I didn't really need another bench grinder, but for $20 I couldn't really
turn it down. The darn thing is an ancient cheap import, but it doesn't
vibrate any worse than my slightly less ancient cheap import. The guy who
owned it was obviously abusing it. He had both wheels packed up with
aluminum, and had rounded the corners. However when I throw a tape across
them with the covers off they measure nearly new. I took my star wheel
dressing tool to it and got all the aluminum off the coarse stone, and about
95% off the medium stone. Those rounded over corners got me. In order to
clean those off and keep the face square I'd have to take off more than 3/16
of an inch. I hate to waste that much wheel, and I would hate to cut a
chamfer on the wheel by dressing in at an angle to clean it off.

Is there some magic aluminum remover I could try that won't ruin the wheel?
I know someday I may need to dress the wheel down to that point, but I'd
rather not if I don't have to. As long as the face is square it will do
most of what I need, and eventually it will get worn and dressed down to
that point anyway.

To be fair I didn't actually buy it to use the grind stones, but I certainly
don't plan to throw them away. I would like them to be in good shape though
when I put them in the spare wheel holders on the stand for the other
grinder. My plan for the new grinder is a fine and a medium wire wheel. If
I can find the right one, maybe a soft brass wheel and a fine steel wheel.

I just cleaned an aluminum-clogged file (a VERY fine toothed file) by
soaking it in lye. I don't know if I'd do that with a wheel - would the
lye attack the wheel's binder? But if you a had a junk wheel, you could
try it.

On 09/09/17 21:44, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
I just cleaned an aluminum-clogged file (a VERY fine toothed file) by
soaking it in lye. I don't know if I'd do that with a wheel - would
the lye attack the wheel's binder? But if you a had a junk wheel, you
could try it.

IIRC a strong alkali can attack some ceramics but weak may be OK and I
know weak alkalis will attack aluminium, also ferric chloride attacks
aluminium in the same sort of reaction to thermite.

"Bob La Londe" on Fri, 8 Sep 2017 16:47:57 -0700
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
I didn't really need another bench grinder, but for $20 I couldn't really
turn it down. The darn thing is an ancient cheap import, but it doesn't
vibrate any worse than my slightly less ancient cheap import. The guy who
owned it was obviously abusing it. He had both wheels packed up with
aluminum, and had rounded the corners. However when I throw a tape across
them with the covers off they measure nearly new. I took my star wheel
dressing tool to it and got all the aluminum off the coarse stone, and about
95% off the medium stone. Those rounded over corners got me. In order to
clean those off and keep the face square I'd have to take off more than 3/16
of an inch. I hate to waste that much wheel, and I would hate to cut a
chamfer on the wheel by dressing in at an angle to clean it off.

Is there some magic aluminum remover I could try that won't ruin the wheel?
I know someday I may need to dress the wheel down to that point, but I'd
rather not if I don't have to. As long as the face is square it will do
most of what I need, and eventually it will get worn and dressed down to
that point anyway.

To be fair I didn't actually buy it to use the grind stones, but I certainly
don't plan to throw them away. I would like them to be in good shape though
when I put them in the spare wheel holders on the stand for the other
grinder. My plan for the new grinder is a fine and a medium wire wheel. If
I can find the right one, maybe a soft brass wheel and a fine steel wheel.

How much time and effort are you willing to expend, in order to
save a couple bucks?
Either a) dress the wheel so it has square corners, or
2) replace the wheels.
--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although far too often, Age travels alone."

On 9/9/2017 4:52 PM, David Billington wrote:
On 09/09/17 21:44, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
I just cleaned an aluminum-clogged file (a VERY fine toothed file) by soaking
it in lye.Â* I don't know if I'd do that with a wheel - would the lye attack
the wheel's binder?Â* But if you a had a junk wheel, you could try it.

IIRC a strong alkali can attack some ceramics but weak may be OK and I know weak
alkalis will attack aluminium, also ferric chloride attacks aluminium in the
same sort of reaction to thermite.


I'd use a good dressing tool to clean it up.