I hope the information below helpful. Tools Needed: Drill Bracing bit 1/8 inch drill bit 3/8 inch drill bit 3/4 inch auger bit (or a ¾ inch deming drill bit for a regular drill) Trowel Mortar box Hand saw (prefer a pull saw) Yard Stick Ruler Spray water bottle Materials Used to Construct Grindstone: Hat box (12” in diameter, larger would be better) Garden stake Wood deck screws 1.5 inches, 3 inches 60 lbs bag sand mix concrete (mix according to instructions on bag) Nylon Mesh from garden fence Materials Used to Construct Crankshaft: 8 inch pipe nipple 4 inch pipe nipple 3 inch pipe nipple 2 3/4 inch pipe elbows 1 3/4 inch pipe cap Materials Used to Construct Frame for Grindstone: 2 Chairs Seat (I used a minibike seat) 18 inch 2x4 10 inch 2x4 2 1.5 inch lengths of 1.25 inch angle iron 1 strap hinge 1 eye screw 1 carabiner 1 piece of paracord Instructions: 1. I used lumber I had on hand, so the 2x4 horizontal supports for the frame were 4 feet long. 2. I cut cleats from the same 2 x 4 planks to make spacers to they would all be the same (3.5 inches) without any measuring. These are the cleats that hold the frame together and provide the gap for the grindstone to fit. 3. The mold for the stone was about 13 inches in diameter but larger would be better. 4. I cut a 3 inch length of 1.5 inch diameter wooden garden stake and screwed it in place in the center of the mold. 5. I filled the mold with concrete (sand mix) to about 2.5 inches total. NOTE: When I had filled the mold to 1.25 inches of concrete, I used two thicknesses of plastic mesh before covering it with another 1.25 inches of concrete. Without the plastic mesh, the stone will crack while drying. Allow at least three weeks for the concrete to dry. 6. Use the screw hole from the mold as your guide to drill a 3/4 inch hole in the wooden center for the axle. I used an auger bit with a brace to drill, but you could also use a ¾ Deming bit and a regular drill. 7. Carefully hammer an 8 inch pipe nipple into the wooden axle shaft. 8. Cut matching divots into each side of the rail frame. (to match your 1.5 inch lengths of 1.25 inch angle iron bearings. (real pillow blocks would work more smoothly). 9. Place the two angle Iron segments you have cut in the divots and grease liberally. 10. Mount the griding stone between the two angle Iron bearings. This is secured by the weight of the stone only. You may need washers to make sure the stone doesn’t hit either rail when it is spun. (real pillow block bearings would work better) 11. Finish the crank shaft by screwing on a pipe elbow, then screw in the 3 inch nipple, then attach the second elbow , then the 4 inch pipe nipple and finally the cap. To get everything tight and at exact 90 degree angles, use plumbers tape at each joint until you get the crankshaft into its final shape. 12. Build the pedal assembly as in the video with two lengths of 2x4 (18 inch and 10 inches) connected by a strap hinge. I used a carabiner and paracord to connect the foot pedal to the crankshaft. This works, but a solid metal or wooden connecter would work more smoothly.
I think if you use a piece of hollow square stock instead of the wood in the center, you could run the pipe through and then drill it to attach a bolt to secure the wheel to the axle. It might be possible as well to get needle bearings or ball bearings to fit the axle. I was thinking about a similar idea, but was going to add a lot more Portland to the mix. How did your stone work so far?
I will try something like that for the axle. I suspect the wood used for the molding is too soft to act as the axle for long term use. The concrete is softer than stone, so while it does sharpen (I will be using it in an upcoming video) it will require redressing more often than a stone.
Do you think if one were to add crushed sandstone to the mix that it would increase the durability? Brilliant idea by the way thanks for sharing godbless and good health.
Yes, the addition of coarse sand, crushed limestone or aluminum oxide might improve the durability. There is a lot of opportunity for experimentation with the concrete mixture.
@BuildaBiggerBox thanks for the reply. I think I will try your method at some point. I'm a blacksmith/bladesmith, and I am trying to learn more about the old ways of smithing. One of the old ways is the use of grind stones. however, they are somewhat expensive unless you make it yourself. The other method is to shape sandstones and put a hole in it for an axle but is a little time-consuming.
Is it possible to have a list of tools/directions/measurements for this to build? Thank you for posting this!
I hope the information below helpful.
Tools Needed:
Drill
Bracing bit
1/8 inch drill bit
3/8 inch drill bit
3/4 inch auger bit (or a ¾ inch deming drill bit for a regular drill)
Trowel
Mortar box
Hand saw (prefer a pull saw)
Yard Stick
Ruler
Spray water bottle
Materials Used to Construct Grindstone:
Hat box (12” in diameter, larger would be better)
Garden stake
Wood deck screws 1.5 inches, 3 inches
60 lbs bag sand mix concrete (mix according to instructions on bag)
Nylon Mesh from garden fence
Materials Used to Construct Crankshaft:
8 inch pipe nipple
4 inch pipe nipple
3 inch pipe nipple
2 3/4 inch pipe elbows
1 3/4 inch pipe cap
Materials Used to Construct Frame for Grindstone:
2 Chairs
Seat (I used a minibike seat)
18 inch 2x4
10 inch 2x4
2 1.5 inch lengths of 1.25 inch angle iron
1 strap hinge
1 eye screw
1 carabiner
1 piece of paracord
Instructions:
1. I used lumber I had on hand, so the 2x4 horizontal supports for the frame were 4 feet long.
2. I cut cleats from the same 2 x 4 planks to make spacers to they would all be the same (3.5 inches) without any measuring. These are the cleats that hold the frame together and provide the gap for the grindstone to fit.
3. The mold for the stone was about 13 inches in diameter but larger would be better.
4. I cut a 3 inch length of 1.5 inch diameter wooden garden stake and screwed it in place in the center of the mold.
5. I filled the mold with concrete (sand mix) to about 2.5 inches total. NOTE: When I had filled the mold to 1.25 inches of concrete, I used two thicknesses of plastic mesh before covering it with another 1.25 inches of concrete. Without the plastic mesh, the stone will crack while drying. Allow at least three weeks for the concrete to dry.
6. Use the screw hole from the mold as your guide to drill a 3/4 inch hole in the wooden center for the axle. I used an auger bit with a brace to drill, but you could also use a ¾ Deming bit and a regular drill.
7. Carefully hammer an 8 inch pipe nipple into the wooden axle shaft.
8. Cut matching divots into each side of the rail frame. (to match your 1.5 inch lengths of 1.25 inch angle iron bearings. (real pillow blocks would work more smoothly).
9. Place the two angle Iron segments you have cut in the divots and grease liberally.
10. Mount the griding stone between the two angle Iron bearings. This is secured by the weight of the stone only. You may need washers to make sure the stone doesn’t hit either rail when it is spun. (real pillow block bearings would work better)
11. Finish the crank shaft by screwing on a pipe elbow, then screw in the 3 inch nipple, then attach the second elbow , then the 4 inch pipe nipple and finally the cap. To get everything tight and at exact 90 degree angles, use plumbers tape at each joint until you get the crankshaft into its final shape.
12. Build the pedal assembly as in the video with two lengths of 2x4 (18 inch and 10 inches) connected by a strap hinge. I used a carabiner and paracord to connect the foot pedal to the crankshaft. This works, but a solid metal or wooden connecter would work more smoothly.
I think if you use a piece of hollow square stock instead of the wood in the center, you could run the pipe through and then drill it to attach a bolt to secure the wheel to the axle. It might be possible as well to get needle bearings or ball bearings to fit the axle. I was thinking about a similar idea, but was going to add a lot more Portland to the mix. How did your stone work so far?
I will try something like that for the axle. I suspect the wood used for the molding is too soft to act as the axle for long term use. The concrete is softer than stone, so while it does sharpen (I will be using it in an upcoming video) it will require redressing more often than a stone.
Do you think if one were to add crushed sandstone to the mix that it would increase the durability? Brilliant idea by the way thanks for sharing godbless and good health.
Yes, the addition of coarse sand, crushed limestone or aluminum oxide might improve the durability. There is a lot of opportunity for experimentation with the concrete mixture.
@BuildaBiggerBox thanks for the reply. I think I will try your method at some point. I'm a blacksmith/bladesmith, and I am trying to learn more about the old ways of smithing. One of the old ways is the use of grind stones. however, they are somewhat expensive unless you make it yourself. The other method is to shape sandstones and put a hole in it for an axle but is a little time-consuming.