Grinding wheels have been a vital part of several trades for centuries. Most notably, grinding wheels were used in the middle ages to sharpen swords for battle and sharpen axes for beheadings. However, grinding wheels have also been used by farriers and blacksmiths to change the shapes of everything from horseshoes to customized weapons. These days, grinding wheels have even more applications in industry and manufacturing than ever before. If you are in charge of a grinding wheel and making sure it stays "true" (it keeps its form and its ability to grind properly), then here is how you should be going about it.
Select a Grinding Wheel Dresser System
A grinding wheel "dresser" system locks onto your grinding wheel. You turn on the grinding wheel, and wherever the wheel is more worn or lopsided, the "dresser" bar shaves off the excess to make the entire wheel the same perfect circumference and diameter, no matter where you measure it. The dresser bar also makes the entire grinding surface of your grinding wheel sharper and grittier so that when you grind something, you can get the best possible outcome on your grinding wheel. Some dresser systems are electric, which means that you really do not have to have an electric grinding wheel nor do you have to turn the wheel on if you do. The dresser system spins the wheel as it works instead of the wheel spinning while the dresser does its job.
Keeping Your Wheel True
Keeping the grinding wheel true typically requires that you use your wheel dresser system at least once a month. If you use your grinding wheel a lot on a daily basis, you might need to true it twice a month. It is important to keep the wheel true so that all of your grinding projects come out perfectly shaped and/or perfectly sharpened.
Managing the Dresser Bar Itself
Dresser bars will not last forever. Even the diamond grit ones will eventually wear out and break. It is important to take the dresser system apart every couple of months and examine the dresser bar to make sure it is not too worn. If it is very worn, you will need to buy more dresser bars of varying grits and replace them as each becomes worn. If you do not, you cannot expect the dresser system to keep your grinding wheel as true as the grinding wheel should be.
To learn more about grinding wheel dresser systems, contact a company in your area like Max Engineering Inc.
