BGM-100 bench grinder mount update

[tdacon]

Quite a while ago - in 2014, actually - I posted a description of the custom base I designed to mount a BGM-100 bench grinder unit for my dry grinder setup. Designing the base posed some special problems because of the base I'd already created for the grinder itself and the pair of Veritas tool rests that mount on it. I posted a link to a Photobucket album that showed what I'd done and described the problems I had to solve and how I solved them. Unfortunately I neglected to include "BGM-100" in the title or even  in the body of the post, so I've since discovered that the thread tends to not show up in searches and is thus sort of hidden on the forum unless you happen to stumble upon it. I went back and edited it a bit to see if I could make it more visible and I think it helped.

Anyway, since then, while I was doing some serious reshaping on an oval-cross-section woodturning skew chisel, I discovered that I was going to have to modify the base somewhat because of interference between the base and the handle of the tool. So this post will show the changes I made. The original post gives a pretty good description of the whole project so I'm not going to repeat what I put into that but there's a link to it below if you're interested, as well as a link to the Photobucket library, to which I've added a few more pictures at the end to show what changes I've made to the base.

Basically I cut off the front of the base at a 45 degree angle to give clearance for tool handles. Then instead of fastening the base to the bench with a clamp, which interfered as well, I now use a carriage bolt threaded through a hole in the bench, tightened down by a plastic knob underneath.

One of the things you'll see in the last picture, which shows the grinder with the modified base mounted alongside it, is a pair of brass protective plates mounted in front of the wheels. The stream of sparks from that heavy reshaping of the skew chisel actually heated up the laminate until it melted a hole right through it. The brass plates will spread the heat and prevent further damage.

Here's a link to my original post:

    http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=2034.msg9938#msg9938

and here's a link to the Photobucket library that now includes at the end several pictures of the modified base:

    http://s736.photobucket.com/user/tdacon/slideshow/Tormek%20dry%20grinder%20adaptation

Thanks for taking a look,
Tom

[Ken S]

Tom,

Thanks for posting. You have made a very useful application of the BGN-100. It deserves a chance to be found during a search. I often find the search function frustrating, so, I appreciate all efforts to simmplify the process. (That's the main reason I have created so many topics.)

Keep up the good work!

Ken

[BigPoppa502]

This is a great example of a sharpening bench, work station or tool stand. I would love to see more pics. I'm trying to decide on how to build my stand for my Tormek.

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, Big Poppa, and thanks for resurrecting a most interesting topic. Tdacon has not only made an outstanding sharpening station, he has also demonstrated very clever use of the BGM-100. Well done!

Ken

[tdacon]

Thanks, Big Poppa. I'll take some more pictures of the sharpening bench in a few days and put them up on Photobucket with a link here.

[Ken S]

Tom,

Outstanding engineering and over the top construction workmanship. Kudos!

My one humble suggestion is to add a protective top for your bench. A piece of fitted plywood or Masonite would protect your very nice top. Some cleats biards would keep it in place.

Even with care, either a Tormek or a dry grinder can damage a wood finish.

It is pricey, however the Tormek rubber mat is an excellent protective surface.

Keep up the good work!

Ken