wg1957
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2008
Posts: 11
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Post by wg1957 on Dec 25, 2011 23:27:06 GMT -5
ever used a bench grinder to work on the rocks? I received a bench grinder for Christmas with an 8 inch diamond wheel wondering if it has been tried before
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 25, 2011 23:36:18 GMT -5
My first home made lapidary grinder was a converted bench grinder with home made pans and hoods. Two things you have to watch for are the grinders speed, and is the motor fully enclosed. Anything over 1725 RPM's and you run the chance of your wheels self destructing.
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Post by Roller on Dec 26, 2011 1:27:28 GMT -5
i thought about it ! but then you realize its not worth your life !
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2011 11:38:49 GMT -5
If the diamond wheel came with the grinder from the manufacturer it will be matched to the speed of the grinder so their should be no problem with using it for stone. A wheel bought separately would have to be matched to the speed like Jake said. If you are going to run it dry you are going to have dust and heat problems which you need to take care of by wearing a respirator and working very slow so the heat does not build up and fracture the stone. If you set it up to run wet you will need to be extra careful about isolating the motor from the water which is what Jake was talking about the motor being open or closed. An open motor can be use but you have to go to extreme measures to keep the water out of it. If you post a photo of the grinder we could tell you a little more accurately whether it can be used or not. I understand the itch to get started with the stones and how a person will try anything to get there but caution needs to be used to prevent injury. A lot of the people on here have a limited budget and they have put together some pretty strange things to get the job done. And most of them work to some degree or another. Jim
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 26, 2011 16:09:54 GMT -5
Most of my fossils are done on a grinding wheel...............Lose a few once in awhile!!!
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Dec 28, 2011 0:24:59 GMT -5
I don't know if you mean to use the wheel that came with the grinder or not, but I suspect that "dry" bench grinder wheels are not made to be used wet, and cannot or should not be used that way. Certainly at least some "dry" wheels shouldn't be used wet.
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rockdude
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2008
Posts: 187
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Post by rockdude on Dec 28, 2011 6:16:31 GMT -5
First, use a GFCI and second expect the grit/water to ruin the motor pretty quick, but you might get a few things done in the mean time.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Dec 28, 2011 8:13:35 GMT -5
Motor speed is important. Usually a crafty person can fabricate shields and pans to isolate the water. If you do run the wheels wet make sure to spin dry them as they can shatter upon restart if not properly dried (mainly a concern with SiC but it does not cost much to be extra careful)
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Post by Bikerrandy on Dec 28, 2011 22:54:22 GMT -5
You don't need to run it wet and speed is somewhat important but not really as long as it doesn't go over the recommendation printed on the wheel. All you need is a silicon carbide wheel for lapidary use, you can run it on any bench grinder. I did it for three years, no problems. Just be sure to keep the stone that you're grinding moving at all times to avoid getting the stone too hot. (you'll definitely feel it, the stone will burn you). If the stone gets too hot, it can fracture. Also, you don't want to do any dry grinding indoors because the dust is toxic and can cause silicosis. Even outdoors, I recommend wearing a mask. Silicon carbide wheels are fairly inexpensive, here's some at the bottom of this page..... www.covington-engineering.com/grinding_wheels.htm
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