Thread: Bench grinder tapered spindle attachment

Let me get this straight - you were running a white wheel directly riding on buffing wheel hex spindle?
If so what was stopping it from moving sideways?

Originally Posted by BobL

Let me get this straight - you were running a white wheel directly riding on buffing wheel hex spindle?
If so what was stopping it from moving sideways?

Yes, it was a tight fit and the hex spindle actually cut small grooves into the white wheel bushing which kept it from moving. I've had this arrangement for years and the wheel hasn't moved.

I am definitely not one for the over the top OH&S crap that is forced upon us on a daily basis by over bearing controlling care bear types.

However, saying that i'm fairly confident in saying that sounds a might unsafe to even me.

If the wheel slips in the grooves is has worn there's the real danger of the wheel exploding.

Just a thought.



Cheers

Steve

Originally Posted by Tiger

Yes, it was a tight fit and the hex spindle actually cut small grooves into the white wheel bushing which kept it from moving. I've had this arrangement for years and the wheel hasn't moved.

As fineboxes says, that was a wheel explosion waiting to happen. You were lucky it was a 6" wheel so the back forces/leverage would not have been as great as an 8" wheel.

Grinding wheels should be snug fitting all the way around and held in place by light sideways pressure.

As I said I've been running this arrangement for probably 5 years, I suspect the centrifugal force kept the wheel from moving much. The wheel was hard up against one of the large washers and didn't move sideways at all. However I would still like to run the buffing wheel so is there a safer way to have both wheels and the buffing wheel?

Originally Posted by Tiger

As I said I've been running this arrangement for probably 5 years, I suspect the centrifugal force kept the wheel from moving much. The wheel was hard up against one of the large washers and didn't move sideways at all. However I would still like to run the buffing wheel so is there a safer way to have both wheels and the buffing wheel?

The wheel needs to ride on the non threaded part of the shaft or a smooth bush so that there is no play. A pair of side plates in contact with a minimum diameter of the wheel according to the manufacturers spec

I thought I might be able to turn up a threaded sleeve to take the place of the outside nut and run the buffing wheel off the sleeve, only problem is there's not a lot of thread to work with.

Personally I would mix stone wheels and buffs or even allow them in the same room unless the buffs are stored in airtight bags and you have no other storage options. Five years of metal polishing taught me that you don't mix belts, wheels, pads etc between different metals, and you don't allow the buffs anywhere near them. All of the abrasives, and the metals they are working, shed microscopic particles which will embed themselves in your buffs and scratch work you are trying to buff. Wheels, belts discs etc rasnge from 32 to 600 grit, the compound used on buffs start around 2000 and go way finer, so a small amount of crap on the buffs can undo prep work very quickly. Using wheels, belts, buffson various materials can also lead to disaster, polishing SS with gear that has previously been used on mild steel will embed microscopic MS into the surface which will show as rust spots in about 6 months, working stuff to be plated with gear that has previously worked SS will embed SS particles which inhibit the plating procces leaving microscopic pinholes in the plating, more rust in 6 months from the MS surrounding the particles not being fully plated, any contamination at all will stuff up anodising.

As others have mentioned, there is no safe way to mount wheels etc to a grinder other than the way specified in the machine and wheel instructions. Drive to the wheel must be by the drive washers, not by the shaft, taper hex etc where the slightest knock can split the wheel and explode it.