Making a small wheel attachment?

[Brian.Evans]

Does anyone have any plans, measurements, pictures of their homemade small wheel attachment for their grinder? I'm working on my EERF build and I'd really like to have a SWA, but at this point it's one of those "nice to have" rather than "must have." I hoped someone might have a good idea for a homebrew solution. I've seen several threads, but none of the pictures are still on them. I'd really like to find the pictures from Erik Knives build. Any help is great. Thanks all.

 

[jll346]

I would seriously buy the main head from Beaumont or Tw-90 and use your own arm. You can attach a single wheel to an arm but not the best.

 

[Bob Katilus]

I would seriously buy the main head from Beaumont or Tw-90 and use your own arm. You can attach a single wheel to an arm but not the best.

I agree. The cost for the attachment is <$90, wheels are $60 each, so you wouldn't save much to make it yourself. To save money, I would try to make your own tooling arm vs. making the attachment.

 

[AVigil]

Here is one I made with some aluminum I had in the shop. It works great and was very easy to make.

 

[Bob Katilus]

Here is one I made with some aluminum I had in the shop. It works great and was very easy to make.

Can you change out the wheels easily on this? If you can, great. I was looking into build a similar one to the one Beaumont sells, but after looking at buying a keyhole cutter to mill the wheel holding feature (milled pocket to hold the bearings), it wouldn't have saved me much.

 

[Bob Katilus]

AVigil, that does look quick and easy to build... Nice low cost option

 

[Brian.Evans]

I agree. The cost for the attachment is <$90, wheels are $60 each, so you wouldn't save much to make it yourself. To save money, I would try to make your own tooling arm vs. making the attachment.

I appreciate what you guys are trying to say, but even $200 is a lot to spend on a hobby when there are other things to spend it on. I have access to quite a bit of scrap mild steel in the form of clean drops from the local steel yard. I have a very good relationship with a local machinist. In fact he is going to help me make a rise/fall indicator for around $40. I don't need a perfect setup that can do anything and even make me coffee. I just need something to get me by until I can afford the good stuff. If I had the money, I wouldn't even think of making it myself. But I don't, so I do. I've been using drums in the drill press, but that's a losing idea, due to wear and tear on the machine.


Avigil, I understand the bracket itself, but how does the actual wheel attach and spin?

 

[AVigil]

Can you change out the wheels easily on this? If you can, great. I was looking into build a similar one to the one Beaumont sells, but after looking at buying a keyhole cutter to mill the wheel holding feature (milled pocket to hold the bearings), it wouldn't have saved me much.

Yes it is easy. You just unbolt 2 bolts on the outside arm, remove wheel and then insert new wheel and bolt back on.

 

[Jason Fry]

I thought I could do without a small wheel till I got one. No way I'd ever intentionally go back. Get one if you can.