Home made blade grinder- bench grinder

[Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care]

Check out the photos I have just posted to photo bucket. Tell me what you think.

I already had the $60 bench grinder using it to sharpen blades. I was thinking why spend $400 on a blade grinder when I already have a powerful Ryobi 8" grinder from Home Depot. And the idea struck me. $20 in large brackets, screws, and a 2x4. I just bent two of the brackets in a vice to get the correct angle of couple of times to test it. Then I used the first ones as a template for the other 4 for added stiff support. It works great. I cut groves into the 2x4 to drop around the grinder wheel so the blades can touch deep into the grind wheel. It made it to where I could take a lot of material off fast. These are 17" blades for my Dixie Chopper LT2000 50". My next project is going to be cutting some holes in the back bottom of the grinder wheel covers. Then put a grit collector of some sort under it. I was thinking a PEPSI can cut in half screwed to a block of wood to hold it with some weight. JUST TO BE CHEAP. LOL.

HERE ARE THE PHOTOS
http://s856.photobucket.com/albums/a...ade%20grinder/

[Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care]

Oh ya for my blade balancer I screwed a long 3" wood screw horizontally with no threads at the top sticking out in on the shelf in front of the grinder (not seen in photos). So the smooth part of the screw touches the inside of the blade hole. I put some grease on it too. I just stick my blade on the screw and the heavy side falls with gravity just like the $150 ball bearing balancers.

[Landscape Poet]

Whatever works for you but for just a few bucks more I think long term you would of been happy with this one which I have.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bradley-Lawn...ht_1075wt_1166

[Florida's Suncoast Lawn Care]

Originally Posted by Landscape Poet

Whatever works for you but for just a few bucks more I think long term you would of been happy with this one which I have.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bradley-Lawn...ht_1075wt_1166

Ya I've seen them thanks. I buy a lot of stuff on Ebay. I'm just being super cheap right now. I only have 21 accounts and my wife isn't getting a lot of hours right now at her jobs. We just bought a house and such but we don't have anymore house payments at least. And I just started the lawn service by getting all my equipment in a trade for my motorcycle. This is my first season. So I'm having fun like a hobby and figuring out ways to save $. It works great. I just had to think of the angles and all. It gave me something to do today.

[jvanvliet]

Originally Posted by Landscape Poet

Whatever works for you but for just a few bucks more I think long term you would of been happy with this one which I have.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bradley-Lawn...ht_1075wt_1166

Mike,

Will that Bradley handle Gators?