Grinder question

[d_goldsmith]

I live in a 500sq ft studio. I stand in my kitchen and cut and grind tools out with my dremel. If I had a house or a place to put a work bench, I would bolt a grinder to it and would have a chair and a nice light near by

[selim]

Yes light's are very good. I'm still trying to get some toob's for my little (lock shop),not much space either,but do what ya can. I'm just wondering at what hieght you look at your grinding if your sitting? Is it a chair,stool,or something else?

[iNtago]

i need some toob's too

i have the grinder at about lower chest,sit on a padded stool, with a cold drink nearby(i just got a minifrige in my shop)

I seem to be deferant...im the 1 who bought the $40 grinder

looking for the toob's
iNtago

[2octops]

Something that nobody picked up....he said he was going to put it in a dorm room.

Grinding steel produces sparks and slings them and small molten bits of metal everywhere.

I would NOT suggest putting a grinder inside the house or apartment or dorm. You would be running a very high risk of setting something on fire. The smell would not be pleasant either unless you are into that sorta stuff.

Also, what coed is going to want to come back to your dorm room if it smells like a machine shop? I guess if he works in a machine shop he might.....

[ponsaloti]

is this a wind up, using a bench grinder whilst sitting down, what you gonna do when you drop or jam something in it. even better still, it falls in your lap or if your standing,it drops off the bench and you try to catch it, sooner or later you people are gonna lose blood, hope you mum or your wife and kids are not standing next to you when and it will happen. bolt it down, wear safety goggles you can see thru and decide which direction your going to move in if theres an accident.

[linty]

from a safety point of view grinders should ALWAYS be bolted down.
it's in the manual and it's just a good idea.

[Romstar]

from a safety point of view grinders should ALWAYS be bolted down.
it's in the manual and it's just a good idea.

True enough.

Mine just never moves. My grandfather never bolted it down, and that was just normal to me.

I can put it wherever I want. Get it out of the way if I need to, set it on a table.

While I agree that for overall safety, bolting it down is the best course of action, I have never needed to do so. A good grinder doesn't bounce all over the place.

Someone else mentioned about sparks, and molten metal. In general that isn't a problem, although depending on the metal being ground, and the material the sparks are landing on, and how far away it is, it could easily become a fire hazzard.

If nothing else, you are going to end up with sme nice scortch marks on the table, and holes all over your sofa. Foam is much more flamable than wood.

A bent piece of tin as a spark guard is all thats required to prevent this problem.

In any circumstance though, keep a ready supply of water or a fire extinguisher just for safety's sake.

Romstar

[mrdan]

you only need to bolt it down if you like your fingers

I like my fingers just fine.

Allow me to reitterate. My ginder is NOT bolted to anything. It does not chatter across the bench, it doesn't move and I can leave it running and walk across the shop to flick a light switch or some other small task.

It vibrates enough that there are slight ripples in the water when I use a quenching pan, but that is all. The reason for that vibration is because I am using a full size wheel on one side, and a very thin wheel on the other.

You will find diameter is actually more important than thickness.

Romstar

I got the Walmart special which looks a lot like the one from the OP and I too have no trouble mine is sitting on top of the deep freeze which I use for a workbench I have that and my key cutter both un-bolted. I dont go plowing into them you dont need to. As for the noise not realy that bad untill I get to grinding and then it depends on the material being ground. I would say that the Db level is similar to a hornstrobe on a fire system around 90-110 db. just a guess, I dont have a db meter. Of course the fact that my garage has no carpet or any other accousticaly dampening material might have some bering. Just my 2¢

[BazookaMedic]

My 60$ Ryobi grinder I use actually has no-slip rubber pads at it's base. I made my first, and not so good picks with it not bolted down. It did not move or anything. I have my own woodshop and i have sort of a bench that follows the walls that i have my benchtop tools permantly mounted to. Its a great soloution for a small shop.