# Getto Surface grinder wheel bushing and arbor for balancing



## Janderso (Jul 17, 2019)

I watched a video showing a slick way of balancing surface grinder wheels. Using the Sopko #52273 and #00576. You know, the rotating discs with 180 degrees of relief.
This method runs over $300.
Making a simple bushing and using bearings works great.
This way I can use a carbide drill bit and remove material outside The blotter to balance the wheel.


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## Richard King 2 (Jul 17, 2019)

Most modern wheels made on shore are balanced and when you dress them that's all you need.  I'm not sure about Chinese wheels.  I had 2 surface grinders and I never balanced new wheels.


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## Janderso (Jul 17, 2019)

Richard King 2 said:


> Most modern wheels made on shore are balanced and when you dress them that's all you need.  I'm not sure about Chinese wheels.  I had 2 surface grinders and I never balanced new wheels.



Rich, this Norton wheel is not balanced.
I know the wheel fits tight on the adapter so that should remove any radial movement once dressed.
Richard, I bow to your wisdom, believe me. 

After watching Don Bailey's and "Shadon HKW" videos on this subject. I am leaning toward balancing my wheels.
The Norton wheel I purchased from McMaster is a quality product.
I haven't dressed it yet but it has a significant difference in density due to the wheels behavior. It has a heavy spot.

Considering this is a Hobby Machinists forum, the members are made up of individuals like me who absorb articles, videos fellow club members opinions etc. It's confusing when we see and hear different opinions from professionals.

Let's see where this conversation goes.
What do the rest of you do on this subject?

No disrespect intended Mr. King!!


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## Flyinfool (Jul 17, 2019)

I have never had to balance a grinding wheel, But then I have not bought a wheel in the last couple of decades either. My surface grinder came with a wheel attached, after dressing I can feel no vibration so I ASSUME it is balanced. Same with my bench grinder, the wheels that came with it have no vibration that I can feel. But these are all very old wheels. Many modern things to not match the quality of old stuff, maybe this is true for wheels too?


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## benmychree (Jul 17, 2019)

It has been stated that (at least most) grinding wheels under 8" diameter do not need balancing, but the exception would be nearly all offshore wheels.  I think that the balancing hub made by Sopko is intended for applications requiring extra fine balance, not for ordinary work; I have one, acquired in a lot of hubs on e bay, I doubt the seller even knew the difference, it has never been used.
  If after dressing, one still sees wheel revolution marks, further wheel balancing is necessary for best finish results.


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## benmychree (Jul 17, 2019)

Janderso said:


> I watched a video showing a slick way of balancing surface grinder wheels. Using the Sopko #52273 and #00576. You know, the rotating discs with 180 degrees of relief.
> This method runs over $300.
> Making a simple bushing and using bearings works great.
> This way I can use a carbide drill bit and remove material outside The blotter to balance the wheel.


Using a common drill for the arbor is not the best option, they can be slightly bent, or whatever, best a piece of drill rod or a drill blank.  Balancing ways of that type are generally "knife edge".  It would not be too difficult to copy Sopko's design of the balancing hub, I do not like the idea of drilling into a grinding wheel.


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## Richard King 2 (Jul 17, 2019)

No problem Jeff...  Just telling you my history..   I used to spray the wheel with Dykem and then dressed until the spray was even in the pours.  I had a Thompson with a 14" x 1 1/4 wide wheel and a Galmeyer and Livingston with about a approx 8" wheel...  MN grinding a big grinding house...I used to rebuild machines there and the balancers sat behind the machine and it was a rag holder...


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## Cadillac (Jul 17, 2019)

I have heard it both ways you do you don’t. Well I balance mine if it doesn’t need it so be it if it does I’ll find it. I have yet to come across a wheel I didn’t have to take something out. 
 When I balance a wheel this is what I do. I do have a balancing rig and arbor so it might be alittle different but the same outcome. 
  Mount wheel on hub. Make sure wheel is a snug fit to hub. I used scotch tape and make even wraps with no overlapping. Once I mount that wheel it will not come off till it’s toast. Once mounted I mount on the grinder and warm it up. I then dress the wheel till it trues up. I mark the hub to a mark I have on the spindle end.  Once true I take it off the grinder and put the balancing arbor on the wheel. Find the heavy side and drill just outside the blotter. I usually do one side only and don’t go more than 1/3 in the wheel. I have had to do both sides on two wheels but see no harm. I use a backer piece of wood with a 3” hole cut out of the center so I can drill the wheel on the drill press without harming the wheel or having to take off the hub. 
 After Im satisfied balancing the wheel I remount on the grinder. Making sure to align marks on hub to spindle. Then I take another skim cut to true and dress the wheel. 
 What I find with wheels is more wobble than unbalance. I’ve dressed the sides to solve that. 
Other than buying a dozen hubs I don’t see a problem with balancing your wheels it’s only gonna help your machine and finish.


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## Janderso (Jul 17, 2019)

benmychree said:


> Using a common drill for the arbor is not the best option, they can be slightly bent, or whatever, best a piece of drill rod or a drill blank.  Balancing ways of that type are generally "knife edge".  It would not be too difficult to copy Sopko's design of the balancing hub, I do not like the idea of drilling into a grinding wheel.



I would agree, good point. I do have some drill rod, I'll see if I get the same results.


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## pontiac428 (Jul 17, 2019)

Where do you remove your material from once you've found a heavy spot using your static balancer?  Any removal from the grinding face would result in a wheel that's out of round, and any removal from the sides would destroy the wheel's integrity.  

I think Mr. York hit it when he said wheels below 8" don't require balancing.  I try to buy Norton abrasives, but I do have a few grinding wheels from China here and there.  I never notice vibrations on start up or shut down, so it never occurred to me to balance them.  I kind of assumed they might self-balance by taking up any play in the arbor hole, but that may be a misguided thought.  It seems more likely that the mass concentration in a 8" minus grinding wheel is such that they don't need balancing at all.  Interesting.


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## Janderso (Jul 17, 2019)

The material is removed from the wheel outside of the bladder.




  Don Bailey has done it for decades, his Dad taught him. Don Bailey is the Owner and Operator of Suburban Tools and this is the method all his grinder hands use.





   This is the Bash fellow

Both of these gents have done this process for a very long time and have never had an issue


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## projectnut (Jul 17, 2019)

benmychree said:


> It has been stated that (at least most) grinding wheels under 8" diameter do not need balancing, but the exception would be nearly all offshore wheels.  I think that the balancing hub made by Sopko is intended for applications requiring extra fine balance, not for ordinary work; I have one, acquired in a lot of hubs on e bay, I doubt the seller even knew the difference, it has never been used.
> If after dressing, one still sees wheel revolution marks, further wheel balancing is necessary for best finish results.



I would agree.  Over the years I've purchased at least 50 different grinding wheels for several machines.  Only once did I purchase some off shore wheels thinking they would be as good as Norton or Carborundum.  Never again.  They were terrible.  I tried dressing them at least a dozen times.  In the end they were  so out of balance I eventually threw them away.  Since then I've stuck with the 2 previously mentioned brands and have never had a problem.

Sopko does make a hub with balancing weights.  I've never purchased any, but I do see them go for around $40.00 used on eBay.  The Sopko hubs I've purchased don't have the balancing weights, but I've paid less than $40.00 for each new.


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## Cadillac (Jul 17, 2019)

I must have the luck then I have yet to see a wheel balance prior to doing so. Again I’m not saying do or don’t whatever makes us sleep at night. Majority of my wheels had come from auction lots buying a cabinet of wheels so I use what I have. Here’s a radiac which I tend to grab. Very little removal



 Then a carborundum which is one of the most I’ve had to take out. The white is hard to see but it’s a double row 3 holes-6 total. 



 I’ve felt the difference in a new wheel mounted and a slight vibe in the spindle. Once balanced the spindle was smooth as it should. It makes sense to me and I’ve seen results. Is it my grinder idk what I do know is she likes a balanced wheel.


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