Surface Grinder - what's an idiot to do?

Winegrower said:
I recently got an old B&S #2 surface grinder, about $700 with a nice B&S 6x18 mag chuck and a bunch of wheels of unknown status. I don't really have any particular requirements to meet, but I just wanted to know more about the capability. Lifting off the table, I see that there are rollers in a ladder type nest, one flat and one "V". The parts manual does not show this. Just wondering if this is standard or something added?

Whichever, it operates amazingly smoothly. The machine is actually pretty simple (it's manually operated) so I expect good results as I learn to use it properly.
Click to expand...
Old iron has mass and built for decades if routine maintenance is done. Linear caged rollers are awesome! They were the next progression of upgrades from plain cast iron ways and slides. Make sure you use the OEM preferred lubricant.
If one had the choice, a tool room grinder verses a production floor grinder, the tool room one should be practically new.
 
"Linear caged rollers". Yep, thanks, JFL4066, for the terminology, that's exactly what they are.
 
DustinY said:
They do come with an inspection sheet and tolerances (let me find the link), it seemed like a thorough enough process for what I'm going to be doing. It seems like besides the motors, the grizzly might be close in quality. What's unfortunate is the ability to buy something more robust, new, that doesn't cost 2 to 3 times the amount (unless you're in the used market - which requires skills above my current level, well beyond my current level, to determine if the juice is worth the squeeze)....

Click to expand...
For knife making it will probably be very good. I'm assuming you are mostly concerned with overall surface finish and not maintaining the overall thickness to 0.0002". You probably need to rough grind before heat treat and then finish grind. Heat treating will warp the blade. It will be a whole different technique/procedure with a surface grinder.
 
I still feel confused about the Tormach, now more than ever, but i think for my uses it should be fine. I think at that price, the only thing that kills me is that it isn't 18 inches long. 6x18 is the move.....
 
Winegrower said:
I recently got an old B&S #2 surface grinder, about $700 with a nice B&S 6x18 mag chuck and a bunch of wheels of unknown status. I don't really have any particular requirements to meet, but I just wanted to know more about the capability. Lifting off the table, I see that there are rollers in a ladder type nest, one flat and one "V". The parts manual does not show this. Just wondering if this is standard or something added?

Whichever, it operates amazingly smoothly. The machine is actually pretty simple (it's manually operated) so I expect good results as I learn to use it properly.
Click to expand...
If a decent B & S #2 were to show up in my neighborhood in decent shape... I’d snatch it up in NY sec.
Simple proven machines in my opinion.
 
DustinY said:
I might have messed up, the scratching was pretty intense, but maybe I was harsh with saying gouged. The tightness really did scare me, but seems that might have been an incorrect assessment. It did have V's, where I expected it to have ways ( I think alec steele got one that had scrapped ways and you could see the factory scraping (so I was surprised to see a v ).

The more you know, thanks for the information boss.
Click to expand...

Ben has forgot more about surface grinder and scraping then many will ever know. I would follow his suggestions
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top