A simple homemade grinder. Do-it-yourself wood sanding machine. Safety measures during work

For easier grinding of small parts, you need to use the same stationary grinding machine of a simple design, based on an electric motor from an old washing machine.

Today, shops offer a wide variety of woodworking and grinding machines in a very wide range. However, the prices for good devices are not very small, and cheap ones are very unreliable.

And here the author found a rather profitable option in all plans - the creation of a grinding machine in his workshop on his own. Moreover, all the materials were ready for this - a motor in excellent condition from a Soviet washing machine, plywood and chipboard from about the same years.

So, the list of materials for the manufacture of a grinding machine:
engine washing machine;
plywood, chipboard;
corner - 4 pcs.;
self-tapping screw;
bolt;
screw;
washer;
capacitor;
switch;
sandpaper (circle);
rubber.

List of tools:
electric jigsaw;
drill;
file;
spanners;
screwdriver;
pliers;
ruler;
pencil.

Step by step description of work

First of all, the author took the motor from the washing machine, which was once put aside until better times, cleaned it and connected it to the network to check how it works.

Then the connection was made in accordance with such a scheme.

To make the machine easy to carry, an improvised handle was made.

Using a compass, I marked the center on the motor pulley, drilled 3 holes to install the grinding wheel.

A circle was marked on a piece of plywood, which was then sawn out along the drawn contour with an electric jigsaw.

To fix the engine on the frame, the author used the corners.

Connecting the motor, capacitor and switch - toggle switch.

A couple of planks were screwed to the frame.

A shelf was fixed on the obtained support points, which provides more convenient work.

Then the craftsman makes non-slip feet for the bed using rubber.

Attached with self-tapping screws.

As a result, we have such a nice machine.

It is very easy and convenient to work on this machine. The part is laid on a shelf, turned to the right side, and polished. And, what is very important, the author did not spend a penny on this machine, and as a result, it will last for a very long time.

Note, for those who will make such a machine, we suggest making guides, like sliders or rails. They must be parallel to the grinding disc. Thus, it is possible to straighten the workpieces in a straight line, which is very important.

You can use a metal brush to clean the grinding wheel. As an option, make removable Velcro discs, so you can quickly replace a used grinding wheel.

During manufacture wooden structures it is imperative to clean their surfaces. Manual labor take a long time and not be productive. Factory grinding centers are expensive. Therefore, in some cases it is more expedient to make a machine with your own hands.

The design of the drum machine

Manufacturing should begin with a study of the design features of this type of equipment. The drum type grinder is designed for processing wooden surfaces, their alignment and deburring.

The device belongs to the type of surface grinders for wood, which perform the function of calibration. There are many models and types of equipment. But the main task before making the unit with your own hands is the choice of the optimal design. The best option is a detailed acquaintance with factory analogues and drawing up a manufacturing scheme based on the data obtained.

Structurally, the machine should consist of the following components:

• frame. The main parts of the equipment are attached to it;
• power unit. Most often, an asynchronous electric motor is installed for this;
• grinding drum. It is important to choose the right diameter, the method of chip removal. With your own hands, you can make the base on which the emery tape is installed. Or order a cylindrical head with a cutting edge from a professional turner. It all depends on the type of work;
• a device for changing the frequency of the motor shaft;
• Desktop. The workpiece will be located on it. Experts recommend that when making a machine with their own hands, this component should be made of fiberglass;

Additionally, in drum grinding equipment, it is possible to provide for a mechanism for removing dust and chips from the processing zone. It is also recommended to make a desktop with a variable height relative to the working drum. This will allow you to process part of the end of the wooden blank.

If it is necessary to grind the outer or inner plane of the board, the drum must be placed horizontally. At the same time, it is possible to adjust its height.

Types of grinding drum machines

The next step is to choose the design of the woodworking machine. The main parameter is the shape of the wooden blank and the degree of its processing. Homemade drum-type equipment is designed to form even and smooth surfaces with a small area.

Factory production lines require special processing centers. They have complex functionality, they can simultaneously perform several operations. However, their main disadvantage is their high cost. Therefore, it is not advisable to consider them as home equipment.

There are the following types of machining centers:

• surface grinding. Processing is performed in one plane. Can be used as an example for self-manufacturing;
• circular grinding. Are intended for processing of cylindrical surfaces. To do this, the package includes several nozzles with different diameters;
• planetary. With their help, a flat plane is formed on products with a large area.

To complete a small home workshop, surface grinding models are most often chosen. They are characterized by a simple design, availability of components and relatively fast manufacturing.

In addition to leveling with drum sanders, you can remove a layer of paint or varnish. They are used for restoration old furniture or wooden parts do-it-yourself interiors.

Self-made grinding machine

The simplest do-it-yourself machine model is a drill that is mounted on a bed. Grinding cylinders are machined from wood and sandpaper with the required grain size is attached to their surface.

But such a design has little functionality. For processing medium volumes, it is recommended to make wood equipment according to a different principle. First of all, you need to choose the right power unit. Most often, an electric motor with a power of up to 2 kW and a speed of up to 1500 rpm is used. These requirements are met by asynchronous models, which can be taken from the old household appliances– washing machine or vacuum cleaner.

The procedure for the manufacture of a homemade machine.

1. Frame. It must be stable enough. Therefore, it is made of sheet steel with a thickness of 1.5 mm or more. Alternatively, 10 mm thick plexiglass can be considered.
2. The motor is mounted in such a way that the shaft is in a vertical plane.
3. Drum for processing. If it is planned to perform only grinding work, an abrasive belt is installed on it. For deeper processing, you will need to make a steel cone with a cutting edge.
4. Desktop. It is located at the top of the diagram. It is recommended to make it adjustable relative to the stationary cylinder.
5. Control block. Do-it-yourself designs rarely provide for the possibility of adjusting the engine speed. Therefore, the block will consist of buttons for turning the unit on and off.

Homemade machine

Rotation on the main shaft tape machine is transmitted from the electric motor, which is connected to it by means of a belt drive. The speed of the belt mechanism can be adjusted, thereby changing the modes of processing parts. The belt of a surface grinder can be located horizontally or vertically, as well as at a certain angle, which is allowed by some models of equipment in this category.

When choosing a model of a belt grinder for processing a particular part, it is important to consider the length of the surface that needs to be grinded. It is much more convenient to process parts on such machines, the surface length of which is less than the length of the abrasive belt and the desktop. Under such conditions, the quality of processing will be much higher.

The belt sander may have different design: with movable and fixed work table, with free belt. A separate category includes wide-belt equipment, the peculiarity of which is that their desktop, which is also a feed element, is made in the form of a caterpillar. In those models of equipment that have a working table in their design, the abrasive belt is located in a horizontal plane, and in equipment with a free belt, in which a working table is not provided, it can have a different spatial position.

Compulsory constructive element any belt sander, including a desktop one, is an exhaust device that is necessary to remove dust, in in large numbers generated during processing. Both professional and any homemade grinder used in a home workshop or garage is powered by an electric motor.

Principle of operation

The main parameters of the belt grinder are the feed rate and the force with which the belt is pressed against the workpiece. Parameters such as the degree of grit of the abrasive belt should be selected depending on what material the workpiece is made of, as well as the degree of roughness that the surface of the machined product should have.

The characteristics of the material to be processed, in particular its hardness, primarily influence the grit size of the abrasive belt. The processing modes that are directly related to each other are the feed speed and the belt pressure. So, if grinding is carried out on high speed, but with a slight clamping force of the abrasive belt, then some areas of the surface of the part may not be processed. If, on the contrary, you increase the pressing force and reduce the feed rate, then you may encounter the fact that burns and blackening of the material may appear in certain areas of the treated surface.

Another variation of the machine is a view from the side of the working surface of the tape

The results of grinding are also influenced by how well the abrasive tape is glued together. In order to obtain a high quality finish and not to experience a malfunction of the band machine, do not use abrasive belts that are not glued correctly or have torn edges. When putting on the tape on the shafts of the equipment, it should be positioned so that the end of the seam, which is overlapping, does not lift up on the surface of the workpiece, but slips along it. Learn more about gluing the tape in the video below.

Any, including a manual grinding machine, should provide for the possibility of adjusting the belt tension, which is ensured by moving a movable shaft that is not driven. Tape tension is a very important parameter, the choice of which should be guided by the "golden mean" rule. If the belt of the grinder is too tight, then this can lead to its breakage during operation, and too little tension will cause slippage and, as a result, its excessive heating. The main characteristic for determining the degree of tension of the tape is the arrow of its deflection, which is measured by lightly pressing on its surface in a taut state.

The manual belt grinding machine of the group can be operated by one operator, who moves the desktop with the workpiece and rotates it so as to bring all parts of its surface under the abrasive belt.

How to make a belt sander

Many home craftsmen and professionals are wondering how to make a grinder with their own hands. The reason for this question is quite simple: the high cost of mass-produced grinding equipment, which, with irregular use, not everyone can recoup. In order to make such equipment, you will need several basic components: an electric motor, rollers and a reliable frame. Naturally, the drawings of such a device or its photo will not be superfluous. Also at the end of the article you can watch videos on assembling a tape machine on your own.

The motor for belt sanding equipment is easy to find, it can be removed from a used washing machine. The bed will have to be made independently, for this you can use a sheet of metal with dimensions of 500x180x20 mm. One side of the frame should be cut very evenly, since it will be necessary to attach the platform on which the electric motor will be mounted to it. The platform for the electric motor should also be made of a sheet of metal with dimensions of 180x160x10 mm. Such a platform must be fixed to the bed very securely with a few bolts.

Another version of the bed

The efficiency of a belt grinder directly depends on the characteristics of the electric motor that is installed on it. If you are going to make a grinding machine with your own hands, then an electric motor with a power of 2.5–3 kW, developing about 1500 rpm, is quite suitable for you. In order to use such a motor to move the sanding belt at a speed of 20 m/s, the drums must have a diameter of about 200 mm. Which is convenient, if you choose an engine with such characteristics, then you do not need to make a gearbox for your grinding machine.

The drive shaft is connected directly to the motor shaft, and the second - the driven one - must rotate freely on the axis, which is installed in the bearing units. In order for the abrasive belt to more smoothly touch the surface of the workpiece, the section of the bed on which the driven shaft is installed should be made with a slight bevel.

It is possible to make shafts for a belt grinder with minimal financial costs from a chipboard plate. You simply cut square blanks 200x200 mm in size from such a plate, drill central holes in them and put them on the axle with a package with a total thickness of 240 mm. After that, you just have to grind the resulting package and make a round shaft out of it with a diameter of about 200 mm.

Drawings and a detailed analysis of some parts of a machine made of wood.

Wood belt sander (click to enlarge)

Table Tilt Adjustment Mechanism Plate Unit Belt Tensioner

Sanding is one of the methods of processing wood, which allows you to give the blanks a perfectly flat surface. A versatile wood sander will be functional and easy to use. For processing lumber, you can use units manufactured by specialized manufacturers, or you can make such equipment yourself, which will save a lot.

Types of woodworking machines

Currently, there are numerous types of grinders that are designed to perform various kinds of work with wood. They differ in their design, intended for domestic and industrial use. You can easily pick up both highly specialized models and universal machines which are intended for complex processing of wood.

If necessary, you can make a home-made grinder for metal or wood, made on the basis of a drill, a motor from a washing machine, or using other equipment.

Disc units

The working surface of do-it-yourself grinding machines for metal and wood is made in the form of an island metal disk, on which an abrasive is attached. Due to its simplicity of design and versatility of use, this type of equipment has gained wide popularity in the market today.

This machine consists of an electric motor, on the axis of which a circle with a fixed working surface is put on. Abrasive nozzles and sanding paper are attached to the working axis, which allows processing wooden blanks. Despite the simplicity of design, such machines are versatile in use, they can perform high-quality wood processing, giving the workpieces a perfectly flat and smooth surface.

The advantages of surface grinding technology include:

• Versatility of use.
• Efficiency.
• Reliability.
• Simplicity of design.

A feature of this type of equipment is the ability to adjust the speed of processing wooden blanks without changing the indicator of the number of revolutions of the working element. When working with such a machine, you can move the workpiece along the radius of the circle, which allows you to change the intensity of processing products. On the periphery of the disk, the linear speed will be higher, which can significantly speed up and simplify the processing of wood. But inside the circle, where the linear speed is lower, final sanding is performed with the removal of the thinnest layer of wood.

Belt plants

Belt sanders have two shafts between which a continuous belt of sandpaper is stretched. Processing of blanks is carried out by exposing them to sandpaper, which removes thin chips from wooden blanks, giving them a perfectly flat, smooth surface. The working surface of disc machines can be vertical and horizontal, while some models allow you to change the direction of the tape. With the help of such equipment, it is possible to process products of great length, aligning their ends. The simplicity of the design allows you to make a belt grinder for domestic use with your own hands.

drum models

The main purpose of this type of units is horizontal alignment using a jointer. This type of equipment is mainly used in industrial workshops, which is explained by the complexity of its design and the narrow specialization of drum units. With the help of grinding drum machines, wooden products of the same type with the same thickness are manufactured and processed.

Manufacturing of grinding machines

Industrially manufactured machines offered today in specialized stores are distinguished by their versatility in use, functionality and efficiency. Their only drawback is their high cost., therefore, if it is necessary to perform various kinds of grinding work, most homeowners decide to manufacture home-made equipment, which, in terms of its parameters and processing quality, is practically not inferior to factory units.

A structurally made do-it-yourself metal grinding machine will consist of the following components:

• Metal or wooden frame.
• Electrical engine.
• Drive shaft.
• Working surface.
• Sanding belt.

When making a drum grinder for wood with your own hands, you need to determine the power of the electric motor used. It is recommended to choose electric motors that develop about 3 kW and are able to maintain a clean speed of 1,500 rpm. On the basis of such a drive, a functional, durable and reliable grinding machine can be manufactured that can cope with the processing wooden products. The easiest way is to make such equipment based on an electric motor from an old washing machine.

The grinder bed can be made of lumber or a metal corner, welded and additionally sheathed with plywood. It is necessary to choose the dimensions of the frame based on the dimensions of the drive used, as well as the dimensions of the wooden blanks processed on the unit. When making a bed, it is necessary to focus on the available project documentation, which will allow you to properly manufacture the bearing base of the machine, which in the future will be able to withstand significant loads.

The shaft of the manual and automatic belt grinder, which is directly connected to the electric motor, can be machined on lathe or use ready-made blanks from industrial equipment. The shafts of the calibrating drum grinder must be located strictly in the middle of the main drive, which subsequently guarantees high-quality processing of wooden blanks.

The optimal width of the sanding belt used will be 200 millimeters. It can be done from emery, which is cut into strips and subsequently the used abrasive tape is already glued from them. The material should be glued end-to-end, and dense matter is placed on the reverse side, which will ensure the strength of the seam.

Having made a grinder with your own hands, you can significantly simplify the processing of wooden blanks, leveling boards and removing chips from lumber. Making such a unit with your own hands is not difficult. On the Internet, it will be necessary to select a diagram-drawing for the manufacture of the machine, and using an electric motor from an old washing machine, make the simplest equipment, which in terms of its functionality and quality of processing will not be inferior to factory-made equipment.

And the grinder is also called a grinder, which translates from English grinder as a crusher.

There are crushers for stones, crushers for meat - we have meat grinders, there are garden crushers, releasing chips. But if the word is used on its own - just a grinder, it means only one thing: a grinding machine in the field of metal processing.

The grinder is good and useful everywhere, including in the household - from competently sharpening a high-quality knife or tailor's scissors to grinding a complex part made of metal or other "difficult" material. In other words, the tool is necessary, it will come in handy on the farm.

Moreover, it is quite possible to make it with your own hands. To do this, it is not necessary to have special equipment and solid professional experience.

Of course, you will have to tinker, but then you will do exactly what you need and, which is very important, save a serious amount of money up to several thousand US dollars.

Are we doing with a disk or with a tape?

Grinder drawing.

In terms of the breadth of the product line with grinding machines, only lathes can argue. There are a huge number of grinders on the market - of all stripes and sizes.

The most famous and primitive in the form of the famous emery is a pair of grinding stone circles with a screwed motor. These machines are sold with a wide variety of schemes and principles of operation.

But if you're planning on making a homemade grinder, it's best to stop and choose between two options: disc or belt.

• Disc grinder - a grinding layer of abrasive is applied to the disc, which rotates when turned on.
• Belt machine, in which the abrasive is applied to a tape wound on rollers.

Which one is better is a misunderstanding. The correct criterion would be “which is more necessary”. The choice should depend on what exactly you are going to grind. If these are relatively simple parts made of, say, wood, disc wood sanders are more suitable for you.

If you have serious sanding work ahead of you to fine-tune fine details with complex details, choose a belt.

It is necessary to take into account the difference between a suit and a tape, not only in terms of their functional features. Another important factor is drive power. Grinding small wooden workpieces - you will have enough power in the range of 160 - 170 watts.

This will calmly give out an elementary motor from a washing machine or even from an old drill.

For a belt grinder, old household motors will not work in any way. There you will need an engine with a power of at least 400 - 500 W, and not a simple one, but a three-phase one with starting and running capacitors.

For grinding massive and dimensional parts, the power will be needed higher: up to 1200 watts. We note right away that buying capacitors for the machine will cost you a little cheaper than the motor itself.

Choosing a tape

The machine with a tape is more versatile in terms of functionality: it does everything that the disk models, plus much more. Immediately, we note that there are a great many options for amateur models of belt grinders.

The fact is that the nature of this machine is very plastic, allowing the use of a variety of improvised materials, up to finds in scrap metal dumps.

The main thing is to know and adhere to three rules:

1. The abrasive side of the belt must be set very precisely so that only the workpiece that is being sanded touches it.
2. The tape must be uniformly tensioned at all times and regardless of the type of work.
3. The speed of movement should be different and should depend on only one thing: the type of part and the nature of the grinding.

Designing a homemade belt sander

The device of the grinding machine.

The main ones are:

• A motor or motor driven by electricity.
  It is better to install the drive next to the main diameter drive roller.
• Base or bed.
  It is often fixed directly on the floor, sometimes this thing rides on wheels - this is what is more convenient and necessary for you.
• Two tension rollers - leading and driven.
  Made of metal or very strong wood with a thin layer of cushioning rubber to prevent slipping of the tape on the roll or drum.
• Spring and lever for belt tensioning system.
  The spring is clamping, and the lever is attached to the base and the driven roller.
• The basis for placement of the motor with the drive.
• For a tape with an abrasive, paper or cloth should be used.
  Its width can be very different - in the range from 5 to 30 cm. Grain level - from 80.
• Metal pipes with a thickness of 2 mm or more.
• Metal corners in accordance with the dimensions of the machine.
• Special magnetic stand for metal parts.
• Rail type guides.

Scheme of the device of the grinding machine.

Stages of work:

1. We make the frame of the base or bed.
   - cut corners according to the size of the bed;
   - We weld the frame and corners;
   - we fix a chipboard plate at the bottom of the frame to reduce vibration during operation.
2. We make a work surface.
   - cut the steel sheet to size and weld it directly to the base;
   - We weld rail guides to the upper part of the frame;
   - we make a carriage from corners with wheels for moving along the guides of the bed;
   - on both sides of the working surface we mount and fix bearing supports;
   - fix the screw with the handle on the carriage;
3. We fix the electric motor system for lifting the working area.
4. We fix the gear mounts.
5. Install abrasive tape.
   - cut the tape with a margin of several centimeters at an angle of 45 °;
   - we glue it with an overlap with a glue coating of the side with an abrasive washed off with water;
   - dry the place of gluing with a hair dryer;
6. Getting ready for a test run of the machine.
   – we process all parts of the machine with machine oil;
   - supply electrical power;
   - do a test run.

Safety precautions when working on a grinding grinder

Like any other work on any other machines, sanding on a homemade belt sander is subject to fairly strict safety rules that must be strictly adhered to.

The principle of operation of the grinder.

These rules are:

• It is strictly forbidden to touch everything that moves and the working surface with your hands.
• Wear protective goggles during work to protect against hot abrasive particles.
• Carefully check that the connections and fastenings of all moving parts of the grinder are tight.
• Monitor the condition of the braid of electrical wires.
• A protective cover is mandatory, even though it slightly narrows the viewing angle.