Home Made Belt Grinder/Honer.

[olliesnook]

Hi,

You are most welcome Ollie.

When I start one of these projects I usually have a look at what materials I have to hand and try to work with these. A bit of cheek goes a long way if you have any engineering firms or sheet metal firms nearby. It pays to visit these firms wearing old clothes and a pleasant smile. Some firms just don't want to know but others will have a bin of off-cuts and allow you to select. It usually costs me a box of chocs/tin of biscuits or a tenner for a car load; I never outstay my welcome or take advantage in any way; by playing fair I can always go back and keep topping up my stock.

Steel tube is good but angle iron is also extremely useful. Creative thinking is the way to go and with this attitude you will succeed. I used a large engineers file to flatten the inside welded seam; nip the box section in a vise and the file tip soon does the job; care is needed not to become too enthusiastic whilst using the file ending up with a cut hand against the end of the metal. (Never ever use a file without a proper handle fitted).

I have a very old B&D 4" angle grinder that is a great asset for this kind of work but it goes through grinding discs rather quickly. I still like to have a session with a hacksaw even though I've got a big metal cutting band-saw; it just takes longer and gives my arms a good workout.

I'll be interested to follow your progress Ollie and if you have a lathe I'm currently involved on a most interesting project that might also appeal to you.

Kind regards, Col.

Thanks Col,
The build is going along well now. I've found a local scrap metal yard that has a small section with plate, angle, 'u' section (I don't know the technical term) and box section. As I don't have a proper motor, I'm building it around my grinder, with the possibility of adding a proper motor later. I'm on my second build, and as I don't weld, I'm having to bolt everything together, which leads to its own set of problems, such as having to drill holes in the right place... As a complete newcomer to metalwork I'm having to learn everything as I go, which is fun but frustrating, particularly as every time I need to change something I basically have to disassemble pretty much the whole thing and reassemble it again to check things are in the right place.
I'll try and get some photos today and post them up here for your amusement!!
Cheers
Ollie