Mobile Brake Drum Grinder Stand

[flyingblind]

I needed a grinder stand that was mobile, somewhat inexpensive and heavy enough to support a grinder and a buffer. The buffer details have not been worked out yet and I work a lot so here is what is done so far.

I used a semi brake drum and a semi trailer landing gear leg. They were free from the shop that fixes my Pete. 70 dollars in wheels and bolts.

Brake drum
WP_20160206_003 by Al Capone, on Flickr

The foot off the semi-trailer landing gear is bowl shaped so I sawed every hole in order to pull it flat using the drum. I located one hole and then used cad to plot out the other hole locations and then used my mill.
WP_20160207_001 by Al Capone, on Flickr

A slug from the foot
3xWP_20160212_007 by Al Capone, on Flickr

Pulled the foot all flat using the impact gun.
5WP_20160212_005 by Al Capone, on Flickr

Test fitting the leg and base
6WP_20160207_003 by Al Capone, on Flickr

 

[flyingblind]

I started on the crank handle next

7WP_20160212_001 by Al Capone, on Flickr

I sawed off the crank to length
8WP_20160214_002 by Al Capone, on Flickr

Milled it to 3/4 and made some stop collars out of bearings that were part of the landing gear
9WP_20160214_005 by Al Capone, on Flickr

Test fit but I put the gear on the wrong side so I fixed that after this photo was taken
91WP_20160214_012 by Al Capone, on Flickr

 

[flyingblind]

I made a base for the wheels
WP_20160221_003 by Al Capone, on Flickr

WP_20160221_009 by Al Capone, on Flickr

This dog bone fits through the slots in the landing gear and one bolt binds the wheels to it.
WP_20160221_013 by Al Capone, on Flickr

You can see the slots for the bone and the leg at full extension which this will probably be the very last time it will ever be extended that far.
WP_20160221_011 by Al Capone, on Flickr

Wheels installed and retracted.
WP_20160221_014 by Al Capone, on Flickr
all for now

 

[Whiskeymike]

I like what you've done! I have the same drum waiting to be built out. I wish I could find a similar landing gear leg. Wonder if a jack stand for a trailer would work.

Subscribed, looking forward to seeing the rest!

 

[PugetDude]

Great idea, well executed!
Thanks for sharing the build.

 

[great white tj]

Nice !!

 

[hawkeye2]

Awesome!!

 

[Richard Cranium]

That's great, thanks for sharing

 

[flyingblind]

Thanks all.
I ended up with most of today off so I cleaned off the rust and started the layout for the top plate. I plan on mounting 2 pieces of angle iron and then bolting this to the landing gear leg for access to the top gears, so in the future if I want to add a motor to raise and lower it I can. (probably dreaming )
This scrap cost me 10 dollars so now my total is 80.00
15" by 8" by 1/2" and I think it will be long enough to mount a grinder and buffer barely.
WP_20160222_003 by Al Capone, on Flickr

 

[MJD1]

Looks good and a great idea. By coincidence I am changing out a set of landing gear tommorow.

 

[flyingblind]

Looks good and a great idea. By coincidence I am changing out a set of landing gear tommorow.

If you build one too that would be very cool. But if I had two I would use them to lift a heavy fab table.

 

[MJD1]

If you build one too that would be very cool. But if I had two I would use them to lift a heavy fab table.

I have access to several sets of older ones, often they just crank hard or the lower leg gets bent up. I always wanted to use one for a mailbox post. Whenever the mailman complains about the height, it could be set to whatever suits them at that time.

 

[flyingblind]

I have access to several sets of older ones, often they just crank hard or the lower leg gets bent up. I always wanted to use one for a mailbox post. Whenever the mailman complains about the height, it could be set to whatever suits them at that time.

The mailbox would be cool, you could leave the crank arm hanging. Too funny

 

[flyingblind]

I was able to finish the top plate on Sunday. Drilled to 1/2" and then counter sunk.

WP_20160228_023 by Al Capone, on Flickr

 

[flyingblind]

I needed 1.75 angle, but the yard I get scrap from didn't have anything that would fit the bill so I got a piece of 5 inch by 1.75 channel and cut it to 1.75x1.75.

WP_20160302_002 by Al Capone, on Flickr
WP_20160303_010 by Al Capone, on Flickr

Center Punched drilled and tapped
WP_20160303_013 by Al Capone, on Flickr
WP_20160303_014 by Al Capone, on Flickr

 

[flyingblind]

Here is the bottom view of the top plate. I plan on using 5.75x3" bread loaf pans for water that will mount to the bottom of this plate, not sure how yet.
Just need to drill out the holes in the landing gear to accept this, some clean up then paint to finish. It will hold 2 grinders (one with wire wheels) instead of a buffer grinder combo.

WP_20160304_001 by Al Capone, on Flickr

 

[cgrutt]

That's a great idea. I esp. like the casters!

 

[flyingblind]

That's a great idea. I esp. like the casters!

Thanks. I put some thought into the casters but in the end I just settled for the cheap Lowes 2" casters. I originally wanted the skate/blade casters, but at 12 bucks each for something that will never be seen it was a no go. My total is about 95 dollars now with some added scrap and a few more bolts.

 

[flyingblind]

I took it all apart and painted it and put it back together.
Hammerite and appliance epoxy paint (which takes forever to dry).
WP_20160313_001 by Al Capone, on Flickr

Both grinders mounted

WP_20160313_003 by Al Capone, on Flickr

 

[toolferone]

Very nice! How well does it roll? Need to see a video of you cranking the wheels down and rolling it around.

 

[flyingblind]

Very nice! How well does it roll? Need to see a video of you cranking the wheels down and rolling it around.

Thank you. It is very heavy and rolls great but it doesn't like going over anything 1/2 in or better. You kinda have to wobble it over big bumps or shove it with your foot. As for cranking, it takes about 4 full rotations to get it to a good height for moving but I think it will just sit in one spot and the wheels will be used mostly to rotate it around for the other grinder.