Grinder Maintenance Tips

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WHAT MEASURES CAN I TAKE TO REDUCE RUST BUILDUP ON MY PROFILE GRINDER?
Tap water has minerals, which create rust spots. To further complicate the issue, knife steel has some iron properties, which turns to grinding slurry and if left in the pan, will also create rust spots. It is recommended that you utilize de-ironized water, which can be purchased from any local bottled water distributor. It is equaling important that the coolant manufacturer's recommended, water to coolant mixture be strictly enforced. After daily use, squeegee the pan of excess coolant, wipe dry all wet surfaces and apply a coat of Mouldlubric Lubricant to all working parts. These simply measures will not eliminate rust entirely, but will reduce rust buildup. Keep in mind that grinding coolant has rust preventive additives.

WHY DO THE MOVING PARTS OF MY PROFILE GRINDER GET STICKY AND GUM UP?
Grinding coolant has additives that reduce heat buildup, adds lubricity between the grinding surface and the grinding wheel and rust preventive agents. If the manufacturer's recommended coolant to water mixture isn't closely followed, bad results happen. Too much will increase the possibilities of a glue, sticky effect, gumming up moving parts, impacting the grinding wheel, increasing heat buildup at the point of cut. Too little, reduces lubricity increasing heat at the point of cut and increases rust buildup. Proper coolant mixture is imperative to optimal grinding applications

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I THOROUGHLY CLEAN MY PROFILE GRINDER?
It is recommended you discard the used coolant monthly. Add a good machine cleaner to the recommended mixture of water. Run the coolant filtration pump for several minutes hosing down the pan and all moving parts. Dispose of the spent material, recharge the coolant sump with fresh coolant, replace coolant filter and coat all moving parts and surfaces with Mouldlubric Lubricant. These preventive measures will enhance your grinding performance and provide additional life to the machinery.

WHEN SHOULD I REPLACE MY SINGLE POINT DIAMOND WHEEL DRESSER?
There are two single point diamond dressers available. One is a throw away, low quality usually a one sided point. The other is more expensive, higher quality three or four sided points that can be reset as one point becomes dull. Re-settable diamond dressers offer longer life per point because the diamond is a higher grade. Replace or reset the dresser as the point begins to dull or crown over. Once the point is dull the dresser is no longer cutting the abrasive grain exposing new ones. If the abrasive grain is not sharp, the wheel will load-up, creating friction, causing heat at the point of cut and premature wheel dressings which results in rapid wheel wear.

WHAT IS THE PROPER METHOD FOR INSPECTING A GRINDING WHEEL FOR UNSEEN CRACKS?
The proven method is called "the ring check". Put your finger through the arbor hole suspending the wheel with your left hand. With your right hand, tap the wheel lightly in various spots with a piece of steel. A sharp ringing sound let you know the wheel is free of cracks, a dull thump sound suggests the wheel has cracks and should be returned to the manufacturer for replacement

CAN I USE A CONVENTIONAL GRINDING WHEEL TO GRIND CARBIDE?
No, Carbide and non-ferrous materials must be ground with either Diamond and/or Silicon Carbide wheels. Diamond wheels mounted on steel cores perform best. They come in both coarse and fine grits and work best at maximum rpm's. These wheels can be sized with special diamond dressers and should be cleaned with a very friable vitrified dressing stick. Failure to keep the wheel clean will result in loading and premature wheel wear.

CAN I USE A STANDARD DIAMOND WHEEL TO GRIND (TCT) CARBIDE?
No, TCT carbide is inlaid brazed to a soft steel backing support. Diamond wheels are designed for carbide, if any part of the wheel makes contact with the steel backing, the wheel will load-up generating extreme heat. This heat will cause the diamond to separate from the bond destroying the wheel. However, the combo wheel was designed that is a mixture of diamond and (CBN) Cubic Boron Nitrite. The combo provides grinding capabilities for both carbide and steel.

HOW THIN CAN I DRESS THE PROFILE WHEEL?
Any less than .125" is considered marginal. It is recommended using a steel core CBN for HSS steel and Diamond for carbide below 5/32" wide