surface grinder uses

[georgeseal]

I have a chance to purchase 6" X 12" surface grinder and was wondering what it can do that I can't live with out.

Someone (on this site or another ) that they use it for a lot of work in the shop

George from Conyers Ga.

 

[Bogstandard]

George,
I have an old Herbert 9" x 6" surface grinder, and use it a lot.

It really needs to have a mag chuck on it, plus double sided tape for non magnetic materials. I also have a very accurate 2" toolmakers vice and a 1" vertex precision vice for really small stuff.

I use it for grinding lathe tools, perfectly angled and square and perfectly to size, truing up the jaws on my milling vice, regrinding the jaws on my 4 jaw, re-truing all my parallels, making a dozen parts all exactly the same thickness (and to size within 0.0001"), grinding rubber and plastic parts to the same tolerances, grinding mating faces that don't need lapping in, producing surface finish on all metals that is like a mirror, grinding perfect right angles, if you have a radius dresser, you can grind all your own specialist fly cutters, recesses and radii, and the list goes on.

It just gives you the means to get things done out of materials you can't handle any other way, and allows you to make things very accurately without resorting to a lot of hand finishing. It isn't a machine that would be suited to every workshop, but if you have a need of high accuracy and good finish then it is very useful.

But it isn't the sort of machine you can buy and use straight away, they can be very dangerous, like all machines. It has to be set up accurately to produce accurate work, eg. the first thing you do after it has been moved is to face off the mag chuck using the machine itself (I also do this about every six months to remove the blemishes that appear on the soft chuck face after a while), I also reface after I give it a good servicing.

I did a specialist course on them thru a previous employer which was a great help, but if you know anyone who has one, maybe they can run thru what is required with regards to operation and safety.

In my opinion, if it is the right price, you have somewhere not too close to the other machinery (I have a small workshop and the only place I could fit mine in was with the grinding residue flying over my workbench, so I cover my bench with newspaper before I start grinding), and you have the need to do a few of the things I have mentioned above,
then it would be a good acquisition.

Hopes this helps you with your decision

John

 

[Spin Doctor]

Its on the have to get list. IMO a surface grinder is more useful than a drill press. If you have a mill what do need a drill press for. If yo make parts that need to be finished after hardening than you absolutely need a surface grinder. But then you need all kinds of tooling for the grinder. I'd really like a small tool and cutter grinder to use as a ID/OD grinder too. Note these collet blocks would been really hard to make without a surface grinder. PS count the number of faces on each one and tell me what they could be used for

 

[Powder keg]

You could use those to make bolt heads that fit no wrench:O)

Wes

 

[deere_x475guy]

Powder Keg...to funny!

georgeseal, I have had mine for a little over a year now and I use it for most all of the examples that John (Bogstanard) has pointed out. Now after reading his post I have more uses..)..

In addition I have a 5C collet holder for end mill sharpening. It works well and between that and lightly stoneing them from time to time I always have nice sharp endmills (on the ends at least).

 

[cfellows]

PS count the number of faces on each one and tell me what they could be used for

I count 5 and 9 faces. Radial engine parts?

Chuck

 

[Don Huseman]

I have a 6x12 surface grinder and I have never had any training on a grinder. I have read a little on it and I know a few safety things.
1 use the blotters on the grinding wheels don't over tighten, ring the grinding wheel before you put it on. Take a cut of no more than .002, if the grinding wheel if filled with cutting oil stand to one side and turn it on. But I think there is more to safety on surface grinding than what I have stated.
I use the grinder to turn down the shanks of 1" and 3/4" taps to heat shrink on extentions with drill rod. On a 3/4 tap I turn the shank down to .4000 +- .0002. I drill out a length of 5/8 drill rod to .3995 +- .0002. I then heat the drill rod to red hot and slip the tap in and heat shrink it on. So far I have had only one tap come of.
I use a spindex to turn the tap when I grind the shank down. It take a long time and I now use water soulable oil . I have to shroud the whole grinder with aluminum foil to keep the colant in but I still get a nose of collant in my nose after a while.
The collant flows on the grind wheel at an angle with in the direction of the rotation.
Is there a special way that you are supposed to put the collant on the wheel so you don't get a bath?
I have a magnetic vice but it does not work. does any body know how to fix them.
Don

 

[Bogstandard]

Don,
With reference to your mag chuck.
Over time some chucks can allow grinding debris and coolant to enter the inner chamber and 'gum' things up, then if the handle is swung too hard a small shear pin breaks. It might just be you need to take the base off and give the insides a good dose of cleaning and looking at. I have never done one, but I have seen one done, and what I saw was a chamber that was full of rust and gunk and a snapped shear pin. The chappie had it up and running in less than an hour.
Once it is done, don't forget that it will need refacing before use.
BTW one of the main reasons for accidents on a suface grinder is when people forget to drop the end or side guides on the mag chuck and run the wheel straight into them. Before turning on always do a full range check, it is easier to replace a chipped wheel than a chipped face.

John

 

[Mcgyver]

what make of chuck? there may be different types, but generally if you take them apart you partially demagnetize it (like 50%) - maybe thats what happened to yours? contact the manufacturer or repair service - i don't think it can be disassembled and repaired without having the demag - remag capabilities. I've not disassembled one but have read it may require demagnetization first then remagnetization after using factory equipment else the magnetic force holds parts together and otherwise a lot of bashing is involved. there's also safety issues around pinching body parts and it will require factory re-magnetizing. I'm not a mag chuck expert, but that's what I've picked up on over the years.

I think the above applies to full disassembly, taking a cover off and cleaning up cams and such as John suggests would be fine.

worth looking into, tough to make full use of a surface grinder without one

 

[Lew Hartswick]

The others assumed a PM chuck. Is it? or is it an electromagnetic one? If it's
electric there are several things to check.
...lew...

 

[Don Huseman]

unfortunately the chuck is buried behind two speaker. So I can't get the brand name right now. I have three magnetic chucks, only one is broken. When I get around to it I will take it appart and see what is what. As soon as I figure out how to send pictures I have some great pictures of me setting up a replica engine block on the Putnam lathe in the wright bicycle shop. It was a highlight of my life to be allowed to set the block on the lathe for long time exhibit. One of the pictures was of the curator looking at me very intently as I was taking off the compound and setting the two steel 3" wide bars on the saddle. We had to raise the headstock and the tail stock up on the riser blocks that were supplied by the Putnam Lathe company. Charles Taylor was the machinist that made the engine in about three months. He had only a lathe, drill press, and a band saw. I am not sure how he did some of the work but the line boring on the lathe and threading on the lathe I could see. In another forum I will tell more about my and Jerry Brown experience of how we saved the reputation of Charlie Taylor for the future.
Don

 

[gary55ford]

Hi Don I use a surface grinder& 99% of the time it on O-1 tool steel, I have a cool-mist tank&sprayer hook up on it and it works fine with cool-mist coolant and water mixture with aery little overspray off the wheel

 

[Powder keg]

We just bought a little 6" X 12" surface grinder from enco at work. I use it all the time. I don't know what I'd do without it now. We had to grind some snaprings that were a little too wide on Friday. I use it to sharpen spade drills. You can grind some nice lathe tools, without much effort.

Wes

 

[Swede]

Shoot, Chuck beat me to it. They've GOT to be for making components for radial engines! ;D I'm surprised there isn't a seven-sided block in there as well.