Lee Valley Grinding Wheels for Sharpening

Hi there, For tool steel the best wheels are white alluminium oxide for value for money. Look on my site at what we offer to see what to buy. KMS tools amy have them??

Hi -

Photo is a bit dark on our website, but they're actually white (aluminum oxide). I only use these wheels for grinding - or a belt sander with the zirconia abrasive (usually blue).

The wheel are "friable", which means they wear relatively quickly - sort of the power equivalent of waterstones. The wear rate ensures that fresh, sharp particles are always exposed. I haven't worn one out yet, but I don't do as much grinding as a serious turner would.

They (white wheels and belts) run cooler than typical grinding wheels - which is a plus for carbon steels.

Cheers -

Rob

Well, I originally asked about these wheels, and now I know... They are Norton wheels, and they are pretty "crappy" to put it mildly. They are 1" wheels, and yet come with bushings that are slightly less than 3/4" wide. I bought two different grits (80 and 120) and put them on my grinder. My grinder arbor has just a "fuzz" over 1/1000th of an inch runout, and you should have seen these damn grinding wheels wobble. Everything on the grinder was snug, and cheap wheels from Sears had considerably less wobble. I was seriously afraid the wheels were going to come apart from the way things "bounced", and immediately shut off the grinder. I put on some old wheels, ran fine, even ran it with no wheels, ran fine.

This was two different Norton wheels, both different "models"....

I called Lee Valley, who was willing to exchange them, (but even told me there was a GOOD chance the new ones would have the same bushing), but then I called Norton. I pushed the number for customer service, was transferred three times until someone finally gave me another number to call (a distributor of theirs supposedly) as they told me they don't deal with "end users". I called this number, got a fax machine. I called them (Norton) back, they transferred me around, gave me two more numbers. I called the first number and got some company that never heard of Norton, and had nobody by the name Norton gave me to talk to. I called the second number, 419-222-5080, and spoke to a gentlemen who was nice enough to tell me he'd look into it and call me back. I'm hoping to hear from him tomorrow.

I found several places on the net to buy the needed bushings, but that is ridiculous to have to do that in my opinion.

That is where I stand as of right now. My first Norton grinding wheel purchase, and definitely my last. What a mickey mouse outfit.

Sorry for the rant, but I hope someone benefits from the information that I didn't have before I placed the order. Norton will not help you, and there is no excuse for small bushings in wheels of this supposed quality.

I'll let you know how the saga turns out.................

Remove the nospam from my address to email me!!

Well, I originally asked about these wheels, and now I know... They are Norton wheels, and they are pretty "crappy" to put it mildly. They are 1" wheels, and yet come with bushings that are slightly less than 3/4" wide. I bought two different grits (80 and 120) and put them on my grinder. My grinder arbor has just a "fuzz" over 1/1000th of an inch runout, and you should have seen these damn grinding wheels wobble. Everything on the grinder was snug, and cheap wheels from Sears had considerably less wobble. I was seriously afraid the wheels were going to come apart from the way things "bounced", and immediately shut off the grinder. I put on some old wheels, ran fine, even ran it with no wheels, ran fine.

This was two different Norton wheels, both different "models"....

I called Lee Valley, who was willing to exchange them, (but even told me there was a GOOD chance the new ones would have the same bushing), but then I called Norton. I pushed the number for customer service, was transferred three times until someone finally gave me another number to call (a distributor of theirs supposedly) as they told me they don't deal with "end users". I called this number, got a fax machine. I called them (Norton) back, they transferred me around, gave me two more numbers. I called the first number and got some company that never heard of Norton, and had nobody by the name Norton gave me to talk to. I called the second number, 419-222-5080, and spoke to a gentlemen who was nice enough to tell me he'd look into it and call me back. I'm hoping to hear from him tomorrow.

I found several places on the net to buy the needed bushings, but that is ridiculous to have to do that in my opinion.

That is where I stand as of right now. My first Norton grinding wheel purchase, and definitely my last. What a mickey mouse outfit.

Sorry for the rant, but I hope someone benefits from the information that I didn't have before I placed the order. Norton will not help you, and there is no excuse for small bushings in wheels of this supposed quality.

I'll let you know how the saga turns out.................

Remove the nospam from my address to email me!!

I hope you meant Norton and not Lee Valley being the "mickey mouse outfit"...... While I have never purchased one item from Robin Lee, YET I might add, I would confidently do so based solely on his reputation for customer service. You will not find a better one anywhere in my opinion.

Mark

I believe the complaint above is a non-issue. The flanges of the wide "washers" on the grinder arbor should rest on and exert pressure on the wheel's sidewall. If the bushings are too wide they won't let the washer's grip the wheel tight enough for positive contact. The job of the bushing is to get the wheel pretty close to centered on the shaft while allowing compatability between the same wheel and a variety of shaft diameters.

Did you try one of the wheels on the grinder at a time? Since the wheels are composite "castings" you may have gotten a wheel more out-of-balance than the norm. Did you try swapping the bushings with those from your old wheels? Some folks have even turned their own wooden bushings. (You can also buy them from a hardware store for only a couple bucks.)

Lastly, I can understand your frustration in trying to settle this directly with Norton, but as you said in your message, they are a business-to-business manufacturer and are not set up for direct to consumer problem solving. In my opinion, the appropriate course of action is to work out a satisfactory solution with Lee Valley and be done with it. The whole gang at Lee Valley has earned a stellar reputation when it comes to customer satisfaction - take advantage of the service they offer.

Sorry Xlat but it is not the bushing that keeps the grinding wheel or the saw blade on a circular saw from wobbling, maybe you have a cheap grinder with cheap or lose flanges, you might need some good quality balancer flanges and set up your grinder properly.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Xlat wrote:

Yes Mark, sorry I thought I was clear but to clarify - Norton is a Mickey Mouse outfit, Lee Valley is top notch in my book. Sorry for any confusion or shadow cast on Lee Valley. This product problem is not Lee Valley's fault!!

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Non-issue? Check any other wheels and you will find the bushings are the same size as the wheel. Do you think it's just a coincidence? I know about the problems if they are too wide, and they are a long shot from being too wide, they are WAY too thin. Or is it your belief that this is some sort of "safety margin?"

As I said in my earlier message, yes I know I can buy them

yes Icould turn them, but should I need to with these supposedly beingquality wheels? To clarify, I did try other wheels, I did try one at a time. I didn't swap bushings, because my other wheels are the correct size without removable bushings - and this is a "non-issue", it's pretty plain and simple that the problem is these wheels.

Lee Valley said, and I agree, that the chances are that the new wheels they would swap would have the same bushings. Now what would that accomplish for me? Kind of a futile effort at a resolution doing that, and them not being the manufacturer, is probably about all they can do. In time, I expect that they will have to get with Norton, if this is a common problem here recently..

No phone call yet from the guy trying to find a fix, but I'll keep you posted!

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Thanks Leo, I"m not 100% sure what the problem is, other than that there was no problem with a number of wheels used in the past, things were fine, I also measured the runout on the arbors, and there is very very little. No problem until I put these wheels on (2 different Norton ones), and the "only" thing I have seen so far is the bushing difference. Either way, I think it says, there is a problem with these wheels, and the only thing I can see that is definitely different, is the skinny bushings. So far I have not even gotten an answer about whether or not this is normal (skinny bushings) for Norton wheels (if so - I say it's still not industry standard at the very least). Anyone out there wasted any money on Norton wheels and can tell me about the bushings?

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Thanks Darrell, I think that is what I'm going to do. Just seems a little ridiculous to say the least, but it DOES seem to be the simpler answer for me. Thanks again.

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Sorry about the hassle you are having, but in regards to one part of the problem, make your own bushings. All the ones I have seen on any grinding wheels are junk. it is easy to turn them out of maple or other hard wood.

I was told by a former employee of Norton that the company has been sold. If I remember correctly, it was to a French company----!

Yep, you've got a lathe, why not? You can even make them of plastic or soft metal, though before you start, go through a crude balance by putting one on the grinder, spin and mark a few times to see if you really to have a heavy spot, compensate, then do the other.

I got one of those white wheels which had a section that veered to the right - Lee Valley as a matter of fact - but there was no way I was going to lap the sides on my own. Runs true, just looks funny.

Also, loose soft plastic, or in the old days, lead bushings can be locked on center by expanding with a few dimples from a punch. I'm still using the old lead ones on the third or fourth wheel.

Well I don't think I'm going to get any headway with you on how the width of the bushing really doesn't matter as long as it supports the wheel (probly at least 50% of wheel width) but isn't any wider than the wheel.

As to Lee Valley, I was suggesting you return them for a refund and look at other options.

this is a dumb thought considering I missed the starting post but check the paper on the wheels. I wouldn't run them if there not there, and sometimes there will be a small crease in one. As far as the bushing all it is for is to work as an adapter to reduce arbor size, and does not have to be the same width as the wheel.

Hope you find a solution.

James

Xlat wrote:

Thanks James, not a dumb thought at all, but the paper is there, and seems to be fine (not partially missing or otherwise "goofed" up). At this point, my solution is that they are going back and I'll get something else in the way of grinding wheels.

Appreciate the effort and thoughts though!

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I'd buy the OneWay wheels, and balance them.

CD boulder, co

Two problems are here. To clarify: 1) the bush is to keep the wheel as true as possible in an up & down movement. (no wheel is ever perfect and needs to be Trued with a diamond wheel dresser.

2) The flanges keep the wheel true sideways. (problem here is that grinders now on the market have no support for the flanges) We use and sell many grinders and most have a poor flange support. I will photograph an old well made grinder and post tomorrow to explain the difference.

Conclusion: Good fitting wider bushes will help but if the flanges are not right it wont solve the problem