Surface grinder conversion to belt grinder?

J

John L

Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
1,330
I build folders and would like to convert my cheapy surface grinder to a 2x72 belt grinder. Anyone have plans or insight for this project? I know it has been done before but googling does me no good. Thanks
 
There has been posts on doing this and I know of one maker that uses one he converted. So I am sure someone will eventually post the how to or a link for you.
 
John L said:
I build folders and would like to convert my cheapy surface grinder to a 2x72 belt grinder. Anyone have plans or insight for this project? I know it has been done before but googling does me no good. Thanks
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John L ,Indian George had a shop tour on his site once and had one . Maybe he will see this post are you could send him a PM . Actually what he had was a surface grinder that used 2X72 belts and a contact wheel if I remember right .
 
We did it to a Grizzley Surface grinder and it works great. I think it is safer too. Want me to take a few pictures?
 
can you post picks of your surface grinder. i was looking at my friends brown and sharp ww II era surface grinder a while back thinking of how to turn it into one (which will never happen) and i had an idea that would have worked on his.
 
I will try to take some pictures tomorrow. Charlie did the conversion. He ordered the contact wheel, upper wheel and the square pipe used for the support arm, but the rest he got from people as scrapp. Tracks great and runs smooth as silk.
 
I would love to see some pics of conversions. The surface grinder I now have is a Grizzly or Harbor Freight type. What durometer wheel would be correct for the contact wheel and who might sell that wheel?
 
John, your account does not allow emails or I would send you some pictures. I have been using a converted Harbor Freight for many years.
 
Hello Fox: I have reworked my subscription and profile allowing email to now be sent. Didn't even know what was possible before. I'd be willing to bet that many do not kno whte full capabilities of this forum. Thanks and looking forward to your email. John
 
Here are some pictures that I hope will give an idea of how Charlie converted our surface grinder to a belt operation.

The contact wheel came from Contact Rubber Corp., Bristol WI
It is an 8" wheel, C134 Quick-change tire 39706 90 Duro

The steel tubing is 2" square with 1/4" wall thickness, and the inside tubing is 1.5" square

The inside tube rests on two coil compression springs inside the larger tube that provide the belt tension.

The top tracking wheel was purchased at the Blade Show

The collar that fits around the housing for the shaft of the grinder is a piece of 4" pipe 1/4" thick. It just is a slide fit on the grinder housing and has been split. Two pieces of angle iron were bolted to either side of the split so that it could be tightened to the housing with screws.

Overall picture
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collar showing tube welded to it and method of tightening it to grinder housing
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This picture shows some detail of the tracking wheel and the tube construction as well as a highly technical method of reducing tension on the shaft so that belts can be changed.
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More detail of the tracking wheel.
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I hope this helps. Be careful if you build this conversion. It worked for us, but we don't know what other types of grinders are out there and each one needs to be designed individually.
 
I as well thank you for taking the time for the pictures, Harry. It Does answer alot of questions.

Shawn
 
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