Makeshift Wet Grinding

[NC Biker]

I'm planing on doing some post heat treat grinding on chef blades and wanted to set up a wet grinding system. I had read about using a sponge clipped above the belt in a Bob Terzuola book and thought I'd give it a try. I made a little sheet metal bracket that I clamped to the grinder and then used a couple of spring clips to hold the sponge. I fed a slit cut into the sponge using a old piece of ice maker hose attached to a 2 liter soda bottle that has a valve that was scavenged from the grand kids water balloon filling operation. The top of the soda bottle is open, so that I can add water as needed and the valve does a great job of controlling the amount of flow.

This inexpensive set-up does such a great job, I had to share.

[video=youtube;FLB_Em9Mxjw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLB_Em9Mxjw[/video]

 

[i4Marc]

Nice job. Some folks use a paint brush instead of the sponge.

 

[Frank Niro]

That has to work well and is so simple to set up. Thanks for the pictures.
Frank

 

[stezann]

very similar to mine. Your steel will thank you!!

 

[NeilJBorja]

This may not be an ideal place to ask, but is a special waterproof motor needed for a wet grinder? When I try to find waterproof motors, I get results for washdown duty motors.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

TEFC is suitable for wet grinding in most cases. Keep the water spray off the motor for general principles. Wet grinding should not make too much sprayed water, as the only purpose is to keep the belt moist, not soaked. n That is why a mister is a better choice than a liquid water drip/brush/sponge.

 

[NeilJBorja]

Thanks for the clarification, Stacy. Might be a couple years until I build a GIB 2.0 and a wet grinder is even further away, but I'd like to build that bit of kit someday.

 

[NC Biker]

Wet grinding should not make too much sprayed water, as the only purpose is to keep the belt moist, not soaked. n That is why a mister is a better choice than a liquid water drip/brush/sponge.

Stacy, that's what I was thinking. Something like a Koolmist system, but I'm really surprised at how well I can control the amount of water on the belt with just the little plastic ball valve. I'll have to see what I think after a few blades, but at this point I feel like I saved myself a hundred bucks or more.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I completely agree that "If it works well it is good." The reason industry uses a mist is the easy of control. A drip system will work well, too.