Norton 6-Inch Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheel for Bench Grinders, Premium Quality, Very Fine Grit, Pack of 1

After reading all the bad reviews I searched for an answer and truly believe I found it! Craft Supplies USA sells what they call the Raptor R3X Grinding Wheel Bushing 2 Piece Set. This is a wonderfully made flange with an attached bushing that you can order to either fit a 1/2" or 5/8" motor shaft. It comes as two pieces, the flange with the busing is all one piece, and then there is another flange for the other side (I did not use this, but rather used the original inner flanges for the grinder). The bushing is 3/4" long, but will work on a 1" wide wheel without problem (the wheel I ordered is 6x1x1). I ordered two of these sets as the past owner of my 1920's grinder had ended up using just big washers as flanges on the outside of the wheels. I ordered the sets and then ordered the Norton wheel, so I was ready to go when the wheel arrived. I couldn't be more pleased!!!! I didn't waste time with the plastic bushings that were supplied as everyone seems to agree they are not the best. I pulled them out and stuck my new Raptor bushing flange in and put it on the grinder. NO WOBBLE as so many had described, and it was so perfectly in round that I doubt there is even 1/32" variance to be dressed (yes, I think it is less than that...maybe 1/64"). WOW! Very pleased! As far as shipping goes, I ordered the wheel alone so it would be all that was in the box from Amazon and not be bumping into other things. It was sent in a box similar to what Amazon sends books in, so there was no wiggle room in the box. It arrived in perfect condition. I truly believe the Raptor R3X Grinding Wheel Bushing 2 Piece Set is the answer...yes you spend more money to get a great bushing, but it is well worth not having to deal with so many issues on any grinding wheel you might buy that comes with plastic bushings.

SHIPPING AND HANDLING. I ordered four grinding wheels from amazon for my two bench grinders. Two were six-inch Norton white wheels, one was a Norton seven-inch regular wheel, and one, a seven-inch Forney. In each case, the wheel was flopping around in the box with an ineffective bit of packing material. The Forney wheel was bare naked and had worn a hole in a pack of countersink drills. It was happily unsharpening them.The Norton wheels were in their own box inside the amazon package. The white wheels arrived undamaged. The seven-inch wheel had a chipped edge. Despite the poor amazon packaging, it probably was damaged BEFORE shipping because the internal box was dirty and scuffed with corners split.Amazon has always had a stellar reputation with me but (are you listening amazon?) they need to do a better job packaging (and handling) grinding wheels. Damaged wheels can fly apart explosively. For some disturbing reality, Google "grinding wheel deaths."Following are salient points regarding handling and storage from the government standard on grinding wheels, ANSI B7.1-1970.1. Handle wheels carefully to prevent dropping or bumping.2. Do not expose to high humidity, water or other liquids.3. Do not expose to freezing temperatures or any temp low enough to cause condensation.4. Perform the `ring test' to detect hidden cracks in vitrified wheels.For the ring test, support the wheel through the center hole with your finger or pin and tap the side of the wheel gently in several locations with a non-metallic object, such as the handle of a screwdriver. You should hear a clear metallic ring. If you hear a deadened thud, DO NOT use the wheel.INSTALLATION. From my perspective, there are three major considerations:1. Safety. Perform the ring test, don't exceed RPM rating, have all guards in place, and stand to the side for a full minute before starting to grind.2. Wobble. Clean the surface of the wheel flanges of any label or blotter residue from the previous wheel. If necessary, true the surface of the flange by rubbing it on a piece of fine sandpaper that is laying against a flat surface. Rotating the flanges with respect to the wheel sometimes helps.3. Out-of-Round. Dress the wheel. I use this wheel dresser, it seems to work well. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KNOK9W/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00EVALUATION OF WHEELS. The wheels that I put on my good grinder (yeah! Milwaukee 1980's vintage) were fairly well balanced from the beginning. The inner flange is cast with a machined face and a collar to hold it vertical on the arbor. The wheels had about 1/32 inch or less wobble and 1/32 inch or less out-of-round. I left the wobble, but dressed the wheel so it was perfectly round. There is very little vibration at full speed, with slight resonances as it slows down. I saw no difference between the Forney and Norton wheels.I put the Norton white wheels on my cheapo (boo! Craftsman 21st century vintage) bench grinder. The one wheel seemed well balanced. The second wheel wobbled like crazy. It was going a full 1/8 inch from side to side. I played around with the flanges and was able to reduce the wobble to less than 1/32 inch. It appeared that the cheap stamped flange was not seated properly in a lip in the arbor. After dressing the wheels, the Craftsman ran as smooth as the Milwaukee.I am happy with the Norton grinding wheels. And contrary to the experience of other reviewers, all came with adapters down to a ½-inch arbor. I may update this review after using the wheels for a while. I'll try to keep it shorter (-:

I'm running this grinding wheel on a Balder 8107W, which weighs 99 lbs. The wheel was grossly out of balance when I received it. I shut my grinder off after about 20 seconds because of the severe vibrations. A few minutes later, I turned the grinder back on and at least a pint of water came pouring out of the grinding wheel. It literally looked like I had a hose connected to the grinding wheel for about 30 seconds.I questioned whether it was safe, and I thought about sending it back. The wheel stopped expelling water and it seems balanced. It works great now. I would give it five stars but I'm not sure that it's safe. It passes the ring test.

I bought this mainly as a finer grit alternative for sharpening lathe tools on a wheel. It has been in my shop for years now, and I am totally satisfied with it. It leaves a finer finish than the regular "fine" wheel your bench grinder came with, and while ALL fine wheels create more heat than coarse wheels, I don't feel that I'm scorching tools too fast with this stone.It is probably also a little faster wearing than the basic fine wheel that comes on your grinder. But not too bad. I use it frequently as I make bowls, as it is my primary sharpening solution for those tools. I still have at least 7 " of wheel left I think. I am pretty cheap so I would not like it if it wore away too easily, even if it did a great job grinding.You can do even better by touching the tool with a fine diamond hone or a fine sharpening stone after using this wheel, but you can absolutely do fine turning wood with just this wheel on your grinder--nothing else is really necessary.