Pheer Grinders

G

gratmars

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Jun 3, 2014
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114
I have only been making knives for about 2 months so far and have gotten by with very rudimentary tools and the occasional use of a friends Coote. A couple weeks ago after getting frustrated with trying to make the wrong tools I sucked it up and ordered a PH454. Jose answered all of my questions was extremely helpful. The quality of everything has surpassed what I could have expected and I had her up and running after about an hour of assembling.
I know most people shoot for the KMG, but this was in my price range and I can't believe what I got for the money. All steel plates came painted which is awesome since living in florida, it seems like everything rusts.
I installed a reverse switch in the VFD to make for easier sharpening which was a piece of cake.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1410444652.761725.jpg
 
Nice grinder, it's interesting to see how he evolved from a welded nwg to a gib style.




Are you powering your grinder with that yellow extension cord and running it coiled up like that ?

If you are
I can't articulate them properly, but there are reasons to eliminate that cord.


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I agree, that is about the best deal out there on a grinder. If I were purchasing a grinder, it would be the one I went with.
 
I am running it from that cord, but will be moving to 220 when I have time to install a subpanel and wiring. Is there any possibility of damage from the coil?
 
Once you exceed 10 to 12 amps in a coiled extension cord you will start to see the effect. All the plants I have worked in it is considered a safety no-no.

You will get over heating on the cord. This can also cause problems for your motor and your VFD. Considering that looks like the typical all you can buy today Chinese mystery plastic for insulation I would not push my luck. Everyone worries about the condition of the outer covering. That is not what bites you while you are sleeping. If you overheat the cord the internal individual conductors will be affected long before you see it on the outside. Even with the motor turned off you still have potential for a fire.

Pick-up some 12/3 SO (black/white/green) cord at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. in the length you need and make your own with a handy box at the end with a receptacle.

Will cost you about $15.00 total . . .

Also your motor and your high $$$$ VFD will run a lot cooler and last longer once you dump that 50' cord.

Someone for more knowledgeable than I can explain to you why the coiled cord is not safe.:)

Steve
 
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Nice grinder. I too like how they have evolved. I looked at the Pheer before I bought my Bader. I am thinking of getting another machine and this may be the ticket I am looking for.
For the cord, you can go to a home improvement store and get premade cords in varying lengths that are sealed and waterproof. They have them also that will handle the amp load you need. Just look for one that will do 15 to 20 amps minimum.
 
The length of the cable represents a resistive load. A resistor generates heat (like heating element) the longer the cable the more the resistance and heat.

The coil represents and inductive load (similar to the motor). An inductor, that is not regulated, generates an in rush current when power is turned on and dissipates stored energy back to the system when the power turns off (surges at power on and power off). It also generates a magnetic field while it's on. The more coils the more the inductance. So when you turn on the motor you are drawing more current than you would without the extra coils and having to dissipate more current when it turns off. How much? Hard to say, I would have to go open old text books that haven't been open 15 years.

Bottom line... Use the shortest cable you can and loop it in fewer larger loops to reduce the effect. Also, in general, a 10/3 has less resistance than a 12/3 which has less resistance than a 14/3. The lower the resistance the less heat that generated.
 
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Nice grinder ... So was he able to get that grinder shipped to you right when you ordered ? His machines have come full circle from the tube ones he was selling not so long ago. So anyway what was your lead time from the day you ordered to the day you received . I see a small wheel holder I the corner of your picture is that his design ?
 
Thanks for the tips guys. I'll probably wire this thing in to the panel today. I'm having a little trouble with my lines on longer blades. I've heard that you're supposed to draw the blade straight across the belt even where it starts to curve up, but I want to make sure. Should I be trying to follow the edge or draw flat?
 
I ordered on the Wednesday before Labor day and he had it on the UPS truck the following Wednesday. To me it's not a bad lead time for something that is built to order. The motor and VFD were drop shipped. I had to wire it up, bolt the tools to the arms, mount the motor, attach the drive wheel and that's about it. His instructions were hand drawn, but worked perfectly. I would also like to suggest that you get the 6" drive wheel, I did and it's amazing how quickly I had flatten a piece of steel. The small wheel holder came from him, but I believe he buys some of his parts from KMG.

Marko3 said:
Nice grinder ... So was he able to get that grinder shipped to you right when you ordered ? His machines have come full circle from the tube ones he was selling not so long ago. So anyway what was your lead time from the day you ordered to the day you received . I see a small wheel holder I the corner of your picture is that his design ?
Click to expand...
 
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I would recommend AGAINST going to home depot and picking up whatever 12/3 they have. Cheap import cords often contain lead in the jacket, are not ROHS compliant, and are generally lower quality than alternatives. US Wire and Direct Wire & Cable are two US-made companies that make high quality ROHS compliant cords. What I recommend instead depends on how you are wired:

If you're running on a 110v (household current) 20a circuit, then you should use a short (8' long is standard) 12/3 cord or a (longer if you want) 10/3 cord. If you're running on 220v, then 12/3 is fine -- in that case I would make it 13-15 feet long so you don't need an extension cord if you move things around. The reason for the lower AWG (thicker) cord is to limit voltage drop and reduce heat-causing resistance in the cord, which lowers machine performance and is generally bad for everything.

Your choices for cord are (1) neoprene rubber and (2) thermoplastic/vinyl. Both are fine -- pick thermoplastic/vinyl if your cord gets sunlight. Both are available in 300v and 600v ratings -- the 600v cord contains more insulation and protection, but in 10-12AWG I don't think it matters much, since even 300v cord is pretty thick and protected.

If you want AWG-12 wire, a cheap way to get it is here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWRS7W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That wire is US-made, ROHS-compliant, and comes with a NEMA 5-15p plug (for household 110v power). The cord diameter is about 0.42"

If you want more options, then McMaster will have everything you want:
Power cords pre-wired with plugs are here:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#replacement-power-cords/=tojec5

And wire (without plugs) is here:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/120/822/=toje7b

Leviton and Hubbel make good plugs if you need one of those, too. Mcmaster has them and so does Amazon Prime.

MAKE SURE you double check that the cord diameter you choose will fit in your liquid-tight cord grip on the VFD -- something like 600v AWG 10 is surprisingly thick and may not fit. Mcmaster lists the diameters if you click on product detail.
 
The steel plates look to be about 1/4", but there are solid aluminum bars the run length wise to help make up the cavity for the tool arms to fit. This makes the frame incredibly rigid. Another thing I really like is that the motor bolts directly to the frame and uses a drive wheel instead of pulleys this means the motor installation requires no alignment, measurements or addition base plates.
JG Custom Metal Works said:
How thick is the steel on the main body of the grinder?
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