Surface grinder for a 2 x 72 belt grinder

[91guns]

Has anyone on this forum built a surface grinder for a 2 x 72 belt grinder for making knives? I did a search, but nothing showed up. Thanks!

[Baddog]

If I understand you correctly, you are talking about a 2x72 belt grinder providing the abrasive action for a surface grinder frame. If so, then I haven't seen one either, but I have been accumulating the parts to make such a thing for over 3 years (low priority project).

I've got a Boyar Shultz 6x12 (scrap yard @ $0.10/lb) that is pretty clapped out to be restored for a surface grinder, but otherwise complete including table, mag vise, and one shot oiler. It would never hold 10ths and fine finish as a grinder, but that's not the plan. That's all been cleaned up and reassembled ready to continue. My plan is to power it with a 2 HP TEFC Baldor (VFD for speed control) motor I have driving through the original SG shaft.

The drive wheel is then mounted to the shaft, but rather than a typical steel surface drive wheel, it is a 6" contact wheel with tracking provided by the idler (third) wheel. The frame for the 2x72 mounts with a pinch clamshell clamp to the collar of the spindle housing where the guard would normally go allowing the whole belt grinder frame to rotate around the spindle axis. Then the outboard wheel is used as a free hand contact wheel, and supports various plattens and small diameter attachments as is normally seen on a 2x72. But the repurposed SG provides the table for flattening traversals, and the original SG spindle housing height mechanism provides the height and infeed.

I've got all the parts, just need to allocate the time...

[desbromilow]

I have seen a couple where people have mounted X-Y tables under the drive wheel, or very large contact wheel and used that as a limited range surface grinder. I would have to go through my files at home to find it, but the one which showed it best was a hobby knife maker out of Europe who was using the surface grinder to clean up the hardened blade prior to tempering. Every example I have in my file collection is based on some form of clamping system, none use a magnetic table - no idea why unless they're worried about the contact wheel, or axle thereof interacting with the magnet.

Like the previous comment, I am collecting parts (and "tuits") so I can build my 2x72, and it will have provision for surface grinding as well. Since my drive pulley will be crowned, I will have the table under one of my contact wheels.

Des

[mickeyj2]

There’s a young man on YouTube, Jeremy Smidzth, I think that just released a video stating that he was in the process of issuing plans for a surface grinder to be us d in conjunction with his 2 x 72 machine. Just search you tube got “DIY 2 x 72 belt grinder plans” and that should get you on the right track.

[mickeyj2]

Try Jeremy Schmidt on you tube.