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Thread: 2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)

  1. #1
    Supporting Member bobs409's Avatar
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    2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)

    It's big, it's BLUE and it has an appetite for ferrous metal! It's the Metal Muncher! (sorry, I had to)

    2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-1g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-2g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-3g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-4g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-5g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-6g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-7g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-8g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-9g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-10g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-11g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-12g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-13g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-14g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-15g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-16g.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-17g.jpg

    Thought I'd never get this done! I've been working on this since March 1st and putting in some long days to get here! It's been a ton of fun but a heck of a lot of hard work too! It's also the most expensive project I've ever built but considering commercial belt grinders of this quality run $2,500 - $3,000 that does take some of the sting away. (Sorry, I have not added everything up yet)

    This is a 2 x 72 Belt Grinder built from plans that I purchased online and while I kept mostly to the specs, I did make a few tweaks here and there. Will be making modifications and upgrades as I see the need.

    Like most things in my life, I like to do as much myself as possible. I opted to make my own wheels instead of buying them. I already had the 2 & 3 inch round aluminum stock and the bearings so a quick search on ebay turned up the 7 inch slab I needed for the drive wheel. Let me tell ya, working with a 7 inch chunk in a 6 x 4 band saw and a 7 x 16 metal lathe does present some difficulties but I eventually won the battle. To do it over, I would just buy the drive wheel already made, it was the most challenging. I didn't save any money on that one but I guess I got some good experience and bragging rights anyway.

    I made all my own knobs. The material I had already and this way I got to create my own design. All made from 6061 aluminum stock.

    I did go with the 2HP Ironhorse motor that was suggested in the plans but found a VFD that was about $100 cheaper than the one they used. I'm really happy with the WEG VFD that I chose, it's crazy customizable!

    To keep the VFD which is the most valuable part out of the dust, I mounted it under the shelf to the rear. I made a seperate control panel and all controls are up top at fingers reach. It has Forward & Reverse as well as speed control.

    This unit works both vertical and horizontal and is STRONG!!! It's also very heavy but that's a good thing in belt grinders. lol

    The cart (not part of the plans) I designed myself and I kept it as small as possible due to space limitations. (I need a bigger garage!!)

    It's made of 2 inch & 1.5 inch 16ga tube and has heavy duty rubber front casters and solid 10 inch rubber rear tires.

    Since I needed a place to store my small shop vac anyway, this was the perfect place for it! I will most likely add some type of dust control to the belt grinder so I'm half way there already. I designed this so I can very easily pull the vacuum out for jobs around the garage and cleaning my cars.



    Specifications:

    Verticle / Horizontal sanding positions
    Forward / Reverse / Adjustable speed
    VFD: Weg CFW-300
    Motor: Ironhorse 2HP AC Induction 220 volt 3 phase motor 3600rpm, 5/8 keyed shaft
    Switch panel: I designed and fabricated the control box myself and used some switches I had on hand and a few I bought on ebay for this project.
    7" x 2-3/4" inch drive wheel.
    3" x 2-3/4" tracking wheel with a 1 degree crown.
    2" x 2-1/2" platen wheels.
    Bearings: R8ZZ
    Hardware: Grade 8
    Graphics: I did all the vinyl graphics myself using a Cricut cutting machine.
    Colors: Deep Gloss Blue Rustoleum, Metallic Black Rustoleum, Hammered Silver Rustoleum and Flat Aluminum.
    Weight: HEAVY!

    Future plans:

    Adding a 12 inch rubber contact wheel that can used instead of the flat platen.
    Some form of dust collection (although this will only be used outside my garage)
    A water tank to dip parts when they get too hot to hold.
    A surface grinder attachment that I will build myself in the near future.
    Small wheel attachment.
    Radius attachment.

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    Last edited by bobs409; Apr 11, 2020 at 04:56 AM.

  2. The Following 12 Users Say Thank You to bobs409 For This Useful Post:

    baja (Apr 9, 2020), Duke_of_URL (Apr 8, 2020), JoeH (Apr 8, 2020), Jon (Apr 9, 2020), Moby Duck (Apr 7, 2020), Mrmojo112 (Sep 6, 2022), nova_robotics (Nov 10, 2023), Paul Jones (Apr 6, 2020), Right Hands (Apr 7, 2020), Slim-123 (Apr 14, 2020), Tuomas (Apr 16, 2020), Z2V (Apr 13, 2020)

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    Thanks bobs409! We've added your 2X72 Belt Grinder to our Belt Sanders and Grinders category,
    as well as to your builder page: bobs409's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:




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    bobs409 (Apr 4, 2020), Mrmojo112 (Sep 6, 2022)

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    Supporting Member Paul Jones's Avatar
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    Very good work and great photos. Using a 7X16 lathe for this type of work can be a challenge but you did make it work.
    Regards, Paul Jones

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    bobs409 (Apr 6, 2020)

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    Supporting Member bobs409's Avatar
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    Thanks Paul.

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    Paul Jones (Apr 7, 2020)

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    Supporting Member garage nut's Avatar
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    Very nice work.

    Any chance of some detail of how the tracking mechanism works. That is where my sander lets me down. It is not fine enough. Just a touch and the belt jumps off on the one side and a touch to the other side and it jumps off on that side. The top wheel on my sander has curved profile.

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    bobs409 (Apr 8, 2020)

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    Supporting Member bobs409's Avatar
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    Sure no problem. I made the tracking part based on one that is selling on ebay. (last pic below shows that one) It's just 2 pieces of 2" x 1/2" steel flat bar that I made into a hinge. (I used spring pins on mine, the ebay unit has a cap screw)

    The knob I made has a long threaded shaft that threads into the square tube and comes out the other side making contact with the hinge allowing it's pivot to be set. I have some medium duty thread locker on that so far keeps it where I leave it but if it becomes a problem I can add a lock ring under the knob.

    At first I had a minor problem with tracking but it was due to my platen wheels not being centered with the crown in the track wheel. I put a 1 degree crown in both the tracking wheel and the drive wheel.

    Gave it a good test the other day and the belt stayed centered nicely.

    I read somewhere that a lot of tracking problems come down to the tension on the belt. Maybe you need more. Be sure your wheels are all centered with each other too.

    Hope this helps!


    Bob

    2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3751.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3752.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3756.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-1.jpg

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    garage nut (Apr 8, 2020), Paul Jones (Apr 12, 2020), Tule (Apr 15, 2020)

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    Supporting Member jdurand's Avatar
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    Make sure your tension device is actually free to move. I got a Grizzly sander and they'd assembled it soon after painting the bits. On being pressed together the tension pivot was frozen in place.

    Worked much better after I sanded the paint flat on the mating surfaces.

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    garage nut (Apr 8, 2020)

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    First addition from my wish list is done!

    Just added a large 12 inch serrated rubber contact wheel attachment to the grinder. This is mounted on it's own pull out arm so no tools needed to swap it in place of the flat platen or other accessory.

    This is what would be used mostly for rough in / heavy work as it doesn't create the friction/heat that the flat platen does. For anything that needs a completely flat surface, I can make a pass using the platen attachment after hitting it with this wheel. This of course is also good at grinding curves into surfaces. (mostly used in knife making)

    Because of the tilting table, I can also grind beveled edges easily.

    2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3769.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3772.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3773.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3774.jpg2 x 72 inch Revolution Belt Grinder (aka The Metal Muncher!)-dscn3775.jpg

  16. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to bobs409 For This Useful Post:

    BrianW (Apr 14, 2020), Jon (Apr 17, 2020), Paul Jones (Apr 14, 2020), Tule (Apr 15, 2020)

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    Thanks bobs409! We've added your Belt Grinder Contact Wheel Modification to our Belt Sanders and Grinders category,
    as well as to your builder page: bobs409's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:




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    bobs409 (Apr 13, 2020)

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    Thanks bobs409! We've added your Belt Grinder Wheel Tracking Mechanism to our Belt Sanders and Grinders category,
    as well as to your builder page: bobs409's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:




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