Bench grinder

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Nothing naughty about recommending a decent piece of kit. Metabo stuff is genuine German quality not German-badged Chinese stuff. Clarke is bottom-end quality and at £25 for a grinder and two silicone carbide wheels you can be thankful it even spins.

People have already pointed out the cause of the problem and the solution. Budget grinders have tiny shoulders on the shaft and cheap stamped-out side plates that have holes with too much clearance on the shaft and not enough bearing on the tiny shoulder. You CAN mount a wheel running true with them but you'll grow a beard trying. Get some scrap plate in your lathe and turn some thicker side plates that fit closely on the shaft and hence hold the wheels square or do what many including myself have done and turn a 1-1/4" hub with plate integrated that goes on the shaft and take advantage of the superior range of surface grinder wheels out there.

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Most of the cheapo Bench grinders are not 'fit for purpose', If they were constantly rejected by the consumer the manufacturers might up their game.

Tony

[brian jones 11Participant @brianjones11]

If I had known now with gifted hindsight I would never have meddled with my grinder

Hence my warning to other members, its seems many have had similar experiences

It seems the ultimate answer proposed is to pay 10x price and buy german quality (no argument there if you can afford it)

I wonder if the same rule of thumb applies to all those lathes and millers advertised in MEW and if members have similar caveats from their experiences (like dont ever unscrew the chuck?)

I saw one account where a user was checking his new 160mm 3 jaw chuck and was amazed when he clamped up the test bar to find the he could slip feeler gauges in the front portion of the jaws (several thou or so) indicating a bell mouth – I wont go on to the travesty that ensued. 3 jaws that dont clamp up properly – I am so naive I took this fro granted

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Pete Rimmer on 23/07/2021 20:49:14:

Nothing naughty about recommending a decent piece of kit. Metabo stuff is genuine German quality not German-badged Chinese stuff. […]

.

Perhaps not entirely true, Pete: My angle grinder was made in China, but I am happy that it was made to Metabo’s quality requirements. It lacks some finesse, but it’s a very capable performer.

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MichaelG.

[Pete.Participant @pete-2]

Brian, have you actually tried any of the free fixes people have explained to you here?

[brian jones 11Participant @brianjones11]

Posted by Pete. on 23/07/2021 22:41:30:

Brian, have you actually tried any of the free fixes people have explained to you here?

I am working on a cunning plan as we speak but its too hot in my shed and I got swarf in my Speedos

[brian jones 11Participant @brianjones11]

Well Myfordians

Stand back from success

I followed the inside info and mounted the grinder vertically as I explained above. I was easily able to set the wheel square on the shaft using a dti (you are right the shoulder to located the washers is ca 1mm, pitifully small and shabby) I checked the washers were flat on my surface plate using emery paper to check for high spots. I then reassembled it all with Bodger Blue 253 and left over night. you dont tighten the wheel above hand tight

It was then bolted onto a reworked and stiffened work bench

and bingo it spun up without a murmur (though the new wheel needs dressing of course – trivial matter with my RDG Diamond Tee

BTW i was as usual irritated with the enormous number of duplicate listings on EB for said tee bars and RDGs offering didnt show up at all. But I followed MEW advice to buy from a known uk seller at least they wont knowingly try to sell you rubbish and they refund when things dont work

Ive had bad experiences buying so called diamond drills, discs etc on EB, they dont seem to last 5 mins and are obviously fake

So I hope this helps anyone else caught out like I was

[brian jones 11Participant @brianjones11]

Well this is embarrassing

I bought an old Warco 8" beast off Gumtree years ago £20 it sat in the corner used for sharpening garden tools and fitted with a buffing wheel (6" grinders useless for this)

So I decided I was on a roll and would resurrect the beast 3/4 hp and so put it alongside my delinquent cheap charlie grinder. I resolved to put back the original 60g wheel and to my surprise this is what I saw

I hope you can see the enormous difference in the way the wheel is held on to the shaft, chalk and cheese doesnt begin to cover it. My cheap charlie is even nastier than I thought

Suffice to say the wheel slipped on snugly and spun up with barely a murmur , you could stand a coin on it

I then gave it a touch with my trusty diamond tee (how can your live without one of those?)

The original coarse wheel is a bit rough but it certainly shifts metal

I am ashamed at how much time I wasted on Cheap Charlie

Course a new Warco costs ca £200, but if you want a serious workshop you gotta buy the real gear not PRC knock offs. I daresay this board is littered with members who have been burnt. I for one am certainly learning my lessons from this board

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