Shop addition: New Grinder

With the new shelving accessory installed.

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All that's left to do now is buy a 6 foot long power bar to mount on the back of the bench and scoot the rolling tool car beside the shelving accessory.
 
Very nice, Greg! It looks like it's going to be a great working space!

BTW, what does the foot switch control?
 
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Kentucky said:
Too clean dude, make it dirty..
Click to expand...

That's funny! I clean it up after every use. Did the same for the ratty old Steelcase desk. My dad would be shocked at how neat and tidy I've become after making such a mess of his workspace when I was a kid.

Oh I forgot to mention when I took the desk to the recycling place today I got to watch it getting crushed by the big claw picking it up. I told my wife about that when we were walking the dog... she got upset. "That thing was probably 60 - 70 years old and you had it crushed like garbage." I reminded her that I paid $1 for it at a county government auction in Harris County, and that it was badly dented all over with a replacement linoleum top and she then understood that it actually WAS garbage. :)
 
Suggestion Greg. Instead of the shelves unbder your drill press for the 1x30 and the 4x36, why don't ya build a lilttle cart. It could still fit in that space an d ya could just roll it out to use. Ya could make it sized so ya could still park it under the drill. Just a thought.
 
I think I'm finally done messing around with the work bench. Last night I installed a 4-foot long power strip to the back plate on the work bench, so I won't have to reach behind the bench to plug and unplug the equipment. I also moved the rolling tool cart underneath the bench to free up some space in another part of the garage. I think now I can finally turn my attention back to making the knife I'm working on.

There is still one thing left to do with the grinder. I have to finish building the standard platen and the tool rest. However, for the moment at least that will wait until the current blade is off to HT.

- Greg
 
Little careful maybe with power bars and light fixtures in the general area behind the grinder. No matter how well you clean, metal grit is going to get into nooks and crannies. Might also affect other stuff like in the display case. Just a thought, thanks for the shop walk through.

Take care, Craig
 
Thanks, Craig. I already considered that and have some ideas about how to prevent it... as simple as childproofing plugs to full the empty sockets until such time as I need to fill them with power plugs.
 
AAAAAAGHHHHH!!! I am super annoyed right now.

Yesterday I finally got the wheels needed to finish the standard platen on the grinder. So I run down to ACE and get some more 1/2 inch 13 twist bolts to mount the wheels to the platen. They had no proper washers so I spent half an hour scrounging for those, and finally found what I needed.

Then I go to mount the platen on the tool arm. No dice. The center hole and the C-shaped slot on the platen accept 3/8 in bolts... but the corresponding holes in the tool arm take 1/2 inch bolts. Yes, there are 3/8 inch tapped holes in the tool arm... but they don't line up with the hole and the slot in the platen. Now I'm faced with drilling and tapping another set of holes in the tool arm... something I had sought to avoid. This really SUCKS!!!

Is there a pre-drilled and tapped tool arm out there that lines up with the hole/slot on a Polarbearforge GIB platen, or do I REALLY have to buy a KMG platen?

FRUSTRATED BEYOND REASONING!
 
That sucks Greg. On my GIB I simply drilled two through holes on the end of a piece of heavy wall 1-1/2" tubing. No need to tap as you can easily just use two wrenches to adjust if needed.
Blindhogg, Wilmont Grinders, sells fully assembled EERF/GIB type grinders. He would have a tool arm if anybody would.
I have plenty of tubing if you want me to sell you an 18" or so piece.
 
Thanks, Brian. I just may take you up on that piece of tubing. Please PM me your price including shipping.
 
I like to use Grade 8 1/2" bolt for the tool arm and GIB multiplaten. If you are going to be loosening and tightening it much Greg the Grade 8 thread will hold up much better. My first 1/2" thread got jacked on a standard bolt.

Lowes has them and they even have 1/2" hardened washer if you like.
 
I had not caught this thread until recently. Nice build! I can see how it would be frustrating to be so close to done.

Tubing will work, though it can distort over time. Chris's Wilmont grinder uses a different spacing configuration, so I don't think he'd that for sale. A tooling arm as part of an accessory kit is something I've considered, but it hasn't come to be yet.

I would say to drill and tap the holes for the standard platen. The hardest part is getting the holes spaced correctly, and there's a trick to that. If the tapped hole in the tooling arm is a little off of perpendicular, it's ok. It will still work properly. There's clearance in the slot and the hole for the bolts to fit through. If the threads are a little off, it will still tighten down flush to the tooling arm.

Now holes tapped for wheels would be a little different, but there's leeway in the tooling arm.

Jamie
 
This morning I came up with a simpler (if less elegant) solution. I drilled a second pivot hole on the standard platen to line up with the KMG hole. That way I didn't have to do anything to the C-shaped slot. Now all I have to do is fabricate and mount the flat platen.

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Time to mark this project done. I finished the platen and tested it out. Tracks true and straight, and now I can grind flats. I'll probably refine the platen some over time (i.e. sand off the enamel and get it really flat), but for now it's done. The only thing I may yet add is a work rest arm.

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You are going to want to get a piece of D2, O1 or A2 and drill and tap it for you platen and have it heat treated. Or you can go the glass platen route.


Looks really nice BTW :)
 
I just bought another piece of "shop gear" that will probably annoy more people than it pleases. It's a VERY inexpensive camcorder that will allow me to shoot WIP videos. As with all my camera purchases, I wait until something is on clearance, because I frankly don't care about the latest and greatest technology. So I got a Flip Ultra II for $37 (including tax) which is capable of shooting 60 minutes of video before it needs to offload it.

Not sure I'll actually post any videos... but I've long wanted one of these toys, and couldn't pass it up at this price.
 
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