't ever felt that I needed a VFD on my disc.
Nice job,
Matt Doyle

Charles L · Jul 28, 2008

Bruce Bump said:
Michael, You amaze me with your knowledge of electronics and metal fabrication. Those 3 disc grinders are so cool! I would be happy with #2 and I will pay the freight.

Mike..If Burce get #2 then I want #3....I'll pay shipping too.

adammichael · Jul 28, 2008

thanks very much for all the compliments.

I found the timeclock at a local thrift shop and I thought it was cool so I grabbed it.
The enclosure was scrapped so I grabbed it. I added the cutouts in the door for the digop's and put all the guts in it. The disconnect was also scrapped because it had a stripped screw. The toggle switch and pilot light for Disc #1 are Square D. The speed pot came with the board that I needed for my Hardcore grinder.
These things are whisper quite when there running, especially #2.

The 2 VFD's on the drill press's were payment for a knife from one of the
application guys at work. The Intelipac was a 3 phase motor with a VFD attached to it. They didnt sell, so alot of the old timers around here have a few in there garage.

Bruce - thanks for the compliment. I might have the sheet metal for another frame sitting around. If you want it and I can find it, its yours. Its not stainless so you will have to paint it. I had a few extra lasered when I was at my last job. Its around here some place. Let me know.

I dont make knives anymore, I just make tools to make knives.

I have alot of knives I need to make and thats next.

I have VFDs on these for a few reasons. I knew what I wanted and there was nothing out there that I liked so I came up with this design. The only horizontal disc sander out there now has the disc about belt high. I dont like things spinning that fast so close to my johnson so I went with this idea. The 3 phase motors are cheaper and if I have 2000 grit on I need to slow it way down but with 220 I want it faster. It works for me so I went this route. Besides that VFD's are cool so every motor in your shop should have one. It doesnt matter if you need it or not!

By the way, that brass thing sitting on the base of the right drill press is a bench block I turned on my lathe. It works great and it was alot less than a starrett.

adammichael · Jul 28, 2008

marekz said:
http://www.clay-king.com/itemrkwhisper.html my friend has a 3/4 hp pottery wheel that he never usues--do you think it can be used as a grinding wheel... thanks

The disc would need to be smooth and that thing is huge. I dont know how well it would work but you cant argue with free. If you have to pay for it I would pass.

Bruce Bump · Jul 28, 2008

Bruce - thanks for the compliment. I might have the sheet metal for another frame sitting around. If you want it and I can find it, its yours. Its not stainless so you will have to paint it. I had a few extra lasered when I was at my last job. Its around here some place. Let me know.

You're on buddy. Mount a motor on it too will ya? :thumbup:

Tommegow · Jul 28, 2008

The sanders are very nice.:thumbup:
It looks like it could be tipped forward and used vertically, is this possible or something you had considered? You could add a removeable worktable I bet. (I couldn't, I am sure you could)

Homemade disc sanders with VFD

Knife maker