grinding wheel storage

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SteveM
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grinding wheel storage

Post by SteveM »

Due to a couple of good bulk buys, I now have a lifetime supply of grinding wheels, including lots of while aluminum oxide for grinding HSS.

Right now, I have them safely stored in cardboard boxes with cardboard between them.

What have all of you come up with for storage, both ready storage for the ones you use frequently and long-term storage for the duplicates and the ones you rarely use.

Steve
earlgo
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by earlgo »

Mostly it is best not to get them wet or over-damp, whatever that is. Don't use them if they don't 'ring' when they are tapped. I'm not so sure that 'in' cardboard boxes may be good. Some boxes are hygroscopic and if no air circulates, the boxes may begin to deteriorate.
Some of mine have been hanging in the garage on a pegboard near the grinder since the late '80s. Some are stacked between cardboard in the family room next to my desk, but not buried in the detritus. My buddy keeps his either in his toolbox or in the base of the steel cabinet the grinder sits on. (Oh and by the way, his KOLee has a VFD on it.)
I think the 'ring' test is the best way not to have one blow up other than using the correct speed.
--earlgo
Before you do anything, you must do something else first. - Washington's principle.
SteveM
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by SteveM »

earlgo wrote:I think the 'ring' test is the best way not to have one blow up other than using the correct speed.
Yes, one or two in the bulk purchase didn't pass the ring test and were broken up and destroyed.

Steve
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Harold_V
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by Harold_V »

Vitrified grinding wheels are not subject to issues when exposed to moisture. Quite the contrary, they are expected to be used in conjunction with water. The only issue with endless dampness would be the delamination, or degradation, of the blotters. So long as they are sound, the wheels, assuming they "ring", should be perfectly good to use.

A grinding wheel exposed to water may absorb a large amount, but it is instantly expelled as the wheel spools up. So fast that it doesn't even suffer a balance problem. That's due to the open nature of a bonded wheel, a feature that is very important to its function.

That said, storing them in a cardboard box would be perfectly acceptable, although not nearly as convenient as when stored on a peg board. Mine reside in boxes. Do keep them apart with layers of cardboard.

H
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Bob D.
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by Bob D. »

They shouldn't be stacked flat. Always store on edge like vinyl records. Moisture is a none issue.

Bob D.
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tornitore45
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by tornitore45 »

They shouldn't be stacked flat.
Why?
Mauro Gaetano
in Austin TX
John Hasler
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by John Hasler »

How is stacking going to harm vitrified wheels?
Bob D.
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by Bob D. »

It's an issue when you have a bunch of them. Easy way to damage or crack them. Not made for side loads. Probably not so bad if they are in their boxes....but if they are in use and bare it is. Maybe more of an issue with the large wheels....
I just know that none of the wheels where I work are stored on their sides, from 6" to 3ft dia.....

Bob D.
3/4" Juliet II 0-4-0
3/4" Purinton Mogul "Pogo"
3/4" Hall Class 10 wheeler
3/4" Evans Caribou/Buffalo 2-8-0
3/4" Sweet Violet 0-4-0
3/4" Hunslet 4-6-0
3/4" Kozo A3. Delayed construction project

1 1/2" A5 Camelback 0-4-0
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tornitore45
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by tornitore45 »

I guess the 5 or 6 wheels I own, no bigger than 8", that are not mounted on the 2 grinders can safely rest on the vertical dowel stuck into a 2x6 then.
Mauro Gaetano
in Austin TX
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carlquib
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by carlquib »

I hope you saved the pieces of the wheels that failed the ring test. I use dead wheels in the same manner you use a dressing stick. They work and you can get a little more use from an otherwise dead wheel.

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tornitore45
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by tornitore45 »

I suspect that the reason to store grinding wheels on edge is a practical one for an industrial environment, dozens of large heavy wheels are constantly changed on the machines and nobody wants to lift 500 lbs of fragile rocks to get to the one beneath.
Mauro Gaetano
in Austin TX
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Harold_V
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Re: grinding wheel storage

Post by Harold_V »

carlquib wrote:I hope you saved the pieces of the wheels that failed the ring test. I use dead wheels in the same manner you use a dressing stick. They work and you can get a little more use from an otherwise dead wheel.
Depending on the wheel, that can be a good use, but consider that aluminum oxide is MUCH softer than silicon carbide, which is not normally used for grinding steel. I make mention because how hard the dressing stick is speaks volumes about the results of dressing a grinding wheel. If you dress with a soft material, the wheel will be dulled by dressing (that isn't normally acceptable). Because dressing sticks are made from harder materials (silicon carbide, or boron carbide), the wheel isn't dulled as badly. That, of course, is based on the assumption that the dressing stick is applied properly. Use a flat surface of the stick and they're no better than using aluminum oxide. A sharp corner, so the dressing stick cuts instead of abrades, is desirable.

In regards to storing wheels on edge, yeah, doing so can make a difference, but I contend that if a wheel is subjected to damage, how it's stored isn't going to make a significant difference. It stands to reason that they will withstand a force on edge better than they will from the side, but in either case, the wheel would then be suspect.

Something of interest (or not).

I was assigned to precision grinding for several years. Amongst the machines we used was a Cincinnati #2 centerless grinder. They are rated to grind up to 3" diameter. One part for the missile that required grinding, a part of the guidance system, was a steel piece that was 3½" diameter, and three inches long. That's a recipe for problems, especially being larger than the normal capacity of the machine. Because the part had to be ground well above center, they could be troublesome, as the regulating wheel could lose traction, allowing the grinding wheel to "pick up" the part. When that happens, it is driven at extreme velocity, and has the ability to leave the machine.

While I often heard them rumble as they traversed the blade (which supports the part while being ground), I never lost a part. However, 'ol Musselman (on the opposite shift), wasn't quite as lucky. When I reported to work, the wheel of the grinder (20" diameter and 6" wide) had a divot removed from the center of the wheel, which was still intact, and sound. One of the pieces jumped out of the grinder, and came down sideway, slamming the wheel to a dead stop. No small feat considering the wheel is powered by a large motor, something like seven hp. Because a void eliminates the possibility of using the wheel, it was dressed enough to remove the divot. Lots of grinding life lost, but the wheel was still serviceable.

I make mention only to show that wheels can take serious punishment and still not fail.

I always wondered if Musselman had to change his shorts after that experience.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
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