mklotz70 belt sander build

[mklotz70]

Geez, do I get sidetracked too easily!!!! I've been looking at belt sanders for awhile now. Even ordered some plans. A good friend came over to play...I thought he wanted to start making his now too....so I thought we'd dive in. I probably would have waited, but oh well....I enjoy this stuff sooooooo much more than working on cars....even datsuns!!

 

 

I looked over a hand full of different designs and decided to change things up a bit. Most of the ones I came across are primarily used for knife making. I don't need to make any knives....got extras left over from pulling them out of my back at work!! :(

 

Time is short right now...need my sleep!! So...pics of the layout and start. We'll see if I actually get this finished or push it aside and add it to the list of unfinished projects! .....I'm pathetic!! ...but...it's a tool, so it has a pretty fair chance of being finished. I did already order belts for it :)

 

 

I picked up about $100 worth of metal...way more than I need, but I'm sure I'll use it at some point. I decided to go with 1.5"x60 belts instead of the 2"x72" ones that most of the plans call for. There were a couple of reasons, but I won't go into them now. The duct tape is my test belt :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll try to explain more as I go along, but this was mainly just to get it started.

Edited November 27, 2009 by mklotz70

[Skib]

lol building your own instead of buying one like everyone else... why am I not surprised :lol:

[mklotz70]

I'm sure it will be less than half the cost of a "built" one, but building it's much more fun :)

[fisch]

I love your obsessions Mike! Too fun!

[]2eDeYe]

Man, I need a bandsaw. Can't wait to see this come together :cool:

[slodat]

That's awesome. I want to make a 2x72 belt grinder. Beaumont Metal Works perfected a great design, in my opinion with their KMG Belt Grinder and its modular design with the roller or platen setup. I found a very good set of free drawings for this style design. I also came across some 2.25" dia aluminum bar at the scrap yard to make the 2" wheels.

 

Anyway, this is a project I've planned for some time and look forward to your creation Mike!!

[mklotz70]

I love your obsessions Mike! Too fun!

 

...uummm...it's to help make other car parts....ya....that's it...that's why I'm building it.... lol Actually...I'm guessing the '59 brackets will be easier to clean up on this setup :)

 

2eDeYe;235567'']Man, I need a bandsaw. Can't wait to see this come together :cool:

 

I'm sure you have a 4" grinder and a hacksaw.....get off your butt and get busy!! :)

 

That's awesome. I want to make a 2x72 belt grinder. Beaumont Metal Works perfected a great design, in my opinion with their KMG Belt Grinder and its modular design with the roller or platen setup. I found a very good set of free drawings for this style design. I also came across some 2.25" dia aluminum bar at the scrap yard to make the 2" wheels.

 

Anyway, this is a project I've planned for some time and look forward to your creation Mike!!

 

 

I've got those plans too. That's an awesome grinder!!! I also spent the money on the No Weld Grinder. It's a bolt-together clone of the KMG. Very nice unit, but there's no reason for me to not weld mine together.

 

As I got to looking at them, I decided I wanted a more compact unit. I don't have any space. For starters, I want the motor down below on the stand. That will save a good deal of space. I've ordered the 1.5"x 60" belts, but I think I'm going to make it to handle the 2"x72" belts as well. To absorb the extra foot of belt, the platen assy will only have to come out a few inches. With the mock up of the platen assy....I wanted a longer platen so that when I'm evening up the edge on a piece of plate, I can do a longer piece. I've got my other belt/disc sander and I use if for that quite a bit. So..I didn't want to lose too much of the length. Plus, making it longer like that, it took up a good deal of the belt. This unit will only be about 20" deep, which is actually smaller than the other belt sander. By having both the small and large radius wheels on there, I can sand a tight curve or a large, smooth curve. I'm going to make it so the platen comes out from behind the belt easily so I can have a soft belt for cleaning up tubing and such. I'm trying to get the most bang-for-the-buck without having to spend months designing/making/machining parts. Basically, I'm trying to incorporate the features of the others that I think will be used by me the most.

 

On the KMG unit, you have to switch between the small wheel, large wheel, and the platen unit. Mine will have all that going on at one time. On the No Weld site, a customer designed a setup like it. His rotates, I don't see the need. Plus, his sits at an angle, I wanted mine at 90deg so I could square the edge of the plates I grind.

 

Anyway....times a wastin'. Gonna see if I can get a bit more done. As I was checking out the site Slo posted, I got a idea for a slight mod....so I need to figure that out :)

[mklotz70]

Got a bit more done tonight. I kept having a hard time visualizing the placement of parts with regards to the width, so I started to mock things up a bit.

 

To get the smaller tube to slide in the bigger, I had to file the seam down a bit. I will make sure that the seam is in a certain place as it goes together...I'll explain why later.

 

The vertical piece that the 8" wheel rides on will get a hole through it, which will move it's placement to the left about 1.5". Couple of reasons for doing it this way....will probably make sense as it goes together.

 

The 8" wheel will get bored out and have some high speed bearings put in on either side. I'll also bore lightening holes in it to cut down some of the mass and then balance it.

 

The pocketed piece on the top will be the tensioner. I'll round the end of the support piece so that the horizontal piece will be able to pivot. One end will have the roller for tension and tracking, the other will have the spring pulling down on it.

 

Hopefully, more tomorrow night. I need to push through on it since I pushed the wgn aside to do this and the wgn pushed Mend aside....geez...anything to not work on cars!!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mklotz70]

Only progress tonight is that I ordered the bearings for, both the small and large idler pulleys and also the pillow blocks for the drive shaft.

[mklotz70]

Made some more progress today. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mklotz70]

Decided to tig weld everything ....just for the practice. I don't think I've turn the tig on in 8-9mo? The very last welds actually came out okay. I figure they'll hold together...it's not like these welds are on brakes or suspension :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mklotz70]

The last pic shows how the tensioner will be ablt to be extended upward to help handle longer belts.

 

 

 

 

[Cuts metal like mad]

Looks great Mike! Whats the total cost to build one of those things? (not counting your time) :D

[MAG58]

It's come to my attentention the US Special Forces have found themselves in need of a belt sander that is capable of withstanding bomb blasts, terrorists, Women, Nuclear attacks, and the Second coming of Christ. Expect contact on the contract shortly.

 

 

Looks good mike!

[mklotz70]

Thanks guys.

 

As for the hard costs....I'm not really keeping track and I'm not sure my cost will accurately reflect someone elses. I plan on turning the pulleys on the lathe. The pulleys and the motor are by far the biggest expense when building one of these grinders. Check the Beaumont Metalworks site. They sell all the parts. I'm pretty sure you'll be north of $500 pretty quickly. With all new pulleys, contact wheel and motor....pretty close to $750

 

But...so far, for my costs....I spent $100 on the metal, but I won't use anywhere near that much. The piece I'm going to use for the upright on the stand is a massive piece. I got if for free many years ago, but it would cost a chunk even at the .50 cent/lb price I got the other stuff at. It's got to be 60-80lbs by itself. The large wheel is from an dead caster thrown away at work. Same with some of the other pulleys. I'll have to modify them all to make them work. The motor...for now...is coming off of a industrial sewing machine setup that I bought a few years ago for $50. I'm still going to use the table, but I bought a servo motor to power the Adler....so the motor is pretty much a freebie. I'm guessing that I'll have to buy a decent 1.5-2hp unit for this to really work well. They seem to run from about $135(HF) to over $260. I'd put a used on in a heartbeat, but finding one is the challenge.

 

I've also got the bearings on order. They won't show up until next wed.....so I may have to put this off to the side for a bit. I got a couple extra bearings so that I can make a different large wheel and a different small wheel. They all came to $54 with shipping. The belts are in the $2-3ea range, depending on grit type.

 

So......since I'm able to modify some existing pieces, it's going to come out a lot cheaper for me than most other guys. If you have to buy the pulleys from Beaumont, I think I'd just buy the KMG grinder! :) For me...it's about the build. I'd still build my own even if it cost me a few bucks more :)

 

Here's some links check out. On the Beaumont page...check their vids. You'll want to look at their prices on the "drive and idler wheels" and "contact wheels" pages.

 

 

http://www.mickleyknives.com/html/no_weld_grinder.html

 

http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/grinder.html

 

....last item on page... http://www.dfoggknives.com/tools.htm

 

http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCKnifeMakingGrinders.htm

[mklotz70]

we need a couple more posts on here to make it flip pages!! :)

[]2eDeYe]

2eDeYe;235567'']Man, I need a bandsaw. Can't wait to see this come together :cool:

 

...and a mill, and a lathe, and a tig...

 

So can you point out any other tools besides a belt sander that I'm missing. :D

 

Those welds look sufficient :lol:

[mklotz70]

....other tools...such as......

 

.....LOL....started writing a list...holy crap would that take awhile!!!

 

I think it's time to go use some of those tools :)

[Rubberman]

Mike, your a master craftsman, I really enjoy watching and reading all of your work. Please keep it up, so I can learn something.

[mklotz70]

Thanks :)

 

What I really want to learn is how to afford that house in your avatar!!! :)

[mklotz70]

Progress today came in the form of working a deal for a 2.25hp treadmill motor for cheap! I'm going to try to get a second one, but at this point, the TM motor will get mounted onto my mill and give me variable speed. It's 2hp motor will go on the belt grinder....unless I can't reverse the TM mtr, ...in which case, the TM motor will go on the grinder :) Works out either way. If I can get another TM with a 2hp motor for cheap, they'll both get variable speed setups!!

 

I got side tracked on another project. It will be in the strut mod thread :)

[mklotz70]

Saturday after work, Paula and I picked up the treadmill. I plugged it in when I got home and the motor worked just fine. So, I set about stripping it down. I was thinking that I'd have to keep the touch panel control, but as I explain in the second vid, I won't need it after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a couple of vids :) Hopefully, it has enough torque. If it does, this is going to make a sweet motor setup for the grinder!!!

 

 

[datrod]

Damn Mike, Do you ever get any sleep. :lol:

[mklotz70]

That's kinda funny.....at work, I sleep on every break and lunch!! I usually can't stay in bed more than about 6hr....arms start hurting. If I make it to 7hrs, everything hurts :( It's a lot less painful to be really tired and standing than trying to sleep for 9hrs. Now Paula on the other hand.....she can pull 10 with no prob....11-12 every now and then. :)

 

So do you think this motor will have the torque? It's certainly going to have the speed!!! I'm hoping to start on the pulleys and stand tomorrow. I need to get this done so I can get some car work finished.....remember....this grinder is a side track from the wgn...which is a side track from Mend.....which is a side track from the rest of my life!! :) I try to visit my life at least once a week.......whether I want to or not!! :)

[Bleach]

if its got the speed then all you need are low gear ratios. :)