Help With Grinding Wheel

[cory58]

Hello,

I have an noob tool question. I've searched the forum and couldn't find a similar thread.

I bought a Craftsman 6" grinder at an estate sale a couple years ago, and have been making good use of it on sheet metal and other steel/aluminum. It's time to replace one of the wheels and I'm clueless on what type of wheel I have.

The wheel is grey/green in color. It's good for removing ridges around holes I've drilled in in sheet metal and general deburring. It does not take off much material, especially on steel. It could probably be used for polishing on steel also.

Any help identifying this type of wheel would be greatly appreciated. Here are a few pics.

Thanks, Cory

 

[rlitman]

Looks like a Scotchbrite wheel to me.

 

[6PTsocket]

For starts, never grind aluminum on a grind stone. It will gum up the wheel in nothing flat and you will only get it off with a tool that is used to reface the wheel. If you want to grind faster get a coarser wheel. Try a 60 grit for starts and buy one of the white ones The fray ones are not very good. Tour wheel is so loaded up I am not surprised it does not work. Buy a refacinf tool, either the metal wheel type or the diamond tip

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[notlob]

That is not a grinding wheel. It's a deburring wheel. 3m (Scotchbrite) and Norton seem to be the most common brands.

That wheel is not loaded up, its just the way they look. I dont think i'd use a dresser on mine; they are much softer and more expensive than a stone wheel.

Check here: https://www.zoro.com/scotch-brite-convolute-wheel-deburring-6x1x1-fn-09549/i/G0771565/

 

[cory58]

Thanks for the replies! I will check out Scotchbright and Norton to replace this wheel.

Regarding grinding aluminum, is there a special wheel I should get, so I don't contaminate the stone wheel I use on steel?

 

[gungatim]

Thanks for the replies! I will check out Scotchbright and Norton to replace this wheel.

Regarding grinding aluminum, is there a special wheel I should get, so I don't contaminate the stone wheel I use on steel?

I have 4 grinders, one dedicated for tungsten/tooling, one with a rough stone and wire wheel, and one with a fine/course wheel, and one that is a dedicated buffer.

I will grind aluminum on the course wheel, but I have the tool mentioned above, a wheel dresser I will use when it gets gummed with aluminum. there are grinders that run 3450 rpm and some that run 1750. I believe the slower grinder with a rough wheel does the best job for me when grinding aluminum.

if you want to stay with the scotchbrite wheel, get another grinder and keep one with a wire/scotchbrite, and one with course/fine wheels and it will do about any job you come across...

 

[cory58]

Great advice! Thank you.

 

[6PTsocket]

For starts, never grind aluminum on a grind stone. It will gum up the wheel in nothing flat and you will only get it off with a tool that is used to reface the wheel. If you want to grind faster get a coarser wheel. Try a 60 grit for starts and buy one of the white ones The fray ones are not very good. Tour wheel is so loaded up I am not surprised it does not work. Buy a refacinf tool, either the metal wheel type or the diamond tip

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Oops!! I didn't realize what I was looking at in the photos. For aluminum I use my belt sander or files. The belt can be cleaned with a special rubber block that really extends the life of the belt . I really like the blue zirconia belts. They last a long time.

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[TigerDude]

A regular grinding wheel should not be used on aluminum. The wheels clogs up, you push harder, wheel heats up & explodes. There was also a rumor when I managed a machine shop that aluminum dust & iron dust combines to make explosives.

 

[Bronson]

A regular grinding wheel should not be used on aluminum. The wheels clogs up, you push harder, wheel heats up & explodes. There was also a rumor when I managed a machine shop that aluminum dust & iron dust combines to make explosives.

At my last job, grinding aluminum on a wheel was grounds for immediate dismissal, due to chance of wheel exploding.

 

[rlitman]

A regular grinding wheel should not be used on aluminum. The wheels clogs up, you push harder, wheel heats up & explodes. There was also a rumor when I managed a machine shop that aluminum dust & iron dust combines to make explosives.

There are grinding wheels made that can be safely used on aluminum. They're just not the norm.

No, mixing iron and aluminum grinding dust will not combine to make an explosive. Thermite requires a mixture of iron-OXIDE, and pure aluminum powder. But thermite is not explosive, grinding dust is not powder (though it may be finely divided enough to be easily ignited), and given the opportunity to oxidize, aluminum will oxidize first.

That being said, grinding dust may be flammable simply because it is fine enough. Steel wool can be ignited, and so can steel dust. Heck, that's how a cutting torch works.

 

[6PTsocket]

At my last job, grinding aluminum on a wheel was grounds for immediate dismissal, due to chance of wheel exploding.

Where I worked we actually had a meeting about it. The person or persons unknown were told to stop but nobody gets fired by the government. It would have served them right if the damn thing did blow up. It was getting old, cleaning up the wheel with a truing tool to get rid of the aluminum. Same jerks that used taps with no lube and broke 'em.

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[Bronson]

Where I worked we actually had a meeting about it. The person or persons unknown were told to stop but nobody gets fired by the government. It would have served them right if the damn thing did blow up. It was getting old, cleaning up the wheel with a truing tool to get rid of the aluminum. Same jerks that used taps with no lube and broke 'em.

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I was working for the DOD and they WOULD walk you out the door for this offense.
It fell under Shop Safety.