Models for grinding HSS Lathe Tools

mikey said:
Once you cut a piece out of it, the grinder will become usable for tool grinding but it also makes it less usable for grinding other stuff because you'll have a part of the belt without any support under it.
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A small notch (like the one I cut on mine at the link I provided above) does not compromise using the sander for other functions.
There is no unsupported part of the sanding belt.

For mine the notch is near one edge. I typically keep the belt centred, and only move it over to the edge of the notch when grinding lathe tools.
The belt tracking adjustment (that simply tilts the upper roller) is enough to do that.

WobblyHand said:
How long do you think the platen would last? A month of moderate use? More? Less?
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I have had my old sander with a steel platen for around 15 years.
I use it heavily for wood, aluminum and steel.
I cut the notch in the side over two years ago (by the date on that other thread).
There is NO divot sanded into the steel platen.
If it died today, I would buy a smiliar one tomorrow......and cut the same notch, but maybe faster with a hand-held angle grinder.

-brino
 
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Wow, lots of responses! And quite varied in opinion!
@ttabbal I'd like to take you up on your offer. I'll PM you with my address and details. This will at least get me going.

Looking at 2x72 again, it doesn't look that bad. Maybe I was up too late, or having a bad day. I dunno. The 2x72 is doable. I certainly can fab the frame and cut the tubing with my horizontal bandsaw. I might even have a stick of some comparable square steel tubing in my garage, although not sure about the size. By a weird coincidence, I had a treadmill offered to me, a few months ago, but I let it go. At the time, I had no need for it. Oh well, have to look for another one. The $500 was looking at kits - not pricing raw steel. To bring the cost of the 2x72 down, I'll have to put in more work.

The Dayton platen is cast - so long term it's not the best. The material is unknown, could be cast iron, or steel. But... I could use it to help make the 2x72, and it could grind a few tools along the way. It has a single axis adjustable rest which is pretty beefy, not the tinfoil that's on my under powered bench grinder. I could use it for a while. When or if the platen eventually fails, I will still have the 3/4 HP motor, the pulleys, etc. Hopefully by the time it fails/degrades too bad, the 2x72 will be finished. According to @brino's experience on his grinder, the Dayton probably won't evaporate it's platen overnight. I have ceramic belts on order, so I hope that the fast cutting of the ceramic will help reduce the platen pressure.

So, that's the plan, going to do both! Can't have too many (tools) grinders, right?
 
ddickey said:
How far away from you is this?
boston.craigslist.org

Rare Porter Cable WG4 Wet/Dry Belt Sander

Hiya, I have a Porter Cable freestanding belt sander for sale. It is a WG4 model which means that it is designed for wet and dry use. There is a lower tank and a catch basin for it so that it can...
boston.craigslist.org
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Close enough as far as location. That thing looks heavy and interesting. A little too heavy for me to maneuver down the 26" wide steps into my basement. Think "This Old House".

If I had a different shop setup, I'd check it out. I think I'll build a 2x72. Cash outlay would be less for me, and a little more spread out over time.
 
The crew here tries to be helpful. Sometimes we try to spend more of your money, but it's usually for a good reason. Let me know the address, and if a 3/8" 15 degree square tool will get you going or if you need some changes.

I agree, more tools is better. If you can fit them in the space. I think I've reached the limit of the space I can take over and remain married. Something about wanting to put cars in the garage... Pffftt.. :)
 
Basement is only place left I have. Welders, compressor, etc. took over the garage long ago...
 
brino said:
A small notch (like the one I cut on mine at the link I provided above) does not compromise using the sander for other functions.
There is no unsupported part of the sanding belt.
Click to expand...

Just curious, Brino. How wide is your platen? If I cut a notch out of my 2" wide platen, even a small one, then I would have an unsupported area under the belt.


brino said:
I have had my old sander with a steel platen for around 15 years.
I use it heavily for wood, aluminum and steel.
I cut the notch in the side over two years ago (by the date on that other thread).
There is NO divot sanded into the steel platen.
If it died today, I would buy a smiliar one tomorrow......and cut the same notch, but maybe faster with a hand-held angle grinder.
Click to expand...

I would imagine the steel used in various platens varies a lot. Mine divots with light use, or it sure seems that way. I tend to grind tools in batches. Since the belt splices don't last more than about a year or so for me, I tend to buy new belts and then grind a whole bunch of tools within a month or so, so I do tend to use the belt sander heavily at times.

Back when I was looking for a solution and discovered the knife guys were using Pyroceram liners, I queried the knifemakers on one of their forums about using a glass liner and why they felt the need. Almost all of them told me that they were wearing their platens way too fast and that matched my experience as well. This must have been about 20 years ago. I put a glass liner on my platen and am now on my second liner but only because the first one broke loose from the epoxy bond, not because it wore down. That platen liner is, by far, the best thing I ever did for my belt sander.
 
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That sander has a similar design to the Kalamazoo belt sanders. See the single tubular arm that supports the upper wheel? I've seen a fair number of negative reviews on this design. They say it tends to move in use but this is heresay. Check out a Kalamazoo belt sander on youtube and you'll see what I mean.

I would definitely look for a KMG-type 2x72 instead. You can make one for less or buy one for nearly the same price.
 
mikey said:
Just curious, Brino. How wide is your platen? If I cut a notch out of my 2" wide platen, even a small one, then I would have an unsupported area under the belt.
Click to expand...

Hi Mikey,

Yep, that's the difference.
My platen is almost 5 inches wide and it takes a 4 inch wide belt.
That leaves a frame or margin at both sides of the belt that stopped me from using the very edge of the belt.

The sander that @WobblyHand received looks similar to mine, but MUCH heavier.

I think the pictures below show it best.......that's what I based my suggestion for the modification on.


1) Here's your picture from: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/models-for-grinding-hss-lathe-tools.62111/post-514226
1577155997763.png
Nothing stopping you from using the very edge of the belt!

2) here's a picture of my sander from: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...access-the-edge-of-the-belt.63436/post-523646
1577156061862.png
Without the notch, I cannot make the same cut you show above as the frame is in the way.
With the notch, I simply adjust the belt tracking to get it at the edge of the notch and grind away.


3) and a picture of @WobblyHand 's sander from: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/models-for-grinding-hss-lathe-tools.62111/post-702969
1577156233956.png
It looks like a 2inch wide belt and about a 3 inch wide platen. (plus guards on each side)
I believe he could do the same modification I did to use the very edge of the belt.
(He may need to notch the right-hand belt guard, too)

-brino
 
Thank you for making that crystal clear, Brino. I understand what you did and why you're able to fully support the belt. There is no question that your mod will allow you to grind your rake angles effectively while also having a lot of real estate to grind the rest of the tool, along with anything else you need to work on. Appreciate you clarifying that for me!
 
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