Nwkg help

B

Buck

Member
I have been looking at wheels both contact and idler have found some at a site the surface is radius not flat the wheels have roller bearings what makes a wheel ok/not ok for this app
thanks
buck not yelling caps locked on at work
 
On my NWG I 'crowned' the drive and idler wheels by hand using file, sandpaper, and calipers to be sure they were same dia each side. You want the surface to be crowned (not flat) so that the belt holds center when running. Some put a layer of tape on wheel slightly narrower that belt to get same effect but I had no luck with that. Idler wheel needs bearings as design suggests as well.
 
OK thanks I saw the ones in question at grainger site they are some cheaper and I wanted to insure cheaper in price did not mean cheaper in quailty. they have drive type wheels w/pvc "tire" and roller bearing hub just wanted to make sure and not have something fly all to pieces why under power. the only reason i can see not to have them on all pos. is the need for a contact wheel to be rigid is that correct?
 
Buck,

One other consideration to bear in mind for using wheels on a grinder is are they balanced for high speed use?
 
Buck wheels have to have sealed rolling element ball bearings and many general use wheels have loose tolerance cylindrical roller bearings and will vibrate too much- but- if the rubber is an acceptable durometer (65-70) you can change out the bearings as long as you can fit new bearing into the bore of hub precisely. Also as Mike says you have balance the wheel which can be done by spinning up wheel and adding a test weight (1/4-20x1" bolt) at various locations in the outer area of hub until you find the location that the weight balances at high speed. You also have to true up the face of the wheel which can be done by using your tool rest attachment as rest and a lathe tool that has a piece of scrap alum bolted to it that allows lateral precise facing.
When all else fails Tracy sells all wheels at USAKM-
 
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What ever you do dont cheap out on the wheels, its the difference between a vibration or perfection. Its no fun when a belt flys off in your face because your wheels arnt crowned. Even then they can still come off if your tension is to loose but every little bit helps. Kellyw
 
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