Belt split!

I was shaping some aluminum last night and the 120 grit Schroder belt I was using literally seperated in the middle and whipped off! I heard a loud snapping tear and jumped out of my shop (it's small ) when it hit the fan.

I turned around and saw half the belt on the ginder, the other on the bench, crazy!

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp I just had my first belt breakage on a big grinder the other day when a small piece of a fitting fell in-between the wheel and the belt. I jumped back about ten feet.

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp I am very happy to report I quelled the urge to try and grab the fitting as I saw it going in there though...

.....I remember when I started my grinder for the first time.....the tracking was way off and the belt got up in the 2800rpm when it skated of the grinder and headed for the door......not much damage to be done though because of the low weight....it is worse to hit those edges of the belts with your fingers...ouch...and then pour in some alcohol while cleaning some blades....yikes...ofcourse this has not happend to me....

But, of course...I've heard lighter grit doesn't hurt much, either.

I cut into the edge of a 60 grit belt on my small grinder a while back. Had a piece of belt whipping around hitting me in the nose. I now where my full face guard while grinding. Gave me a nice scab on the tip of my nose for the Or. show.
Jon

Ya Tom,
By the time you get to 600 grit, you can hardly tell something knocked you accross the shop!
NO-.....The big grits just HURT "more".

I remember years ago, when I had a 36 grit belt break.
Given my location, speed of the belt when it broke(1/2 way),
I estimate that I was slapped 126 times before I could move out if the way.
We have a phrase in Texas about being ,"WHOOPED", but NEVER have I been whooped like that.

It looked like I fell off my motorcycle, rasberries-EVERYWHERE!.(no skin-scabs).

If you ever turn your grinder on and it makes a tick, tick, tick, sound---,TURN IT OFF, as quick as possible.
(That tick, is a loose end slapping)

As Elmer Fudd says,"Be vewy, vewy cawful, boys and girls.

I have a "cone lock" grinder among others. It's a big wheel that is hinged in the center and opens up, exposing opposing jaws with teeth to hold the belt. You lay the belt in and affix to the teeth on one side, then wrap it around the outside of the wheel and then affix to the other teeth. Then you close the wheel a lock the jaws together with the cone lock which comes in from the side and is held firm by a large nut. The wheel turns towards the operator (me in this case) at about 1700 rpm.

One night I was grinding on a blade (pre-Neo-Tribal days,) when all of a sudden the belt (60 grit) tore at one set of the teeth, thus turning the machine into a 1700 rpm, 60 grit flail with about a 3 ft long sanding belt whip doing its bidding. It sounded like a helicopter was landing in the shop and I was hit a number of times before I even realized what had happened (at 1700rpm, thats about 28 + revolutions per second). My reaction time was pretty quick, but not quick enough to prevent the belt from cutting through a denim shirt, t-shirt and ever how many layers of skin my body sports in several different locations. I had to get a broom stick and crawl in from the side to turn it off. I limped out of the shop, looking like I had just kicked a sleeping jaguar, who upon awakening, had no sense of humor at all regarding my actions, and had decided to make me pay for my recklessness. Machines, like jaguars, have no sense of humor whatsoever.

Dana, you weave a story together like no other! I keep picturing you reaching in with that broom stick...

Dana,

You have me rolling with that story!

Craig