Home Made Contact Wheels?

L6steel

L6steel

Joined
Sep 23, 1999
Messages
5,855
Yeah, I know, "Nooo Michael, don't try making a contact wheel, it'll explode and kill you, you'll never be able to get it balanced right, don't try it". Well, I'm gonna try it anyways so, I was wondering if anyone has tried grinding on a wheel that is not rubber covered, ie, nylon or pvc material or maybe even phenolic like micarta? Or maybe one made of some nice hardwood like oak and then stretch a section of inner tube around it and glue it in place. I want a 14" wheel bad but I just can't swing $350 for one right now. Thanks people!
 
Well Michael, everyone is going to laugh
but I have a grinder with two wooden wheels.
A idler wheel & drive wheel. I have been
usein that grinder for about four years now.
They run better than the 8in wheel I got
from Grizzly. I say 4yrs. but it may be longer.
So what I`m saying yes I think a guy could, but
how well it would work ?????:rolleyes:
Just my 2cents.
 
If there's a will...there's a way!

View1.jpg




The 14" wheel will turn much slower and out of roundness is much less noticable.

These photos were sent to me to post on my web site.

Good luck,
Rob


View2.jpg
 
Wowsers people, this is amazing! Knifenuts have got to be the most inventive people on the planet! Thanks for the pix Rob! I've been meaning to send you a pic of Frankenstein, my bandsaw. Ugh, now all I gotta do is buy or build myself a lathe, does it ever end? :)
 
ROB!!!!! you have my new grinder. Same hometurned wheel, same grinder base with pillow bearings....Onlu difference is mine is variable speed :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
Do you guys think a belt grinder that was set up to run something like 3" or 4" wide by say, 150" belts would grind faster and smoother??
 
I'd stick with 72"...that's the industry standard and belts are easier to find.:rolleyes: I can't believe anyone has a grinder as ugly as mine!
 
i was at a meeting a mr, bob lovess's shop a few years ago and noticed that he has extented arms on his burr-king grinders. but he was'nt using them. it turns out he tryed doubleing the belts in lenth and he when back to 2x72" belts because he had to have the others cut and his chioce of abrysive's was limited to SC and AO, no ceramic's. it cost less to run 2x72" belt's in the lng run.
 
hey Michael, in an old blade mag there was an article about a french blade maker and he built his own wheels and covered them with felt and some with leather.

In some of the old cutlery books they talk about making polishing wheels of walnut and rubbing polishing compound into them.

I'd recommend a good birch plywood, less voids in the wood.
 
I don't see how you could balance and round the wheel out right without a lathe. It has to be turned true to the center bore or it would jump all over that place.
 
L-6,
I made a 10" wood wheel from 2 pieces of 3/4" 1x12 pine, glued together with wood glue, then marked out the diameter from the a center punched hole, cut the diameter close with a jig saw, then drilled a 1/2" center hole to fit my bench grinder shaft. Got it tightened up and spinning and shaped it close to true with a wood rasp, then finished truing it up with some 80 grit sand paper and a 2"x4". Glued some 10oz leather on it and it makes a great sharpening wheel, runs real smooth. Maybe this will help.

Bill
 
They make circle cutters for the drill press that will cut at least a 10 inch circle and maybe more.This will gice a perfect round and a center hole to drill out to a bigger size to fit.Anybody try cutting a second hole in the two outside pieces of wood and adding bearings to them so the whell free runs smooth and doesn't wear out at all.Just a idea.
I seen somewhere years ago where someone had used a big lawn mower wheel as the grinding wheel.they come in all kinds of sizes and are already on bearings and rubber coated,It should work also.
You know you could make a platen with a curved face to match the radious of any size wheel you want out of steel and thus not have to worry about the rubber coating on the wheel.
You can just cut it out close then grind in by pushing it into a slack belt and get the curves in it close to the size,or get inginious and make a jig so that it will cut the exact size radious you want...
Bruce
 
Hello everybody ! I am new in this forum...
I am presently into the building process of a custom 2x72 belt grinder.

My biggest problem it is the contact wheel which is too expensive... After some search, I found somes wheels (caster wheels) which seem to be able to be appropriate for a belt grinder. They are available into 8" and 10" by 2" width...

What you think of this kind of wheel ? (see picture below)
Somes wheels are covered with rubber of various hardnesses.
(like durometer 70-75A.)

All your ideas or comments are welcomes Thanks !

Alain M-D


contactweels.jpg
 
Alain,

You can call Grizley and tell them that you need a 8" replacement wheel and they will send you one out for $28. This is the same wheel they use on their knife grinders.

Dmelton made is own grinder and got one of these wheels. It runs true and it's a great price.

-chris
 
If you have a tool rest for the grinder It can be used just like a wood lathe.
I made a 3 inch plywood wheel to slow my grizzly down for fine sanding. I just drilled the center hole then cut it roughly to shape with a bandsaw. once it was sorta round i just put it on the grinder and used a gouge resting on the tool rest to true it. worked great just like using a lathe.
 
You can also make a circle cutting jig for the band saw and cut almost perfect circles with a register hole in the center. I just thought that at the speeds the grinders run, the wheel would need to be as dead round and square as possible. Thanks for all the tips guys!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top