how to tighten grinder wheels

[Shay Vings]

Had a bit of drama on my Record 5 inch Grinder when a scraper jammed between the wheel and the guard (my fault) but the result was it shocked the spindle into loosening the grey wheel.

I removed the guard to re-tighten the securing nuts but found the LH/RH threads each end defeated me: As much as I tightened on end, t'other end unscrewed.

The user instructions caution against overtightening (presumably to avoid cracking the stones) but there seems to be no flat anywhere on the shaft to get purchase whilst tightening and no advice on torque.

Any comments?

 

[Jamesc]

The washers should be big enough thet you don't need to thighten too much. When I got my abrasive wheels ticket we were told to use inertia to tighten (and loosen) the wheel. Use a long spanner and startinf around 12 O'clock bring the spanner down onto the bench smartly so that the inertia tightens the nut - easier to do than explain. A couple of these and the wheel will be as tight as you need.

James

 

[RogerP]

I've had the same conundrum, although I've managed to get the darned things tightened in the end, it would be nice to know the "correct" procedure :?:

 

[RogerP]

The washers should be big enough thet you don't need to thighten too much. When I got my abrasive wheels ticket we were told to use inertia to tighten (and loosen) the wheel. Use a long spanner and startinf around 12 O'clock bring the spanner down onto the bench smartly so that the inertia tightens the nut - easier to do than explain. A couple of these and the wheel will be as tight as you need.
James

So the chap I once saw in the local garage jamming a spanner on the bench and briefly switching the grinder on wasn't so far off .... :shock: (hammer)

 

[jumps]

definitely not the first one to face this....I like to carefully torque, even relatively lightly torqued, but this one defeated me (and I took the whole damm thing apart!)

in practice I left off the slow wet wheel arrangement on the other end which suited me better anyway.

 

[CHJ]

A suitable socket held in a battery powered drill driver set at low torque (2-3) to take up the last three-quarter to half turn will normally do it.

 

[Jonzjob]

I have always found that to tighten the nut up to hand tight, spin the wheel by hand to make sure that the centre is correct and turn it on. The strat torque will tighten the wheel enough. If you stop one wheel suddenly then the other one will almost certainly unscrew the other nut. If not then it is almost certainly too tight.

The idea is to hold a fragile wheel so that it can run true and not to clamp it so tight that the slightest pressure will crack it. There should be only a tiny amount of pressure put on it in use after all and when switched off it should take several minutes to stop unless you have a wheel that has a slow, wet wheel on the other end running through a gearbox.

Others may know differently, but that is what I have learned

 

[woodstainwilly]

You need no more than the finger and thumb of one hand on the wheel
against the pressure of a spanner on the nut.
Willy.