Congratulations!
Yeah, the graphite platen liner doesn't last long if you're dong much in the way of profiling. It just wears a groove. I replaced it with a pyroceram platen from Darren Ellis (I think Tracy has them, too?).
It may be worth your time to remove the paint from the work surface of the work rest, as over time it will begin to wear/peel and create a non-smooth surface for your work to move on. You can scrape it off with a razor and sand it smooth again. As you work with the work rest, you may come up with ideas/ways to modify it to meet your needs better. That's something that you will figure out as you work and depends upon your ingenuity and skills.
There tends to be a bit of belt wander (tracking issues) on the Grizzly as is the case with most 2-wheel grinders. This can be improved some by taking a length of electrical tape and wrapping several layers around the very middle of the tracking wheel, effectively increasing the crown slightly. I'd try it out without the tape first, and if the belt wanders too much when grinding, give the tape a go.
It's likely worth it to add a small foam vacuume filter over the cooling slots in the motor, as in my model, the slots are right next to the grinding wheel ready to take in all manner of crud and metal dust. I just took a foam filter and taped it over the vents to keep the majority of the grit out.
Mount the grinder so that the grinding wheel and the buffer are clear of the table if possible. That may be a challenge depending on your table size. My Grizzly is mounted so the buffer is free, but I wish I had the grinding wheel free at times as well. It's no biggie for me, and I work around it. With the 10" wheel, you might be forced to mount the grinding wheel side clear of the table unless you add a spacer under the motor/mounts.
If you're grinding hard and your grinder suddenly turns off, it's usually because you tripped a breaker or the safety switch in your power strip. Let it cool down for a minute, reset the breaker, and you're good to go again. Since the grinder runs off of 110V, it's pretty easy to draw enough amps when working heavily to trip the safety switches on most power strips/extensions. See if you can lighten up your work a bit, and you'll be less likely to trip the switches.
Other than that, have fun with it. You'll learn a controlled and gentle touch over time when working with the Grizzly. It runs fast, and it takes some time to develop the control for detailed work. Be patient, and you'll figure it all out. Enjoy it! I've been using mine for 5 years now with no problem, though now it's relegated to handle shaping duties and most of my metal work is done on the KMG.
--nathan
