Are these grinding wheels safe to use?

[MayerMR]

Hey fellas,

I have an older, widower-friend who I've befriended after buying a few things from her after meeting her on Craigslist. She passes time by researching and listing the items he left after his passing. Anyway, I was over at her house this weekend helping her move around some of the heavier items in her late-husband's shop and just basically helping her organize when I came across a number of old grinding wheels - some used, some new, but all fairly old. They've all been stored indoors for at least a decade in a dry, heated garage, but I told her that I had read that sometimes old grinding wheels aren't safe to use and that I wanted to ask you fellas whether you think these are safe for use so that she can sell them. She doesn't want to sell anything that isn't safe and I certainly want to be able to tell her if these are or aren't safe for her to list.

The first two, which she gave me, I believe are safe for use:

These other ones, which I asked her to group together in the photos as best she could, by type, are the ones I'm not sure about:

Appreciate it gents!

-Matt

 

[woody 73]

You asked so maybe this will give you some insight:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...9A50DA9A1A763F66DEBB9&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Good video. Like I have always said GJ is a learning experience.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Good video. Like I have always said GJ is a learning experience.

Its certainly worth a watch

 

[rlitman]

The stone abrasive wheels should ring like a bell when tapped with a hammer.

The ScotchBrite and rubber infused wheels will not ring, and should be safe regardless.

 

[Packard V8]

The audio didn't evidence any high pitched ring when played on my machine. How those guys manage to stretch out 30 seconds of information into five minutes is just annoying.

And yes, I'd use any of those wheels. In fifty years, I've never had a grinding wheel break under power, but yes, with any grinding wheel or disc, stand aside when it's first powered up and when it's first touching a work piece.

jack vines

 

[rlitman]

The audio didn't evidence any high pitched ring when played on my machine. How those guys manage to stretch out 30 seconds of information into five minutes is just annoying.

And yes, I'd use any of those wheels. In fifty years, I've never had a grinding wheel break under power, but yes, with any grinding wheel or disc, stand aside when it's first powered up and when it's first touching a work piece.

jack vines

That's why I skipped the video. Anyway, the sound should be very distinctive, if you've ever heard a bell ring. An invisible crack will completely change the sound into something too dull to be considered "ringing". It's a simple and effective test you should do with any "stone" wheel before mounting, particularly if you don't know how it's been treated in the past. Even wheels in the store could have been dropped.

Standing aside when you first spin up a wheel is good practice, but a flawed wheel can just as easily decide to let go only after you heat it up by grinding on it first.

 

[MayerMR]

Gents,

Thanks for the all input. I'm glad to hear that these wheels can safely be sold and I'm sure she will be too!

S/F,

-Matt

 

[notlob]

In fifty years, I've never had a grinding wheel break under power, but yes, with any grinding wheel or disc, stand aside when it's first powered up and when it's first touching a work piece.

agree 100%. I'd still do a ring test before installing a used or NOS wheel.

OP: What's the location of those wheels? I would be happy to take a number of them off her hands.

 

[Toolmaker65]

The stone abrasive wheels should ring like a bell when tapped with a hammer.

The ScotchBrite and rubber infused wheels will not ring, and should be safe regardless.

That is indeed true. However, during my apprenticeship I was taught that you DO NOT USE THE HAMMER HEAD - that is a hard piece of steel and impact with a vitrified bond wheel can cause damage that renders the wheel useless (you crack a perfectly good wheel).

You should use a piece of wood such as a hammer handle (no head required), crab bashing mallet, piece of broom stick cut down to about 12" long, or something similar. This prevents unintended damage.

The only time you should use the hammer head on a wheel is if it gives you a dull thump, indicating that it is cracked. Then by all means beat the _____ (fill in your favorite expletive) out of it. A bad wheel should not be thrown out intact, as someone is liable to see it, grab it and use it without checking it (a fairly common mistake made by newbies in a machine shop who never went to school before hiring on, or curb cruisers who just have no experience but figure it looks good, so use it).

The possibility of blowing a wheel exists even if it is good based upon not following the appropriate safety measures, so please be careful