Cheap Die Grinder

[Windy Miller]

I have been looking about for a cheap electric die grinder recently, but came up with nothing that was cheap enough. Air grinders are ten a penny on FleaBay, but electric ones seem to be hard to come by.

Being a tight @rse, I came up with another (cheaper) idea. I bought a Bosch POF50 router (like this one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bosch-Plungin...Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item4158287d36) for about £30, and took the base plate and sliders off. Only one screw clamp to slacken off and the whole thing comes off in one go. It has the same 6mm collet so normal carbide burrs fit straight in.

I had a proper one donkey's years ago, and I think the speed was around 30,000 rpm, and the router is quoted at 20,000 rpm, so it's a little slower than the real thing, but I used it last night and it worked a treat!

The only thing I noticed was that the spindle locking bar prevents the shaft of the burr going in far enough, so the burr sticks out a bit too far. It might be an idea to make up some sort of C spanner to nip the chuck up, to allow the shaft to go in further.

Other than that it's great. Happy days!

 

[mike 109444]

Windy (for short? ) I've been doing same with Black and Decker routers, the old BD66.
You might find that your Bosch, like my BD has same collar size as some of the rota zip (over priced dremmels) and can use there attachments. I bought the 90deg sander attachment (comes with bevel gear to go in collet) will need bush as gear is smaller diameter than 6mm. Did quickley test it on one of my BD66's and worked. Not yet tried in anger, well ther was snow on ground at time : ). TAKE care when you fit any bit to router inparticular flap wheels. drum sanders cos any thing over 1 1/2" will have to run VERY true or will cause you or router damage ( rember you have no gaurd, use face shield !!) anouther tight arazz. You'll know what I mean when I get around to posting pics of my former mangle (for washing) that's now a sheetmetal roller

Mike G

 

[Balders]

Been using my POF600ACE for years like that too.
I occasionally use it for it's intended purpose too :-/

 

[chunkolini]

I had wondered about this one.
So it does work, but as I have a router and die grinder had no need to take it further.
I did once almost try a router bit in the due grinder for free hand carving, but that tiny voice of reason stopped me.
Has anybody tried that way round?
I confess I once tried one of these flappy string abrasive things in the die grinder, not my best idea. Whizz whizz POW it went. Mine is not variable speed.(one day i will fit a dimmer switch.)
I still find bits of it occasionally in corners.

Chunko'.

 

[Hitch]

Do a search for trend T3, its a router, with removeable base, like the old B&D and the bosch. They motor round at about 30000 rmp+

 

[Jackson]

Harbor Freight has a Chicago Electric die grinder for $30.00

 

[graffian]

I tried an old B&D router like that instead of an a die grinder as a live tool. I spotted a split clamp I had made for something that just so happened to fit on
the shoulder of the router and fit in a toolholder, so I gave it a whirl and it worked really well. I had never turned wood before, was really easy and very accurate with a ball nose slot drill in the router.

 

[Windy Miller]

And there was me thinking I'd come up with something original - everyones been doing it for years!

I'll have to come up with summat else now - maybe I should invent the wheel!

 

[Hitch]

I think the router bodys like them have a 43mm collar, same size as a drill.
You mean a lathe tool?

Some clever stuff can be done using a router on a lathe

 

[RedOrZed]

I think the router bodys like them have a 43mm collar, same size as a drill.
You mean a lathe tool?

Some clever stuff can be done using a router on a lathe

Hah! I got one of those at auction a while back, cost me a tenner or there-abouts. thank you very much for the link to the instruction manual! One of the pulleys is broken but I think I can either remake it or ask Trend for new one

 

[graffian]

I think the router bodys like them have a 43mm collar, same size as a drill.
You mean a lathe tool?

Some clever stuff can be done using a router on a lathe

43mm is probably about right, I didn't measure it but since I used it I found the split clamp fitted around a velocette oil pump, and I have measured those, they are something like inch and 11/16ths...
Yes I had the router with a carbide ballnose slot drill instead of a lathe tool.

 

[ronan]

i bought a "stayer" brand die grinder about 10 years ago and worked the crap out of it and its still going strong, it was about 70 quid at the time but its been great value.