Thread: Mid-Budget Grinder project

Brad,

what are the total amount of days you spend from beginning to end in making the grinder. And I mean every minute spend researching, running, driving around, tinkering, drilling, tapping, installing, cursing :-)...

It would give an idea to anyone else having spare time to build one.

For me personally those hours count towards the total amount spend. Why? Because while spending all that time on building something I could have been productive at work. That's why I personally prefer to lay down the cash for a finished product and not have one minute downtime. But I can definitely appreciate the work in building something. You did excellent.

Originally Posted by Maximilian

Brad,

what are the total amount of days you spend from beginning to end in making the grinder. And I mean every minute spend researching, running, driving around, tinkering, drilling, tapping, installing, cursing :-)...

It would give an idea to anyone else having spare time to build one.

For me personally those hours count towards the total amount spend. Why? Because while spending all that time on building something I could have been productive at work. That's why I personally prefer to lay down the cash for a finished product and not have one minute downtime. But I can definitely appreciate the work in building something. You did excellent.

I'd say that I probably spent about 15-20 hours. An hour here, an hour there, a trip to hardware store here and there. Spread out well over a month...some research while at the office during lulls and whatnot. I spent longer making those videos that I posted on youtube... much longer.. .. than this project.

I guess it all depends on how much you value your time... for me, the opportunity cost was probably about $150.00-200.00. You could add that to the cost, I suppose. A lot of the time I spent researching and stuff wasn't really time I could have hunkered down and worked nonstop... like times I was on the couch watching TV in the evening with SWMBO. I've also gained a lot of experience.. drilling and tapping steel was something I had never done before, and I had to do it to about 15 holes on this build.. now I know how to do it.. I've added some skills to my arsenal.

if I had to do it again, it would probably take 5-10 hours for the build, since I know everything I know now.

If you can't find a solid piece for the arm, you could always go with a "laminated" one out of the same thickness of material...just a thought.

Originally Posted by L R Harner

i get my bars at the local welding and fab shop

Ahhh.. yes... in economically depressed Michigan... I'm fairly certain all my local welding supply shops have gone out of business

I'll have to stop in somewhere the next time I am out of town!

Here is the color my son picked out at the hardware store

That is a beefy looking post. The paint job looks good.

Now I waiting to see it all covered black dust.

Charlie

i never painted my kmg cause i know how fast it gits dirty and how often (not verry) i clean it

There is a place over here in Kalamazoo called Alro Steel that sells steel bars, tool steel, sheet metal.. pretty much anything you want they normally have ( except damascus ). They have other locations as well in Michigan but not sure if they are just business oriented or open to the public like the one here.

Alro Steel

check them out might be able to get what you want from them.

Received my order of belts. I ordered a bunch of different kinds to kind of sample whats out there.

I have been working 50 hr weeks, son has 5 hrs/week hockey, plus a very busy schedule....have not really had time to rebuild it and get it running... SOON THOUGH! (hopefully...)

Finally!!!! the finished product!!!!!!!!!!! Please take the time to click the link & watch it in 720p, its much nicer quality!

edit: srp kinda takes over the link and it doesn't link directly to the HD version, so, make sure to switch it after you click the link!

Link to 720p HD VIDEO