Flat Grind help?

DropPoint said:
OK...this really shows how not to do this mod. I did this when I was first starting on this stuff and really had no idea what I was doing. I'll explain a bit further. What I did was very simple. I took a piece of steel and screwed directly into the current platen. It's about 1/8"-3/16 I believe. Then I cut off ground down the screw heads and that was it.

OK...the biggest error on my part is not getting it square and not all the way to the edges. You want to take the piece of steel, or ceramic glass, all the way to the edge and have it as square as possible.

After posting earlier that I'd post pics, I feel embarrassed at what I have, but that's what I've got. The biggest drawback with not having it go to the edge on both sides (evenly) is the two sides of your grind won't match unless you adjust for it. So be sure and get it square and to the edge and this will help until you can get something better.
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hi, i have a craftsman 4x36 and did something similar. i used a 4" square "top" ceramic tile that i epoxied to the existing platen. by "top" tile i mean one edge is rounded, the others are square, the rounded edge is up. the tile was sold as 4" but is actually about 4 1/4". I have it centered right/left and can adjust the belt so i runs over each edge.
 
scott.livesey said:
hi, i have a craftsman 4x36 and did something similar. i used a 4" square "top" ceramic tile that i epoxied to the existing platen. by "top" tile i mean one edge is rounded, the others are square, the rounded edge is up. the tile was sold as 4" but is actually about 4 1/4". I have it centered right/left and can adjust the belt so i runs over each edge.
Click to expand...

That sounds like it works nicely. I've managed to get mine to work for me, but yours sounds like a better design. I've thought of getting some ceramic glass from Boss and replacing the piece of steel on mine. Two pieces actually, side by side.
 
decided to try a ceramic tile just to see how it worked, especially since you can find tiles for $1. I figured if it didn't work, it would only take a few minutes to remove and try something else. been in place for almost a year, no visible wear, cracks or chips. working now on fixture for grinding. i like the fact that for a small blade(4" or less), I can hold the blade steady against the belt and not have to move. have found belts to 1000 grit.
Scott
 
scott.livesey said:
hi, i have a craftsman 4x36 and did something similar. i used a 4" square "top" ceramic tile that i epoxied to the existing platen. by "top" tile i mean one edge is rounded, the others are square, the rounded edge is up. the tile was sold as 4" but is actually about 4 1/4". I have it centered right/left and can adjust the belt so i runs over each edge.
Click to expand...
( question ) any information on how thick of a ceramic tile the 4" bathroom wall tile ore cut down the thin floor tile ?
 
graveyard said:
( question ) any information on how thick of a ceramic tile the 4" bathroom wall tile ore cut down the thin floor tile ?
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i just used the basic 4"square white tile they have at L**** big box hardware store, I think it is about 3/8" thick with the epoxy. these aren't precision sanders, so I don't think thickness is that critical.
scott
 
scott.livesey said:
decided to try a ceramic tile just to see how it worked, especially since you can find tiles for $1. I figured if it didn't work, it would only take a few minutes to remove and try something else. been in place for almost a year, no visible wear, cracks or chips. working now on fixture for grinding. i like the fact that for a small blade(4" or less), I can hold the blade steady against the belt and not have to move. have found belts to 1000 grit.
Scott
Click to expand...
were do you find the 1000 grit best ive found are 150grit ?
 
morning all,
i bought a tile with one rounded edge which I placed up into the direction of the belt, squared sides to the left and right.
as far as belts, 4x36 seems to be the favored size for lapidary, working with rocks. here are some sources:
http://www.supergrit.com/products/products_belts-blacksc.asp
http://www.metlabcorp.com/cart/products.php3
http://www.fintechabrasives.com/sanding-belts/silicon-carbide-sanding-belts/sc-4-x-36
you need to look to find the good buys, finest I found today was 800 wet/dry. metlabcorp is maker of the belts they sell. at the office, we buy their 3"x75' rolls for gp fine paper. good site for info on hardness testers also.
i have had my best luck with SC belts using them wet, paint the belt with water then dip the blade.
the old sailor
 
Picked up a ceramic tile at home depot for 14 cents. I will take some pics tonight while it set it up and post them tomorrow.
 
Well couldn't wait until tonight and did it this afternoon.

Here is a picture of the tile sitting on top of the grinder. It is a Ryobi 4 x 36 with a 6 inch disk. The same model you see everywhere. In order to see where to put the tile, I drew a line with a sharpie along the edge of the belt that was on my grinder. Then I just lined the edge of the tile up.
20130922_145801.jpg

So I flipped the tile over and added the glue. Remember that the bottom of the tile isn't flat so make sure you have good coverage.

20130922_145923.jpg

I put the tile back on, lined up with the sharpie mark. Then added some weight.

20130922_145923.jpg

I left it for about an hour, even though it should have been good after 30 mins. When I came back the tile was on good and tight.

20130922_162039.jpg

And finally here is a pic of it running with the belt on it.

20130922_162128.jpg

I gave it a quick go with the knife I am working on right now and it works like a beauty. Thanks a lot for this idea. This will make my grind go a lot eaiser.
 
Granite

12x12 tile at home center cut to size at no charge - a few buck$
 
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