[Jewelry making - Article 01402] - Re: [Orchid] 2 Wheels Buffer or Flex Shaft?

[mjoat]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    Almost all Harbor freight grinders run at 3450 rpm. They do have a
    couple that turn slower but have a horizontal wheel for sharpening
    chisels. Also most of the smaller 6" wheel dia grinders you buy are
    made overseas to the US. As with most items today they are no longer
    made in the USA. I don't care what source you buy from If the
    grinder is under $125.00 dollars it is made over there. 

    A local supplier to the jewelry trade resells a lot of Harbor
    Freights jewelry, metal smith tools. As they have compared them to
    the items supplied to them from their suppliers and found that they
    are from the same country and probably the same factory. 

    A national auto parts chain sold the same type grinders, labeled
    assembled in the USA. All the parts are made in China, they put the
    wheels on here and put them back in the box. 

    A friend's wife just got an large order for grinding wheels from
    China. They are in Canada, but the grinding wheels she distributes
    are made in the USA. The Chinese are having trouble getting all the
    bits and pieces to make up the products they are selling to all
    countries. 

    If you are running a buffer or any piece of motorized equipment,
    6,8,10 hours day. 5 or 6 days a week you should be using an
    industrial grade equipment. 

    Cutting the shafts off the motor is not a good idea. You can
    unbalance the shaft and case early failure. Also cutting a spinning
    shaft is asking for the possibility Of broken fingers, hands, wrists
    ect. Not including the wounds from flying blade pieces. 

    The tapered spindle adapters I have fit nicely on the shafts and
    only add about 2 " to the total buffer width. 

    And yes if you are shop wise enough to convert them double spindles
    motors from washer/dryers are great and with reasonable
    cleaning/lubing will last for ever. 

    So If you have another industrial supply house in your area. They
    probably have a low cost 6" inch grinder you can convert. If they
    have a web site read the spec's for RPM ect. 

    here are some others 

    http://www.mcmaster.com
    http://www.wttool.com
    http://www.grainger.com

    Again, all the usual disclaimers and legalize apply. I don't work
    for or own harbor Freight. P.S. they are a privately held company
    and all the stores, are owned by the family that started it. 

glen, been there done that, and didn't hurt myself
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________