Slow Them Grinders Down!!!!!!

L6steel

L6steel

Joined
Sep 23, 1999
Messages
5,855
I've been screwin up a lot of blades in the finishing grits lately, from 320 grit on. Those are usually the easiest grits to get right but for some reason I was messin em up. Yesterday I had a folder blade to finish and the Lord said, "Slow it down, Michael!". So I backed the minimum speed trimpot down till the grinder was running nice and slow. I could put my fingers against a used 60 grit belt and not get bit. Got to work on the folder blade and the slower speed made all the difference in the world! It was almost like hand sandin.
Just wanted to pass this on in case anyone else was gettin bit like I was!
Have a grand week end peoples!!
Michael
 
Mike - I couldn't agree more...

After too many painful lessons, I now slow it way down on 220 grit and up.


Except for the Scotchbrite belts....still run those way too fast....and when they grab, watch out!
 
i have a 1750 rpm motor, and i wouldn't wanna go faster. i love the slow speed... doesn't heat up much, you can touch things up without taking too much off. i love it
 
Mike - I've been running mine as low as 600 rpm on the higher grits...


Ray - I sure wish somebody would have told me that about a year-and-a-half ago....:(
 
When I rough grind I run wide open with a 10" contact wheel, when finishing slow way down and the scotchbrite belt is the slowest. Gib
 
I work it like Gib, except when polishing with a cork belt I crank it up to about 60%. I don't know if that's a good thing but the belts hold up to it and they don't really seem to work as well at slow speed.
 
I have a nice well-balanced flywheel I took off an old paper drill motor. That thing ran smooth as glass. I was thinking about incorporating that flywheel onto a new 2hp DC motor for my new KMG. That way, I could tune the motor right down super slow and there woudl be enough rotating mass to keep the belt moving very smoothly. The other alternative would be to install a gearmotor with a decent ratio - enough to run the belt slowly with ample torque.
 
I know this is a little off topic but. Have you guys seen the new style chop saws that run slow with high torque. I wonder if a slow speed high torque grinder would work? Just have a lever made onto your workrest to jam the blade into the belt. I guess it would wear the plated out too fast though. Nevermind.
 
Kit Carson said:
Mike,
How many years have I been telling you that? :)
Click to expand...
:D
Kit, I had my grinder running what I thought was slow till I adjusted the trimpot some more. Actually I was afraid running the motor too slow would burn it up but figured they wouldn't make the controllers to go that slow if it would hurt the motor.

Gib, I run my 36 grit belts around 75%. Lmao, I'm too scared to crank that thing up full bore. Sounds like it's gonna fly apart. Runs real smooth and all but makes a wicked humming noise.
 
Michael, I bought my Burr King with a 8" wheel, when I changed to a 10" wheel I felt the same as you so I called True Grit and asked them about high speed use. Thy told me that the speed I would be running at was fine in fact there were other machines that thy sell that ran faster using the same belts
[Norton Hoggers] with no problems. So I tried it and all I can say is WOW! thy move metal. Try it you will like it. Gib
 
How slow would it be in feet per second? Thought I'd ask since there might be a variety of drive wheel sizes on your guys' grinders.
Bob
 
question on the cork belts, Dave (or anybody)....I've noticed that I get different finishes with different steels....:confused:....440C vs 5160, for example. Completely different at scratch removal. Is it just me? :rolleyes:
 
Speed of the belt is determined by what you are doing there is no set speed for any given procedure, it is all, in the seat of your pants. Gib
 
Speeking of pants my ass is getting so big I'm thinking about a state of the art peddle power grinder. One that would kick ass and lose some at the same time........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top