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Do you still use your bench grinder?

welndmn

welndmn

Well Done Man
Joined
May 21, 2020
Member Number
1008
Messages
775
Loc
Concord, CA
I look at my sad lonely bench grinder, unused, unloved and I feel bad for it.
It's gone though a few life changes and I am not sure I even still use it, so I want to see if I am missing out on something to do with it.

Like normal bench grinders, it hogged up space on my bench, with a normal grinding wheel on one side, wire on the other side.
This got a lot of use as I was young and I am pretty sure this was the only way to grind stuff in the early 90's...

Then I got into aluminum everything and switched the wheels to a red scotch brite wheels on one side and cotton polishing wheel on the the other side. This was handy, I bet I used the scotch brite more than anything just to clean and get a nice finish.
One day I got sick of it and mounted it to 22.5" wheel and put it outside the barn. This was good to polish items as it made the mess happen outside.
I think at one point it became a tungsten sharping rod, but I sucked at tig welding so that didn't last.

It's sat outside of the barn door for about 5 years now not used.
What else should I do it? Maybe it's time to move it on to the next guy.
 
I mounted it on the same stand as the disc sander so it's handy. Only really use the wire wheel and the stone for dressing HSS large bits and sharpening drill bits.
 
I use the shit out of mine for cleaning up metal before welding or throwing bevels onto something. If I had one of those belt sanders I'd probably use that more. It sits right next to my portaband on a SWAG table so it's a nice little workstation for prepping small projects. I will probably pick one of these up to attach to it: https://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool_2_x_48_inch_Belt_Grinder_Attachment_MT482_307
 
Gumbybronco said:
I have mine on a stand so it doesn’t take up precious bench space. I have a wire wheel and a grinding stone on mine. I use the wire wheel regularly to clean parts for paint prep or threads on bolts.
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Exactly what my bench grinder has been relegated to. Sharpening drills/tungstens, cleaning rusty bolts.
 
Scotch Brite wheel and tungsten grinding wheel. It gets used often. It's on a bench currently but I'd really like to have it mounted to an old wheel so it could move around and be more accessible.
 
I only use mine for sharpening tooling. Tungsten is on a cordless grinder with a diamond wheel from Amazon. Everything else get a grinder
 
Just moved mine out of my shop side of the garage with plans on putting it into the shed at some point.
 
Sharpening, beveling, cleaning parts...

What are you expecting? Did y'all used to make pancakes with one? :confused:

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I upgraded to a 1HP belt sander combo. I’d use it more but it sits abandoned due to location in garage. Want to build a mobile stand for it so the mess is directed away from my lathe. Bench grinders are handy for sharpening drill bits
 

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I mostly use mine for the wire wheel, I also use my belt sander for a bunch of stuff. The stone I don't use much.
 
I've been collecting them lately for some reason?
 
WiscoF100 said:
I upgraded to a 1HP belt sander combo. I’d use it more but it sits abandoned due to location in garage. Want to build a mobile stand for it so the mess is directed away from my lathe. Bench grinders are handy for sharpening drill bits
Click to expand...
Same...except mine's a 3hp 2x42 that just eats metal when I have an aggressive belt on it.

I have a 3hp Baldor with a 10" wheel on one side and wire brush on the other. I still use it for specific things, but usually don't feel like firing up the phase converter just to run the grinder for a couple minutes.
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
I still sometimes wonder where that lawnmower exhaust valve went in HS shop class
It never surfaced again after the wire gods took it
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I was making an acrylic key chain in shop class and the polishing wheel grabbed it and sent it flying at the speed of light:laughing:
 
Stingray said:
I was making an acrylic key chain in shop class and the polishing wheel grabbed it and sent it flying at the speed of light:laughing:
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I didn't even hear mine land
I had it in my hand, and then it was just gone :laughing:

I still chuckle thinking about that
 
rattle_snake said:
1. Don't, buy new.
2. oven cleaner and a brush
3. blast cabinet
4. wire wheel on hand/die grinder
5. drink beer and put dirty bolt back in.
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1 doesn't always work that way
2 I use a wire brush here and there when needed
3 that's way too much space
4 I prefer holding onto the hardware instead
5 love beer and have definitely put dirty bolt back in.
 
Sluggy said:
1 doesn't always work that way
2 I use a wire brush here and there when needed
3 that's way too much space
4 I prefer holding onto the hardware instead
5 love beer and have definitely put dirty bolt back in.
Click to expand...
Dude, that is just embarrassing. Get yourself a proper work area
 
Work has a sand blast cabinet and parts washer that I use. I have no want for one of those in my personal shop. I also have a proper work area in my opinion but to each their own.

SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
Dude, that is just embarrassing. Get yourself a proper work area
Click to expand...
 
I stacked mine and put them on a stand, off of the bench. Better access to them for grinding weird shape parts. One has a diamond wheel for tungsten, then the other is a toolroom wheel for HSS.
Then the bottom one is a wire wheel for cleaning hardware, threads, etc. and the other wheel is for general mild steel de-burring, etc.

20240602_094816-2.jpg


I also have a big 3 HP twin wheel one that I need rewound from 440 to 220. Its completely unnecessary but I think its cool and I have the space for it in my little shop; plus its just cool.
 
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