New to me Harig Super 618

[RebelJD]

Well, it happened again, another machine followed me home this week. I just picked up Harig Super 618. I spent a lot of time reading all I could on the machine before I went to look at it. The seller let me spend all the time I needed to inspect it. He bought it as part of group buy and had never used it. It came with rotary center/tailstock installed so suspect it was used as a cylindrical grinder or tool grinder more than a surface grinder. It is a rack & pinon, pure manual machine. Although the machine looked rough, I determined the spindle bearings and column ways to be in good shape, which would have been a deal breaker for me. Beyond the cosmetic issues there are some other issues that I'll need to deal with, the worst of which is about .030 backlash in the cross-feed leadscrew. I think I can replace that without too much trouble.

The other thing that concerned me was that a previous had installed a hand pump one-shot oiler. I suspect the original oil pump failed and this was the solution rather than replacing the original pump. I did determine the hand pump does provide adequate oil to all areas; I just hope it was used often. So, I removed the table and saddle and inspected all the ways. While they are worn as expected it does appear to be consistent along the length of travel. My plan is to clean them up with a flat stone, reinstall them temporarily and check for any taper in the longitudinal and cross travels. If this checks out ok then I'm planning to do a complete restoration.

It did not come with a wheel adapter removal tool. It is my understanding that this screws into the adapter and then uses a center screw to push on the spindle shaft to remove the adapter. Do anyone know where to get one of these or know the diameter and thread pitch so I can make one. I think it is LH thread?

Lastly, I'd like to go back with a circulating oil pump and was looking for any ideas on what type of pump I can get to do this.

Thanks in advance for any help. I've never used a surface grinder before so I'm sure I may have more questions.

Jim

 

[benmychree]

Wheel pullers and adaptors are available from Wm. Sopko Co. The puller would have RH threads, there are a couple of different ones, depending on the machine, or adaptor manufacturer.

 

[RebelJD]

Thanks, they do have what I need. It did come with 2 Sopko wrenches.

 

[akjeff]

Harig Tech Support - JDS Technical Support

Jim will have most any part you would need for your Harig, including the oil pump. He'll also email you a pdf of the manual for it, if you don't have one. It'll be wise to follow through with your plan to restore the oil system to its original condition. These grinders were meant to have constantly circulating pressurized oil. Good luck, and enjoy it. Great machines.

 

[RebelJD]

Thanks akjeff, I will certainly contact him. I do have a manual I found on Vintagemachinery.org, but I'm not sure it is the exact manual I need. I'm sure Jim can tell me what I need based on the serial number.

 

[NCjeeper]

I have a 6-12 and it is a nice grinder.

 

[RebelJD]

Here is an update on my Harig Super 618 surface grinder. After inspecting and cleaning the saddle and table ways I put them back on the machine and verified there is no significant taper in either direction of travel. I also removed the front and rear covers and verified the column ways are in good too. So, I have refurbished the machine, and it is now back in operation. Here is a list of the major fixes / modifications I have done.

• Replaced the cross-feed lead screw and nut.
• Upgraded the oil system with a new pump and filtering system.
• Installed a VFD for the spindle motor.
• Upgraded the electric system.
• Converted from Rack and Pinion to a cable system.
• Rebuilt the mag chuck.
• Repainted the entire machine.

I'm new to surface grinding but I'm pleased with my initial efforts and I'm very happy with the machine, it's a welcomed addition to my shop.
I've learned a lot about these machines and would be glad to do a build thread if there is any interest, I did a take a lot pictures as I did the work.

Jim

 

[Ben17484]

Here is an update on my Harig Super 618 surface grinder. After inspecting and cleaning the saddle and table ways I put them back on the machine and verified there is no significant taper in either direction of travel. I also removed the front and rear covers and verified the column ways are in good too. So, I have refurbished the machine, and it is now back in operation. Here is a list of the major fixes / modifications I have done.

• Replaced the cross-feed lead screw and nut.
• Upgraded the oil system with a new pump and filtering system.
• Installed a VFD for the spindle motor.
• Upgraded the electric system.
• Converted from Rack and Pinion to a cable system.
• Rebuilt the mag chuck.
• Repainted the entire machine.

I'm new to surface grinding but I'm pleased with my initial efforts and I'm very happy with the machine, it's a welcomed addition to my shop.
I've learned a lot about these machines and would be glad to do a build thread if there is any interest, I did a take a lot pictures as I did the work.

Jim

View attachment 467309

Looks like you’ve done a thorough and nice job there. I know very very little about surface grinders, so I for one would be interested in seeing a build thread.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[akjeff]

Here is an update on my Harig Super 618 surface grinder. After inspecting and cleaning the saddle and table ways I put them back on the machine and verified there is no significant taper in either direction of travel. I also removed the front and rear covers and verified the column ways are in good too. So, I have refurbished the machine, and it is now back in operation. Here is a list of the major fixes / modifications I have done.

• Replaced the cross-feed lead screw and nut.
• Upgraded the oil system with a new pump and filtering system.
• Installed a VFD for the spindle motor.
• Upgraded the electric system.
• Converted from Rack and Pinion to a cable system.
• Rebuilt the mag chuck.
• Repainted the entire machine.

I'm new to surface grinding but I'm pleased with my initial efforts and I'm very happy with the machine, it's a welcomed addition to my shop.
I've learned a lot about these machines and would be glad to do a build thread if there is any interest, I did a take a lot pictures as I did the work.

Jim

View attachment 467309

Looks great. Nice work!

 

[RebelJD]

I'm going to do a build thread on this restoration in hopes that it will be of help to others who are considering a similar machine. I took a lot of pictures as I did the restoration because it's easier than taking notes and very useful when putting it back together. So, I'll start at the beginning including any pictures that are useful. I'll try to do an update every day or two as I get some spare time.

This machine looked very rough when I got it, but as I mentioned ways and spindle were in good shape. This machine was built in 1967 and even as a manual machine it included a complete lower cabinet/base, although it was completely empty. I believe these bases were made to house the hydraulics for an automatic machine and a perhaps a coolant system. The cabinet is made of heavy gauge steel, which in not something you see a lot of these days. The spindle motor is 3 phase 220v.

The grinder itself simply sets on the lower cabinet, it is not bolted down and it is very top heavy. So, moving this in two sections is the way to go. Actually in 3 sections, the table on these machines simply lifts off if it is a rack and pinion system. There is some damage to the upper crank handle likely from a previous move and someone put the index register on wrong. The shaft was slightly bent but the movement was still smooth. You can also see the hand one shot oiler on the side. There was no oil pump in the machine.

I did contact JDS Technical Support regarding a replacement oil pump and crossfeed lead screw/nut. Jim was very knowledgeable of these machines as a former Harig employee and was very helpful. However, the cost of the replacement oil pump and leadscrew were more than twice what I paid for the machine. As a hobbyist I simply can not afford that. So, I decided to make my own. Isn't that what hobby machinist are supposed to do after all.

The first thing I tackled was the cross-feed lead screw and nut. There was more than .030" of backlash, which just felt too lose for me. I think a previous owner created a lack of lubrication issue which likely caused the problem. The shield for the lead screw was also missing which probably allowed grinding dust to settle on the screw, making things worse. I'll discuss lubrication in a later post.

So, I ordered a Precision Acme Lead Screw from McMaster-Carr (p/n 99030A013) and a Precision Acme Round Nut (p/n 95365A123) for a combined price of about $110. Much better than the $750 I was quoted for a replacement. The nut did require some machining and I included an improved oiling system in the design.

Here is a shot of the old nut and a model of the new one I designed in Fusion 360.

Here is the new nut installed on the machine. The adjustable fitting on the right side will allow oil to be pumped directly to the nut. You'll note a small trough in the lower section that will allow oil to drain back into the sump. The tube attached to the rear of the nut protects the lead screw for grinding dust, coolant, etc. It was missing when I got the machine. It is simply a piece of 3/4" electrical conduit welded to a flange that bolts to the nut.

Well that's all for now. I'll do another update in a day or two and describe the new lubrication system.

Jim