Grinders and Grinder Mods

[wadebevan]

Hi All,
I am about to get to work on my new 2x72 Kally setup.  (As soon as the day job will let me)
The model I got was without the motor, which was fine because I sort of wanted to put a variable speed on it.

At this point, I have the grinder unit, a 2.65 hp DC drive motor (doubt it is that many hp in continuous duty), and a speed control board.

The motor and board were hacked out of a NordicTrac EXP1000 treadmill.  These are out there on the used market for $100-$400 that I have seen.  Which is a pretty sweet deal considering a replacement motor is $380.

Mine happened to be free because it was in the family and not being used.

The nice thing about this model is that the speed control board is controlled with a 0-12v input signal, which was a pretty easy circuit to rig up for cheap.  The control board is completely separate from the main board as well, so I can put 110v AC straight in without having to hack anything up.

One issue I already see with the motor is that it has an open face, as in the entire inside of the motor is pretty exposed to the outside world.  And given that this is a metal grinder, I am sure all of those metal particles would love to find their way to those magnets.

So, I have to build a housing around it, with a dust filter, and likely put a fan on the non drive end of the motor to keep it cool.

Would love to hear from anyone who has faced this challenge before.

Another thing I would like is to see some of the mounting methods used for the Kally itself.

My thought is that I would want the grinder protruding out some from the bench it is bolted to.

So, please post a pic or two of your grinder setup so I can get some good 'working' ideas!
Thanks,
TW.

[Mark Reich]

Here are some pics of my first grinder, a Coote 2x72 with a 3ph 3hp 220v Marathon type-TS motor running through an Allen-Bradley VFD. It is a high speed motor, but as you can see, the pullys are stepped down for optimal SFPM. It's been running perfectly for about 7 years with just a dust shield over the motor. 

It's very stable and well balanced on the simple stand alone base. It pivots fore and aft, which makes it easy to work on the 10" contact/drive wheel or small wheel attachment. The adjustable work rest and large platen are very sturdy.  

[wadebevan]

Very helpful Mark, thank you!

[Mark Reich]

I'm happy that helped