What can I do with a surface grinder?

jgedde

jgedde

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I'm working on getting a Boyar-Schulz surafec grinder for a good price. Of course it can grind surfaces, sharpen end mills, and be used as a toolpost grinder of sorts with a spin indexer.

What else can it do? Why do I really want (or need) one?

John
 
John,

Why would it need to do anything else? The three capabilities alone that you mentioned are enough to justify having one. But if you insist, here are a few more:


  • Having a surface grinder opens up new possibilities because it would allow you to harden the things you make and machine them to much closer tolerances.
  • A surface grinder makes an excellent cut-off tool for cutting hardened shafting.
  • If you have a planer or jointer, you can sharpen the knives on a surface grinder.
  • If you have a sheet metal punch, you can sharpen the punches and dies on a surface grinder.
  • A surface grinder will allow you to make your own parallels any height or thickness desired.
  • A surface grinder will allow you to refinish the jaws on your vises.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you justify your purchase. If not, just send me the details and I'll buy it. ;)

Tom
 
a tool and cutter grinder has a swiveling head that allows end mills and horizontal mill cutters to be sharpened. It can present the wheel at 90º to the table,so you can run cutters past it. This is MUCH handier than trying to use the non-swiveling head of a surface grinder. I'd still like to have a regular surface grinder,though. Mine only will grind smaller surfaces.

I have a K.O. Lee tool & cutter grinder,and an old Weldon cutter holder that allows sharpening of all cutters and relief grinding of taps. I can do small surface grinding jobs on it also(about 4" X 10").
 
jgedde said:
I'm working on getting a Boyar-Schulz surafec grinder for a good price. Of course it can grind surfaces, sharpen end mills, and be used as a toolpost grinder of sorts with a spin indexer.

What else can it do? Why do I really want (or need) one?

John
Click to expand...
John, you can also use it to surface cylinder heads and mating surfaces depending on the size of the table. Local motorcycle and small engine shops are a great source of a little side work for some decent cash. Resurfacing manifolds, hydraulic valve spools and Intake plenums also will generate some work too. Once you start using it you will begin to see that a surface grinder is a must have for an auto machine or engine machine shop. I paid 50 bucks to get my YZ250 heads combustion chamber corrected and every one on the market needs that mod to get max power. Soo if you are looking to get payback on a new tool or tool repairs that is one easy way to go. I have quite a few contacts in the Motorcycle racing world who would be interested in having high quality machine work done. They pay good, don't argue price but expect perfection when the job is done. LMK if your interested.
WCB
 
Thanks for all the good answers. I pretty much sold on getting it now. I like the idea of machining hardened parts since I enjoy making my own tools. The cylinder head resurfacing aspect was a clincher for me. How about aluminum heads? I presume a special wheel compound would be necessary.

RBeckett, the word perfection is in the top of my vocabulary list. I do things for other people as I would want them done myself. Usually this isn't a recipe for making money unless you have the right customers. I work in the aerospace field designing electronic motion controllers for spacecraft I (satellites, planetary probes, etc). NASA, ESA, etc demand perfection and I am not ever pressured to cut corners. BTW, what is LMK?

George, as far as sharpening end mills, there is a fixture available that positions the mill for end sharpening. While I'm sure it isn't an optimum solution, I plan on building a Bonelle sharpener in the future to address your concerns.

It occurred to me when Blue Chips mentioned making spacers and washers on his that a grinder would be perfect for making my own shims.

Bill mentioned planer knives and jointer blades. I have both machines, but am usually anal about what goes through/on them so I haven't needed to sharpen the blades apart from a light stoning.

It's a Boyar-Shultz 6x18 hydraulic automatic grinder - Challenger model. $600 is the asking price. Is that as much of good deal as I think? It doesn't appear from the photos the seller sent me to be in bad shape.

John
 
I'm sorry internet short hand for Let Me Know. I picked that habit up on face book and it's almost as bad as cursing in a foriegn language. Have a great weekend!!
Bob
 
I just spoke with the owner. He said it works fine it's "just dirty" and is including the a rotary phase converter used to power it - a huge plus. He bought a house from a HSM who passed away and just wants it out of his garage. He "knows nothing about machines."

A 6-18 Hydraulic Boyar-Shultz, a magnetic chuck, wheels, rotary phase converter and stuff for $600. It sounds too good to be true.

John
 
A tip I found in Machine Shop Trade Secrets for grinding thin pieces is to block them in with more thin pieces to increase the surface area contacting the magnetic chuck. Serves to keep the piece being ground from starting to slide sideways.

A surface grinder is like a soldering gun - if you don't have one, you can find a way around it. When you have one, you will find uses for it.
 
If you dress the wheel properly, you can form grind gear teeth, circular sections... anything that can slide under the grinding wheel. This requires building dressing jigs, of course.
 
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