Grinder Mods

I purchased an Ohio Forge brand grinder from Home Depot for around $40. I has worked fine for grinding lathe tools and other shop tasks, but I have made a few modifications to improve it.

I made a pedestal stand from a length of 4x4 pressure treated lumber and some 2x3s. It is mounted on wheels since my shop is getting pretty crowded. A small bracket supports a cup of water for cooling the item being ground.

Grinder Exhaust Pipe#

I added an exhaust pipe made from 1 1/2" PVC pipe. The exhaust directs most of the grinding dust down into a bucket which contains an inch or two of water to trap the dust and grit.

This addition really helps keep the crud out of my lungs, but I still wear an industrial type dust mask if I am doing heavy grinding - such as grinding a parting tool for the lathe.

The attachment of the exhaust pipe is kinda ugly - it is made from some 3/8" aluminum bracket, I piece of 1/2" aluminum plate milled by the cut-and-try method to fit the square port on the wheel cover and some epoxy to hold things together and fill in any holes around the edge of the pipe.

I wasn’t real happy with the cast aluminum tool support that came with the grinder, so I made a replacement out of aluminum plate and a block of aluminum.

Diamond Tip Dressing Tool#

Also visible in the picture is the tip of a diamond wheel-dressing tool and a guide ring I made on the lathe. The guide ring sets the depth at which the dressing tool contacts the wheel.

By moving the dressing tool back and forth while the wheel is running at speed I can get a nice flat face on the wheel. With use, the grinding wheel gets clogged with metal particles and the cutting face of the wheel becomes ineffective.

The dressing tool quickly brings it back to life. Years ago I had a dressing tool that used a bunch of hardened metal wheels. I like the diamond tool much better.

It cost about $15 from Enco.