Enlarging scotch brite wheel hole

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

I have a bench grinder that has a 5/8th in size spindle, but the hole in the Scotch Brite wheel is 1/2 in, meaning I have to enlarge it a bit. I was thinking I could put a 5/8th drill bit in my drill press and carefully drill it out. But, the grinder came with some bushings of various sizes, one of which fits over the spindle perfectly and has an outside diameter of 3/4 in. What I need to know is what is the best way to handle this:
1. Do I drill out the scotch brite to 5/8th and put it straight on the grinder? or
2. Do I drill out the scotch brite to 3/4in and put the bushing in it before attaching to the grinder?
AND
Is this even do-able (drilling out the scotch brite wheel) without making a mess of it, and if so, what type of drill bit should I use (steel / masonry etc) and what sort of speeds do I set the drill press up for?

Any advice appreciated.

Rgds, Darren

 

[Geico266]

I would go to the 5/8" size. Use a drill slightly larger as the material seems to want to close in on the hole. The drill is gonna need to be sharpened.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[RScott]

I bought a second wheel and it seems to be off balance or maybe the hole isn't centered. It catches corners of pieces and flips the pieces around, sometimes taking them out of my hands. I got a couple nasty cuts and don't use it anymore.

I suspect it also puts additional wear on the bearings.

I suggest you not drill it out.