grinding wheel balancer

[Casey Carr]

Okay, I got out tonight while it was a little cooler today and did some work on the old grinder. Took both wheels off and turned it on. Spun pretty cleanly as far as I could tell. No vibration or anything. So I checked the shaft diameter and the ID of the grinding wheel. The ID of the grinding wheel was about .006" larger than the shaft. Took a piece of paper and slipped it around the shaft, put the wheel back on and turned it on. Major difference. Still a little vibration, but it only moves some screws around on the table instead of everything else. Even had a little cardboard box on the table and it didn't move.

So then I put my Norton Coolwheel on and it started jumping all over again. Powered down and watched the wheel. There was a lot of sideplay on the wheel itself. Nothing installed wrong, the wheel is just not flat. Put a straight edge on portions of it and it didn't seem all that bad, but I couldn't put it straight across the middle due to the little paper they put on each side. Tried the paper on the shaft trick again and that didn't help either. I'm not too impressed with the plastic inserts they give you to compensate for the size of your drive shaft.

I didn't try rotating the wheel by any increments and I guess I still need to try that. But will the Oneway system fix this problem, or are there bigger problems with my wheel not turning flat? The other side has a little side to side play, but nowhere near what the Norton stone has. Guess I could try the Norton wheel on that side, see if it's my shaft or the wheel. Thanks for any help with this!

[Jim McFarland]

<snip> There was a lot of sideplay on the wheel itself. <snip>

Casey, this describes the problem I had which the incremental rotation improved significantly (from the grinder walking off the bench to usable but still a hint of vibration). That said, my grinder ran smoother with the original wheels so I ordered a Oneway balancer. It should arrive tomorrow so I'll know for sure in the next couple of days! Mine is a WC slow speed grinder and not a Baldor so it could be that operating with a "hint of vibration" is as good as it gets.

[Casey Carr]

Thanks Jim. Let me know how it works out for you. I've got a few more RPM's than your slow speed grinder, so any vibrations are magnified on mine. I think it's 3600 RPM's, the max that the Cool wheel says it can operate on. I'll try rotating the disc around and see if I can't get it dampened out a bit.

[Jim McFarland]

Casey, I installed the Oneway balance flanges on my grinder wheels today and I'm very pleased with results! The running grinder now passes a "nickel" test! Kit includes balance flanges and inside washers for 2 wheels (these replace the 2 interior/exterior stamped flanges and arbor bushings on the Woodcraft grinder), the balance stand and an adjusting tool. I spent 10 minutes incrementally adjusting the balancing screws&nuts but nothing complicated.

[harry strasil]

I hope you guys never have to change a big wheel, 2 inch by 14 diameter, LOL. of the hundreds of wheels I have changed, you might find 1 in 40 or 50 that will run true first time turned on.

[Jim McFarland]

I'm 0 for 2 on the 8", Harry so no intent to try bigger!

[Casey Carr]

Awesome Jim! That's what I was hoping to hear. Thanks a million for the update!

I have no need of anything bigger at home Harry. I have machinists at work that will do that kind of stuff for me. Course I have to pay them...or rather bring them a charging object. But not required out of me thankfully! Just not something that I've ever needed to know. I wish I knew how to dial in a mill like you guys, that one could have proved useful to me a time or two. Like when I was trying to mill a 1/16" set-up block. Not exactly square, lol! But I think I got it within .010". I'd have to check.