Bench grinder — Galvanotechnik ES 160

Dry bench grinder set up for HSS and hardened-steel tools, with a Tormek BGM-100 jig mount for rough-shaping woodturning tools. Labelled "Östtysken" in the Metal room.

Galvanotechnik ES 160 with Norton 3SG wheel and Tormek BGM-100


Location	Metal room
Access	Free use, first come first served, no logging
Materials	HSS and hardened steel
Help / faults	Slack #metallrummet
Owner	Stockholm Makerspace

Wheels

Position	Fitted	Use
Right	Norton 3SG 60 K VX — ceramic aluminium oxide, 60 grit, 150 × 20 × 32 mm	HSS and hardened-steel tools
Left	Wire brush	Cleaning, deburring

For general shaping of mild steel, use the Metabo grinder instead. Not for carbide, non-ferrous metals, wood or plastic.

Tormek BGM-100 jig mount

Holds Tormek jigs in front of the right wheel for rough-shaping HSS woodturning tools. Finish sharpening and honing on the Tormek T8 using the same jig setting.

Jig	For
SVD-186	Gouges
SVS-50	Skews, roughing gouges, parting tools
SVD-110	Scrapers and similar
TTS-100	Setting gauge for gouge/skew jig position

Tighten the support and jig knobs before starting.
SVD-110 / Universal Support used as a rest: max 2 mm from the wheel, surface at or above wheel centre.
Light pressure, don't overheat the edge, and don't quench hot HSS in water.

TTS-100 setting gauge beside the BGM-100 support

Safety

Eye/face protection and hearing protection.
No gloves. Tie back hair, remove jewellery, secure loose clothing.
Adjust rests and jigs only with the machine stopped.
Grind on the face of the wheel, never the side.
Don't hand-hold parts too small to control. The work gets hot.

How to use

With power off: check wheel and brush for damage, guards in place, rests and jigs set.
Clear flammable material from the spark path.
Switch on at the front, stand to the side and let the wheels reach full speed. Stop if there is vibration or abnormal noise.
Support the work and use light pressure, moving across the wheel face.
Switch off, wait for a full stop (never stop a wheel by hand), and clean up.

Maintenance

Disconnect power before cleaning, adjustment or wheel changes.
Keep the wheel dressed so it cuts rather than rubs. Dressing and wheel changes should be done by someone experienced.
Replacement wheels: max 160 × 20 mm, rated for at least 3,000 rpm, matching spindle/bush, flanges and guards. Check the spindle diameter before ordering.

Specifications


Manufacturer	VEB Galvanotechnik Leipzig (East Germany)
Model / serial no.	ES 160 / 712757
Supply	220 V AC, 50 Hz, 2.0 A
Power	450 W
Speed	3,000 rpm
Max wheel	Ø160 × 20 mm
Protection	IP33, TGL 20788

Galvanotechnik ES 160 nameplate

Documents and links

Tormek BGM-100 handbook, English (PDF) — mounting pp. 6–8, safety pp. 9–11, jigs from p. 12.
Tormek TTS-100 instructions (PDF) — English pp. 2–9.
Tormek TTS-100 selection chart, English/Swedish (PDF)
Norton Industrial Applications Catalogue 2019 (PDF) — wheel on p. 228, art. no. 66253050155, 45 m/s.
Norton 3SG bench wheels · Norton wheel grades explained
CCOHS — bench grinder safety
No ES 160 machine manual available — see Metal — Open questions.

Tormek handbook with the BGM-100

BGM-100 parts

Earlier photo of the grinder