[TheForge] A real Deal at HF- And other "stuff"

[Doug Ayen]

Thus Spake Ron Childers (munlaw2 at hcsmail.com):
> Terry,
> 
> Re: Enco- I don't think they are very heavy duty- Ryan Johnson and I burned
> one up at the last Madison conference. 
> 
> Has anyone used a Grizzly 2"x72" belt grinder enough to know if they will
> stand up to heavy use? I used one at the Pioneer Settlement and it works
> just fine, but at 10 min per month it should last forever.....

This is the one that's a grinder on one side, and a buffer on the other?
I've had one, it sees irregular use in the forge (main grinding area is
elsewhere, with a BIII and a homebuilt), and after 3 years it's falling
apart -- I've had to reseat the top idler a couple of times, and finally
just used LocTite to hold it in place. It is underpowered and hard to
track, but it does work. I wouldn't recommend it for serious work,
though.

>  Btw, the old South bends are still around; a friend of mine bought a new
> Harbor Freight drill press and band saws and gave me his old ones. He is now
> looking at HF lathes; he'll sell me his old SB for $100. I told him I
> wouldn't trade even up for the HF, but he insists HF stuff is great. Either
> I take it or he'll dump it. He likes "new and pretty"- but most of us
> old-timers know the fallacy in that thinking. 
> 
> Ron C 

I bought a cheapo "Speedway" small milling machine a couple of years ago
-- piece of crap, the ways keep binding, and I think I just broke a gear
trying to mill a piece of 1/4" annealed steel. I hear there's a good
used machinery place down in Richmond, and I've heard rumors of another
up in B'more; I think an xmas present to myself is going to be an old,
durable mill that can handle steel without crapping itself. 

--doug