I have to do maintenance on my home build grinder!!!!

Runs in carbide grit day in day out. And there goes a bearing every 15-20 years!!!! Do they think I have nuthin' else to do?!!!!

Haha. GEEHSCH!!!!!

This time I lathe turned the drive wheel true. Re-covered the drive wheel. Installed a new drive shaft. The original machine was built using bronze pillow block hardware bearings. The grit got between the shaft and bronze Hub - scoured out the steel. I relocated the shaft end for end probably 30 years ago - put ball bearing blocks on it ... and it ran for about 15 more years. One bearing started knocking a bit. The one with torque on it. Quick fix to get back to work was - swap bearings left for right. That had the better one on the drive wheel. Grind for another 10 years or so with the tapping bearing. Today, everything was a horrible mess. But still making knives last night!!!

Well, the knock got worse. The drive wheel was hopping. Wheel covering was nearly gone. FINE!!!!! FINE!!! I HEAR YOU .... haha. NAG NAG NAG .....

So, a few hours later .... let's get another 15-20 years of grinding! Happy Now??!! ;?) hahaha. (DONT REACH FOR AN EMOJI!!!)

Let's GRIND!!!!

HUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2017 09:02PM by barnespneumatic.

Is that the same (very long) belt for the vertical and horizontal portions, or two different belts?

2" by 72" belt Sean. Wraps around.

That means that at least one wheel runs on the abrasive side of the belt. Does that one wear out first?

You are a sleuth Sean. Yep. That's the "outside the box" I thought up over 40 years ago.

The wheel runs "with" the abrasive. If everything is aligned, there's nearly no wear. I've just renewed that wheel surface for the third time in 40 years. And the last wear was totally premature from a misalignment made by a quick small wheel bearing replacement that threw that wheel off axis.

In fact, funny how one thing leads to another. Yeah ... funny .... haha .... huh Sean. Well the tracking wheel has a crown to it that allows the steering of the belt. I had been having trouble with some belts tracking. They'd have a slow wander to one side. Correct it and it would wander to the other side. Run into the machine, etc. I determined that the crown must be worn. I took it apart and tecrowned the wheel. Perfect. Doesn't take much. That one runs on the smooth side of the belt, but after 398,000 miles or so ... haha, it wore the metal crown.

Sean, I'd have to list the "belt grinder" in most lists of mankind's top ten tools.

Gary

It's on my "most wanted" list. Right after a shop.

Do they make prefab sheds as a cottage industry up there? Here, you can buy anything from a dog house to a two car traffic grade garage at several places in town, and around.

You could really enjoy a one car size shed. And you could hear that pretty quick and easy. Get somebody to spray foam it (hard foam) and you could heat it with a candle.

Then get your belt grinder.

Good to see ya.
Gary