Home made belt grinder pics.

[David Peterson]

Well, thanks to all the help I recieved on this forum, I finally got my 2x72 belt grinder finished. Went to the junk yard and picked up the 1HP motor for $10, the 8" contact wheel from an old motorized sweeper, the frame from an old exercise thing-a-ma-jig and the pillow bushings from a rooftop air conditioning unit all for $10. Got the step pulleys for $20 from the hardware store, the idler wheel and the drive wheel from Beaumont Metal Works for around $90. Total cost ~$170, taking in to consideration misc parts like bolts, springs etc.. Mainly it was just fitting the pieces together, and finding out a way to make the tracking mechanism. I just bought a hinge from the hardware store, JB Welded a nut on one side for a screw with a loop on the end, then used the flanged nuts on both sides of the idler wheel bolt, also JB Welded in place. When you turn the screw loop, the wheel gets pushed up and the belt shifts to where you want it.

I'm glad I read that post a little while ago about the junkyard being a goldmine. Boy was it ever. Thanks bigtime to Bob Warner for that one! Well, here's some pics.




And the tracking mechanism.


I can't wait to start grinding some metal with this baby. It sure does have a lot more power than my poor 1x30 I have been using for a year now. Got my money's worth on that one. Thanks again CKD for the great idea.

-Dave

[SharpByCoop]

Dave I mean that in the greatest sense! You just showed a BUNCH of us folks how to get the job done on the cheap!

You are going to ROCK with this! Please show off your work when done?

Coop

[Bob Warner]

Gotta love it. Fabrication at its best.

Got to love those "Bad" motors don't ya.

You've done well.


What kind of sweeper did the contact wheel come from?

[mike koller]

Looks like a cool machine.

[PaulD]

Love that recycling! You make this old dumpster diver proud.

[David Peterson]

Bob,
That contact wheel came off of a power sweeper. I don't know exactly what kind it was, but the wheel was in the center, and it had a flat belt running over a second rim of the wheel providing the power assist. I cut this rim off for balancing. It seemed to be a pretty sturdy wheel, and it has survived running at full speed using the step pulleys. It's made out of some kind of high tech plastic. I originally thought it was aluminum, until I cut into it with my cutoff wheel. It made cruising through the junkyard all worth it. What better way to spend a saturday afternoon. Thanks for the kind words everyone.

-Dave

[polarbearforge]

Before you found the motor, did someone pedal really, really hard and fast?

Seriously though, nice grinder.

Jamie

[mike koller]

Before you found the motor, did someone pedal really, really hard and fast?

Now that would solve the problem of variable speed.

[jdlange]

Cool as hell!!!


Dave,

I have been building tools out of junk for years, learned most of it from my grandfather (and the fact that I am cheap) and I have to say that that is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
That tracking mechanism is by far the simplest solution I have seen yet. Awesome job!

[Bob Warner]

Wish they had a sweeper like that in my junkyard. I want one of those wheels.

[David Peterson]

That wheel was a great find. Every time I go to the junkyard now, I keep one eye on what I'm after, and one eye out for wheels. Scored some heavy guage aluminum the other day for the flat grind attachment. Junkyard price......$2.00. I added a shelf already for the contact wheel, and discovered that I can use the machine both ways. I can add a platen attachment on the other end and not have to change anything except direction. I'll just spin the machine around and start flat grinding. Bought some files to start grinding on until I get some good steel, so I'm excited. Thanks guys.

-Dave

[mike koller]

Dave,
As you will have probably already discovered, belts can get expensive. Wooden lattice material and mild steel make for good choices to pratice grinding on. 1084 and some others are relatively cheap also...and if you like the grind lines you can heat-treat or have heat-treated.


Have fun and enjoy!

[whv]

i like it, dave. the real beauty (imo) is that the parts that you will most likely have to replace were the cheapest !! :cool:

[Crex]

Good job! Good use of the old brain pan. You may have to beef up your tensioner spring if she gets to hopping (unless I missed something in the pics). Junked excercise equipment is good plunder. The more complex the better. Find one of those big treadmills with the variable speed DC motor and you have a very servicable motor with speed control and a bunch of rollers, pulleys, bearings, and fabrication material. I've gotten a couple at the thrift store for around $5-6 each. Usually only have some minor cosmetic or mechanical problem, but both motors were excellent.
Once you get into this grinding thing hot and heavy, you might have to look at ways of economizing on "footprint" and overhead space. It gets to be a premium when you start making all those other tools you'll think you need.
What's next? A forge, right!
Go crazy Dave, you're just getting started!
Best of luck,

Carl Rx