Which Multitool bench grinder attachment

[shawhite]

I have been looking at getting a multitool bench grinder attachment for a while. It always seems to keep pushed to the bottom of my list because it’s a want not a need. Well my old POS bench grinder finally gave up on me so now the multitool attachment with a new grinder (hopefully baldor). Has moved up on my list. I started looking at the multitool attachments and noticed they have several different variations now (2x36, 2x48, 4x48 and 2x48 with 8in front wheel). Question for the people who have these what do you find as the pros and cons of the model/s you have.

Also I really want to mate this with an 8in baldor grinder but I see that tricktools offers several of these on a variable speed jet grinder. Anyone have experience with this grinder and is variable speed even needed. This will be used strictly for hobby/diy projects so weekend use at most.

Thanks for any feedback

 

[lafester]

I have a 2x36 just because that is what I found used. For hobby use that is more then enough. There are plenty of us made grinders out there to mount them to, I would not get a Jet personally. If you want variable speed get a 3 phase grinder but again, for hobby use not really necessary.

The baldor 3/4 inch shaft may be too large to mount unless you want to modify the multitool. Maybe the larger ones will fit?

 

[exmaxima1]

The drive drum on the MT is less than 6 inches in diameter, so it is rare that you would ever want to reduce the rpm below 3450. You might want to INCREASE the revs, but I doubt you will find that option.

As far as which size, I would get the 2x48. The belts are more widely available and with a wider range of grits. And they last longer.

You will want a grinder with lots of power for that belt. Look at the amperage of the grinder, not the nameplate horsepower. I have a MT on a Baldor 7303, which is rated for 1/2hp, and I can easily stall it with coarser grits. The Baldor draws about 4 amps at 120vac. I also have a similar belt adapter (homemade) on a vintage 1/2hp Atlas grinder that draws 5.6 amps---that grinder never even slows down. Those old heavy grinders have lots of torque.

 

[shawhite]

What is the benefit of a larger contact wheel. They offer a 2x48 with 2 different size contact wheels. Also does anyone know the difference between the blue/gray baldor and the red?

 

[lafester]

Larger wheel will turn faster?

Red Baldors have cast aluminum rather then cast iron and stamped steel tool rests.
Internally they are the same as far as I know.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

What is your budget? If you want a Baldor belt sander this is the ticket:


https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/baldor-belt-sander-grinder-248-181td

I picked one up from and industrial auction for about $500. It may take a bit of searching though.

 

[shawhite]

What is your budget? If you want a Baldor belt sander this is the ticket:


https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/baldor-belt-sander-grinder-248-181td

I picked one up from and industrial auction for about $500. It may take a bit of searching though.

Seems like this has limited access to the belt.

 

[shawhite]

I have a 2x36 just because that is what I found used. For hobby use that is more then enough. There are plenty of us made grinders out there to mount them to, I would not get a Jet personally. If you want variable speed get a 3 phase grinder but again, for hobby use not really necessary.

The baldor 3/4 inch shaft may be too large to mount unless you want to modify the multitool. Maybe the larger ones will fit?

Looks like you are right about the baldor grinder shaft. Per multitools website attachment fits most 1/2-5/8 shafts.

 

[exmaxima1]

What is the benefit of a larger contact wheel. They offer a 2x48 with 2 different size contact wheels. Also does anyone know the difference between the blue/gray baldor and the red?

The larger contact wheel is easier to use, especially for shaping, but restricts clearance for some work pieces. The surface speed is the same as the smaller wheel model since the drive wheels are the same. The smaller contact wheel is handy for most every application except shaping. I have a 10-inch contact wheel on one of my grinders and it is ideal for sharpening mower blades because it doesn't grab like the smaller wheels do. The smaller wheel adapter will also give you a usable platen area, so that is the one I would recommend for your first machine.

I would not buy a new Baldor grinder, buy the heaviest vintage grinder you can find that runs at 3450. Don't overlook the old Rockwell 7-inch (it's better than a Baldor), a Dayton USA, or a Wissota.

 

[lafester]

Where are you located? I bet we can find something decent.

 

[shawhite]

I’m in northeast Florida. Not much old iron around here.

 

[shawhite]

Update... ran across this baldor for $250 plus shipping (new shipping distressed basically needs a new cord and tool rest). But couldn’t pass it up for that price. Called Michael at multitool and he suggested the 2x36. So now the question is should I attempt to ream the 5/8 bore to 3/4 (on the multi-tool pulley) myself or take it to a machine shop.

 

[yhprum]

Has anyone ever put a multi tool attachment on both ends of the grinder. I have a vintage 8 inch grinder that pulls 3.6 amps at 240 volts. Seems like it might have enough grunt but I don’t know.

 

[shawhite]

I would think it should work since you would not be using both sides at the same time

 

[seber]

Has anyone ever put a multi tool attachment on both ends of the grinder. I have a vintage 8 inch grinder that pulls 3.6 amps at 240 volts. Seems like it might have enough grunt but I don’t know.

That translates to 1/3 hp. Pretty light for the purpose.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Update... ran across this baldor for $250 plus shipping (new shipping distressed basically needs a new cord and tool rest). But couldn’t pass it up for that price. Called Michael at multitool and he suggested the 2x36. So now the question is should I attempt to ream the 5/8 bore to 3/4 (on the multi-tool pulley) myself or take it to a machine shop.

I had posed the same question about my 8" Baldor with a 3/4" shaft. I am almost positive that another member pointed out that the drive flange on the Baldor would not work with the M/T. I wound up mounting it to a "1 h.p." craftsman variable speed grinder. It works ok but I would rather have it on the Baldor. If you figure out a good way to make it work please share it. I would love to have mine changed over.

 

[Eric H.]

I had posed the same question about my 8" Baldor with a 3/4" shaft. I am almost positive that another member pointed out that the drive flange on the Baldor would not work with the M/T. I wound up mounting it to a "1 h.p." craftsman variable speed grinder. It works ok but I would rather have it on the Baldor. If you figure out a good way to make it work please share it. I would love to have mine changed over.

I know this is an old thread but I am currently mounting a Multitool 2x36 on my 8" Baldor grinder with 3/4" shaft. The end housing on the grinder is too big so I have to make a custom bearing cap/spacer. The hole pattern/bolt circle on the grinder is too big so the mounting bolts for the adapter plate are in the way of the rotational locking screws for the Multitool. The new cap/spacer will have the 4 bolt pattern and mount to the grinder and a smaller 3 bolt pattern to mount the adapter plate to the new cap/spacer. I will turn down a portion of the O.D. of the cap/spacer once I put the holes and counter bores in it so the rotating clamp bolts clear the hub. I also have to bore out the pulley to fit the 3/4" shaft of the grinder.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Wow, that's going to be very nice! I hope it works out. Please post pics when you are done. Any chance you are going to be selling the adaptor pieces for the rest of us lol?

 

[Eric H.]

Thanks, I will post when done. As for selling them? I am an amateur machinist so it takes me quite a bit longer to do than the pros that do it for a living. I might make a few more if there was an interest but I can't say that what works for my grinder would work for all 8" Baldor grinders from any vintage. Mine is a 1980 8107WD.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I cant remember which one mine is off hand but that makes sense. I just realized I don't have the ability to boar out the pulley to 3/4" anyways lol.

 

[timgunn1962]

Some years ago, there was a group buy on the old British Blades knife forum. IIRC, a UK importer was giving up and a number of 2" x 36" and 4" x 36" kits were available at silly-low prices. I bought 3 or 4 of the 2" x 36" and a 4" x 36".

We have 50 Hz mains in the UK, so maximum speed on a grinder is 3000 RPM.

Someone on the BB forum came up with a plasma(?)-cut adaptor kit to fit them to an IEC Metric 80-frame Foot-and-Face motor (the 80-frame has a 19mm shaft and the drive wheel was supplied bored 3/4" with reducing bushes. The kit was just some parts cut from 6mm plate, some fasteners and a piece of shim stock to reduce the 3/4" bore to 19mm.

80-frame motors are usually 1 HP 4-pole or 1 1/2 HP 2-pole, but there are also "compact frame" 2 HP, 2-pole motors available. I fitted a couple of the 2" x 36" Multitools to 1 HP, 4-pole, 3-phase motors and run them through VFDs. I used the 4-pole motors because I wanted to be able to run at low speed and the VFDs I had at the time were pretty basic: they didn't run smoothly much below 10 Hz. Now, I'd use a Sensorless Vector VFD and a compact frame, 2 HP, 2-pole motor.

Mounted to a fixed-speed grinder, the 2" x 36" is a very useful tool for most of the things you'd expect to use it for in a fairly typical home shop: cleaning up castings and weldments, prep for welding, etc. With variable speed, it becomes an altogether different animal: much more controllable and able to be turned down so that it doesn't overheat hardened steel. My variable-speed one gets used for sharpening edged tools, where the fixed-speed one on the bench grinder ran too hot and drew the temper.

If you can get Variable Speed without sacrificing too much power at the high speed, I'd strongly recommend doing so, based on my limited experience.

It has probably been ten years and I have still not mounted my 4" x 36": I don't have anything that needs the extra width. I don't think a 48" one would be any more useful for me than the 36". I'd probably look at the belt availability in your location and see whether that drives the choice towards 36" or 48".

 

[gfd_703]

I have 2, 2 x 36 MT attachments. I bought one and liked it well enough to buy a second later on. As easy as belts are to change I enjoy being able to go between grits instantly on a lot of projects.

 

[Eric H.]

I finished machining the hub adapter and now I just have to powder coat it and bore out the pulley to fit the 3/4" shaft. I know this was originally a grinder but someone years ago removed the guards and installed these (the black part) end caps, I assume to use it as a buffer. I suspect these caps were made here in the shop and not an original Baldor part but I don't know for sure.

 

[Eric H.]

All mounted up and runs smooth.

 

[abwehrly42]

I recently purchased this Stanley 610 bench grinder. I believe it was made by Kingston-Conley. The dust shield clamps on to a machined step in the motor case. The arbor is 3/4" with a woodruff key. Is this a suitable candidate to adapt a mutitool attachment to? I imagine I will have to make a hub adapter like Eric H but with the ability to secure it by clamping or maybe set screws?

 

[GeoBruin]

I recently purchased this Stanley 610 bench grinder. I believe it was made by Kingston-Conley. The dust shield clamps on to a machined step in the motor case. The arbor is 3/4" with a woodruff key. Is this a suitable candidate to adapt a mutitool attachment to? I imagine I will have to make a hub adapter like Eric H but with the ability to secure it by clamping or maybe set screws?

Are you willing to tap holes in the end of that collar? The factory mounting plate for the multi-tool comes with slotted mounting holes so if you can tap it for say 3 bolts, you should be good.