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I Forge Iron

Word of Caution on Grinders


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For anyone who has built or plans to build a home made belt grinder, please inspect your used casters carefully. I built my junk yard grinder several years ago with used parts. No telling how old the casters were. Couple days ago, the idler wheel decided to throw a quarter sized piece of urethane at me. Fortunately, it was as I was turning so the chunk hit me in the side just above the belt line - my deep rolls of fat protected me from serious harm - but it did draw blood and leave a nasty bruise. Today, I chucked the wheel in the lathe and turned off all the remaining rubber, then trued the caster and crowned it again. The plastic was still soft but there was enough embrittlement to cause the failure. Hopefully, it won't throw a piece of aluminum anytime soon.

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Thanks thats a GOOD SAFETY REMINDER!
I'm on the lookout now for plans and parts for a homemade belt grinder, and I never even thought to make inspections of any castors and pulleys that might be unheathly and unsafe.
:oops: thanks for the reminder
A year or so ago I had a cutting wheel on a mini-grinder blow up on me. It broke the bone and cut the tendon on one of my fingers so that it healed crooked(i did my own doctoring). But ever since then my respect for any type of grinder borders on manical!!! This is a good reminder to keep me from getting careless again. :oops:

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