Surface grinders are neat machines. A grinder, like no other machine, can transform a hard, crummy looking piece of steel into a shiny, functional part. When you walk into a grinding room, you may get the feeling you're walking into a different world. Grinding is usually the last and most precise operation performed on a part before it is placed into service. It often requires more care and concentration than other types of machining.

The following is a list of suggestions that may make your time in the grinding room a little easier and more productive.

1. Mount a surface grinding wheel firmly.

   Use paper blotters on both sides of a grinding wheel and use a little "umpf" when tightening the jam nut so the wheel won't shift during a spindle startup or heavy cut.

2. Stop and start a surface grinding wheel as often as you like.

   One myth you may have heard is that you should never turn a grinding wheel off and on without re-dressing it. As long as you tighten the wheel sufficiently, you can stop and start the spindle as much as you like without re-dressing it.

3. Stop the wheel to pick up a surface.

   It is not necessary to stop a wheel to pick up a surface but it is usually faster and safer. Cranking a spinning wheel down while eyeballing the gap between the wheel and part can be tedious. If you happen to crank too far you may gouge the work.

   If you...