Tungsten grinder

Sure.

$15 yard sale grinder not powerful enough for real work.

I use a medium/course silicon carbide green wheel for roughing and a medium/fine (120) aluminum oxide wheel for final grinding.

Had to make a new side guard.

Nothing touches this grinder except my tungstens. If I have a blob of metal contaminating the tunsten, that gets ground off on the belt grinder first. Belt grinder is also great for roughing the point in.

The one special thing I did on this grinder was to install one of those "one-way" balancing systems that Lee Valley sells. It was expensive, but I can balance a nickel on the grinder while I turn it on and its still there after the wheels stop turning. This along with a good dressing wheel makes it easier to grind tunstens.

Jeff Dantzler Seattle, WA

Jeff, can you tell us some more about this balancing system? How does it work?

Grant

Grant Here is the web page

If you go down to the list of the three models, you'll see that the 1/2" one has "Instr" that you can click on to see the instructions. It's basically two screws with washers that you move to balance the wheel. Pretty neat idea. Too bad it costs so much. The balancing arbor would be easy for anyone to make up. But the part that attaches to the grinding wheel itself would be another matter.

Lane

The unit has a flange that grips the grinding wheel. It also serves to reduce the 1" hole in the wheel to the size of the spindle. Much more accurate than those little plastic rings they give you.

The flange has a "circular T-slot" so you can position weights (= bolt, nut wshers)around the circumfernce, much like balancing a car or motorcycle wheel.

It is kind of spendy, but it does work very well.

I think I had to machine 0.065" off the end of the flange to get it to work with my grinder.

On my big pedastal grinder, I rotate the wheel and dress to get it "good enough". On that grinder I don't do any kind of precision work--just ginding off burrs and using a wire wheel.

JLD

Here is a web page with a better description and pictures;

And from the manufacturer directly: I found very interesting, they have a copy of the instructions for a prior version: This version uses a series of threaded holes for the balancing screws rather than the sliding T-Slot system. This is a method that I can replicate with the tools I have.

Lane

I've been using the belt sander that I use for everything else for sharpening my tungstens. I'm relatively new to welding and have been wondering what I've been missing by not having a dedicated grinder for tungstens. How would I see the difference between using the belt sander and the system you describe?

Peter

I found another method of balancing grinding wheels, see Static Balancing of Grinding Wheels, you'll need to scroll down a little more than half way to see it.

Also very interesting to look through the other newsletters. as they are full of personal projects and shop aids and demonstrations; everything from CAD-CAM and metal casting, to items for the novice. Examples: how to polish and buff metal, make an electronic cutting tool offset indicator, and how to make piston rings for model engines. Anyhow, you get the idea, lots of information. Is anyone here a member?

Lane

Hobby weldors don't have to worry too much about their tungstens. The main enemy is non-ferrous metals like aluminum or copper, etc. These will embed in a grinding wheel and contaminate any tunsten that is used on the bad wheel. That's why I grind metal blobs off first on a belt sander.

I could probably get away with grinding clean steel and stainless on my "tungsten only" grinder without much problem. Other metals are another story.

A belt grinder would work just fine for sharpening tungstens. The main advantage of a wheel grinder is the availability of a rough wheel to point new tungstens (or salvage abused ones) and a finer wheel to put a nice finish on the point. My belt grinder only has one belt (grit) on at time and I'm lazy...

The goal is a *clean*, pointed tungsten with any grinding grooves running pointing at the tip and not in rings. I usually blunt the tip slightly. If I suspect any other gunk is on my tungsten or filler (or weldment), I wipe with acteone. For hobby purposes this is good enough. For nuclear power plants, there are strict codes and guidelines.

JLD

So to make one you just need a milling machine, small T-slot cutter big enough for a 1/4-28 nut, and a rotary table.

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And if you didn't use the diamond wheel to finish the tungstens and just used them as they came off the belt ginder, what would the effect be?

Peter

It wouldn't matter on heavy TIG welds, but on really thin sheet metal you need as smooth a surface as possible on the tungsten. It makes the arc smoother and more controllable.

Same reason you want any scratch lines going inline with the tungsten. Smoother arc.

Thank you.

Peter

Hey Guys,

Off to NAMES right now. Hope to see anyone from here that shows up. Just ask around for me, or have me paged.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

You grind aluminum on your grinding wheel? You bad boy!

Thanks Brian. Reminds me we looked for each other, unsuccessfully, at NAMES a couple of years ago. Paging is a good idea. Don't look for me this year. I'm going to a High School reunion.