myford mg12 cylindrical grinder

[blighty]

for those of you that read my "welcome" thread, may remember i tend to have a few projects going all at once. i don't plan it this way, it just tends to happen.

well it's happened again.

when i started to put the man cave together i wanted curtain machines and one machine i was after was a cylindrical grinder. i told a mate about this and he said i should look out for a Myford mg 12. so i went looking for one..... HOW MUCH!!! well forget that idea.

fast forward to a few weeks ago...... a guy said to me "do you want a surface grinder?"... no thanks, i've already got one. "its a nice one, its got a chuck on it and everything"..... chuck??? thats a cylindrical grinder me thinks. what is it? "its a Myford mg 12" no thanks there mega bucks..... offer him £100 see what he says.

two days later i get a call....."he refused £100 but said ok to £200" BANG...(thats me hitting the floor) a week later i went to have a look at this grinder. basically, its 8 years old and all it has done is ground rubber (little rubber wheels found inside printers etc) and its dirty. that's it.

even if it don't work when i plug it in (no reason why it shouldn't) still a bargain at £200.

i had to take it to bits so i could get it in the shed. so friday i have to hire a engine lift so i can put it all back together as the top bit alone (that's without the bed, wheel motor and chuck head assy) must be round the 500lb mark. i'll take a load of pics when i'm doing it.

 

[Swifty]

We need pictures th_wwp

Paul.

 

[blighty]

well I've been trying all day to get this ruddy thing in the shed!!

met some problems on the way it's very heavy for starters. so i hired an engine lift that was rated at 255Kg it could just about pick it up. plus the engine lift legs are half an inch bigger than the shed door, so i cant pic it up with the lift and just wheel it through the door. also the top of the grinder is bigger than the door. so i have to pic it up so it is leaning to one side and then it should fit through the door, but i can't get it through door 'cos the lift wont fit :wall::wall:

round two happens on Wednesday when a mate is lending me his trolley jack... that will fit through the door, but i still have to pic the top up and lean it to one side then some how get it on the jack.

isn't this hobby fun.

 

[don-tucker]

We had one where I used to work,a nice grinder that produced a good finish,so looking forward to some pics
Hurry up and get it in out the cold 😀
Don

 

[blighty]

i'm trying Don,

tomorrow a mate is coming over with a pallet truck (think i called it a trolly jack last time..... that will be the age creeping up on me then) well he was, till i phoned and canceled. as yesterday i thought i would load up the engine lift in the car before i got ready for work.

got it in the car ok, but when i walked back up the drive way, leaning slightly to the left and with a twinge in my lower back..... i thought i shouldn't really of done that:wall:

so as i type (still leaning to the left) i'm also thinking, why the hell is metal so ruddy heavy!!!!

 

[MachineTom]

Welcome to the small MG12 owners group. I believe that you estimate of the weight is off a bit. These babies go around 1200 lbs and a VERY top heavy. While some parts are easy, motor, workhead, traveling bed, that is about all that comes off easily. The wheelhead removes with some effort, but that leaves you with ~800 lbs. To remove the top portion from the base would be tough, there are over 100 wires going all over the works in the base, maybe 30 through the armoured cables and switches.

Is it possible to cut a hole in the side of the shed and put it in that way, or remove the door frame.

I was offered the loan of an Indy Race car to display in the showroom of my motorcycle dealership. Front door were 60 inches wide the car was 80, figuring to remove the wheels, and suspension pieces would do the job, As I sat and was working out how to do this I looked out the front floor to ceiling windows and 'Zip' remove two windows, and use a rollback and place the car right there. It took less that an hour to get it done. And most folks looked around to try to see how we got it into the showroom.

For the way an MG 12 is built, it would be simple to use wood planks like a 2 x 10 and rollers,I like PVC 1.5" size for this weight you would need about 4 per side, so a dozen rollers 12" long each. A simple 30" crowbar will lift and move the machine quite easily using 1/2" blocks. the machine weight is also biased towards the rear, so lift the rear first then level the front as you lift it up.

Drop me a note if you have question of operating the MG, I don't use mine much but I always like doing it.

 

[blighty]

I believe that you estimate of the weight is off a bit.

your not kidding.

it was all so easy when i took it to bits, but i did have a forklift to take the top off.

not to keen on cutting a hole in the side of the shed and the door frame is part of the shed. so if i took the frame out the shed would probably fall over. hopfully it should be ok with the pallet truck. as at the mo i just need the top bit in the shed. all the other bits are in there and with winter just round the corner, need to get it in there asap. once its in there it can stay put for a while.

then i have to wok out how to lift the top up and put it on the base.

wire wise, there is 4 cables coming out of the base that go up through the top.... chuck, wheel, lamp and coolant pump. there are 3 switches black knob type on the front panel. the first two are self explanatory, but the third one you can switch between internal and external. can you shed some light on that??

it would be great if you had a manual you could copy and send my way, as i have been searching the net and not found anything. i haven't found much on the MG12 to be honest. there is a YT vid where someone is re scraping in the beds. (good watch) apart from that there doesn't seem to be a lot about them. just that a good one is expensive and there ruddy heavy.


also, while i remember. it didn't come with a tail stock. they are looking for it in there travels at where it came from. might be tucked away somewhere, not seen the light of day for many moons.... kind of thing.

if they cant find it, any ideas where i might get one?

 

[MachineTom]

Glad it is working out for the move. There is a internal grinder spindle available that mounts where the "Myford" badge is, So when using the Internal spindle the motor turns in reverse direction, hence the Ext/Int switch setting.

The coolant switch has a 4 position setting, depending on the vintage of the machine, those are to have coolant on only when the wheel motor is on, or to have the coolant on independent of the wheel motor.

 

[blighty]

thanks for the explanation Tom.

it hasn't got and internal attachment so i guess i won't be using that bit.

not to sure about the marking on the pump switch (haven't really looked yet)
don't think the pump has ever been used. i may not be using it when i get it all up and running. as being an ex tool maker i have done a fair amount of round stuff grinding and never used the coolant once. i was told "as long as you dont go made there is no need to use coolant.... we dont use it on the surface grinders. so whats the difference"

been looking up tail stocks for it, just in case they cant find the one it came with. i have only found one and that was £1250....... i really hope they find that tail stock!!!

 

[MachineTom]

I have used coolant in mine from the start, it helps with airborne dust, and improves finish.
Sure hope they find the TS, it makes the grinder work on many more work pieces. Because of the way the T/S is indexed off the back edge of the bed, If you find a spring loaded TS it would not be that tough to adapt one to the machine.

I have an owners manual, purchased from I think is Tony's site. It is for a newer design machine, mine has the 10" wheel, 1973 went to the 12"wheel.The manual shows the lube points and oil required.

The U-tube Myford video's were done by Nick Mueller who is a member here.

 

[blighty]

it helps with airborne dust

we had extractors.

again thx for the tip. im not in any hurry for the TS at the mo. ill get it all set up then i can have a good look at whats need doing.

ruddy good clean wouldn't go a miss. i might give it a lick of paint. it's green at the mo and just doesn't go with the decor of the rest of the shed.

plus its a 3 phase. so i need to look up an inverter for it. think a 2.5hp or 3hp (to be on the safe side) will do.

 

[waynesworld]

Hi all i'm trying to get an old myford mg12 cylindrical grinder going but the fuse's are gone and no one stocks them any ideas ???

thanks

wayne

 

[blighty]

sorry cant help at the mo. still haven't got the thing in the shed yet.

 

[MachineTom]

Are the fuses missing, or blown. Is it those on the outside in the machine entrance box, or inside the door with the contactors, relays etc.

I have a MG 12 manual machine, 10" wheel size. I'd look up the numbers if that might help. The externally mounted box has porcelain fuses they are not like anything in the usa, The inside has cartridge fuses that may be available.

I am assuming you are in USA. You can just replace the outside box with another 3 phase box from ebay or others, its only 15 amp, if I recal correctly.

 

[waynesworld]

Hi Thanks no I’m in Ireland and the fuses are the porcelain one in side and there is only one original crabtree fuse the others were 2 odd ones push in but I’d love to upgrade it to breakers possible

regards

wayne

 

[MachineTom]

The inside fuses are 4 amps, These are control circuit fuses.

A manual much newer than my machine states this:Main fuses Klockner Moeller D11-11040-25,
control fuses DEF.63 SIZE 0 5amp

simplatron FF8 5 x 20mm DC controller

A company named Jubliee Machine has purchased the last spares of Myford, they would be the most likely source of fuses for a Myford. There are a number of circuit breakers within the machine, but fuses for the controll and main.

Does the machine operate? when jumping the fuses?

 

[blighty]

well lets drag this thread out again.

it's been well over two years since i last posted in this thread...... so whats happened to the MG12? i still have it and the top is still out side doesn't time fly when you have a million other things to do and you keep walking past a 400kg paper weight thinking "to heavy, cant be assed, I'll move it next weekend:wall:"

that weekend has finally come! we have worked out a way to get it in the shed using some 4b2 a bit of ply wood, a 1ton engine lift and a fridge full of bacon and eggs.to feed the troops. have also made a set of wheels that clamps to the side of the bottom of the grinder. so when you wind the levelling screws down you can slid them in. then wind them back up and the machine is now resting on the wheels. i should then be able to move the whole machine around the shed to work on it.

other thing... as the top has been covered up outside for two winters. i was a bit on the apprehensive side of taking of the covers and having a look at the condition of the ways and the bearing of the main spindle. to my surprise both are fine. there is a little rust/burn on the ways at the chuck end, but don't think the will matter. considering its been out side for this amount of time, i think I've been lucky.

I'll take some pics of the move. then the hard bit....... trying to remember how it all goes back together.

 

[blighty]

well that was fun.

after a few years of being out side the grinder is now in the shed. and as normal we got it in the shed before a remembered to get the camera out. as this thing weighs over 350kg the move went better than i thought it would.

pic below are in no particular order. sorry for the ones on there side.

 

[blighty]

had a closer look at it when it was put together and it does seem i have got away with it. being out side for so long thought it would be a lot worse. with a bit of a rub the guides come up fine with no rust found on them. some of the dials have a small layer of surface rust on them, but again with a quick rub seems to get rid of the rust and the dial looks ok. think i have lost the fine feed dial, rust has eaten into the dial.

the wheel is shot. will need a new one of them. ill post more pics as and when i have them. think this will be a winter project.

 

[blighty]

some more random pics