KMG platen/flat grinding: as is or...?

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Jan 26, 2002
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wondering if you flat grind guys with KMG's use the platen as is or do you affix anything to it? for example, i have a slab of pyroceram on my grizzly as whatever it is they put on the platen has worn down....would you recommend the same for the KMG, that is, affixing something so that the platen doesn't wear down from the back of the belt? or do you use it as is?
 
Just got a kmg and no I don't use the platen cover. I'm not clear on the benefits. On my ol' coote the platen would develop dips where it was used most. I'd just clean them up on the mill and then the surface grinder, and plan on doing the same with the kmg.
 
Ceramic runs cooler with less friction. You can apply more pressure during the grind with less heat build up. The ceramic wears much better than steel, especially if it is mild steel.

It comes in colors.:)

Fred
 
One advantage and it is a huge one is you don't develope a worn area near as quickly that will eventually create a problem when trying to grind. Now you will need to do something. It wont take all that much use for this to happen. Thing is you can go to hardened metal not tempered and you will still get the wear , and a lot faster than will occur eventually with the tempered glass . Much easier to change out the glass. Frank.
 
It's always interesting how we all have different experiences, often with the same things.

When I used the liner it wore down fairly quickly and shocked the crap out of me all the time.

I went back to a hardened steel platen, and have found it stays flat (for me) a lot longer. It's easy to surface grind back to flat. If I didn't have a surface grinder, it might be a pain in the butt, lol :)

I am glad it doesn't shock me anymore! :)
 
How do you attach the glass? Epoxy? Have you ever had one come off? Cause that would probably make me change my shorts!
 
I just use 5 minute epozy. i built a spair platen from 1/2" aluminum and milled on 1/8" leaving a lip at bottum. so if glass ever came off it'd have some support. i've been using this same piece of glass for over a year but only use it for blade flats. still as new!! my ther platen i use for cleaning up profiles ect and generally change it every 2-3months. i just put the platen in a plastic bag wrapped in an old rag and take the hammer to it :)
 
i used JB weld to stick my pyroceram to the grizzly...that was the recommendation of the feller who sells it...
 
:thumbup:+1 on the JB weld. Use the regular formula; I've heard that the "quick" formula doesn't hold as well.
Go to a glass shop and ask for wood stove glass; much cheaper; no problems for over a year, and I'm pretty rough on my KMG.
 
I regular glass. The first time I put it on I must have mixed the epoxy wrong glass slid down the platen. No explosion of glass just a funny noise when the glass started to rub the bottom roller. Took it off cleaned it up put it back on and it was good for over a year.
 
I think a piece of tungsten carbide would be a very good platen if you can get one the right size. Like wise a piece of synthetic sapphire, they make some large ones for silicon chip manufacturing.
 
NickWheeler said:
It's always interesting how we all have different experiences, often with the same things.

When I used the liner it wore down fairly quickly and shocked the crap out of me all the time.

I went back to a hardened steel platen, and have found it stays flat (for me) a lot longer. It's easy to surface grind back to flat. If I didn't have a surface grinder, it might be a pain in the butt, lol :)

I am glad it doesn't shock me anymore! :)
Click to expand...

I remember ready on Tracy's site that you can buy a bottle of static guard from the grocery store and just spray the inside of the belt with that before using it to eliminate that problem.

Another thing the OP can look into is getting a thin piece of marble from a tile store. I was going to go that route if I broke my piece of glass cutting it. Usually the have some thin scrap pieces that they'll sell to you for a couple of bucks.
 
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