- Joined
- Sep 23, 1999
- Messages
- 5,855
Well, I did and heres how! I finally got off my butt and made this thing. It is real simple and about the cheapest you can make one for. Other than the contact wheel which I bought from Bader for my Wilton, I've got $55 or so in it. I took an old cast iron, bound for the trash craftsman 6 by 48 belt sander carcass and bolted an 8" piece of 3" by 3" angle iron to it.You need make sure the center of the contact wheel will be inline with the center of the drums on the 6 by, and get the it as square to the sander's drums as possible too. The I bolted an 18" piece of 2" by 2" o.d. square tubing to the angle iron at about a 45 degree upward angle . The 2 by 2 is the arm the contact wheel goes on. I drilled a hole thru it from the top and welded a 3/8" nut on it for the set screw and a piece of 3/4" i.d. steel tubing thru it from the side. That is for the contact wheel arbor. Oops, I welded that in before I drilled the hole for the set screw. Put the tubing about 1" from the end of the 2 by 2. For a motor mount, I drilled the bolt pattern on the face of the motor in a piece of 1/4" plate steel and then I bolted it to a 6" piece of 4" by 4" angle. To attach it all to the base of the sander, I welded 4, 1/2"- 13 nuts to the bottom of the angle at what will be the end towards the sander's drive pulley, so it would fall forward putting tension on the drive belt. Then I just drilled a 1/2" hole on each side of the sander base, threaded a length of 1/2" all thread into the 4 nuts on the angle. Thats how I attached the motor to the sander. I used a pair of three step pulleys so I would have three different speeds. Unfortunately, only the slowest speed will work on mine because the motor I used is an old lawn pump motor. It gets it's horse power rating by it's speed and it has to run at it's full speed or it over heats. I'm going to get a better motor asap for it.Even at the one speed, it would be great for finish work because it runs nice and slow.
What makes this home made grinder so easy to build is that all the tensioning and belt tracking already exists on the 6 by. Mine has two tracking adjusters, so it tracks great. To adjust the tension, all you have to do is lower the platen towards the contact wheel till you can slip the belt on. I locked it down there so I don't have to mess with that everytime I change the belt. Then just use the 6 by's tension lever to tighten the belt up.
Another thing I like about it is you have a 20" long platen instead of an 8" like my Wilton. One thing though, if you want to flat grind on it, you'll have to bolt or glue a piece of 1/4" thick by 2" wide steel or glass on the platen so you'll have an edge for clearance.
Well, if you need more info than this and whats in the pictures, feel free to email me anytime. Hope this will help some of you wannabes get started.Hit all the yard sales and flea markets you can and I bet you'll find a cheap sander and maybe motor to use for your's! Oh yeah, buy the harder stainless nuts, bolts, and washers. Thats one area I don't go cheap in!!! Take care!! Michael
Heres the pictures.
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder1.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder2.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder3.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder4.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder5.jpg>
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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 05-08-2000).]
What makes this home made grinder so easy to build is that all the tensioning and belt tracking already exists on the 6 by. Mine has two tracking adjusters, so it tracks great. To adjust the tension, all you have to do is lower the platen towards the contact wheel till you can slip the belt on. I locked it down there so I don't have to mess with that everytime I change the belt. Then just use the 6 by's tension lever to tighten the belt up.
Another thing I like about it is you have a 20" long platen instead of an 8" like my Wilton. One thing though, if you want to flat grind on it, you'll have to bolt or glue a piece of 1/4" thick by 2" wide steel or glass on the platen so you'll have an edge for clearance.
Well, if you need more info than this and whats in the pictures, feel free to email me anytime. Hope this will help some of you wannabes get started.Hit all the yard sales and flea markets you can and I bet you'll find a cheap sander and maybe motor to use for your's! Oh yeah, buy the harder stainless nuts, bolts, and washers. Thats one area I don't go cheap in!!! Take care!! Michael
Heres the pictures.
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder1.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder2.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder3.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder4.jpg>
<img src=http://members.aol.com/it14/ebay/grinder5.jpg>
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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 05-08-2000).]
