Thread: low budget grinder V2.0

Here is an update on my grinder. I made an attachment for it so that I can use small wheels. I also made a 6" and 4" wheel to use without the adapter. The wheels are covered with soft-ish covering (an old SpongeBob) mouse pad. The lower small wheel is is just an idler wheel to take up belt slack.


Charlie

You just keep on getting better and better!

Lookin good Charlie. Seems you got most grinds covered.

Wow what a beauty. Wanted to ask what for are those rails under the motor?

Forgot to ask as well what are the diametres of your contact wheels? Or generaly what are the required diametres for most of razor grinds?

The mouse pad rocks!
Great job over all.

Originally Posted by adrspach

Wow what a beauty. Wanted to ask what for are those rails under the motor?

The rails are shelf standards that are made for adjustable shelves. The clips that go into them are modified shelf clips that are made for the standards.

I do not have a good answer for a useful wheel diameter. I make paper cutouts till I find a diameter that more a less matches the razor that I want to work on. I seem to have the best luck with a wheel that is a little small with a soft-ish covering when cleaning up razors.

Foam self adhesive weather strip made a great wheel covering, but it did not last long. The jury is still out on the mouse pad coverings, time will tell. I have not found the perfect wheel covering yet.

Charlie

So far I was thinking in line of skateboard wheels, troley wheels and quad skates but problem with those will be how to make an even crown on them. My next trouble will be how to control speed od the belt. I was thinking something to do with a reostat but to find one cheap which will take that level of power is hard.

You could do what they did in the old days... a strip of leather (an old razor strop), rubber cement and some tacks evenly spaced around the wheel to hold the leather in place till it's dry, then remove the tacks.

Just a thought

Leather is a great idea, but I am looking for something softer for cleaning factory made blades. With a soft wheel you get a big cushy contact spot so it is easier to blend in the scratch pattern. It is like the difference between a drum roll and flap wheel on the Dremel. If the mouse pad does not end up lasting and working well, I might try the foam from a sleeping bag pad.

For grinding new razors I think that leather would be perfect. Right now I am using a serpentine belt out of a car that is turned inside out. It is performing very well. Its only problem is that it is about a hair less that 1” so I have to adjust the tracking if want work on the edge of the wheel.

I am in the process of making a few tutorials of how I made the contact wheels and grinder. I hope to have the done in a few weeks.

Charlie