FoxDeltaCharlie
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2023
- Messages
- 11
I have a couple questions about a Baldor Grinder I have, but I want to tell a quick funny story first. First off, I am not a grinder expert (engineer and contractor, but just don't know a whole lot about different grinders). So, I've had a grinder which was gifted to me probably about 45 years ago. It was missing some parts. I've carted this thing around with me for several cross country moves over the years, but never really used it. A while back I did a deep cleaning of my woodshop (and basement) and marked a number of items to get rid of to Goodwill with surveyor's flagging tape (so I'd know which items to load when I got ready to make a run). After never having really used this grinder, it got a piece of flagging tape. A few weeks later I loaded up the truck, and off I went. Well, I missed an item, and it was this grinder. Be it fate, or luck, I decided to look into the grinder's history and replacement value. Holy ****! I had no idea about Baldor grinders, and this particular grinder, while old, would cost nearly $2 grand to replace! So, long story short, I'd dodged a bullet by accident. LOL! Okay, now to making it whole again. On to my questions. ...
The grinder is a Baldor model # 612, 1/3 HP 6" grinder (red version, if that matters). The grinder itself works perfectly, excellently balanced and super powerful. However, it is missing the tool rests on both sides and shields (not even sure if these even came with shields). I also need a stand for it. I looked on Baldor's website for replacement parts, and the tool rests for this thing are like $200 bucks per side (if I'm looking at their site correctly), and they're just a couple pieces of metal and some bolts. Seems excessive to me, for what it is. The wheel guards are still in place, just the tool rests which mount to them are missing. Is there a better, or different, way to skin this cat, or should I just bite the bullet and spend the money? Because I know some of the history of this grinder (it was in the shop of a family business), I remember that the tool rests were removed because they weren't all that functional. They were lost before I got the grinder. So, I guess my question is, is there a better / more functional aftermarket solution I should maybe look for to use as tool rests?
My next question is what is the best combination of grinding wheels / brushes, etc. to use for a general purpose grinder? And when I say 'general', I truly mean 'could be anything!' (we run a cattle ranch, work on vehicles, do woodworking, metal, etc.) I realize no single solution works for absolutely everything, but I'd like to equip it such that changing wheels is at least minimized somewhat.
Lastly, I'd love to hear some suggestions for the best type of stand for this grinder. It works on the bench, but seems like it would be a lot more useful if it was on its own tool stand. Is there a good brand out there to buy, or is this a better DIY project? (I stink at welding, just FYI). I looked into the generic stands at HF, but they're really poorly designed. I don't mind spending the money to get a decent one (within reason).
Sorry for the long read, and thank you greatly for any input you may have!
The grinder is a Baldor model # 612, 1/3 HP 6" grinder (red version, if that matters). The grinder itself works perfectly, excellently balanced and super powerful. However, it is missing the tool rests on both sides and shields (not even sure if these even came with shields). I also need a stand for it. I looked on Baldor's website for replacement parts, and the tool rests for this thing are like $200 bucks per side (if I'm looking at their site correctly), and they're just a couple pieces of metal and some bolts. Seems excessive to me, for what it is. The wheel guards are still in place, just the tool rests which mount to them are missing. Is there a better, or different, way to skin this cat, or should I just bite the bullet and spend the money? Because I know some of the history of this grinder (it was in the shop of a family business), I remember that the tool rests were removed because they weren't all that functional. They were lost before I got the grinder. So, I guess my question is, is there a better / more functional aftermarket solution I should maybe look for to use as tool rests?
My next question is what is the best combination of grinding wheels / brushes, etc. to use for a general purpose grinder? And when I say 'general', I truly mean 'could be anything!' (we run a cattle ranch, work on vehicles, do woodworking, metal, etc.) I realize no single solution works for absolutely everything, but I'd like to equip it such that changing wheels is at least minimized somewhat.
Lastly, I'd love to hear some suggestions for the best type of stand for this grinder. It works on the bench, but seems like it would be a lot more useful if it was on its own tool stand. Is there a good brand out there to buy, or is this a better DIY project? (I stink at welding, just FYI). I looked into the generic stands at HF, but they're really poorly designed. I don't mind spending the money to get a decent one (within reason).
Sorry for the long read, and thank you greatly for any input you may have!
