shop built "pedestal" grinder?

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
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Anybody here built one?

I was going to buy a large pedestal grinder (12" x 2" stone/rock with 3hp motor) after seeing how fast they eat steel... but the only ones I've found nearby are in the $1k+ range.

Been thinking about building a belt driven one with pillow blocks, shaft, pulley, and motor. It's a really simple notion to make something that would work, but I'm curious if anybody has built one and has any $0.02. Or at least has some good photos of shop built versions... I haven't managed to google-fu a whole lot of photos.

This is pretty much what I'm talking about, other than this one being set up for an overhead line shaft. ;)
s08-203.jpg
 
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Nick
I am planning on building a grinder similar to this. I finally got 3 phase into my knife shop and can get a 5 - 10 h.p. motor quite cheap (FREE).
I plan on making an arbor shaft that will fit the cut off wheels that we use at our fabrication shop. We go through a lot of these. When they get down to 8" - 10" they are finished. I want to take these cut off wheels and stack them up to make a 4" - 6" grind stone. I seen one of these many years ago and have always wanted to build one. Now That I have the power to run a big hp motor, so now I just need to find the time to build one.
Jim
 
I am considering the same. this is how grinders were designed years ago. considering I have a 3hp vfd setup this just seems logical. check out the grizzly grinders, they have very good reviews. I might that way also. keep us posted.
 
Travis Fry said:
This is maybe me being dumb, but what would one use such a grinder for?
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Cleaning the scale off a damascus billet before the next manipulation.

Scale is hard and kills belts.

Nick
I saw that Bruce bump used one in one of his WIP threads, but not well enough to point you to which one.

Same as a polishing buffer, keep the shaft long enough to get close when the wheels are small
and drive it from the center so you can use two wheels.


How about variable speed, or stepped pulleys
It will let you increase the speed to compensate for smaller wheels once they have worn.
 
the problem would likely be to get good guards for the unit if it was a home made setup. buying baldor covers would be very costly but could be salvaged from a donor grinder that is dead.
 
What PT Doc said...A 12" grinding stone is a lot of mass spinning at high speed. If a stone "blows up" you will need a very sturdy guard to contain it. If you do go the shaft and pillow block route, start with a large diameter shaft and get the ends milled down to fit the wheels, less chance of the shaft whipping if the stone is out of balance (note, 12" wheels have a 1.5" hole in them...just saying...) By the time you buy the shaft and bearings, and get the machining done, and build guards/rests, you may not spend much less than you could buy a used one for, although you'd have something custom fitted to your use
 
Mahoney said:
What PT Doc said...A 12" grinding stone is a lot of mass spinning at high speed. If a stone "blows up" you will need a very sturdy guard to contain it. If you do go the shaft and pillow block route, start with a large diameter shaft and get the ends milled down to fit the wheels, less chance of the shaft whipping if the stone is out of balance (note, 12" wheels have a 1.5" hole in them...just saying...) By the time you buy the shaft and bearings, and get the machining done, and build guards/rests, you may not spend much less than you could buy a used one for, although you'd have something custom fitted to your use
Click to expand...

He's got the machines to do it all himself.
 
I would use mine mostly for knocking the rough scale off of billets before Blanchard grinding the billets. Also use it for general grinding in welding shop.
I would for sure build some heavy duty guards for this type grinder.
Jim
 
Thanks guys- :)

Sounds like my thoughts about this are right in line with Jim's (boatbuilder). I want one for general grinding in the hot shop--- things like grinding a bevel on something for weld prep. Of course I can do it with one of the 2X72 belt grinders, but that kind of work wastes belts in a hurry.

And like Sam pointed out, forge scale is murder on belts. (Oh btw Sam, I have actually used Bruce's grinder! LOL But it's been about 10 years ago and I don't remember the details too well. I did find a couple photos of it, thanks.)

If it's a powerful AND smooth grinder, you could even do the hogging on blades. When I was in the school weld shop, they had a 2hp Baldor pedestal grinder. A kid there was hell bent on making a knife, so I took his steel to that grinder. I did 90% of the profile grinding with the 24X stone on one side of the grinder, and roughed in a hollow grind on the 60X wheel.

I don't particularly want one to grind blades since I have 3 belt grinders, but I would probably mess around with it just for kicks.

Mahoney- I totally agree with what you said, but in this case I have some centerless ground 1-1/2" round stock for shafting, and can do the machine work here. The local tool supply shop has 12" X 2" x 1-1/4" rocks for $60, and I have some pillow blocks and a motor that will work.... so I wouldn't have to have a whole lot of $$$ to invest in this thing.

I agree that guards would be needed--- I've heard of too many guys who took a chunk of stone to the head/face when it shattered.

I keep kicking myself for not buying this one when I saw it on CL. The shaft is 2-1/4" diam.... the stones are 14" X 2-1/2" and 12" X 3-1/2"!!! :eek: :)

14 inch pedestal grinder.jpg 14 in pedestal grinder 1.jpg
 
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PT Doc- I actually had that one bookmarked, LOL. I agree, it looks like a very nice grinder. A comparable Baldor would ruin at least $2k. I have a rotary phase converter in my shop, so that unit would be an option. The downside being if a guy doesn't have a phase converter it would be pretty spendy to add one or to get a 3hp VFD.

You had mentioned using guards off a dead grinder... that reminded me of a grinder I saw a while back. It was a dead Cincinnati or Baldor, but they cut a slot in the back of the motor housing and ran a link belt to another motor. I'm not sure what they put the belt around though... I assumed they had taken it apart enough to put a shiv on the motor shaft, but I don't know.

Oh btw- Jim- How thick are those cut off wheels? 1/8"? Several years back, I took a stack of spent cut-off wheels from my 14" saw and put them on my Burr King to try grinding forge scale with them and it worked awesome. That was actually part of my motivation for this idea. Do you think you could true up the stacked wheel with a piece of carbide?

I found this one with bing.... looks like it sold at an auction for $50!!! The second pic is an antique- Crescent No. 4... I'd love to have it. The clearance on it is crazy (yea I know... no guards on it as-is).

pedestal grinder belt driven.jpg pedestal grinder crescent 1.jpg
 
NickWheeler said:
Several years back, I took a stack of spent cut-off wheels from my 14" saw and put them on my Burr King to try grinding forge scale with them and it worked awesome. That was actually part of my motivation for this idea. Do you think you could true up the stacked wheel with a piece of carbide?
Click to expand...

I don't know how well a star dresser would work on something reinforced like that, but I think you'll find they glaze the wheel less than trueing it up with carbide and they're pretty quick :

http://www.idgsupply.com/item-detai...&mm_campaign=2d1af69afdb99cb3d6ff512fc3dcc96b
 
You guys have to stop talking about this project. Makes me want to run out to the shop and start building it now. Lol

Jim
 
Nick, it's a useful tool. I have seen a couple homebuilts too, very nice machines. IMO, you have your blueprint right there in the first image in the last 2 you posted. Heavy base, dont skimp on the base, sturdy column and top plate, couple of pillow blocks and a motor. you will be around 150$ a piece into the 12" by 2" wheels from Norton, vitrified, but they do have them, when I spoke to them on the phone last year about bigger wheels they said YES also. They had very course on up to a 120-220, which could be fun. Find a source for wheels first, then ask manufacturer's recommendations on shaft size and rpm and all that, they usually have that information, you will probably have to turn up some bushings that are shaft size then wheel ID size, bigger stone wheels are usually centerless because the rpms can tear it apart. Guards are a must, easy fabbed up from 10 gauge, hinged side doors for removing and changing wheels. Adjustable work rests are a must also, dust collector vent or spark focuser are nice also. It's a tool worth building, if you cannot luck into a big one, but take it from me I have seen wheels blow up (from my own stupidity of course), dont bother with used wheels, and dont grind aluminum on them.

A cool addition to one side also is a cutting disc for a chop saw, setup like a table saw, handy for nipping ends off and cutting billets and hot work stuff.
 
would anyone have accurate specs of what a shaft for a grinder measures out at across the length?

or does someone have any interest in measuring your 10" or 12" grinder shaft at the ends for thread pitch, steps etc.

I might have a shaft made since asking on 4 other forums got me no where in regarding to buying one premade.

Thanks in advance.
 
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