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hi vince... q about grinders

updated mon 15 mar 04

 

Vince Pitelka on sat 13 mar 04


> ...By the way, if Vince is reading this... a couple years ago using your
> advice
> I had my husband get me a grinder with the flapper wheel. (You told me
the
> exact Grainger part number so I'm pretty sure it is the right one.) I
tried
> using it and while it seems like it is going to be great, it is giving a
> gray color to the pieces. Is this something that happens when the flaps
are
> new and wears off after a while? I was also unimpressed by my "grinder"
on
> the other side, we replaced the one that came with the grinder with a more
> expensive one (silicon carbide I think.) It just seemed like the Dremel
> took off so much more and more quickly. Does this fit your experience?

I missed this when it came around the first time, but Cindy sent it to me
off-list. I thought I should respond to it on-list.

Cindy -
Neither of the scenarios you explain above sound right at all. Are you sure
you installed the flap wheel so it is facing the right way? There will be
an arrow indicating proper direction of rotation, and if you turn it around
the wrong way, the backs of the flaps will be hitting the work, rather than
the abrasive surface.

Any decent grinding wheel will remove material about twenty billion times
faster than a grinding point on a Dremel tool. The Dremel tool is a hobby
tool, good for dressing very small surface flaws, but not much good for
anything else. So I have no idea why your bench grinder is not doing the
job. That makes no sense at all. Sorry I can't offer something more
constructive.
Good luck -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

Michael Wendt on sun 14 mar 04


If the flap wheel is not in backwards as Vince suggested,
check to see if it is aluminum oxide rather than silicon carbide.
Of the two, my best success polishing vitrified clay has been
with SiC.
Regards,
Michael Wendt
Wendt Pottery
2729 Clearwater Ave
Lewiston, ID 83501
wendtpot@lewiston.com
www.wendtpottery.com