remedy for excessive bench grinder vibration? Success!

[Tom Boehm]

My bench grinder is about a 20 year old Craftsman made in china. I am tired of tolerating the excessive vibration. It is almost unuseable. You Tube videos suggest the problem is the wheels are out of balance. The balancing process is trial and error and takes time. The devices to help balance the wheels cost as much as a new grinder. What is the solution?

1. New grinder? will a better quality grinder come balanced out of the box? Is that a Dewalt or a Baldor? or whatever?

2.New Wheels? Do better quality wheels (Norton?) come pre balanced ready to install? Is there a solution to make this Craftsman smooth?

 

I never thought there was this much tuning involved in a simple bench grinder. Do they all need to be balanced? For a long time I just assumed mine was low quality. 

 

Not specifically a car question but I know others have dealt with this. 

 

Edited September 11, 2022 by Tom Boehm (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

Try taking off the grind stones. If it still vibrates it's the machine, if not it's the stones. If it is the stones you can replace them or maybe balance them.

It could be the bearings are worn out, is there any movement if you grab the stone and give it a shake?

 

I have been using the same cheap Chinese grinder for 15 years with no problem. But I go easy with it and dress the stones from time to time. It never got out of balance.

 

How much is a new cheap grinder? If you got 20 years out of the old one it doesn't owe you much.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[Layden B]

Wheels often wear out of balance. If it is the wheels, try dressing them to return them to circular and concentric to the shaft. This will also remove imbedded material which will affect balance.

[Bhigdog]

I put up with a p.o.s. grinder like that until i had enough. I bought a Metabo 8" grinder. Pricy but runs smooth and quiet.......bob

[Larry Schramm]

Agree with running the grinder with and without the grinding wheels.  If off and no vibration, then bad grinding stones.  If you are using grinding stones from HF, then throw them away and get some good ones from a hardware store or one of the big box stores.

 

I had the same problem and did as I described above and fixed the vibration.  I think I purchased Black & Decker grinding wheels.

Edited August 21, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[JFranklin]

This brings memories of a photo I saw once, I think in Ripleys Believe it or not, of a man that lived after a grinding stone broke and imbedded itself in his forehead!

[Tom Boehm]

I decided to try to fix the grinder I have. I ordered new Norton Gemini grinding wheels. I also watched several Youtube videos on this subject where the problem with low end grinders is diagnosed as the wheel not being supported enough by the stamped steel flanges. These are the large dish shaped washers on both sides of the grinding wheel. The remedy is a set of thicker machined aluminum flanges that hold the grinding wheels perpendicular to the shaft. I ordered a set of these. I will report back in a week or two if this worked. 

 

 

[Frank DuVal]

10 hours ago, JFranklin said:

This brings memories of a photo I saw once, I think in Ripleys Believe it or not, of a man that lived after a grinding stone broke and imbedded itself in his forehead!

A local story ten or so years ago was a guy in Colonial Beach that had a grinding wheel break and put a chunk in his throat. He tried giving himself a tracheotomy before he died. It was an angle grinder, not a bench grinder. Watch for cracks!

[Ronnie]

Everyone with a bench grinder should learn how to ring test a grinding wheel for cracks before installing it, learn the proper way to dress the wheel, and adjust the tool rest the correct distance from the wheel after dressing the wheel. Many grinder accidents happen because the tool rest is out of adjustment or someone has been grinding aluminum on it and loaded up the wheel.

[Rusty_OToole]

If you ever saw a grindstone or grinding disc blow up you would have a lot of respect for them. See a broken disc embedded 2 inches into a wall and imagine that was your face. I'm pretty careful with mine, don't rev them if they vibrate and keep my face out of the plane of the disc. Keep the speed of a disc grinder down by blipping the switch when doing difficult work. Have never had an accident or injury .

[dodge28]

You have all the answers here. I am pretty sure you do not have wheel dresser. You need to dress the wheel often.

[Tom Boehm]

Yes the old wheels needed to be dressed. I just ordered better quality Norton (hopefully) wheels. I replaced the wheels a few years back but it did not get rid of all the vibration. I got the new machined flanges but the wheels are backordered. I'll report on if this is successful in a few weeks. 

[Tom Boehm]

Success!   I got rid of the vibration in a cheap Craftsman bench grinder. I installed better quality Norton grinding wheels. I also installed a new higher precision machined aluminum bushing /flange set. The stamped steel washers that come with cheap grinders do not hold the wheel perpendicular to the shaft. The plastic bushings that come with the wheels to adapt them to all shaft sizes are not precision either and ensure that the wheels are off balance to begin with. This new set is a simple solution. Here is a link to them :

https://woodturnerscatalog.com/p/97/6196/raptor-R3X-Grinding-Wheel-Bushing-2-Piece-Set

 

I had to spend $40 plus shipping to make a cheap grinder work the way it should. 

 

 

[chistech]

We always dressed brand new wheels slightly to balance them. It’s makes a huge difference even in bran new wheels. The bushings on the shaft are never perfect as your dealing with a stone. They also need to be very tight to prevent movement after dressing.. yes, large, solid, machined washers are a must.

[1937hd45]

My bench grinder is older than I am, has been running just fine, Dad bought good stuff, they also made good stuff here back then. 

[42319DB34]

There is a YouTube video outlining the steps needed to solve the problem 

quite informative …