Belt Sander/Grinder Build

[proorange]

After looking around for a nice belt sander I realized one thing, they are expensive. What I was looking for was going to run me $1500 to $2200 and I just couldn't justify that.
I got to looking around on various fab sites and had seen where people were building there own and decided that was the route for me. After about 2 weeks of gathering info on material and parts I went after it. It took about 2 weeks working on it when I could but I am so very happy with it. It's powerful and will flat get the job done.
It's a 2hp motor with variable speed pulleys(1200, 2600 and 5250 FPM) and holds a 2x72" belt. I added a flat platen attachment, slack belt attachment for deburring and 10" wheel for a bit more precise edge grinding. I made two work rest, a 4x6" and a 4x15".

It's been challenging yet rewarding building this grinder, although it's not finished yet I'm sure pleased with the outcome so far, I've even had a couple of friends ask me to build them one.

Here's a few pictures of the beast

 

[jam022316]

Congrats on a great build!! That thing kicks ***!! How much would you say you have in it and where did you get the plans?

 

[A_Pmech]

Very nice!

Let's see a video.

 

[pipehack]

that's awesome!!!! Was there a particular site for plans???? If so can you direct me to where they came from... Or at least what fab sites. Thanx ... Pipehack.

 

[TRTOOLSUPPLY]

Mighty fine workmanship!......shoot some paint on it and call it DONE!:thumbup:

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Very nice!
I'm also in the market for a belt sander,I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on this one at HGR

http://www.hgrindustrialsurplus.com...Yes&pageSize=50&currentPageIndex=0&searchNAP=

 

[rockwithjason]

that is the bitchinest thing i have seen in a while!

 

[proorange]

Congrats on a great build!! That thing kicks ***!! How much would you say you have in it and where did you get the plans?

The cost I haven't figured yet, maybe I don't want too
I looked at the KMG, Bader, the No Weld and a few other homebuilt setups and went from there.

 

[proorange]

that's awesome!!!! Was there a particular site for plans???? If so can you direct me to where they came from... Or at least what fab sites. Thanx ... Pipehack.

See my previous post

 

[proorange]

Here's a few sites for reference. The wheels from Beaumont are pricey, excellent quality but it eats up a chunk of change.



http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/

http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCDiscSander.htm

http://www.mickleyknives.com/html/no_weld_grinder.html

As for the 10" contact wheel, I got that from Grizzly then bought some bearings and machined the wheel for bearing fit. The wheel, bearings and shipping I only have $100.00 in them compared to $308.00 for the KMG. Although the wheel is nice for the KMG and is a billet piece compared to cast for the Grizzly, I found something else to buy with the extra $208.00
The part number for the Grizzly 10" wheel is G9242.

 

[BigE]

What keeps the belt from walking off the rollers?

 

[proorange]

What keeps the belt from walking off the rollers?

The tensioner and drive wheels are crowned. I can run the belt a 1/2"(probably more) off the rollers and will will still run true. It's amazing how well the tensioner/tracking system works on these types of grinders.

 

[Jim Stabe]

The tensioner and drive wheels are crowned. I can run the belt a 1/2"(probably more) off the rollers and will will still run true. It's amazing how well the tensioner/tracking system works on these types of grinders.

Nice work! It's very coincidental because I am just completing a very similar machine using similar components also on a beer budjet (I only had to buy $120 of stuff over what I had laying around the garage). I have one of the Grizzly 10" wheels as the drive wheel and two 4" rubber wheels from a company called Sun Ray. I built tracking adjusters into the small wheel mounts thinking I could get the belt to track without crowning the wheels and in fact I can get it to track very well. The problem is that it is easy to push the belt off center with a little angular pressure on the belt. I need to crown at least one of the smaller wheels, possibly both. How much crown did you put into your wheels and how did you do it? I have pulleys that run the machine at just over 6,000 SFPM for using 2 x 72 ceramic abrasive belts.

Again - nice work

Jim

 

[proorange]

Nice work! It's very coincidental because I am just completing a very similar machine using similar components also on a beer budjet (I only had to buy $120 of stuff over what I had laying around the garage). I have one of the Grizzly 10" wheels as the drive wheel and two 4" rubber wheels from a company called Sun Ray. I built tracking adjusters into the small wheel mounts thinking I could get the belt to track without crowning the wheels and in fact I can get it to track very well. The problem is that it is easy to push the belt off center with a little angular pressure on the belt. I need to crown at least one of the smaller wheels, possibly both. How much crown did you put into your wheels and how did you do it? I have pulleys that run the machine at just over 6,000 SFPM for using 2 x 72 ceramic abrasive belts.

Again - nice work

Jim

Thanks Jim. I bought the wheels from Beaumont and the best I can tell using my Smart Tool is it's around 3-4 degrees.
Are the Sun Ray wheels polyurethane?

 

[Jim Stabe]

Thanks Jim. I bought the wheels from Beaumont and the best I can tell using my Smart Tool is it's around 3-4 degrees.
Are the Sun Ray wheels polyurethane?

These are the wheels I got in a 70 durometer hardness. http://www.sunray-inc.com/detailwheels.aspx?ID=112
I found out today that they would have crowned them for me when they made them if I had just asked - who knew? Now I have to do it myself. I do have a lathe so it shouldn't be that much of a problem as long as I know what it is supposed to look like. Here is what I came up with, I still have to wire it, make the workrest and a platten to go under the long portion of the belt.

 

[proorange]

Nice job Jim. Very resourceful using what you had laying around. That grinder will last for years and years.

 

[proorange]

Had a few PM's asking if I'd be interested in furnishing all the parts ready for assembly/welding so I'm working up a price for doing this so if your interested just PM me and I will let you know what the cost will be....as soon as I get it figured

 

[aczr2k]

Here are the ones we have at work, they make them locally. $409

http://www.ickler.com/products_and_services/belt_sander.html

 

[-B-]

Nice work i have wanted one for these for a few years now they make mitering tubing so much easier and fledgling knife making too.

 

[hombre]

yah this is a real usesful post. i mean all the deleted pictures really help the rest to us great work. ma figueroa

 

[MarshallGirvin]

yah this is a real usesful post. i mean all the deleted pictures really help the rest to us great work. ma figueroa

Yeah, especially since this was posted last year. Jeesh.

 

[arkangel06]

Wow, those look awesome!

 

[healing]

Here's a link to the one I made. Had a motor sitting around and some scrap steel. The contact wheel was a little pricey $100-$150 if I remember right. Hard to believe its had 26000+ views on youtube

 

[Justanoldguy]

yah this is a real usesful post. i mean all the deleted pictures really help the rest to us great work. ma figueroa

Nice friendly welcoming FIRST post there HOBRE.

 

[kindyr]

if you're looking for a grinder, you may want to check this one out. it's reasonable new to the scene

http://www.polarbearforge.com/grinder_kit.html

 

[LoneGunman]

Who wants to bet he's not here long?

 

[mjb]

if you're looking for a grinder, you may want to check this one out. it's reasonable new to the scene

http://www.polarbearforge.com/grinder_kit.html

Thanks for the link.

I have a KMG, but enjoyed browsing that site.

 

[proorange]

yah this is a real usesful post. i mean all the deleted pictures really help the rest to us great work. ma figueroa

Sorry hombre, changed servers and forgot about these. You sit tight while I go and get them loaded up. If you have any questions just press 1 for English....saavy

 

[proorange]

More pictures

 

[LoneGunman]

Damn NICE work Jeff. Are the smaller wheels steel or aluminum? I think I have enough aluminum to make them on my lathe, not sure how they'd hold up though, I'd imagine it would be fine.

 

[Jim Stabe]

Damn NICE work Jeff. Are the smaller wheels steel or aluminum? I think I have enough aluminum to make them on my lathe, not sure how they'd hold up though, I'd imagine it would be fine.

The wheels on this machine were made in a high school metal shop project in 1960 and have been in fairly constant use ever since. Cast aluminum with bronze bushings running on a 1/2" mild steel shaft. I just made this machine a few months ago when the frame on the old machine broke and all I did was clean the 50 years of dirt off the wheels, there was absolutely no wear in the bushings or crowned faces.

 

[proorange]

Damn NICE work Jeff. Are the smaller wheels steel or aluminum? I think I have enough aluminum to make them on my lathe, not sure how they'd hold up though, I'd imagine it would be fine.

Thank You!! They are aluminum Gunman. I believe they are a 1.5" and have a slight crown built in to help in the tracking of the belt.

 

[LoneGunman]

Nice work i have wanted one for these for a few years now they make mitering tubing so much easier and fledgling knife making too.

Can you post a few pics of your knives? I just like seeing knives made by beginners, I have a few from a friend of mine, best knives I have. Sorry for getting off track OP.

 

[Justanoldguy]

Thank You!! They are aluminum Gunman. I believe they are a 1.5" and have a slight crown built in to help in the tracking of the belt.

I'm a cheap scape.
I have run electrical tape around the center of mine to camber them up a bit.
Been like it for years and tracks well.

 

[Neal]

Very nice build.Sorry this post is almost a year late..lol..I am building one of these but I had a question about the wheels.Is it ok to use all wheels with rubber or urethane or does all except the contact wheel need to be bare alluminum.Thanks for the help
Neal

 

[cowboy73]

That is some nice work. Very creative.

 

[proorange]

Very nice build.Sorry this post is almost a year late..lol..I am building one of these but I had a question about the wheels.Is it ok to use all wheels with rubber or urethane or does all except the contact wheel need to be bare alluminum.Thanks for the help
Neal

Thank You
I'm not sure but I have seen it done with urethane wheels.. I really don't see why it wouldn't work though. Good Luck with your build and if you have any questions feel free to ask, I'll try my best to help.

 

[proorange]

That is some nice work. Very creative.

Thanks cowboy, it's just my interpretation of the KMG and other KMG clones out there.

 

[old dog]

just want to say hello lot of good idears and workman ship

 

[Hammer1963]

One word ................... AWESOME