Can anyone recommend a really good small bench grinder with solid controls and variable speed?

I am tired of the Harbor Freight cheapie as the controls do not sit where you dial them and it seems like there is no low end to speeds (RPMs) that often cause me to take off too much material. I am going to use for buffing with the 3" Unified Wheel and some grinding - all related to guide feet.

I see 3" and 6" out there but the 3' all appear to be the cheapies that I loathe. Do I need a 3" or a 6" if only using for guide feet? Will a 6" accommodate the 3" Unified Wheel OK?

Thanks,

Tony

wife got me a dremel 400 with some attachments that i use for working the feet , cork, etc. i'd give it my approval

Dremel Stylus 1100 ... cordless lithium-ion technology, great ergonomics and does a wonderful job.

[www.dremel.com]

Tony: Check your email.Sent you something you might be interested in.

<<<<DON>>>>
Fort Myers Fla.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2010 08:45PM by Donald Newenhouse.

Yup, Dremel's the way to go.

Tony,
Lose the grinder and get a sander:

[www.harborfreight.com]

Pick up a selection of sandpaper belts - ranging from 100 to 400 grit. Put on the grit that you need and sand away. For guide feet, I typically use about 220 grit, or sometimes 320.

Here is a possible source for sanding belts:
[www.amazon.com]



Another nice thing about using the belt sander, is that you can set the sander at right angles to you. That way, it makes it very easy to prep guide feet. I quick twist of the wrist and the guide is sanded.
Another neat thing about prepping guide feet like this with relatively fine paper is that it will leave slight sanding marks at right angles to the guide foot which really hold the thread wraps very nicely.

Once you start using a belt sander for prepping guide feet, I doubt that you will ever go back to a conventional grinder or a dremel tool.

In a word - it simply works very very well.

I have had this particular harbor freight sander for many years.

I also have several more 42 inch sanders in my handle turning shop that I use when working with cork.

Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2010 12:19AM by roger wilson.

p.s.
This bench top 1X30 inch sander is also a very nice small foot print. It is about 10 inches square, so it takes up very little bench space.
One thing that you want, if you pick up a sander is a good light. It is nice to have a bright light, right in the area where you are sanding.
I use a small 20 watt halogen desktop light that has a gooseneck on the light so that you can take the small light head and direct it where you need it for the best light on what you are sanding.

Something like this:

[www.amazon.com]

You can find lights like these in lots of places - stationary stores, big box stores, and don't discount good will and the salvation army.

I picked up about a dozen of these goose neck lights from the Good will for $1 each. These were actually brand new lights that didn't work. They had been turned in by one of the big box stores.
I bought a box of bulbs, replaced the halogen bulbs and they all worked just fine.


Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2010 10:51PM by roger wilson.

For prepping guide feet, a belt sander is hard to beat. Follow it with the special "unified wheel" sold by Bingham Ent. and you have a system that will prep and polish a guide foot in mere seconds.

..............

I use a combination belt sander/disc sander for prepping feet AND for shaping cork directly on the blank. It works like a dream.

I've been using a belt sander for about 5 years now, and wo'nt go back to files unless we have a power failure.

In addition to the previous comments, one of the things that I really appreciate about using a belt sander is the ability to use a tapered stick to hold the guide being prepped.

i.e. simply take a dowel, an old tapered artists brush handle or similar. In particular when working with some of the smaller guides, it is difficult to hold the guides securely while prepping the foot.

I will take a few different sized tapered sticks and have a tapered stick that will allow me to just slip the guide on the end of the tapered stick. Then, I trim the stick so that it only protrudes about 1/4 inch past the end of the stick.

Then, when prepping the guide foot, if necessary, the end of the stick may end up behind the rotating belt of the belt sander. No big deal, because with a vertical belt sander as shown above and using either just the belt itself or the thin backing plate of the sander, there is room behind the belt and or backing plate for a holding jig if needed.

Take care
Roger

I'll second the sander option, its so much easier to control what your doing and its far more versatile than a grinding wheel or hand grinder. Plus if what your grinding slips, a sander isn't likely to destroy what your working on.

I have an older model with a foot control, I can control the speed from about 5 rpm to full speed.

Thanks to all who replied. I do use a belt sander for prepping the guide, but I still want a small grinder to turn the unified wheel.

I've also got a belt sander I'd like to use but it's impossible, (at least I've found it impossible), to get 220 or 320 grit belts here in the UK.
Even Amazon dont list them here.
Phil