CBN wheel not running true

[Prashun Patel]

I have a WEN slow speed grinder and am running a D-Way 8" cbn wheel on it. I've run this wheel on other grinders and it rides true and smooth. With this one I am getting a small bit of vibration. Is this something that is fixable? I'm not sure how to troubleshoot it...

Thanks in advance.

[John Kananis]

Are you using the wobble-washers from woodturnerswonders?

Edit: https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/grinding-wheel-accessories/products/self-aligning-spherical-washer-3-piece-set

[Jim Morgan]

Also make sure that the shoulder that the inner hub of the wheel contacts is perfectly clean.

[Bill Dufour]

Are you using blotters on both sides of the wheel?
Bill D.

[Brian Tymchak]

Are you using blotters on both sides of the wheel?
Bill D.

OK, I'll bite...What is a blotter??

[John Kananis]

OK, I'll bite...What is a blotter??

A compression washer.

[Bill Dufour]

Washer between the wheel and the steel washer. Traditionally made from blotter paper. many now use a piece of cereal box cardboard since few use blotters any more. Much les even know what a blotter is or was used for. (any pen makers here) OSHA will cite a grinder without them. Too much chance of sudden wheel cracking and fragmentation at speed.
Bill D

[Tom M King]

The CBN wheel doesn't need one. No worry of cracking or fragmentation. Since the wheel ran true on another grinder, there's something about the mount, or Wen grinder.

This is one of D-ways first CBN wheels. I think it was 2011 or 12 when I took this picture, and the grinder still runs that smoothly.

I took this picture the day I mounted the wheel on the grinder. It was so smooth, I kept setting stuff on it to see if it would vibrate off. I left this stuff on it running, while I went out to the truck to get the camera and came back to take this picture (before cell phones had cameras). I hadn't even tightened the nuts holding the grinder to the plywood in that picture. None of it ever did vibrate off. You can see in the picture that the wheel is turning.

I had bought two other grinders, and returned them before going up in price and getting the Metabo.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Tom and suspect the grinder since the wheels ran true on other grinders.

[Prashun Patel]

My CBN wheel came with a bushing to fit a 5/8" arbor. I had spherical washers from another wheel. These do not seat properly with the bushing. I do not think this is the problem in fact. When I free-hand grind, I am getting no vibration. But when use the platform, I get vibration. It appears that the platform is vibrating. This is puzzling because the source of vibration could only be the motor.

I am going to experiment mounting the grinder to a more stable base.

[Chris Parks]

The biggest issue with generic Asian grinders is the nut to shaft clearance is too much and the nut tips when tightened and pushes the wheel off centre. put the nut on the shaft, does it wobble on the shaft? Is so get a new nut made that does not wobble on the shaft or find one but I would rather get one made.

[Richard Coers]

Wen is not a brand known for quality.

[Jim Morgan]

The biggest issue with generic Asian grinders is the nut to shaft clearance is too much and the nut tips when tightened and pushes the wheel off centre. put the nut on the shaft, does it wobble on the shaft? Is so get a new nut made that does not wobble on the shaft or find one but I would rather get one made.

This is exactly what spherical washers are designed to counteract. I'm not clear what "[spherical washers] so not seat properly with the bushing" means - does the bushing protrude beyond the hub of the wheel? If so, that might be the source of your problem.

[Chris Parks]

This is exactly what spherical washers are designed to counteract. I'm not clear what "[spherical washers] so not seat properly with the bushing" means - does the bushing protrude beyond the hub of the wheel? If so, that might be the source of your problem.

It is a shame that the nut to shaft problem is not more well known. Some years ago it was impossible to buy (in Oz) spherical washers and a new nut was quicker, easier and cheaper than finding and importing spherical washers.

[Tom M King]

Check the grinder with no wheel on it. One of the grinders I sent back was a Dewalt that had a shaft not true to start with.