Oneway Grinding Wheel balancer

[Wayne Boian]

Has anyone here had any experience with using the Oneway MFG Grinding Wheel Balancer?

How well do they work and are they really needed for a good sharp tool.

Thanks

Wayne

[Ron McKinley]

I used them on my 8" Chinese "rice grinder" about a month ago and it made a huge difference. Now my tools aren't bounced around on the wheels and I get a much better finish grind. Only drawback is when I turn the machine off the wheels coast all the way into next week!

[Steve Trauthwein]

What Ron said. Sometimes I am at the wheel to sharpen again before it stops. The only caveat with the balancing system is it can take some fudging to get a wheel balanced, then once you have it balanced you have to mount it and face off the front of the wheel and take it off and balance it again. Well worth the effort. If you think your grinder is the problem you can find out by running it without wheels, it will probably be dead smooth.

Regards, Steve

[Jim Becker]

I'd never go back to not having the balancing system. HUGE difference in performance as well as wheel life. Combine the balancing system with really good wheels and you can take a run-of-the-mill grinder like my 8" Tradesman and turn it into a superstar... (I'm running Norton 3X wheels in 60 and 100 grit...also wonderful)

[Ken Garlock]

Jim, I have a question. What is the cause of the out of balance problem?

Is the abrasive not uniform throughout, or is that it is nearly impossible to center the wheel on the shaft using those little plastic spacers?

I have found that I can do an acceptable job using my diamond dressing tool to bring the grinding surface into round. But, if I ever remove the wheel and put it back, I have to use the dressing tool to regain a round surface. I tend to think that we are paying good money for a "by the way" solution when shimming the wheel holes down from 3/4 to 1/2 inches.

Simply put, we should not have to tune the wheel to the motor shaft. The maker should do the job prior to the wheel leaving the factory. That includes providing shims that have a snug fit.

My grinder is a Baldor 1800 RPM.

[Jim Becker]

Ken, no wheel is going to be of perfect density all the way around. The balancing system takes care of that which results in the wheel both running true, but also reduces the need to dress it round very often to circumvent the effects of uneven wear.

While I agree that we shouldn't "have" to deal with balancing after the fact, the reality is that grinding wheels are what they are. And it's not just the dubious quality/precision of some of the bushings, either. It's in the stone, itself.

I actually had one older wheel that even the OneWay balancer couldn't fix...it went in the trash. The Norton 3x wheels I'm running now were "close" but not perfect. And they are premium wheels.

[Ken Garlock]

OK Jim, I can accept you explanation. Like many things, the cost of a "making it right" grinding wheel out weighs the benefit to the manufacturer.

My last comment on the subject is that everyone that has a grinder needs a diamond dressing tool to deglaze the grinding surface.

[Bruce Page]

I just received my Oneway wheel balance system from LV last week. It virtually eliminated wheel vibration on my Delta 8” grinder. I highly recommend it.

[Jim Becker]

Oh, I forgot to mention that one of the things that the balancing system does is eliminate those cheap plastic bushings for the most part. The replacement "hub" is precision machined. The actual balancing adjustments are icing on that cake!

[Wayne Boian]

Jim,
Does the balancing system stay on the wheel, or can you balance more then one wheel with the system?

Wayne

[Jim Becker]

Wayne, the balancing system stays on the wheels and the kit includes two sets. I believe you can buy more hubs if you want to have one or more additional wheels prepared and ready to go for some special reason.

[Wayne Boian]

Jim,
Thanks for the info,.
That helps a lot.

Wayne

[Dick Strauss]

Wayne,
I've heard very good things about the balancing system. The only drawback (besides price) is that your wheels must have a 1" hole in them. My buddy wanted to order the system but decided not to since he would have to replace all of his wheels. We made a homemade version for him using 3" washers instead.