In article ,
Mel Knight wrote:
On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:54:40 -0700, Smitty Two wrote:
I think Baldor still makes the best grinders.
At http://www.baldor.com, I see Baldor has 6, 7, 10, 12, and 14-inch
wheels.
What size wheel do most people recommend for the next twenty years' worth
of occasional grinding at home?
The speed seems to vary from 1500, 1800, 3000, and 3600 rpm; should the
speed I opt for be much of a concern to me?
And the horsepower seems to vary from 1/2, 1/3, 1 1/2, 2, 3, 5, and 7 1/2
HP (although most of the 110 volt ones seem to be in the 1/2 to 3/4 HP
range). Is 1/2HP reasonable for a shop grinder?
Lastly, I will most likely opt for single-phase 110 volts (because I
don't know if I'll always have dual-phase 220 available) but is there any
really good reason for 220 volts (which I do currently have available)
for "normal" shop grinder use?
120V, 6", 1800 RPM, and 1/2 h.p. will get you through 99% of anything.
Wheel choices? It really depends on what you're going to use it for. You
may not have used a wire wheel on your hand-held drill, but once you
have one mounted on a bench grinder you might find all sorts of uses for
it.
One grinder with a wire wheel on one side and a Scotch Brite buffing
wheel on the other side. Actually, for this one, a buffing unit is
better than a grinder. It has longer spindles and less guard. Definite
advantage to pedestal on that one.
Another grinder with a coarse wheel on one side and a fine wheel on the
other. In all these years, I've never paid attention the actual grit
number, just go by feel.
If you're going to venture into machining, another grinder with a tool
dressing wheel is essential.
The cotton rag things are for polishing and need to be loaded up with
rouge. Very useful if you need polished parts.
A 1" wide bench-mounted belt sander is a great addition to the grinding
room. The kind that has a section with a backing plate and an open
section for free form use.
Someone mentioned quench containers, yes, you need them. Built in to any
decent machine or stand. It's OK for you to lose your temper, but it's
not good for steel.
And don't be loading up your grinders with aluminum!