Brief Description: Making a 2 by 72 in Belt Grinder
One of the things I have always wanted is a 2in belt grinder, but they are EXPENSIVE! I started to look online for other people's home-made grinders for ideas. I finally came up with a design that will do just about anything I need it to. The contact wheel I got from Grizzly Tool. It's a replacement wheel for a grinder they stock. I made an axle out of a "gunbarrel" piece of 3/4in 4130 and pressed it into the bore. It was a very nice, tight fit. There isn't any reason to broach a keyway and have a keyed axle since all it does is spin. The axle is fine with a press fit. I made a couple of spacers and then fit the pillow-block bearings on the remaining stub.
I had the motor for a long time...an old garage sale find. I put a 3in wide belt pully on the shaft and it will be direct drive. I really don't need to vary the speed.I made some idler wheels out of some cam belt bearings I had left over from my Subaru engine rebuild and pressed them into some steel pipe sections to make them 2in wide. The bearings are very wide and will provide plenty of suppport for the belt when under tension. After all, the cam belt was tight!
