Unigrinder again

P

Plain ol Bill

Joined
Jan 24, 2001
Messages
501
IT’S ALIVE, ALIVE, ALIVE! – the Unigrinder has come to life! Got out in the shop this AM and finished up this long term project. Still a couple of things to dial in like the platen set up but the big (8”) contact wheel runs smoother than a new borns butt and tracks like a dream come true. Will have to find a heavier spring for my tracking setup as the current one just don’t have the ummph to push it back out (I used a light one I had lying around the shop). Will get a valve spring to use there and that will no doubt have enough strength to work well.
I made all the gimmygadgets that go w/ the plans so this monster should be a great machine! I will have Nick Wheeler, Dave Evans, and Blind dog give her a try and see what needs changing up. Not sure about the belt speed. It seems slow to me but will get opinions before I go changing pulley sizes.
I ordered a digital camera last week and soon as I get it (and learn how to use it a little) I will gladly take some pics of this thing and give some specs w/ them.
 
I love home built machinery!

It is the heart and soul of the shop guy. I've been eagerly waiting to see your new born......pictures and cigars ASAP please!

Can't wait to see it Bill.

Sincerely,
-Rob Frink
 
Sounds great !! I have just changed one of my grinders over to a variable speed and had been operating it many years at just the one speed .I sure am pleased with the change over. Anyway, if your machine is runing around 3000-4000 ft. a minute I believe this will be a good overall speed .To calculate the speed use 6.28 x the radius of your drive wheel x the r.p.m. and divide this by 12. Frank.
 
I figured out why the speed did not seem right. I had the big pulley on the drive shaft and the small one on the motor. Changed them and this thing is SCARY on high speed. I do things backwards a lot. DUH
 
I had a chance yesterday to go to the knife show in Tacoma with Bill, and then spend a little time in his shop with the new unigrinder.

That is one sweet machine!

The hollow grinding wheel [by Rob Frink] ran smooth as butter.

The work rest is perfect for profiling.

The platen is positioned well for flat grinding, tapered tangs and will lie out flat for truing up scale slabs.

The only thing I was not able to try was the small wheel attachment, which is not done yet.

Bill found a monster 2 horse Baldor motor and a variable speed control. Every time Bill turned the control beyond 40 percent I moved away over by the wall.

With straight belts it tracked like a dream.

Following the progress while Bill assembled this beauty convinced me that I could never build it. The metal working skills are beyond my capabilities. Bill had no problems and this is one first-class piece of machinery.

I will let Bill tell the rest of this story, but this is one fine grinder.

Dave Evans
Tenino, WA

 
I first saw the Unigrinder at the Oregon Knife show. After looking this machine for quite a while, I found it to be a work of art, but I too was not talented enough to build it.

After a few phone calls, I talked Rich Sweet who designed the Unigrinder into making me one and I will pick it up next week. Rich is even going to Powder coat the machine red for me.

Steve L.
 
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