[Cartaire]

I am gearing up to build an -8, and have collected most of the tools that I think I will need. I bought a 6 inch bench grinder from Sears, and a 6 inch scotchbrite equivalent from Brown Tools (1 inch wide).

This disk doesnt fit on the grinder without backing off the tool rest screws and leaving off the end safety cover. Is this routine? It seems that even the "real" scotch brite wheels are 1" wide - and I don't see any designation that this grinder is a "special small" size. any thoughts?

Oh, and by the way...

anyone want to participate in a lend/lease/sale of a pneumatic squeezer?

Thanks, Carter in NC

 

[RV7Factory]

Carter,

I started with my tool rests and safety covers on, only to find they got in the way. I removed them, and I find it much easier to use now. I think you will probably find a large percentage of the builders operate theirs in the same manner.

Good luck!

Oh, on the squeezer... I started with a hand-squeezer and upgraded to pneumatic after a month or so. I LOVE IT! I don't know what I was thinking when I bought that hand-op-thingy.

 

[robertahegy]

I also took off the rest and guard on the scotchbrite side. You will find that you will manuever your parts all over that wheel to get them cleaned up. The guards and rests just get in the way.

Roberta

Pnuematic squeezers rule!!! Buy one.

 

[Jamie]

My cover wouldn't fit either. Glad it didn't. I would have ended up removing it anyway. Ditto on Roberta's comments...you'll end up turning things every which way to grind them. Just watch it though. I had never used a Scotch-Brite wheel before and I was surprised to learn that those things can kick back fairly easily. Just make sure when you're grinding stuff that you orient the piece so the wheel will 'drag' acorss the piece instead of 'into' the piece. Hard to explain...

I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at reading this sentence:

I am gearing up to build an -8, and have collected most of the tools that I think I will need.

 

[cjensen]

I got the same chuckle Jamie! Tools you think you'll need! I was in the same boat though when I started.

I do the same as the others as far the bench grinder is concerned. I use the side of the wheel more than the front of it.

 

[N941WR]

Don't use the bench grinder

Carter,

Mount it in your drill press and set it on its slowest speed.

The drill press gives you much more access to the wheel and makes it easier to debur parts on.

Welcome to NC, let us know when you get down here. You will be less than an hour away.

(Shouldn't this post be in the Tools section? I think this was already addressed there.)

 

[1911pilot]

I got fed up with it and took off the safety shield and tool rest last week. at a minimum take off the rest, I tried to use it to lightly guide my VS Spar doubler and ended up have to take all the extra scratches out of it form the rest.

Jeff

 

[penguin]

A steady bar is useful

This is what I did - the guard came off as soon as I got the grinder. The rest is useful when smoothing smaller parts. I would second the comment about kickback, be careful with thin flanges.

I tried a drill press running slowly for a while; I find the grinder gives better results. I have seen a builder who mounted the wheel in his bench with 1/4" poking out - great if you have the time to build the supports & motor.

Pete