wheels for my 6 inch delta grinder?

allen levine

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new york city burbs
I ordered the wolverine sharpening jig, with a gouge holder to assist me.
Ordered a wheel dresser, and a few more items so I can get started soon when the lathe is set up.

I know an 8 inch grinder is better from what Ive read, but my 6 inch delta is basically new, used it less than 5 times.

it has the stock wheels, any recos on what wheels I should(might) change too for a better and easier sharpening experience, and what grit for the bowl gouges. I want to keep it as easy and simple as possible for now.
What wheels, I mean brand and type(material).

please remember, this is my first real attempt at sharpening, Ive ruined one narrow gauge, don't want to ruin my only bowl gauge. (even though I ruined the small one, it still cuts perfectly, I just killed the correct angle)

Ive read a lot online, but I always feel recos from here work best for me.
 
You don't really need wheels. It's small enough to carry around when you need to move it.

Seriously, though, I use an 80 grit white wheel for sharpening my lathe tools, and I have been using a 6" cloth wheel with polishing compound to finish the job, but I just got a hard felt wheel which I am going to try. My stone is 8" (200 mm.) but I've been told that 6" (150 mm.) is just as good.
 
Larry's right...your little gouge isn't ruined. It can be re-ground to whatever profile you want. And although the 8" grinders are more prevalent among turners, your 6" model will be fine.

If I'm using a dry grinder, I prefer the 120 grit wheel for lathe tools, although a lot of guys like the results they get with an 80 grit wheel. As for brands, Oneway sells good wheels, but they're kind of pricey. Norton is another popular brand, although I don't recall which specific models are the favorites among turners. Typically, the more friable the stone, the better result, but that also means the stone wears down more quickly.

My next dry grinding wheel will not be stone, though. I'm going to bite the bullet and get a 120 (or maybe even 180) grit CBN-coated steel wheel. Having used one once, I saw that it was vastly superior to any stone wheel I've ever used. :thumb:
 
another stupid question.
since I never turned anything large, should I allow any clearance between lathe and the back wall?
I know it sounds stupid, but I don't know if theres a rule of thumb about distance for safety a lathe should be from walls.
(I understand the width of what I turn will dictate, but Im not turning anything that large to worry about that.)
 
How far from the wall has more to do with the by vessels turned and the length of your tools. An enclose bowl will require the handle of your tool to be well away from your body, unlike any position spindle turning presents. You may find the handle pointing AT the wall when getting under the rim of an enclosed bowl.

I have mine on all-way locking 4" wheels. ~$100 worth just for the purpose of moving it when needed. Had to make a platform to stand on as a result, being as vertically challenged as I am.
 
Another consideration when deciding how far from the wall to mount it is whether or not you plan to have a dust collection hood or scoop behind the lathe. My lathe in sort of in the middle of the room, so it's not an issue for me, but in order to fit my DC scoop, I'd need any walls to be at least another two or three feet away from the lathe bed. Same story for my articulating light arm and hollowing rigs. (Although the light and hollowing rigs don't need as much clearance as the DC scoop.)
 
for now, I wont be turning anything Id need to move the headstock or anything wide in diameter.
I have a lot of cabinetry to start, and an armoire to keep me busy now.
I think Ill look into a heavy set of castors since space is such an issue for me. I cant set any tool in the middle or even near the middle and keep it there.
Im guessing the heavier the bowl, the more stability Id need on the lathe, so I will be limited.(I can weigh it down also after I move it)
Its a challenge for me adding another large machine to an already tiny space.
I intend on selling the little lathe as soon as Im comfortable with the new one. I cannot keep any extra machines around, there just isn't room.

v- I wont be using dust collection for now with the lathe. Possibly down the road.
 
...I think Ill look into a heavy set of castors since space is such an issue for me. I cant set any tool in the middle or even near the middle and keep it there.
Im guessing the heavier the bowl, the more stability Id need on the lathe, so I will be limited.(I can weigh it down also after I move it)...

I put a good set of Zambus casters on my lathe. When the wheels are raised, the lathe is resting on pads that are stickier than the factory feet. So in my case, adding the casters made my lathe more stable. So far, I've not had a need to add extra weight to my lathe. Although my lathe's a bit bigger, I suspect yours will be plenty stable for what you're likely to turn, even on wheels, as long as they are good locking casters. With the space issues in your shop, I'd highly recommend putting your lathe on wheels of some sort. ;)
 
If my son lived just a bit closer, like only 20-30 minutes, Id put all my turning stuff in his garage. It would be the price for me making all his furniture.(Hed do it anyway, but getting to and from his house at certain hours is just murder with traffic)
 
Allen look into those casters Vaughn mentioned. I believe they really the right answer for a lathe. Have seen them on other equipment used in industry and the way they put down gives a much more solid rest than a locked caster. I have locked casters on my lathe bench which in weight equals those cast iron legs of yours and i dont feel the surface contact area is anything like the Zambus http://www.zambus.com/
but i cheaped out. Someday i will learn....i hope. As Glenn would say pay once and get it done right and enjoy after rather than regrets. :)

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
For the record, the ones I have are the AC-300S:

http://www.zambus.com/product/ac300.php

I bought bolts that fit into the threads at the top of the caster, and used a nut on the bolt to lock the caster onto the foot of the lathe leg. I had to drill the holes in the feet a bit larger to fit the bolts, but it was easy to do.

The caster and bolt:
PM3520B%20-%2017%20600.jpg



Installed:
PM3520B%20-%2018%20600.jpg



Foot pad in the raised position, wheel on the ground:
PM3520B%20-%2019%20600.jpg



Foot pad in the lowered position, wheel in the air:
PM3520B%20-%2020%20600.jpg
 
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