Possible Free Tool-Grinder In My Future...

[Liger Zero]

I shouldn't look a gift grinder in the bearings or however that phrase goes but...

Boss says I can have the Horrible Freight 1/2 HP 6" Tool Grinder that's collecting dust in the back room if I want it. Says it runs, it has two additional wheels with it, and the paperwork with it. They don't want/need it because they have a "real" tool grinder here.

Assuming it is all intact and everything, it IS Harbor Freight. Any issues or shortcomings I should be aware of?

If they aren't too serious I'll adopt it.

[lazlo]

They have a lot of runout on the wheels. You can just dress it out if you're using AO wheels, or shim it out.

I turned the wheel mounting plate, and that improved the runout, but I really need to true-up the shaft and the spuds for the wheel plates, like some of the folks here have done.

In other words, it's a kit, but they work pretty well, especially considering that they're usually on sale for $99.

[Liger Zero]

No problems with the motors or wiring I should be aware of? Some Harbor Freight stuff has less than spiffy wiring.

If not it'll come home with me in the morning.

Now how do I justify having two grinders to the Wife? Do I use the "One is for grinding stuff one is for grinding tools" approach or do I use the "But it was free" method?

Naah, she used to work in a machine shop she'll be cool with it.

[lazlo]

No problems with the motors or wiring I should be aware of? Some Harbor Freight stuff has less than spiffy wiring.

If not it'll come home with me in the morning.

I can't tell you anything about the wiring, except that mine hasn't caught on fire yet The one annoying thing is that the cheap Liquitite they use for the grinding lamp needs some Viagra.

Now how do I justify having two grinders to the Wife? Do I use the "One is for grinding stuff one is for grinding tools" approach or do I use the "But it was free" method?

You can never have enough grinders -- AO coarse, and fine, a diamond wheel for carbide, a wire brush for rust, ...

I've found that you have to wear them (SWMBO) down If you keep getting big stuff in your shop, like 2,900 lb turret mills, then she's relieved when it's "just" another grinder

[Liger Zero]

Ha, she's quite handy with the machines. As I said she used to do machine-shop work before turning to the darkside and finishing her degree in Office Work.

Last time Crazy Fish Tank Lady sold a batch of her filters we had all three machines running, and we were BOTH lamenting how much easier it would have been with a Real Turret Lathe.

Maybe someday.

[BadDog]

On "never enough grinders", I've currently got 3, and was just last night thinking I need a 4th. I needed a coarse hogging wheel and wound up pulling my "tool grinding wheel". Of course, 10 minutes later I chipped a bit and needed that white wheel. Now I need to figure out what to pull off to remount the tool grinder wheel, or find/add that 4th bench grinder. Maybe even add a 5th for convenience? Oh, and those numbers don't count my BS 6x12, Rockwell Toolmaker, or the Baldor Carbide Grinder with medium/fine diamond wheels.

[lane]

Never But Never turn down any thing FREE. even if it is junk take it .you never know what may come in handy now are next year.

[Liger Zero]

Never But Never turn down any thing FREE. even if it is junk take it .you never know what may come in handy now are next year.

Yeah but it's Harbor Freight. I don't want to get it home plug it in and become an item on the 11 o'clock news.

"Exploding tool-grinder levels neighborhood killing 16. Film after the game."

[BadDog]

One of mine is the cheap HF yellow 6" bench grinder. POS, but it's been working fine for about 8 years now. It's spent the last 5 or so mounted with various wire wheels. Now that I have the Baldor 7", that's about the only one I do any real grinding on any more. And I have a better 6" import, I think it's called a "Pitbull" that is far more powerful than the HF grinder. At the moment, that last one has a 1" wide "dense" crimped wire brush on one side with a 1" 3M debur wheel on the other. I got the 7" Baldor for a "good" (though not great) cash deal. The HF was bought on-sale with a coupon years ago. And the Pitbull(?) was a freebie that has been a welcome edition to my shop. I was also given another freebie of unknown pedigree, but it was VERY noisy, had a sticking centrifugal switch that resisted all efforts to "fix", and was generally a total piece of crap. I threw most of it away, but kept the castings and the base.

[lane]

Yeah but it's Harbor Freight. I don't want to get it home plug it in and become an item on the 11 o'clock news.

"Exploding tool-grinder levels neighborhood killing 16. Film after the game."

Well if you don`t know what you are doing don`t mess with it till you do. Most it could do is blow a circuit breaker. Turn it on and run.