Questions which came up only AFTER I drilled a hole in concrete

My HF grinder is, same as yours but 6" rather than 8". Been using it for at least 10 years; in fact, I just now finished using it.

Reply to
dadiOH
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On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 12:35:28 -0800, Oren advised:

Oren, How can I tell that from the box?

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The only way to tell that is either from someone who owns it and loves or hates it, or, from the specs on the box (which is what I gave you).

For example, is 3/4 horsepower what most of you have for your grinder? Is an 8-inch wheel what most of you have for your grinder? Are most of you using a grinder that is 3450 RPM?

Specifically: Q: Do most of you need more than 3/4 horsepower? Q: Do most of you use need larger than an 8-inch wheel? Q: Do most of you do fine with under 4000 RPM?

Reply to
Frank Baron

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:54:29 -0500, dadiOH advised:

Thanks for letting me knwo that the same grinder, but at 6 inches, works fine for you.

I'm pretty logical, so, Oren's answer doesn't really help me because any grinder that wobbles (no matter what the spec is) would be a crappy grinder, so, I don't see how his answer helped.

I'm logical. If most of you do fine with a similar grinder, then I'll consider that a decent grinder.

But if most of you say 3/4 hp or 8 inches or 3450 rpm is too small or slow, then that will be a good datapoint for me.

But telling me the only thing that matters is if it wobbles is not really helpful because that would be a defect and not a spec. Since it's still in the box, all I have right now is the spec (it's an xmas gift from my wife to me, only she doesn't know it yet).

Reply to
Frank Baron

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:48:50 -0500, dadiOH advised:

I appreciate the advice because it's exactly what anyone would do who actually tried to figure out if the hammer was working or not.

Problem is, that's exactly what I did do, which, of course, you can believe me since I never wanted the hammer drill in the first place so I drilled an entire hole with the hammer and another without and I didn't see or feel or hear or notice any difference whatseover.

I even tried turning it on and off while I did the next two holes. No difference whatsoever.

If there was a difference, I wouldn't have asked the question in the first place. I'm pretty logical that way.

Reply to
Frank Baron

A grinder doesn't need much HP, all the motor needs to do is spin a smallish wheel against very little resistance.

Diameter of the stones isn't important to me, 6", 8", either is fine. But I would like wider stones. Most seem to be

3/4, maybe or an inch.

IMO, slower RPM is better, True, high RPM will grind faster but faster = more heat and heat is not good. Most all electric ones seem to spin at 3450 RPM so you don't have much choice. The same is true for disk sanders but - if you are willing to pay extra - you can get then at 1750 RPM. Still too high IMO, I'd prefer 600 or less.

When you get into machines meant for sharpening, you'll find slow wheels. Perhaps you are old ebough to remember guys going door to door with a big -

18"?- foot operated grind stone offering to sharpen knives, scissors, axes, whatever for a nickel or so. I imagine those stones turned at around 100 RPM max.
Reply to
dadiOH

It's probably bad. A good masonry bit will easily drill through a "soft mix" concrete without any hammer action. So it could be you never had to apply enough pressure to activate the hammer. I only used mine (Craftsman) to drill though very hard concrete, and I could feel the hammer action.

Reply to
Vic Smith

That looks a lot like my 6" Craftsman. I've had it for years, and it does anything I ask of it. Just buy quality wheels. That's the most important part of grinders. You don't want them flying apart. And make sure your tool rests are clamped tight.

Reply to
Vic Smith

About 20 years ago (?) I inherited a Rockford Model R-6 bench grinder. I have no idea how long Grandpa had it before that.

It looks very much like this one.

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1/2 HP, 6" wheel, 3450 RPM

For the most part, as an avid DIY'er, it has served me well. On rare occasions I have been able to slow it down, especially if I press on the wire wheel to hard with whatever I am tying to clean up.

Would an extra 1/4 HP help? I don't know. Would a larger wheel size help? To that I'd have to say yes. A larger wire wheel would make cleaning odd shaped objects easier.

The real question is this: Is the HF one really an extra 1/4 HP stronger? Games can be played with HP numbers. Call me crazy, but I'd trust an old Rockford to really be 1/2 HP a whole lot more than I'd trust a HF machine to be 3/4.

Obviously, I can't speak to the longevity of the HF machine, but I doubt you'll get as many years out of it as I (and Grandpa) have. Yes, the Rockford was made in Taiwan, but it's a very well built unit.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Have you ever used a grinder with a wire wheel to clean the rust off of e.g. a brake caliper bracket? I can slow my 1/2 HP Rockford if I press too hard.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, an 8" wire wheel would be better than my

6" wheel. Easier to work on odd shaped objects since the curve is "flatter" if you know what I mean.

Just because they call it a "grinder" doesn't mean that that is all it can do. :-)

I use my wire wheel more than I use the stone.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

3/4, maybe or an inch.

Unless ther is a form of speed control all most all motors that operate at the 60 Hz line frequency will operate at 3600 rpm minus 100 to 200 rpm due to 'slip' or some sub multiply. Such as 1800 or in rare cases

900. The ones that operate at anything other than 3600 rpm are usually more expensive.
Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Hi Frank,

Are you sure you have a rotary hammer and not an impact drill/driver?

Basic Drill - The bit rotates but there is no hammering involved.

Impact Drill/Driver - As the bit rotates, it is also hammered horizontally in the direction of rotation. This helps to tighten or loosen fasteners. You can hear the impact taking place, but there isn't much to feel.

Rotary Hammer - Impacts the bit vertically as it rotates. You won't feel any impact until you press the bit against something (assuming you have the drill set to hammer mode and not just rotary mode). Rotary hammers usually use SDS style bits (no chuck), which is a simple way to identify them.

Make sure to wear eye protection when drilling into stone or concrete with a masonry hammer. Especially when you first start the hole, bits of stone and dust will come flying back at you. It's not too bad once the tip of the bit is buried in the stone.

Anthony Watson

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Reply to
HerHusband

That Chicago Electric drill doesn't look like a rotary hammer to me. The chuck isn't visible in the picture, but it appears to be a standard chuck. The drill also seems to be quite small.

A rotary hammer is a much beefier drill, something like this:

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They take special SDS bits (squarish bits that snap in, instead of tightening down with a standard chuck.

A basic impact driver (often called "hammer drill" though the name is misleading) won't help much with drilling holes in concrete. The impact is rotational, instead of up and down. It's better than a basic drill, but not by much.

As I mentioned in my other post, an impact driver works great for driving or loosening fasteners (lag bolts, machine bolts, etc.).

Anthony Watson

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Reply to
HerHusband

Frank,

A spinning bit hammering into stone or concrete is a fairly violent operation. A standard chuck would quickly work loose with all the vibration.

The SDS bits snap into the chuck instead of being tightened down. It's kind of like the quick disconnect on air hose connections.

Anthony Watson

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Reply to
HerHusband

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 19:32:11 -0600, Vic Smith advised:

Thanks for that advice. My old grinder I made myself when I was a kid. It was a washing machine motor with an arbor sticking out. It died a while ago, so that's why I needed a new one.

The old one didn't have anything like lights or a tool rest. This new one is "fancy" in that it at least has tool rests. The eye guards look like crap though as do the tool rests. So I suspect I'll be using it without both over time.

Just like my old washing machine motor grinder!

Reply to
Frank Baron

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 19:49:44 -0500, dadiOH advised:

This is a good point that a wider wheel is preferable to a thinner wheel.

How wide is wide?

1/2" or 5/8" or 3/4"?

I will check, when I open the 39798 for xmas, whether it can handle wider stones than whatever it comes with.

Here's the advertising stuff:

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And the owners manual:

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That owners manual says the 39798 is wheel size 8? x 3/4? x 5/8? But it doesn't mention any wider wheels. I will call 1-888-866-5797 to ask tomorrow.

Reply to
Frank Baron

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 16:09:52 -0800, Oren advised:

Oren, I understand your point which is, if taken literally, that all HF tools re shitty and not worth buying.

Maybe that's true. Maybe that's not true.

The tire changer certainly uses very soft steel, but I was able to shore it up just fine, such that it had no problem, once shored up, changing the tire. I think had it been a car tire and not an SUV tire, it would have been far easier based on all that I've read and watched.

So this application was a tough one for *any* tire machine. In fact, on the Toyota forums, a guy who mounts and sells the Optimo tires said they're one of the hardest ones to dismount, even with his air-operated professional machine.

So I just happen to start with one of the most difficult tires around that the machine has trouble with.

But the question here was about the bench grinder, which is essentially a motor with an arbor sticking out both ends.

Totally different equation.

Reply to
Frank Baron

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 17:44:49 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 advised:

Thanks for that input. If 1/2 HP at 6 inches and 3450 RPM worked for you, the 3/4HP and 8 inches at the same speed should work for me.

My first grinder (as a kid) was a washing machine motor with an arbor, so this is a step up from that! :)

The one nice thing about that washing machine motor was that it had POWER! You could slow it down, but you had to really try! It didn't have any rests though, nor any guards.

Thanks. A larger wheel would spin faster (at the edges) and it would take longer to wear down (I guess, since there is more meat).

I completely understand. I have owned motorcycles all my life, and you can never trust the BHP figures.

I could measure the amperage since I have a clamp-on ammmeter, but, it's not that critical. From what you said, the bench grinder is probably just fine. It was 40 bucks.

We all love the old stuff (for the most part). Built like a brick outhouse. Oh, how I wish I had my old metal Tonka toys for my kids!

Reply to
Frank Baron

On Wed, 14 Dec 2016 05:21:50 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband advised:

I'm not sure of anything.

Here is the owners manual for what I have:

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Here is the sales description:

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What would you call that thing?

Reply to
Frank Baron

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 18:59:20 -0600, Vic Smith advised:

Hmmmm... I didn't realize *pressure* activates the hammer. I thought the hammer switch activated the hammer.

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Reply to
Frank Baron

On Wed, 14 Dec 2016 05:33:46 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband advised:

I appreciate any advice you can provide because I never used one of these things before.

The HF item number is 62383 which is described here:

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They call it "1/2 in. Heavy Duty Variable Speed Reversible Hammer Drill" The owners manual is here:

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I have a motorcyle, where a hand-operated impact driver is de rigueur.

Reply to
Frank Baron

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