Bench grinders are a great addition to any shop. Woodworkers usually use them to establish or reestablish rough bevels on cutting tools, such as chisels and plane blades. Woodturners use finer wheels for basic and frequent sharpening of turning tools. When you need to remove steel quickly, a bench grinder is your primary machine.
The performance of your bench grinder can be improved with just a few simple tune-up steps. Many grinders have stamped steel flange washers, which may not run perfectly true. To correct this problem, first make a reference mark on each flange washer and the wheel to record their original location. Then loosen the shaft nut, and slightly rotate one flange washer clockwise and the other counterclockwise. These should only be moved about a half an inch at a time. Then snug up the shaft nut by hand, and spin the wheel by hand. Observe any change. This rotation can minimize any oscillation caused by the flange washers. Then retighten the shaft nuts, and dress the wheel.
If adjusting the flange washers does not make the wheel run without side-to-side oscillation, then remove the wheel and flange washers, and check the shoulder on the motor shaft at the point where the flange washer seats against it. A slight burr on the edge of the shoulder can stop the flange washer from seating properly. This can be removed by using a file to smooth the edge of the shoulder. Notice any roughness on the surfaces of the flange washers; this can be smoothed on sandpaper placed on a flat surface. Then replace the wheel, readjust the flange washers, and dress the wheel.
Center bushings supplied by aftermarket grinding wheel manufacturers are designed to roughly center the wheel on the shaft. With the flange washers adjusted and holding the wheel, the next step is dressing with a wheel dresser that will make the wheel run true.
Make sure the grinder is always unplugged during any adjustments or wheel changes.
