polishing/grinder adapter

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Bob Roller sent me these images to describe how he made an adapter for his bench grinder, to increase its diversity as a polishing unit. I'm sure he'll chime in here and talk about how he went about it, and how he uses it.  

[galamb]

The first couple of pics look just like the drum sander attachments I use on my drill press.

Makes quick work of initially cleaning up sand cast items and you are only restricted by the available grits of sandpaper. Would have never thought of adding that my grinder in this fashion - think it would be somewhat easier to use (oriented better) than on the drill press.

[Bob Roller]

Taylor,this is a surprise.I thought these pictures vanished in the black hole of cyber space.
The piece in my hand is a 1/2x20 grade 8 bolt drilled to accept a 1/4" shank with an expanding
rubber wheel with emery cloth made into a removeable belt or band.The shank is held by a heat treated
allen set screw.
The othe adapter is made from a piece of 1"hexagon 1018 and threaded internally and externally to
1/2x20 and replaces the nut tht keeps the wheel on the grinder.The buffing wheel is another 1/2x20 thread bolt
threaded into another piece of the hex material that also replaces the nut that usually holds the grinding
wheel in place.This idea doubles the use of the grinder which is an old Rockwell made in Pittsburg in 1974 and
still running strong.This idea can be used on any grinder IF there is enough threads coming thru the outside of
the wheel.It can be very useful if space is limited and maybe money is not plentiful to buy another polisher to
use.I have a variety of wheels and buffs I can use with this set up and all of them can be quickly changed from
one use to the next.
Thanks for showing this and maybe someone else would like to try one.A lathe is all that's needed and the appropriate taps and dies.

Bob Roller
PS: They are drum sanders available in many hardware stores or Sears.
I use emery CLOTH and glue the belts with Elmer's Carpenters glue.
No problems in the decades I've used this idea.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Bob, they've been sitting in my 'mail box' until I returned from my moose hunt.  I cleaned up my backed up mail, and dealt with things by priority, so here you go.  I like this idea...I have a Baldor bench grinder that I bought in 1971, and which is also still going strong.  To use it as a buffer, I simply removed the grinding wheels, and replaced them with 8" cotton wheels for buffing.  But I don't buff much these days, preferring to hand polish everything.  Or I use the lathe for cylindrical stuff.  Still, this is very innovative, and I'm sure it'll give some of you some ideas.