Grinder shaft extention....?

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I have a delta bench grinder, I use it for my buffing of bowls etc, the shaft out each end is on the short side, does anyone know of an extension that is available?

I'd love to buy a buffer, but they are not cheap, and I already have this delta grinder.

It is not like it would be spinning a stone, which would need to be well balanced and not wobble at all, I would think that a little wobble on the buffer would not be such a big deal....?

Please advise!

Cheers!

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Mornin' Stu.

3:30 AM here. Woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I thought I'd take a look here for a while.

I am sure that there are extentions available, possibly by Jet, but I bought the Beal System that mounts on the lathe. There is an adapter with a #2 Morris Taper available and it's not hard to set up and take down. Since buffing a bowl takes three different wheels AND three different balls, I don't find having to mount the adapter on the lathe much of an inconvenience. You could get the system and try it on the lathe and, if you don't like the way it works, remove the adapter and install it on a shaft later.

Just my .02.

Bruce

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Mornin' Stu.

3:30 AM here. Woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I thought I'd take a look here for a while.

I am sure that there are extentions available, possibly by Jet, but I bought the Beal System that mounts on the lathe. There is an adapter with a #2 Morris Taper available and it's not hard to set up and take down. Since buffing a bowl takes three different wheels AND three different balls, I don't find having to mount the adapter on the lathe much of an inconvenience. You could get the system and try it on the lathe and, if you don't like the way it works, remove the adapter and install it on a shaft later.

Just my .02.

Bruce

Yes, I looked at the Beal system, and I've even thought of copying it, make my MT#2 out of hard wood, or even aluminium, drill a hole thread it and then use a piece of ready rod, with a pipe over the ready rod to press into each buffing wheel.......... But, I have this grinder, so...... :)

I'll keep looking, hope you get some sleep!

Cheers!

[Vaughn McMillan]

I'll be watching this thread, Stu, because I'm in the same predicament. I've got a servicable 6" grinder that's begging to be a buffer now that I have the slow speed grinder and sharpening jig. I'd like to lengthen the shafts and use it as a buffer.

Like a dummy, I gave away a 3/4 hp motor complete with two buffer arbors and buffing wheels to a friend of mine, about the time I got back into woodworking. I figured I'd never need my old silver jewelry buffer for woodworking. I'd moved the thing for 20 years and not used it, so when he helped me unload my new TS, I gave it to him in exchange, thinking I was clearing some room in my new woodshop. It wouldn't be right to ask him to give it back. ;)

For little things like pens and such, about a week ago I got a little $9 kit that has a drill arbor with three different buffs and three little sticks of red, green and white compound. Mounted in the drill chuck on the lathe, it seems to work OK for now on small stuff.

- Vaughn

P.S. I'm up at 3:20 AM trying to get a %#$@ Adobe PDF file to build correctly on a Japanese version of the User's Manual for one of our products. Have you noticed those Japanese folks got a different word for everything?

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

The Japanese version of Adobe PDF SUCKS!!!!

It crashes at least 50% of the time :mad:

Most often, when you try to load a page with PDF, the browser freezes and crashes.

Don't like PDF....

Cheers!

[Raymond Overman]

Stu,

I made my Beale style buffer. Simple and cheap. Let me know if you end up going that way and I'll post some pics.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Stu,

I made my Beale style buffer. Simple and cheap. Let me know if you end up going that way and I'll post some pics.

Heck, post some pics, maybe they will nudge me to go that way...........? :D

[Jim Becker]

Personally, I would find a grinder to be too fast for buffing wood...even at 1000 rpm, it's easy to rip a piece out of one's hand!!

I agree with the others that a MT mandrel solution may be preferable to retrofitting the grinder. (Don't forget you need a draw bolt to hold it on the lathe. And if you sill have your "old" lathe and the space, it could remain setup for the purpose...

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I would have thought fast was better for the wax, more heat?

But I'll trust your exp.

Maybe I'll just convert the grinder to a "Bench Grinder" :eek: so the other one that is set up for my turning tools does not have to do double duty...?

I wish I could set the other lathe up, but space is the problem.

Cheers!

[Michael Cody]

Stu, why not just set up the grinder with a pulley, then step the speed down to a mandrel mounted in a set of bearings ala this link:

Lee Valley Mandrel (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32960&cat=1,43072,45939&ap=1)

That way you could even make it so you can have 2 wheels for different buffing compounds. You can get the speed where you want by using different pulleys, etc.. Should be an easy fix. My original buffer (before I bought the beal system) was using one of these with an old washing machine motor. Worked quite well. You should be able to find one of these reasonable even in Nippon.

[Frank Fusco]

I have extensions on my old motors I use for buffing/sanding/etc. but hanged if I can remember where I got them. Will write if I recall. For lathe use, I just use bolts, washers and nuts for the buff wheels and put in a Jacobs chuck. Same could be done with a length of all-thread and pvc spacers and a dimple in the end for the tailstock. Probably $3 worth of parts compared to the price of a Beall system, which is just the same thing, only prettier.

[Lee DeRaud]

Personally, I would find a grinder to be too fast for buffing wood...even at 1000 rpm, it's easy to rip a piece out of one's hand!!Having had that happen a couple of times, I resemble that remark.:(

The video for the Beall system says use a 1750RPM motor, because the "standard" 3500RPM grinders are too fast. I've taken to using 1240 on the Jet mini: it generates enough heat to melt the wax and is somewhat more controllable than 1800, which is the next step up on that lathe. If I'm using the smaller bowl/goblet buffs to do the inside of a smaller piece, I'll sometimes jump to the higher RPM to get closer to the same surface speed.

Plus I seem to turn most stuff at 1240, so it saves a belt change between steps.:p

[Lee DeRaud]

Yes, I looked at the Beal system, and I've even thought of copying it, make my MT#2 out of hard wood, or even aluminium, drill a hole thread it and then use a piece of ready rod, with a pipe over the ready rod to press into each buffing wheel...The Beale 'clone' I use has an aluminum adapter, threaded 1"x8 at one end, 5/16" thread at the other, way easier than mucking about with a chuck/drawbar/whatever:
http://www.finewoodnthings.com/prod01.htm
I use his wheels and the Beale goblet buffs. I suspect the Beale wheels can be used on that adapter with no more than a couple of 5/16" bolts and some washers, the buffs thread on directly.

[Vaughn McMillan]

The Japanese version of Adobe PDF SUCKS!!!!

It crashes at least 50% of the time :mad:

...
/threadjack

I don't think it's limited to the Japanese version...the English version (which is what I used for the Japanese documentation) gives me fits, too. I can usually get one successful build (compiling a Word .doc into an Adobe .pdf) but any subsequent ones will likely lock up my machine. Nothing a reboot won't fix, but at 3:00 in the freakin morning I get tired of reboots. ;)

/end_threadjack

- Vaughn