Sqeeeeeeky Eclipse Permanent Magnet Surface Grinder Chuck

I also have a Sanford surface grinder. Nice and cute little grinder. I would not jump in and grind the table or chuck just yet. I would first run/use it for a while. If it has been sitting, it may have to settle in so to speak. If you grind it true now it may not have found its sweet spot for table travel yet. From your pic on the table that grinding finish looks just like mine. Coarse/ruff finish but on mine is dead flat an true. I left it alone, mounted the chuck, ran it for about a month then lightly surface ground the chuck. It’s been about 3 years now and the chuck is still with ~0.0001” flat and true. If you have any other Sanford question please PM me, no problem…Good Luck, Dave.
 
Where I grew up, we had an Abrasive 1 1/2 grinder, the travel wheel was a foot in diameter, and the wheel was 10 or 12 inches. you could move the table 3 or 4 inches just by swinging the handle on the wheel that much, three or four inches. Easy on the arm. I'd get the handle on the bottom and just swing it back and forth. None of this 'two revolutions each way.'

I see them for sale (on line) occasionally, but they're all 3 phase and I don't have room (or need) anyway. My loss.

Tom
 
Apparently the table WAS short enough to grind. My K.O.Lee has much too long a table,and only about 12" of wheel travel.
 
chips&more said:
I also have a Sanford surface grinder. Nice and cute little grinder. I would not jump in and grind the table or chuck just yet. I would first run/use it for a while. If it has been sitting, it may have to settle in so to speak. If you grind it true now it may not have found its sweet spot for table travel yet. From your pic on the table that grinding finish looks just like mine. Coarse/ruff finish but on mine is dead flat an true. I left it alone, mounted the chuck, ran it for about a month then lightly surface ground the chuck. It’s been about 3 years now and the chuck is still with ~0.0001” flat and true. If you have any other Sanford question please PM me, no problem…Good Luck, Dave.
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Dave, I basically retroactively took your advice here- I have been running the machine quite a bit for a month now, with a grinder's vise clamped to the table, just to work on practicing finishes.

My table looked nothing like the pic before I ground it! That pic is after the first rough grind. It looked like a muddy dirt-bike trail before I ground it. It took .010in just to get as far as the pic, and you can still see divots there at the back edge if you look. I performed that grind 6 hours ago.

I just took a bit of all your advice, and a few minutes ago I took rgray's advice and relieved the center of the wheel and did a really light cut again (since that first pic, I will post an updated one here). I will find a way to not move the wheel much and dress it again for a final "skim cut".

I will use a Lufkin .0005 in/ft level I have to check the table for squareness- probably my most square possession besides the granite surface plate.
Do you guys have any other ideas to test this surface?

When I get the table flat to my satisfaction I will try to remount the chuck and see if it sits without rocking at all. If so, I'll bolt it down and check the top surface again.

I look forward to testing the limits of this little guy on the surface plate later. So curious how the ways etc have been effected by use, and if this will make flat parts in it's full range of motion,

Bernie

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1429819831.751057.jpg




Bernie
 
george wilson said:
Apparently the table WAS short enough to grind. My K.O.Lee has much too long a table,and only about 12" of wheel travel.
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Hey George- I retroactively took your advice too hah hah- I didn't take a file to it, but started, before grinding, with three levels of stones. I swept in circles until I didn't feel any catching feeling in my hand. All the way down to a smooth, hard, Arkansas stone.

That Don Bailey guy, from Suburban tool on YouTube, keeps stones right by the machine to sweep over really quick before placing anything down.

The usable table surface is just inside the work envelope of this grinder, unlike your TC grinder table, ready for all those fixtures I guess?


Bernie
 
itsme_Bernie said:
For now, I had some serious cleaning up to do on the table. I took .010 in off and I still have about .0005 to go!
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That's a different kinda grinder...I was right there with George...pretty sure my wheel will not reach my table.
Look good though...you're just makin it pretty or else you were lucky to have ground to .0005 before. ...Will be nice when done for sure.




JimDawson said:
That is why the power feed was invented. :grin: I've done the same thing too many times. I'm getting ready to do a full CNC conversion on my DoAll, no more cranking!!
.
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I sure am happy I ended up with a 540 Jones & Shippman with hydraulics. I even have an excuse never to run it manually....no table lube if hydraulics arn't on.
 
hdskip said:
Boy this brings back memories. I'd rather take a beating with a big stick than grind a magnetic chuck. I've done it many times when I made my living on a surface grinder. I now use a small magnetic transfer block and grind it as I need it. It keeps me from contemplating dire things when I need to have a flat spot to grind on. The small area of the block saves the wear and tear on my bad rotator cuff on the manual grinder.
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Hey Skip-

I will only grind the Chuck if I need to, after mounting it and testing it in situ. I know there are lots of posts about how to do it which I will read of course.

I do have some close layered magnetic parallels and the hold on this chuck is strong enough that I can afford the power to use them too.


Bernie
 
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