rockdewd
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2007
Posts: 605
|
Post by rockdewd on Feb 24, 2008 12:30:19 GMT -5
I've been futzing around coming up with an idea of how to supply water to my 8" Star Diamond grinder. I originally had it hooked to a garden house which I drill a hole in my garage wall and fed it too. The local mice would chew through the hose and get in the garage and eat the dog food. I was on the phone with my cousin and she mentioned that she uses a bucket with a water pump in it. That's the solution! A bucket. So off to home depot to search for a fitting. I came up with a brass fitting the would work and it had a compression fitting that attached to the plastic ice maker water hose I was using and it was made to attach to 1/2 pipe so it made for a wider surface to fit tight against the inside of the bucket and seal. So I drilled a hole in a 5-gallon bucket and used some Permatex gasket goo and screwed the fitting tight while tightening the seal on the ice maker water supply hose. So here's my $4 water supply solution:  Rick |
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Feb 24, 2008 13:47:40 GMT -5
That outta work and the price sure was right! Does the gravity feed supply enough water flow? I have a pump system and can only open my water valves a small way because the pump can give me more water than I need (kinda like your garden hose must have!). Maybe some grease on the hose would have slowed the mice down  I assume it drains into another bucket like mine do. A guy here in town uses my pump system, but he has the pump IN the drain bucket so the water just circulates and he only has to replace what evaporates. He has the pump up on a brick or block so that it is not down in the crap coming out of his machine drains and doesn't pick up anything other than water. |
|
adrian65
Cave Dweller 
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,759
|
Post by adrian65 on Feb 25, 2008 3:06:09 GMT -5
Very simple idea, but don't you have any valve on that pipe? what if you want to stop the water?
About the recirculating water, I was always affraid of contamination, especially in the fine grinding/prepolishing stages.
Adrian
|
|
rockdewd
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2007
Posts: 605
|
Post by rockdewd on Feb 25, 2008 13:52:57 GMT -5
I have a valve on the hose behind the cabinet that you can't see in the photo. Also, there are three brass valves visible on the top of the cabinet toward the back. Those control the flow to the individual wheels.
I seem to have pressure enough to run all three wheels but only use one at a time. The bucket is down to about 1/2 full and I still have enough pressure. I want to run it down all the way to see how it works.
I have a hole in the wall that I have the drain hose running out of my garage. I packed steel wool around the hose so hopefully the mice will leave it alone. If not I may need to get a garage cat.
I don't like the recirculating idea either. That's one thing with the Diamond Pacific Genies. Titans, and Pixies. The water comes out of one or two trays with a spitter that runs on air splashing water on the wheels. You have to keep the air pump that runs off the motor shaft oiled or it will dry out and stop working. I like to keep things simple and as maintenance free as possible.
Rick
|
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on Feb 26, 2008 16:18:03 GMT -5
Can I flat rate you one of my cats?
|
|
|
|
Post by stardiamond on Feb 26, 2008 18:37:01 GMT -5
I bashed a hole in my star diamond beast so I could slide in a genie tray. I use a couple recycling water emitters to keep the wheels wet. I shape the cab with the 80,220, 200 nova and then dome the cab with the same 3 wheels. I then dump the dirty water, clean the tray and refill the tray. I then use the 600 and 1200 wheels. Next, I dump the water clean the tray and refill the tray for the 3,000 and 14,000. I haven't had any contamination problems. When I use diamond paste, I wipe off the 50,000 from the cabs using the front of my shirt and the 100,000 from the cabs using the back of my shirt. I use three emitters under each 8" wheel because of the wheels size and the emmiters output. I just ordered a new emitter from eloxite.  Wheel Wetter by Lapcraft - An easy, low-cost coolant/lubricating system for your grinding and sanding machine. Just submerge the solid aluminum pulsor in your collant trough, plug it in, and the pulsor will spray collant on whichever wheel it's under. |
|
rockdewd
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2007
Posts: 605
|
Post by rockdewd on Feb 28, 2008 20:43:44 GMT -5
OK, my $4 gravity feed water supply lost serious pressure when the water level got below half. It wouldn't keep one whole wheel wet.
So now I have a $9.99 water feed supply. I went to Harbor Freight and bought one of those 66 GPH submersible fountain pumps. As luck would have it the plastic ice maker water supply tubing fit snugly inside the outlet tube of the pump. A different bucket is in the same place and the water supply tubng comes out of the top and right to the valve in the back.
66 GPH is enough water to run all three feeds at once, but I only run one at a time to keep me from refilling the bucket all the time. One thing I plan on adding is an outlet controlled by the same switch that turns the grinder motor on so I won't have to mess with plugging and unplugging the pump.
Rick
|
|
adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,759
|
Post by adrian65 on Mar 4, 2008 0:43:07 GMT -5
As an alternative solution, you could have placed the water bucket somewhere upper - about 3...4 feet (if you have enough space for this). This way the water pressure would had been more constant.
Adrian
|
|
|
|
Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Mar 4, 2008 4:10:58 GMT -5
Just what I was going to say.
Jack
Yorkshire UK
|
|
rockdewd
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2007
Posts: 605
|
Post by rockdewd on Mar 4, 2008 11:05:11 GMT -5
I thought of that but the thought of lifting a 5-gallon bucket above my head gave me visions of the 3 Stooges. I would probably end up all wet and stumbling around with a bucket on one foot. The pump is working out really well now that I have the power to the pump running off the same switch that controls the grinder motor.  The pump in the bucket. $9.95 at Harbor Freight 66 GPH.  Power switch controlling grinder motor and pump.  |
|
|
|
Post by rocklicker on Mar 26, 2008 19:44:19 GMT -5
Nice setup. I saw your bucket-on-some-bricks and imagined what it would look like coming down. One earthquake and it's in your lap! Glad to hear the pump is strong enough.
I use a pump also and make sure not to reuse the water. I have a feed bucket and a drain bucket and when the drain one is full I dump it. I used to recycle the water and noticed a difference in my cabs. Not a big difference, but enough. I don't know how much water you use, but I found that it takes the better part of a day to fill up the drain bucket. That way you won't have a FRB with a cat in it coming from John ;D
Steve
|
|
|
|
Post by rocklicker on Mar 26, 2008 19:44:47 GMT -5
Oh yeah, take a look:  |
|
rockdewd
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2007
Posts: 605
|
Post by rockdewd on Mar 26, 2008 21:26:41 GMT -5
I removed the blocks from under the bucket and have it sitting on the same level as the grinder. I agree it was an accident waiting to happen. It's easier to fill that way and the water pressure is good. 5 gallons lasts me about 4 hours of cutting.
Rocklicker, Nicely organized set up.
Thanks for the input everyone!
Rick
|
|
