Bench Grinders

[rbattelle]

What do you all like in a bench grinder? I'm interested in one not only for the usual grinding/sharpening operations, but for wire-wheel cleaning metal parts.



Ryan

 

[Matt400]

Hi Ryan,

I have a 3/4hp at work but wish it was bigger. It has wire on the left and stone on the right. Safety glasses or a face shield I like better than the little guards they come with.

The wheel size is ok, it just doesn't have enough power when I need to grind hard.

 

[WDixon27]

we have a useful set up at my shop, a regular 2 stone grinder and one of those grinders with a sanding disc on one side and a fine wire brush on the other, we alternate depending on needs on weather the other grinder has both stones or one stone and a corse brush, it's a handy set up

 

[MMiller]

When you go shopping, make the store plug the grinder in and turn it on. I have a new craftsman that takes FOREVER to spin up to speed. I've used other ones that are up to speed almost instantly. Also like everything else buy the biggest power you can afford. I forget what mine is 3/4 or maybe 1 hp, but I can still easily slow it down during normal grinding. It needs more power.



Michael

 

[p-Bar]

Don't go by the HP rating or the max HP rating that is B. S. look at the amperage of the motor . On a 3450 motor 10amps is equiv to ! HP . Watch the chinese stuff very under rated and weak.

 

[nickleinonen]

i've got a little delta one at home [3/4hp iirc] and it does the job, but i too am looking at getting a larger one. i have my eye on a pretty cheap made in ?????? one, but for the $50cdn they want for it [1hp] with 8"x1" wheels, it will do the job for the course and wire wheel duty. the delta i will keep for fine grinding/sharpening. .



if i had a work bench, i would mount it to it, but i don't, so i made a pedistal stand. works well [base is a 150lbs ge fdl diesel engine cam gear ]

 

[Matt400]

I shoulda knew this but... it appears mine is a 1/2hp unit with 6" wheels, no wonder I don't like it.

3/4hp with 8" wheels would be better.

 

[DBrickel]

I have a Dayton comercial 8" wheel, 3/4hp, 10. 1 amp. It works well for me, when it spools up get out of the way

 

[rbattelle]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I spent some time looking around the web. I'd like a US made one, but they're hard to find. I noticed Milwaukee used to make bench grinders, but they're gone from their website now. This one is on sale at the moment. 1hp, 8", but can't find a current spec on it.



I notice Delta is offering a 1hp 8" with variable speed. $60 cheaper than that Jet, but only 5amp (which I think puts it well below 1 hp).



Ryan

 

[JOdell]

To find the specs on this grinder look here: www.jlindustrial.com/catalog/product.jsp?id=JET-05200J&origin=SEARCH:KEYWORD&backtosearchpage=Y

I think it is the same one you have. -Jason

 

[slowneasy]

As mentioned above, Daytons are good and Baldors are another well known and quite common brand. Kalamazoos are very good too.

 

[JGK]

Bench grinders are not really the ideal set up for putting on a wire brush. They spin way too fast and if the brush catches the piece and snatches it out of your hands, it can really fling it and possibly tear up your fingers!



I bought a used 3/4 horse motor that runs at about 1750 rpm and put on a 6" brush. It runs at half the speed of a bench grinder but at a higher torque. It will still tear you up if you get your bare skin involved, but at least if it snatches the piece it doesn't throw it as hard or far! All in all, this set up provides more control of your work piece than the bench grinder with a brush.



As for the grinder, get a 10" if you can find one. Much more usable than a 6" or 8". Mine is a cheap Chinese model, but its worked well for several years.



-Jay

 

[y-knot]

I do not get to excited about bench grinders, they are useful to an extent but not imperative. I like to use a 6" or 8" two sided bench grinder. My personal favorite is to have a medium grit stone on the left side and a wire wheel brush on the right. I like one with a light, but don't really use it that much. Most time all the safety guards on the grinder are there but knocked up out of the way. I usually use a bench grinder in the set-up as described to clean-up MIG welding handle parts, knock the edge off a piece of rod or threaded rod, DE-bur something small or clean the threads with the wire brush. I also have a 6x48" belt sander that I find more useful then the bench grinder. It cleans better and cuts down faster. I use it alot. I also have a 10" polisher that has the stand and two open ends. I tried a few times way back to polish pieces with a bench grinder but the speed was just to high and the pads to small. A true polisher is much slower (motor rpm) and allows for much bigger pads without all the safety Shields getting in the way. I think if space were limited and I only had $300 to spend, doing what I do which is mostly metal work, I would call up Trick Tools and purchase there Delta grinder with the belt sander attachment on the one side. It was featured on many of the car shows on TV, and would be a great compromise for the small shop. www.vansantent.com

 

[BGlidewell]

Bench grinders are not really the ideal set up for putting on a wire brush. They spin way too fast and if the brush catches the piece and snatches it out of your hands, it can really fling it and possibly tear up your fingers!





-Jay

great response! Been there bought the t-shirt. I like an angle grinder set up with a wire brush for scrubbing rust off stuff. Use a vise too if the part will be hard to hold.