Who makes a quality variable speed disc grinder, in your opinion?

O

Ome108

Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
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Hi Everyone,
I am new here, but eager to develop more skills.
Want to get a good variable speed disc sander for knifemaking.
I will eventually get the tw-90 and have what I need , except a buffing machine.
Comes the next question of which is a quality buffer, and do I need a 8" shaft on each end.
If what i read is true, 1750 is preferred.
I want to do more fabricating of machine parts that are no longer available to buy.
I need space saving machines, that's one reason why I love the TW90.
I am a hobbyist, not a machinist or knifemaker. I just love to learn from the Masters.
I have a basement workshop filled with woodworking and metalworking machinery.
My lathes, mills, SG, and tool and cutter grinder need to be covered when grinding metal.
I plan on learning on the best, from the start, so which buffer and which disc sander in your opinion would serve my limited plans.
I like to work with SS AND O1 tool steel.
Which buffing pads would you advise?
Last but most important is SAFETY.
I have a respirator that fits under ny full face shield. I am new to metalworking in general, but take safety very seriously.
I have a hepaa vacuum dedicated to any grinding where there would be toxic dust.
I will be working alone or with one friend, and not doing any production work.
Forgive me for my long drawn out post.
Any advice would be great!
Thanks,
Jon
A leather shop apron, and good hearing protection.
 
Others will have suggestions about the disc grinder. My comment is just a caution. If you have a basement shop keep this in mind. Many basements are where the water heater is for the house. This is an open flame source. If you are generating dust in that area it is BAD. Dust in an enclosed space with an open flame source is an explosion waiting to happen.
 
For a complete disk grinder, I'd recommend the grinder set-up and work rest from Beaumont Metal Works. Tru-grit offers a complete grinder too; look at their website.

I'm piecing together a disk grinder right now using the quick change disk system from Rod Nielson. I've purchased a 1 hp ac Baldor motor and KB electronics ac drive. I've received the disk system; the motor and drive are shipping. Next, I've got to make a mounting plate and purchase a grinder pedistal (not going to mount to my work bench, as many people do.

Mike L.
 
i4Marc said:
Others will have suggestions about the disc grinder. My comment is just a caution. If you have a basement shop keep this in mind. Many basements are where the water heater is for the house. This is an open flame source. If you are generating dust in that area it is BAD. Dust in an enclosed space with an open flame source is an explosion waiting to happen.
Click to expand...
Thank You for the safety caution,
Our basement is divided into sections, while no doors , there are some inside walls that divide the entire area.
The boiler and electric water heater, more of a storage tank, is in a separate section.
We do not do any work or have any machines in that immediate section.
Thanks,
Jon
 
A Rod Nielsen is truly the grinder to buy.
You can buy a hub to fit on the end of a motor and then create a variable speed drive for it. The BIG thing is the fact this machine has a magnetic set up for discs. Extras are inexpensive to buy if you want more than what comes with the machine. They are just short of 9" so you can use regular sized sanding sheets of different grits for each disc and not have to tear off the paper on the only disc the others have. Of course, there is also a bevelled disc included in this set up.
I'm getting old; this machine has removed a tremendous amount of hand work from my knife making which of course I'm most pleased with at the same time improving or at least maintaining the quality of work I want to do. To see some of my work you can go to Custom Knife Gallery. com. Frank
 
Thanks Mark,
I realized how right you are to suggest safety precautions ahead of a desire , like getting a disc grinder.
We have a storage tank, but the oil burner is a source of a flame.
The boiler room is partially separated by the chimney where it is vented to.
But , the open areas are on both sides of the chimney. The room is about 40' long and 15' wide, with the boiler at one end about 6' from the outside wall.
The shop begins on the other side of the chimney. That being said, I am concerned that I do lathe and mill work as well as grind. Metal in that room.
Any suggestions?
 
Ome108, Ventilation and a good dust collection system would certainly help. I'm not a technical guy. I can't tell you how many parts per billion of particles in the air is the threshold for an explosion or anything like that. I was just voicing a general caution to think about. If possible, I suspect a shed or purpose-built workshop would be the safest. I don't want to derail this thread though so let's get back to our regularly scheduled program regarding VS disc grinders. :)
 
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