Bench grinder help

[JKnight]

Good morning all.

So I have just acquired a cheap bench grinder off of the marketplace. It was new in box, but it had been sitting around for quite a while from what I understand. The wheels and stamped flanges that came with it are total junk, so in the art bucket they go. The shaft seems to be spot on, or at least as much as can be expected for a cheap Chinese grinder. The culprit of the excess of wobble seems to be the shoulder on the shaft. I’m trying to come up with a jig or something to file them back perpendicular to the shaft itself. I’ve got some time to work on it while I wait on the new wheels and flanges. Does anyone have any experience with this or thoughts on correcting the problem?

Thanks.

 

[bob15]

If the wheels and flanges are junk and shaft wobbles, why did you buy it? That is probably the reason it was for sale. Unfortunately for you, the shaft is bent.

I would skip putting anymore time/effort/money on your current grinder and start looking for an older, preferably US-made grinder such as Baldor, Miller Falls, Walker-Turner, Craftsman, Doerr, Rockwell, Kingston-Conley, Stanley.

Oh, and welcome to GJ.

 

[JKnight]

If the wheels and flanges are junk and shaft wobbles, why did you buy it? That is probably the reason it was for sale. Unfortunately for you, the shaft is bent.

I would skip putting anymore time/effort/money on your current grinder and start looking for an older, preferably US-made grinder such as Baldor, Miller Falls, Walker-Turner, Craftsman, Doerr, Rockwell, Kingston-Conley, Stanley.

Oh, and welcome to GJ.

Thanks. Glad to be here.

I bought it because it was $20 new in box. The shaft itself is fine, it’s the shoulders that the washers seat against that are the problem. Machining/quality control problem.

I plan to upgrade to a significantly better grinder down the road, but my priorities are elsewhere right now. Call it a theoretically practical impulse buy.

Thanks again.

 

[exmaxima1]

If there's room, you can try installing a locking collar on the shaft to act as a shoulder. It works well on CM block grinders, and offers plenty of surface for the wheel flanges.

 

[JKnight]

If there's room, you can try installing a locking collar on the shaft to act as a shoulder. It works well on CM block grinders, and offers plenty of surface for the wheel flanges.

That’s a great idea. Thanks

 

[shawhite]

If there's room, you can try installing a locking collar on the shaft to act as a shoulder. It works well on CM block grinders, and offers plenty of surface for the wheel flanges.

This is probably your best option. You could probably find a collar the size of the bigger part of the shaft and lock it down where the end is just proud of the shoulder this way you wouldn’t lose any shaft length.

 

[seber]

If you want to correct the original shaft, it won't be easy. You will need to lock down the grinder and build a tool holder with rigid adjustable movement to move a lathe tool into the shoulder. I'd go with the shaft collar idea or just find another buyer.