Sharpening wheel

[John Powers]

I have a Delta grinder with 1/2 inch arbor. The Norton white wheels have little plastic inserts to accommodate different sized arbors. This is the second time I've broken one trying to snug up the thing so it doesn't wobble and shake the stand I have the grinder all to heck. The stock Delta fine wheel runs straight and true and actually works OK. Is there a 6" white or pink wheel that will not need the inserts that I think are the problem?

[Brad Schmid]

Is this what you're looking for?
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?Offerings_ID=10088&TabSelect=Details

says the 6" wheels have a 1/2" hole.
The 8" wheels are the ones with the bushing.
hope it helps
cheers

[Eddie Darby]

I keep a couple of these handy as extras.

http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?&NETID=1127380508071441870&NTITEM=B2373

Try lining the steel washers with thin cork to help reduce cracking.

[Grant Wilkinson]

FWIW, my grinder is an 8" with a 5/8" arbor. The problem that I had with the Norton bushings on their 1" wide 8" wheels was that the bushing was only 3/4" long, so it did not go from edge to edge of the wheel. I always had wobble problems. I went to a local machine shop and bought two brass bushings that are 1" long and reduce the 1" hole to 5/8". The wobbles are gone.

I know that you are talking 6" wheels, but maybe the same solution will work for you.

[John Powers]

Just had a nice conversation with Rockler. Although their product info says 6" wheel with 1/2" hole the wheel does indeed need the bushings. I think it is interesting that those who responded to me have all had to jury rig something to get the wobble out of these wheels. I also marveled at a 3/4 inch bushing in a 1 inch hole. I've shimmed every which way. I'll stick with the fine wheel that came on the grinder many years ago. Interesting that the R&D boys can exhaust all possibilities on fancy do dadds but can't get the wobble out of a wheel. Nice to know it isn't just me.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Is there a 6" white or pink wheel that will not need the inserts that I think are the problem?

I rather suspect that you are not "truing" the wheel with a dresser when you install it. It is important that whenever you mount a wheel that you do a couple of things:
(1) check the wheel for integrity. I snap it with my finger and listen to the tone. If it's cracked you'll hear it and it must get tossed. And (2) Dress the wheel. I prefer diamond dressers but those old school rotating star wheel dressers work just fine and make a mess.
Dressing the wheel makes it round and balances out the little out of round rotations you get when ever you mount a wheel while allowing you to flatten the face. It also removes a bit of the surface giving you a nicer sharper face against which to grind. Diamonds do a better job of refreshing the face.

If the inserts are leaving too much slop you can always wrap the arbor with a little tape.

[Brad Schmid]

Just had a nice conversation with Rockler. Although their product info says 6" wheel with 1/2" hole the wheel does indeed need the bushings. I think it is interesting that those who responded to me have all had to jury rig something to get the wobble out of these wheels. I also marveled at a 3/4 inch bushing in a 1 inch hole. I've shimmed every which way. I'll stick with the fine wheel that came on the grinder many years ago. Interesting that the R&D boys can exhaust all possibilities on fancy do dadds but can't get the wobble out of a wheel. Nice to know it isn't just me.

Well... That's dissappointing :(
sorry that didn't work out for you.

[Grant Wilkinson]

John

I've found, also, that I can frequently get the wobble out by loosening the hold down nut, rotating the wheel a few degrees, then re-tightening the nut. You may need to do this a few times, but I've found it to work.
Oneway makes a balancing kit for wheels, but they are too pricey for me.

[John Powers]

I'll try that. I'd blame the machine but the wheels that came with it the gray medium and fine run straight and true. They just have a thin plastic liner in the hole. Right now I'm sticking with the stock fine wheel. thanks

[Bruce Wrenn]

Lowes and others have 1//2" ID X 1" OD nylon bushings, that are 1/2" thick. I use thes when building a homemade grinder.