tracking wheel shapes

[loneronin]

I'm trying to make my own tracking wheel for my KMG clone. now, my question is about how to crown it. I thought about three kind of shapes (please take a look at the pic).
I presume the angle and square shapes would stress more the belt... so my choise would be the round shape.
in your view, which is the best shape for our purposes? and do you agree on the angles I would use?

 

[rfrink]

I've made a few tracking wheels over the last ten years. All of these designs will work great. I've used them all and have not noticed any performance differences in them. The left and center wheels are easy to do on a manual lathe with the compound... I do the right wheels on a CNC.

This is a very simple concept..and belt grinders are pretty simple machines. It's hard to do anything wrong..so pick one that suits your fancy and have fun with your project.

Sincerely,
Rob

 

[loneronin]

Thank you Rob for your precious suggestions! probably this sunday or the next I'll try to work on it. I'm gonna use 2° angle shape and I'll post the result.

 

[ken erickson]

I made a tracking wheel for my horizontal 2 x 72 grinder as per the first example. Works great. I polished it on the lathe to about 320 grit , broke the sharp junction between the two flats. No noticeable belt wear.

You can see the tracking wheel on the left side, this was taken as I was building the grinder

Ken

 

[Keith_H]

I've made a few tracking wheels over the last ten years. All of these designs will work great. I've used them all and have not noticed any performance differences in them. The left and center wheels are easy to do on a manual lathe with the compound... I do the right wheels on a CNC.

This is a very simple concept..and belt grinders are pretty simple machines. It's hard to do anything wrong..so pick one that suits your fancy and have fun with your project.

Sincerely,
Rob

Sorry to slightly hijack the thread, but how do you machine each bearing bore to be true to the OD on each side?

 

[rfrink]

Sorry to slightly hijack the thread, but how do you machine each bearing bore to be true to the OD on each side?

For one wheel, I would use a 4 jaw chuck and indicate the wheel on center. For a hand full of wheels, I would use an expanding ID mandrel...again in a 4 jaw chuch to make sure the mandrel is centered.

When I make 100+ wheels, I use a cnc with dedicated soft jaws in the chuck for the specific wheel. Once the job is set up and the jaws are mounted, they get a very light cut to make sure they are true and clean for the run.


The most valuable tip here is...when doing manual lathe work, that has to be precise USE A 4 JAW CHUCK and indicate the workpiece to the precision level that you require. A general purpose 3 jaw chuck will get you close.....but never dead-on....especially when you re-fixture the workpeice.


That's just how I roll...other's may do it differently.

-Rob

 

[Frank Niro]

Several layers of ordionary maslin tapewill make a good crown if you have a wheel that isn't. The masking tape will last for years. Frank

 

[loneronin]

yes, I herd about the tape trick. I would prefer to have a "clean" wheel but I'll use the tape if I'll have troubles.

 

[loneronin]

here it is the result. seems good to me but I'll know if it works fine only at the run test (don't know when...)

 

[bjalongi]

My Grizzly is shaped like the leftmost shape. I'd rather have a total ark, or the one in the middle.

Having said that, you can order one from Grizzly for about 20 bucks. Why build one when you could get one for that price. Don't tell anyone though!

 

[drewfacehotm]

Sorry to slightly hijack the thread, but how do you machine each bearing bore to be true to the OD on each side?

first i would drill the hole though the material, then drop it between centers and turn the od. After that chuck it up and indicate the od, four jaw or a good three jaw chuck, bore your bearing pocket, flip it face it to length bore the other side. Then you can put it back between centers to do the angles and everything should be running true together.

D F Boyer

 

[Keith_H]

That wheel looks great, did you laminate it yourself?

Between centres, but without a dog? just pinching?

 

[loneronin]

My Grizzly is shaped like the leftmost shape. I'd rather have a total ark, or the one in the middle.

Having said that, you can order one from Grizzly for about 20 bucks. Why build one when you could get one for that price. Don't tell anyone though!

I'm in Italy and unfortunately I can't get a grizzly wheel. surely it would work better than mine.

That wheel looks great, did you laminate it yourself?

Between centres, but without a dog? just pinching?

I glued four sheets of plywood and I worked them on my drillpress. the result is quite good but not perfect. a real lathe would be much better. but I don't have one. :grumpy:

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Rob,

I saw your video of turning your wheels.

You are my hero. And it is cool of you to tell it like it is rather than puff up a bunch of mystique around it.

I have a 12" yang slant bed here that I've thought about setting up to run knifemaker's parts, but I'm going to stay away from your stuff - I've seen yours (I own an KMG) and I have nothing else to add. Your stuff is rock solid and I can't see making the parts when yours are readily available, inexpensive, and so darn good.

 

[drewfacehotm]

That wheel looks great, did you laminate it yourself?

Between centres, but without a dog? just pinching?

I do that all the time, as long as your tailstock is locked tight and you have a step on the chucking center its no trouble at all. on something with a 2.5 od 1 id i can take .075 - .125 per side in steel. aluminum and brass .150-.200. i don't think we even have a lathe dog in our shop, haven't used that since trade school lol.