Well I have finally started the ball to rolling on my grinder project. Have bought a 2 hp. Leeson TEFC DC motor and matching control. Have already rounded up the drive, idler and contact wheels. Bought the bearings for the shaft and have ordered the pullies. Currently I am having most of the grinder frame materials cut to size at a machine shop and should have it done soon I hope.
I'll post some pictures when I get it completed. Currently it looks like the total cost should be under $700 and over half of that was the motor. I got the motor off of ebay, found one that has been run about 1 hour and was able to get it for under $400 including the shipping.
Hope it works out like I have planned, if so it should do everything a Bader III will for less than half of the cost.
Mike

Mike,

Let us know how it turns out, with pictures preferably. I am working on one myself to complement my Grizzly.
BTW, I was going to bid on that motor until I noticed you had the high bid. So, just out of curiousity, how high would you have bid? I checked with Leeson and the motor alone is $1100 new.

Brett

Hey Brett,
I had also checked with Leeson and figured that the motor and controller would have been about $1300 or maybe a little more new, so I was willing to go to about $600 if someone had pushed it. I am sure and glad they didn't because now I have a little left over and I need a new bandsaw. I can't decide whether to buy the Harbor Freight model or add some to what I have and get a better one. Sears and Grizzley both have a 14 inch woodcutting bandsaw for about $340, and I was thinking of getting one of those and then changing the motor out and using the 2 hp dc treadmill motor that I bought from the Surplus Center a while back. That way I could just set the blade speed to match whatever material I am cutting.
What would you do?
Mike

I have both a 14" wood-cutting bandsaw, and a cheap metal cutting bandsaw, and I'm glad I do.

I have used the 14", with an old blade, to do friction cutting of steel bar stock- but the setup time is a killer. You really do have to change blades when you change materials, and I think that would apply in your case, too, Mike. Get em both if you can possibly afford it.

Well, since I already have 2 woodcutting bandsaws, a 14 inch and a smaller 10 inch, I guess I'll just get the Harbor Freigh Metal cutting saw.
Probably make a larger table for use in the vertical position and go from there.
Thanks for the input.
Mike

Mike,

I figured there was no sense making a fellow maker pay more, especially since I didn't want to go over $400. There are always good deals to be found, and I am looking for a 1.5 HP 90V DC model in particular.
Regarding the bandsaw, I agree with Don. Buy the HF. There really is no in between with metal cutting bandsaws, either the HF/Grizzly/Enco/JET (which are all the same) or $1000 plus. I have the HF, and after a little tweeking to keep the blade on, it works fine. I even use it to cut wood (hey, it's better than my alternatives at this time :D ).

Brett

Mike- take a look at the "Shop Tour" on my website (click the picture below). You will see what I did with the table on mine- basically stiffened and raised it. (No smart comments, thank you.) :)

Great idea Don, looks good.
As far as the smart comments go, I ain't no spring chicken myself.
Stiffening and raising things can be of somewhat great importance!!! :lol:

I have a cheap metal cutting bandsaw that cost less than $200 new. I had to modify it, but I'e been using it (hard) for over a decade now and still pushing. I use different blades for different materials. Bi-metal blades (from Texas Knifemaker's Supply) last much longer for blade steels.

I bought a 14" wood cutting bandsaw used for $50 last week and
slowed it down to cut metal works great.

Sounds pretty good to me. Welcome to the forums truk76.

Thank's Terry, Glad to be here.
Gary

Welcome truk!
Great deal on the saw.

Well it is almost done. Hopefully this weekend I'll have time to finish it and get some pics posted.
Mike

I'm looking forward to seeing them. I'll be at a show this weekend, but I'll check in on the forum in the evenings.

Well, I didn't get to work on it this weekend as I planned, but I did get a little more done. I'll post when it's finished.
Mike

Any progress on tha grinder? How about some pics?

Thanks,
Dave

Dave, I had them posted once in another post, but they were posted from a photopoint account and we all know what happened there.
Here are some pics of the grinder that I have on my web site server.
http://server102.hypermart.net/connerknives/grinder6.JPG

http://server102.hypermart.net/connerknives/grinder5.JPG

http://server102.hypermart.net/connerknives/grinder4.JPG

http://server102.hypermart.net/connerknives/grinder3.JPG

http://server102.hypermart.net/connerknives/grinder2.JPG

http://server102.hypermart.net/connerknives/grinder1.JPG

Hope this helps some.
Mike

Thanks, Mike. I ram working on a small dedicated finger groove grinder. The pics are a HUGE help. Thanks!

Dave

That looks like a nice machine.
Does it have a platten ?
Thanks for sharing.

Gene,
I have another arm with a flat platen for the grinder. The arm with the contact wheel just slips out of the front and the other with the platen slips in it's place. Takes about 30 seconds to make the change, Works great.
Mike

Sounds awsome, Mike.