Drill Press / Burnisher Question..

[CustomDoug]

Variable speed drills are cheap and readily available, already have a chuck, and only need a simple shop made fixture to hold them. Agree with st8. Don't need to over think the problem. Also don't need to thread the motor shaft. Should be lots available for real cheap at garage sales and flea markets.

Tom

I'm not over thinking it - I just don't want to make a mistake and buy something I'm not happy with after a short while. It's a lesson I've learned from sewing machine purchases and it's gotten a little old. As it stands I prefer the bench mounted grinder option (if it's possible) over a rigged up hand-held drill. Especially since it'll be an expense for me either way. I hope to be using this thing for a very long time. To me the bench grinder just seems a little more compact if not more,..professional (FWIW). So my question is still, are the 3400rpm motors going to necessarily cause burning of the leather? I guess I could try to get a "slow speed" grinder or a variable speed one - here's a cheap unit from Harbor Freight but the reviews are not that great:

http://www.harborfreight.com/bench-grinder-with-flex-shaft-43533.html

[CustomDoug]

Then there's this bench mandrel too, that would work with a common run of the mill motor, they have the matching chucks too. http://www.grizzly.c...earing/G5548 - Why'd I ever get rid of those old electric motors?

edit - not sure why that link won't go to the correct page, just search item# G5548 and G5555

Edited October 15, 2012 by CustomDoug

[katsass]

FWIW from the old grump; I have found that the hand-held drill (even if it is 'rigged' up) with it's variable speed capability seems to be the most useful. I even have all of my Dremel tools (three of them) hooked into simple light dimmers to facilitate speed control on them. Yes, I do know that at least two of them have a variable speed control built in, however it's a lot easier and quicker to just reach over to the handy light control, and slide the switch to where I want. For a bench mounted mandrel I'd want the same variable speed ability, so a motor speed controller such as a rheostat (or whatever modern, solid state gizmo is now in use) would be a necessity for me. Actually, I'd like a similar set-up on my drill presses, and that may be something I'll look into. Changing belt locations can be a pain when you are busy. Mike

Edited October 15, 2012 by katsass

[Northmount]

CustomDoug, the old grump has some of the best input, including previous comments.

One of the previous comments he made was to mount the shaft with the burnisher vertical so you can see more easily exactly what you are doing.

There are short arbor extensions that can be added to any 1/2 or 5/8" motor shaft so you don't need all the extra bearings and shaft like you found on Grizzly. Take a look at https://www.swmetal.... and Extensions and you will see lots of choices, even for dremels.

The typical one you would use is https://www.swmetal....em?itemID=11989. They used to be available in a lot of hardware stores, so you might find one locally. This combination with a 1725 rpm motor (or slower furnace fan motor) could be mounted so it hangs off the side or end of your bench with the shaft vertical. It would give you lots of working clearance around it for larger items and allow you to see exactly what is happening as you burnish. Depending on the type of burnisher you are going to use, you could use a tapered spin-on like https://www.swmetal....em?itemID=11973. With it, you can use a stepped burnisher, stepped right down to a small point for belt holes. Alternatively, you can drill and tap the burnisher to fit the item 11989 and just screw it on. Watch your motor rotation direction, or you may launch the burnisher!

I've used my own burnisher on a lathe. Gives me variable speed, but not very convenient. I think I'll build a dedicated machine using a stepped burnisher, motor shaft vertical with fan motor speed control like the Grump says.

Tom

I seel Lee Valley has arbor mounts too. http://www.leevalley...072,45939,41743

Edited October 15, 2012 by northmount

[BearMan]

Hi CustomDoug, Beary & I have been looking into a burnisher that would mount on a variable speed bench grinder. What we've found is that some bench grinders even in the same maker have some very weird size threaded shafts. Some are 1/2"-20,,, which is good,,, but a lot of them come with a 1/2" ACME thread,,, some have a 12mm shaft. So fitting them with a burnisher that doesn't wobble, is very problematic. The problem with the arbor shaft extensions is that with the set screws pushing against the shaft pushes the arbor off center. We have made a few that fit SOME variable bench grinders,,, but there doesn't seen to be any good rhime or reason to which shaft size & thread will come on your grinder. Once we get back from the show, I'm going to do some reasearch into a grinder company that consistantly uses a usable shaft size.

BUT,,, on another good note,,, Beary is introducing a new Burnisher at the show, designed to fit & work very nicely in your cordless & variable speed hand drill! He will have those ready to roll out in about 2 weeks,,, maybe less.

[Cyberthrasher]

Just as an additional option, I use one of bearman's dremel burnishers in my variable speed dremel mounted horizontally to the dremel drill press (it will rotate either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal). This allows me to see the burnishing edge and just slide my straps right through with both hands on the leather. If I'm doing something larger I can just change the mounting angle on it.

Edited October 16, 2012 by Cyberthrasher

[CustomDoug]

Original Poster here..

I wanted to get you guy's opinions on this possible motor set up to do my burnishing (remember I'm wanting a horizontally mounted burnisher). Harbor Freight has a 6" bench mounted buffer for $40, it has a 1/2" threaded arbor. Plus Harbor Freight also has an electrical plug thing that's called a "Router Speed Control" which essentially turns any "AC/DC Brush type motor" into a variable speed unit. You plug this into the wall then the buffer into this and it has a speed control knob on the front. Here are the two items: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-buffer-94393.html and http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html . This would make the 3450rpm buffer run at a slower speed, if they'll work together... the 6" electric buffer would be a "brush type motor" wouldn't it? . HF also has a universal Jacob bit drill chuck BUT I have no idea what the thread pattern is on it and whether it would thread onto the Buffer's arbor.. so I don't want to get it without knowing. Thoughts, comments on this set up ? Thanks.

[Northmount]

The links aren't working for me, but a 3450 RPM motor is not a series wound brush type motor. It is a standard 2 pole induction motor. Depending on the methods used in the speed control, it may give you some control of the speed on an induction motor, at the risk of overheating the motor. If it isn't working hard, and shouldn't be for burnishing, you could be okay.

The threaded jacobs chucks are fine thread. You need to determine if it is 3/8 or 1/2".

Tom

[CustomDoug]

The links aren't working for me, but a 3450 RPM motor is not a series wound brush type motor. It is a standard 2 pole induction motor. Depending on the methods used in the speed control, it may give you some control of the speed on an induction motor, at the risk of overheating the motor. If it isn't working hard, and shouldn't be for burnishing, you could be okay.

The threaded jacobs chucks are fine thread. You need to determine if it is 3/8 or 1/2".

Tom

I just noticed that the Jacobs chuck has a 1/2"-20 thread count... I have no idea what the buffer's thread count is though. They did look awfully course though. I suppose a thread adapter could be sourced if nothing else. Here's the chuck: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-jacobs-keyed-chuck-45731.html

[CustomDoug]

OK upon further research - I found the link to the buffer's manual and the end nuts that hold on your buffing pad, etc is 1/2"-12 . So I'd have to see if an adapter is available somewhere I guess.

The motor parts break down shows a "Rotor , spindle, and housing", uses a capacitor, circuit breaker - I see no mention of windings or brushes.

Edited October 25, 2012 by CustomDoug