Bench grinder wheel wobble question

[sasjzl]

I am just discovering how important it is to have sharp cutting tools and have brought a new 8" Ryobi bench grinder from Home Depot. I had a very old grinder that I was not sure about the trueness of the shafts. It had LOTS of vibration like if it was not bolted down it would dance all over the table together with anything else that was on said table. I am able to sharpen my tools ok with the new grinder but the amount of 'wobble' in one wheel in particular really bothers me. I have a blue 60 grit and a white 120 grit wheel. The 120 is obviously wobbling. I saw in a Lyle Jamieson video his tip that you could get rid of the wobble, and its vibration, by simply pulling off the wheel and then putting it on again. You might have to do this 10 times but eventually you will get the wobble out and the vibration will calm down. I am not finding that this works for me. The wheel wobbles just as much regardless of how many times I remount it.
I think that I saw a video on sharpening that showed someone balancing a grinding wheel similarly to balancing a tire using weights. Has anyone out there done this and if so where could I get the balancing materials? Are there any other remedys for this other than balancing the wheel?

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

 

[Phil S]

I had the same problem, but it is finally solved. The wobble was caused by poor, non-machined, flange washers that caused the wheel to tilt slightly on the shaft and the vibration was because the wheels themselves are not balanced. I bought the Oneway balancing system and it works great. The system comes with machined flanges which eliminate the wobble and after I balanced the wheels with the system my grinder stopped vibrating and I think the sharpening is better.

 

[woodArtz]

I had the same issue with a new 120 grit wheel. I took the wheel of and then put it back on and re-tightened. All good since then.

 

[sasjzl]

Bob wrote:
"
Re: Bench grinder wheel wobble question
I had the same issue with a new 120 grit wheel. I took the wheel of and then put it back on and re-tightened. All good since then."

Did you have to take the wheel all the way off or just turn it while it was in place on the shaft?
Did you have to do this like 20 times or just a couple....or once? This is the Lyle Jamieson technique that I was hoping would work but has not....at least yet. I am wondering if I have not been patient enough. I am also wondering if the 'wobble' issue is distinct from the 'balancing' issue. For example I could get a balancing system and then still have vibration from a perfectly balanced wheel that is wobbling.

Thanks much,
Jim Lee

 

[Canuck]

For what it's worth, Jim.

I purchased a 8" 120G Norton wheel from Hartville Tools up in Ohio about 2 years ago. That wheel too, I could not balance! When I put my old 60 G wheel back on (same shaft), it smoothed right out.

Long story short, I called Hartville and they sent me a replacement. After dressing the wheel, all is good.

Bad wheel?:dontknow:

(Also. With my grinder, it does shake a wee bit until it comes up to full speed. A Tormak it is NOT!)

Wayne

 

[woodArtz]

Actually, if you search wobble, you'll find my old post that is very similar to yours. I just put up with the wobble for quite some time, then took the wheel off to use a lower grit for something. When I replaced the 120... no wobble :dontknow:.

Bob wrote:
"
Re: Bench grinder wheel wobble question
I had the same issue with a new 120 grit wheel. I took the wheel of and then put it back on and re-tightened. All good since then."

Did you have to take the wheel all the way off or just turn it while it was in place on the shaft?
Did you have to do this like 20 times or just a couple....or once? This is the Lyle Jamieson technique that I was hoping would work but has not....at least yet. I am wondering if I have not been patient enough. I am also wondering if the 'wobble' issue is distinct from the 'balancing' issue. For example I could get a balancing system and then still have vibration from a perfectly balanced wheel that is wobbling.

Thanks much,
Jim Lee