Home Made Belt Grinder/Honer.

[AlanBeckett]

When Col's stock runs out I can recommend this lot - http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/index.php
I've never had a problem with them.
Alan

[Retired]

Hi,

I couldn't have given the bearings to a better guy than you David and I was happy to help out. You are most welcome. It's a pity I only had two of the size you needed or I would have given you a full set for your bandsaw.

Thanks for the link to "simplybearings" Alan; all such information is extremely useful especially to novices who tend to get ripped off at local bearing suppliers. It must be the best part of 20 years ago I wanted a full set of wheel bearings for my Startrite bandsaw that I was restoring at the time. I visited a local bearing firm whom I was known to through Brooks and I was quoted a RRP of £57 but to me £11. I ran this bandsaw for many years before part exchanging for a top of the range Hegner scroll saw which I have to this day. I also own a giant Startrite bandsaw as I love to keep trading up every time I exchange a machine; I traded down though when I bought the Myford lathe through eBay as I went from a top industrial Colchester Triumph lathe straight down to a load of scrap but some you win and some you lose. The Myford is now turning out decent components and I need to get around to fully restoring it.

For a novice it would be easy to think bearings are very expensive but as an example the 6202Z bearings I used are currently listed at £2.29 +VAT each from Simply Bearings. Drive belts are also cheap so for members like me owning an engineering lathe making machines such as this belt grinder is an interesting project but saves a great deal of money. All my machines earn their keep and have amply repaid their initial cost. My computer also owes me nothing as I use it to search for best prices and it saves me a lot of money and is far more convenient than dodging parking fines.

I had a look out at 6 o'clock this morning to see snow falling; it's now stopped but is white over; I hate this climate as it messes up my life; all I want to do is to take Bron out for retail therapy and play with my toys in comfort. Bron tells me the snow will clear being replaced by rain then in a few days the sun will come out; I'd like to fast forward to the sun so that I can crack on with this belt grinder.

It brightened up after dinner so I've just popped into the garage and fitted the spindle with its bearings into the idler roller as can be seen in the picture. Yet another small step in the right direction.

Kind regards, Col.

   
Idler roller complete.

[Retired]

Hi,

It seems ages since I did any work on this grinder but today the sun came out and it was quite warm so I've managed to put a couple of quality hours in tinkering around in the garage.

Today I concentrated on the top roller support. This is a key area and needs to be correct because the support also regulates belt tension and tracking.

Out of the pile of offcuts I had selected two square steel tubes one to slide with little play inside the other. The larger section tube would be the lower fixed and the smaller section would be the upper slider being spring loaded affording belt tension.

For belt tracking an hinged roller support was made up; this being hinged at the top and the lower free end is to be adjustable by a screw arrangement. I don't have fixed plans but am working from an idea of what I want to achieve and trying to make the offcuts accommodate this.

So far everything is working out well but I still have a long way to go yet. Just making this support turned the garage into a full blown metal working shop involving hacksawing; filing; welding; drilling; wire brushing and fettling using the angle grinder. I was nicely into my stride when our neighbour popped into the open garage to ask for the loan of some pipe grips as he was having a radiator problem. Sometimes I feel like hanging a sign outside my garage saying "free tool loan to everyone". Still it's almost Christmas so I shouldn't be mean. It did however shatter my thought process and as it was already getting dark I decided to knock off. My neighbour by this time had fixed his problem and promptly returned the grips so we both had some success.

I must be a sucker for punishment because every winter I end up either trying to French polish or paint a machine; I never learn but today's session has cheered me up immensely.

The pictures show the rough assembly I've made today; it still requires the screw adjuster. This belt grinder won't be a modern tinny bit of kit as I'm using substantial bits of metal and hopefully once made it should give many years service without falling apart.

Kind regards, Col.

       
Top roller support.

[Yorkie]

Coming on nicely Colin! Has the leather honing belt arrived from America yet? I guess not.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks David. I'm still awaiting delivery of the honing belt from America but when it does arrive I won't know whether to use it or put it in a glass display case given the hassle I have had in obtaining it.

I've put in a few happy hours today working on this grinder starting around 9 o'clock this morning and just knocking off. I've now made a lot of progress and it is quickly taking shape as can be seen in the pictures.

The arc welder saves a great deal of time in assembly as I don't have to bother drilling holes for bolts. It's a case of putting the components together and welding; it couldn't be simpler until something is welded in the wrong position. There is a knack to welding and this is to always wear heavy rigger gloves during and for a while after welding because smoking bare hands tend to spoil the fun.

Today's session has really cheered me up as the weather has been driving me mad recently preventing me from playing out.

Kind regards, Col.

           

[Yorkie]

You've really moved things on Colin - I'm sure that it's going to be much more sturdy than anything you could buy. I remember those 'Picador' spindles with bearings which used to abound for making sawing, buffing and grinding stuff. I don't know if they're still available, but I've occasionally seen them at auto-jumbles. You've done well to source all the steel from your stock Colin, and the billets for the rollers.

Y'all have a good day tomorrow!

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks David; yes it's coming together quickly now in fact today I've given it a test run.

I believe J Simble and Sons used to stock all the Picador range of bearing mounted spindles but I don't know if Simble's are still in business.

The raw materials cost very little; I bought a car load of black iron offcuts for a tenner and as you know David I've already made a 4" belt sander from some of them and I still have plenty left. I have splashed out and been very extravagant though and bought a large compression spring off eBay at £2.50. I'm awaiting delivery of the spring and hopefully this will give a greater range of belt tension. At the moment it is tensioned with a car valve spring which works perfectly but I might not have enough adjustment for the new leather honing belt when it arrives; I received a message to say the honing belt has now been despatched from America.

I've put quite a few hours in even spending most of Boxing Day working on it. Today I decided to sort out the two pulleys and drive belt. As usual the pulleys I have in stock didn't fit either shaft so it was a case of doing a bit of lathe work. I opened one pulley bore out but the other was a taper lock type so I mounted the boring bar in the cross slide and made the bore parallel at 1.5" Dia then made a tight fitting steel bush and added a 3/4" Dia bore to match the shaft. This was drilled and tapped right through both pulley and bush to accept a 6mm grub screw.

       
Boring pulley to receive bush and drilling through pulley and bush.

I had a suitable length "Z" belt in stock so roughly assembled everything and powered up for the first time. The grinder and motor were not secured to the base board and this allowed the belt to slip on the motor pulley; the motor and grinder were then gently pushed apart bringing on the drive whilst I watched the abrasive belt for tracking but it was perfect so I let it run at speed for a few minutes before switching off.

   
Wonderful; it works.

So far I've put a lot of work in on this grinder but once it came to life under power it was well worth it. The hardest part is now over but I still need to assemble it proper and add tool rests etc. What a pity I live in such a terrible climate as I would have enjoyed blowing it over with a spray gun.

Even the weather cannot dampen my spirits as I'm delighted to have reached this stage.

Kind regards, Col.

[Yorkie]

Thanks for posting the update and the pics Colin.

Coming on nicely - the motor looks well up to the task!

As to the weather, we've travelled back home to Hull from London today - bright sunshine almost all the way, and 9 C. Quite mild compared to this time last year!

But by 'ek, it's breezy! :omg:

[Retired]

Hi,

You're most welcome David. The motor is only rated at 1/4HP but it's the old fashioned type that was built up to a decent standard not down to a price; by the way it is 1425 rpm.

I've just come out of the garage after spending most of the day in there and it was like working in a black hole again in fact it could have been mistaken for summer. With high wind and the outside of the garage doors looking like Niagara falls I'm sure there must be a better climate somewhere than we have here.

I've made such good progress today that I've finally tested the grinder on a tool. With everything bolted down securely and a new "Platen" made and installed I couldn't resist a test run. Maintaining a single bevel was very difficult to do free hand but once guides are made it should be easy to repeat grinding angles. For a first attempt though I'm pleased with the overall performance of the grinder and the picture shows the bevel added to the chisel. The grinder is now almost completed and has proved a most interesting project.

Kind regards, Col.

       

[Retired]

Hi,

My chum David (Yorkie) kindly sent me the following link showing a sharpening system; at the original price of £799 and even at the reduced asking price I would expect to equip my entire workshop for this let alone buy a single grinder.

So far the major cost involved in making my belt grinder/honer has been on consumables such as belts and honing compound. The actual machine has been made from scrap off cuts and bits I had kicking around in the garage; the pillow block bearings were bought very cheaply a couple of years ago; the pulley's are either salvaged or have been obtained as surplus from when I worked and the pulley's were modified at no cost to fit my machine using my lathe. the motor is a scrap unit given to me by a friend many years ago; this motor is a slow starter and occasionally I need to give the drive belt a tug but once running it is up to the job.

All fastenings I have to hand and the 3/4" thick plywood base was dragged from a skip at our local; timber merchants. The welding rods cost very little because I bought a trade box a few years ago costing around £11 and a box lasts me a long time. The grinding wheel used in the angle grinder I believe cost £1 for a two pack from Poundland.

I still need to make the sharpening guides/jigs but doubt these will bankrupt me. I did buy a compression spring from eBay costing around £2.50 and this was sheer extravagance as I was too lazy to stack two car engine valve springs to obtain the length I needed; two such springs would need a guide whereas a single spring will locate much easier for belt tensioning; the machine is working perfectly with a single spring fitted but I was unsure if there would be enough adjustment to accommodate the new leather honing belt when it arrives. I really pushed the boat out buying this spring which I hope to receive shortly.

I'm always on the lookout for offcuts of metal and I'll even buy if the material looks as though it will prove useful such as the lump of aircraft quality alloy I made both rollers from; I noticed this alloy whilst visiting RDG Tools and at a fiver it has proved to be a genuine bargain coming in handy for these two rollers with a piece left over I could turn a nice pulley from.

At the moment my machine doesn't look pretty but it certainly works and if ever this dire climate gives me a warm dry day I could give it a decent paint job.

I sold my industrial Colchester Triumph lathe for less than the asking price of the grinder shown in the link.

I can't put a price on the enjoyment I've had whilst building my grinder and the pleasure I hope it will give me whilst using it over many years; mine also comes with a lifetime guarantee.

I hope I can encourage others to have a go at making simple machines costing peanuts. For the asking price of the machine in the link I could buy an engineering lathe and welder and still make the belt grinder for less. Worth thinking about? It works for me.

http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/se...TORT7DEAL3

Kind regards, Col.