Early Access Video: Bench Grinders in the Shop

Friends:

Every shop needs a bench grinder. These versatile tools can reshape steel, grind tools, clean off rust, and even shorten bolts and screws. Lots of die-hard hand tool woodworkers (like me) still have an electric grinder for shaping the bevels on chisels and plane irons.

But these little machines are a mystery to many. Which grinder should you get? What size? How much do you need to spend? What accessories do you need? Where should you put it? Is it safe to use on your finest blades?

There are so many questions, that we had to split our grinder video into two parts. In today’s video, I review three of the most affordable grinders on Amazon. I review each one on their durability, ease of use and design. I also cover everything you need to know to get up and running with a bench grinder, even if this is your first time owning one of these machines.

In Part 2 (out in a couple of weeks) I’ll do a deep dive into grinding woodworking tools. There are a lot of myths about grinders and some folks even think an electric grinder will RUIN their blades. We’ll bust these myths and give you all the tips you need to use a grinder safely and efficiently.

In the meantime, we’re on vacation until 8/21, so please excuse me if I’m a little slow to reply to comments and messages. This has been a stressful year and it’s time for a little break. But don’t worry; we’ll have a video for you next weekend and the Build Along Series will continue without interruption. We’ll have a new installment every Wednesday.

Hope you enjoy today’s video. It took a lot longer than we expected, but we wanted to be thorough.

Happy Saturday!

--Rex

PS: The print file for the Dewalt Grinder Add-Ons is attached to this post. 

Here are the links to all the products in the video. I used my Amazon affiliate account to make the links more manageable.

Products I recommend (affiliate):

Dewalt 6” Bench Grinder: https://amzn.to/3WxHHVf
(Excellent for the money. Includes surprisingly good tool-rest.)

Grinding Wheel Dresser: https://amzn.to/4fvWTLd
(Tiny, but it works.)

Grinder Wheel Dressing Stick: https://amzn.to/4cea68I
(A cheap but effective alternative for dressing grinder wheels.)

Dewalt Medium Wire Wheel: https://amzn.to/3SG2BAh
(Good value; works well.)

Replacement Grinding Wheel: https://amzn.to/3LUL0B2
(Affordable; reduces vibration.)

Safety Glasses: https://amzn.to/46BK4Li
(This style is so comfortable, I forget I’m wearing them.)

Other Products (affiliate):  

WEN 6” Grinder: https://amzn.to/3yEx8HT
(A weak and flimsy grinder…that will work in a pinch).

Shopfox 6” Grinder: https://amzn.to/4fAwb43
(A generally good tool that only takes 5/8” wheels.)

Narrow wire wheel: https://amzn.to/3WDbewE
(Fits the narrow arbor of the Shopfox grinder, but not very well.)