- Joined
- Jun 10, 2019
- Messages
- 534
A few weeks ago I picked up a REID 618-HR surface grinder, s/n 19573. It was a bit of an accidental auction purchase. There was only 1 bid at the low opening price so I bid the next increment for the hell of it...and nobody else bid. Oops! So now I have a 1600lb lump of cast iron that I barely have space for. It was a sight-unseen purchase. I believe its mid-1960's vintage. It has the Reid/Helicoil branded 1hp 3-ph spindle, automatic Bijur lube system, and the tenths vernier for the spindle travel
I spent a few hours giving the machine a once over to get a sense of condition and if it was going to be worth putting in real time to recondition. Its very clean underneath the tables; didn't have a speck of grime and rollers and ways look in great shape to my untrained eye. The traverse is effortless. There were some minor issues with the handwheels (binding, graduation wheels stuck, etc....), couple things a bit out of adjustment, etc...which I sorted. The spindle nose has imperceptible TIR.
Biggest concern was an infrequent spindle noise that lasts a second or so; happens maybe once every 5-10min? A bit hard to describe...a quick couple of quiet "clack clack" sounds. Certainly could be a very early sign of bearings (ugh), but it almost sounds like it could be something loose in the motor housing itself. The other notable thing is some slight play in the whole spindle/motor assembly when I push/pull on the spindle up/down/left/right. The head rides in dovetails so I'm hoping that can be addressed relatively easily. But not the level of stuff I was going to get into now.
I slapped on a mag chuck, dressed a wheel and ground a piece of scrap to see what I was dealing with. This is a dry grind. Pleasantly surprised. The wheel isn't balanced and probably not the most appropriate grade, but the finish looks really good to me considering.
Test passed, it looks like I'll be on the lookout to replace or remake a couple somewhat minor parts. Building a rolling stand is near the top of the list too. If anything interesting on the refresh I'll post here.
One question I do have: I've never serviced an oiler system. There is a crack in the main line from the oiler to the distribution block, so that will need replacing. I generally know that these are compression fittings, but what terms and sizing (I assume threads?) do I need to know to find the correct parts? All the the lines are brass; some are 0.157" OD and some are 0.102" OD. Are there trade sizes I should be looking for? Flaring tools needed? What sort of bending tool should I use for this tubing?
If there's anything I should watch out for on this particular machine: would love to know! Speaking of: I'm aware that transporting SG's requires care as far as removing or stabilizing the table (removal strongly preferred). And there are add'l nuances with this machine due to the roller-ways. Installing the table is fiddly w/o disrupting the bearings unless there's some trick i'm not aware of!
I spent a few hours giving the machine a once over to get a sense of condition and if it was going to be worth putting in real time to recondition. Its very clean underneath the tables; didn't have a speck of grime and rollers and ways look in great shape to my untrained eye. The traverse is effortless. There were some minor issues with the handwheels (binding, graduation wheels stuck, etc....), couple things a bit out of adjustment, etc...which I sorted. The spindle nose has imperceptible TIR.
Biggest concern was an infrequent spindle noise that lasts a second or so; happens maybe once every 5-10min? A bit hard to describe...a quick couple of quiet "clack clack" sounds. Certainly could be a very early sign of bearings (ugh), but it almost sounds like it could be something loose in the motor housing itself. The other notable thing is some slight play in the whole spindle/motor assembly when I push/pull on the spindle up/down/left/right. The head rides in dovetails so I'm hoping that can be addressed relatively easily. But not the level of stuff I was going to get into now.
I slapped on a mag chuck, dressed a wheel and ground a piece of scrap to see what I was dealing with. This is a dry grind. Pleasantly surprised. The wheel isn't balanced and probably not the most appropriate grade, but the finish looks really good to me considering.
Test passed, it looks like I'll be on the lookout to replace or remake a couple somewhat minor parts. Building a rolling stand is near the top of the list too. If anything interesting on the refresh I'll post here.
One question I do have: I've never serviced an oiler system. There is a crack in the main line from the oiler to the distribution block, so that will need replacing. I generally know that these are compression fittings, but what terms and sizing (I assume threads?) do I need to know to find the correct parts? All the the lines are brass; some are 0.157" OD and some are 0.102" OD. Are there trade sizes I should be looking for? Flaring tools needed? What sort of bending tool should I use for this tubing?
If there's anything I should watch out for on this particular machine: would love to know! Speaking of: I'm aware that transporting SG's requires care as far as removing or stabilizing the table (removal strongly preferred). And there are add'l nuances with this machine due to the roller-ways. Installing the table is fiddly w/o disrupting the bearings unless there's some trick i'm not aware of!
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