Rex Krueger
patreon
Early Access Video: Bench Grinders in the Shop
🕑 Added 2024-08-10 11:00:09 +0000 UTCFriends:
Every shop needs a bench grinder. These versatile tools can reshape steel, grind tools, clean off rust, and even shorten bolts and screws. Lots of die-hard hand tool woodworkers (like me) still have an electric grinder for shaping the bevels on chisels and plane irons.
But these little machines are a mystery to many. Which grinder should you get? What size? How much do you need to spend? What accessories do you need? Where should you put it? Is it safe to use on your finest blades?
There are so many questions, that we had to split our grinder video into two parts. In today’s video, I review three of the most affordable grinders on Amazon. I review each one on their durability, ease of use and design. I also cover everything you need to know to get up and running with a bench grinder, even if this is your first time owning one of these machines.
In Part 2 (out in a couple of weeks) I’ll do a deep dive into grinding woodworking tools. There are a lot of myths about grinders and some folks even think an electric grinder will RUIN their blades. We’ll bust these myths and give you all the tips you need to use a grinder safely and efficiently.
In the meantime, we’re on vacation until 8/21, so please excuse me if I’m a little slow to reply to comments and messages. This has been a stressful year and it’s time for a little break. But don’t worry; we’ll have a video for you next weekend and the Build Along Series will continue without interruption. We’ll have a new installment every Wednesday.
Hope you enjoy today’s video. It took a lot longer than we expected, but we wanted to be thorough.
Happy Saturday!
--Rex
PS: The print file for the Dewalt Grinder Add-Ons is attached to this post.
Here are the links to all the products in the video. I used my Amazon affiliate account to make the links more manageable.
Products I recommend (affiliate):
Dewalt 6” Bench Grinder: https://amzn.to/3WxHHVf
(Excellent for the money. Includes surprisingly good tool-rest.)
Grinding Wheel Dresser: https://amzn.to/4fvWTLd
(Tiny, but it works.)
Grinder Wheel Dressing Stick: https://amzn.to/4cea68I
(A cheap but effective alternative for dressing grinder wheels.)
Dewalt Medium Wire Wheel: https://amzn.to/3SG2BAh
(Good value; works well.)
Replacement Grinding Wheel: https://amzn.to/3LUL0B2
(Affordable; reduces vibration.)
Safety Glasses: https://amzn.to/46BK4Li
(This style is so comfortable, I forget I’m wearing them.)
Other Products (affiliate):
WEN 6” Grinder: https://amzn.to/3yEx8HT
(A weak and flimsy grinder…that will work in a pinch).
Shopfox 6” Grinder: https://amzn.to/4fAwb43
(A generally good tool that only takes 5/8” wheels.)
Narrow wire wheel: https://amzn.to/3WDbewE
(Fits the narrow arbor of the Shopfox grinder, but not very well.)
Comments
Ron Paro
Did I miss part two or has it just not come out yet? I’m very interested in any tips you have for using the Dewalt grinder as I followed your recommendation and bought it 😊
Lee Nightingale
I watched this video on the day it came out. Today I was at a flea market and while looking through a vendor's collection of vintage tools he pulled a star dressing wheel out from under the table. He asked “Have you got any idea what this is” I laughed and gave an explanation and then added, “I only found out about them a few days ago” Needless to say, I am now the proud owner of a vintage star dressing wheel.
Sam Bender II
I don't think the Bucktool bench grinder is equivalent to the Wen. It's much better. I have the low speed version though so maybe the high speed is comparable
Gerald Eddy
Hopefully the Dewalt grinders are the same in Portugal! I had an old Ryobi back in the states and it was vibrating and had a horrible tool rest and no guard as I recall!
Jon Rost
I would totally buy that parts kit. Another amazing video. Enjoy your time off.
Csongor Halmai
I am eagerly waiting for the next part in order to learn how to sharpen my lathe tools.
Jennessa Lynam
The kit would be nice. Thank you, Rex.
Jon Linna
Love. It. Give us a short on the Bambu Labs FDM printer?
Richard C von Brecht
I use washers all the time on my cheap grinder. They fit well enough to the arbor. I guess I was lucky. Also you can get plastic inserts that transition between the arbor and the wheel. BTW: every bench grinder I used vibrated. Even the nice one in the tool and die shop where I once worked as a kid. Now for the safety lecture. When it comes to grinders, I use a fully face shield especially with the wire wheel. Also you are less likely to breath in the dust. (Wearing a face mask would be a better idea,) I have scraped off some skin while working too close to the wheel. So l’m going to use leather gloves in the future.
Alex R
Would love to get your take on wet grinders too sometime. My shop is 7'x8', so any of the bench grinders shown here are out of the question. Can't get grinding dust all over my tools and spare stock.
Dave West
Good tips as usual. Have a great vacation.
Kenneth Carlile
Well, dang it, now I need to buy a new grinder. My Harbor Freight one is pretty much the same as that Wen, and I just have a heck of a time with it. I also need to figure out better mounting so the grinder isn't way back on the table, which drastically limits the angles I can grind tools at. That would probably make life a lot easier...
Shane Lair
You can down load an angle finder on your phone, not real sure how good the ones you can buy on Amazon are but I bet they would do the trick too!! Just a thought to help you find your angles.
Brian Taylor
Nice video. I'm curious about the source of vibration on your test grinders. Do you think it was because of run-out of the grinder arbor, because the washers on either side of the wheels were not true, or because the wheels were not true? If the latter, it might be easy enough to fix by buying a quality wheel.
Chris St. Cyr
Never dressed my grinder stone before. For $12 I might have to try it. Had my grinder for close to 30 years and only on my second stone. I might be on my third or fourth wire wheel.
Bradley Barth
Nice! Enjoy your vacation.
Karl Weuste
For those of us that don’t have access to a printer a kit would be great
Winston Stone
Yes make kit available through Compass Rose
Thor C. Ritz
Thanks for "grinder review". It was a good reminder that at some point you pay more when u get cheaper items. Good safety review as well. I eventually just saved up money and got CBN Wheel. Really like it but it's a luxury and one can get just as good results with a good standard wheel I suppose. Anyways good video
Marco P. Lascari
I think the parts kit would be a great value add to Compass Rose. Curious on your thoughts regarding older Craftsman versions probably from the eighties. Many differences do you think?
mmgross144
Good video! Looking forward to the next one where I believe that you will address wheel size/speed and techniques to prevent ruining of tool steel by losing the temper.
Mike M
This is a great video! I have a Rikon grinder that I've used to make a scrub plane iron. I'd love a followup video focusing on the tool rest - specifically how to get the angle of the grind correct. I found that involved a lot of trial and error.
