# Craigslist Find Surface Grinder - Now The Fun Starts



## gr8legs (Jul 2, 2015)

Maybe this should be posted as a POTD since it's only partly done - but it's my story and I'm sticking to it:

Our local Craigslist had a surface grinder listed - Talked to the guy and went to take a gander and well, here we are. An old Delta surface grinder - small enough to fit into my shop but missing a couple of parts and needing a general cleanup and re-wiring. Price was right so I bit. Fork-lifted it into the pickup with the seller's forklift (one of those would certainly be handy around the house, eh?) and brought it home. Craned it off the pickup and built a skid so it could roll around on the pallet jack. Almost everything in the shop is on wheels because there's no space otherwise for tools and work simultaneously.




Before getting too deep into it, problem #1 was the Z-Axis adjusting screw was long gone. We knew that from the get-go (it was a price negotiating point) so something temporary (for the next 20 or so years) was the first order of business. Without that screw, loosening the column lock  could crash the grinding mechanism into the chuck and probably ruin a potentially useful tool - bad idea.



I thought about it for a while, went to the web and priced things like 3/4" Acme all-thread (not too bad) and Acme nuts (yikes!), then settled on making something out of locally available and cheap parts. Went to the farm store and got a 2' length of 3/4" all-thread (3/4"-10 tpi - 1 turn = 1/10" - how convenient is that?) and several hex nuts. 

Rummaged around the junk bin and found a 3" length of round aluminum stock left over from something long forgotten - Cleaned it up on the lathe and bored through it at 3/4" to clear the 3/4" all-thread.



Then turned down a shoulder to fit into the hole in the casting on the grinder



Now for the fun part - I planned to use one of the steel nuts for the threads in the bushing I just made, so figuring out the dimensions for a hexagonal pocket was the next step. After a bit of pencil gnawing and calculating, a set of construction points was determined - so off to the mill we go!

First things first, I only made one bushing so after programming the mill I did a test cut of the pocket in a piece of scrap lumber


And amazed myself when it fit!



So next I loaded in my home-made round stock fixture (an old 3-jaw lathe chuck on a steel plate) and got ready to cut the actual part (first doing an 'air cut' to be sure things were approximately where they should be):



Looked good, so away we go!



And, after just a little adjusting, head-scratching and swearing - Voila! The nut, she fits!



So, a little more fitting and adjusting and now the grinder has a coarse Z-Axis screw and I had a nice time playing with tools - it's a Win-Win!




The hex-pocketed surface grinder bushing:


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## kd4gij (Jul 2, 2015)

Nice score.  JimDawson can set you up with a forklift. Thay just follow him home.


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## brino (Jul 2, 2015)

Nice work!

Congrats on the new tool  .

I've seen on line that a local seller has one of these grinders, but he seems to want a lot for it:
http://www.marksmach.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=9:grinding&Itemid=64
(bottom of the page)

Your magnetic chuck is huge in comparison!

Good find!
-brino


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## tertiaryjim (Jul 2, 2015)

gr8legs, we must be related.
Picked this up about a week ago.  Am working to get wheels under it now.
The motor was replaced with a open fan so grit can get into it and will have to pull the slides to inspect and clean. May have to scrape a bit.
The feller I bought it from made a new course feed screw and nut. Will probably have to make a lap to clean up some tight spots on the screw.
Note the baking pan to catch the sparks n grit.
Got other projects which will take over when this is on rollers. Like getting the garage cleaned up so there's room for more machines.

Nice work on the nut fit and really good pics of your work. Thanks!


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## tertiaryjim (Jul 2, 2015)

There's one on craigs list in Pueblo for $750. It's a different brand but all the same castings and parts. I think it's still too high.
That one for $1350 is unlikely to sell for that price.


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## Andre (Jul 2, 2015)

That is a Delta "Toolmaker" grinder. Be careful when ordering extra wheel hubs, as I believe the taper OD is .750" not the standard 1". 

Since the replacement screw is probably not a ground thread I'd be hesitant to make a dial for the screw. I think a tenths indicator holder on the Z axis (in mill speak) might be better (and easier  )


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## JimDawson (Jul 2, 2015)

Great job on the hex bushing!  Looks like a fun project.


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## JimDawson (Jul 2, 2015)

tertiaryjim said:


> Note the baking pan to catch the sparks n grit.



I've never seen a grinder throw sparks to the right.  Every surface grinder I have ever seen turns clockwise as you are looking at the wheel.  This is new.


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## gr8legs (Jul 2, 2015)

Andre said:


> Since the replacement screw is probably not a ground thread I'd be hesitant to make a dial for the screw. I think a tenths indicator holder on the Z axis (in mill speak) might be better (and easier  )



Yeah, - The replacement screw is the 'coarse' Z-Axis adjustment and just gets the head to approximately the right altitude. There is a fine screw (not shown in any of my pix) that moves the Z-axis in 1/1000" increments.

Stu


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## Getaway (Jul 2, 2015)

Hey Gr8legs,  nice work.  I have that same grinder,  mine was a filthy mess when I got it.  It was so bad I had to completely disassemble it just to clean it.
Mine was not missing any parts but I found the brass tapered sleeve bearing in the spindle was quite worn.  Lots of hand work with a piece of drill rod and 600 Grit paper and blue paste and i got it to fit quite well. A Fenner link belt help get rid of some of the vibrations as did extra weight to the base.  If you find a source for extra wheel hubs please let me know.  For the $350 I spent I am pleased.


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## gr8legs (Jul 3, 2015)

JimDawson said:


> I've never seen a grinder throw sparks to the right.  Every surface grinder I have ever seen turns clockwise as you are looking at the wheel.  This is new.


Ya know, since that grinder has obviously had the motor replaced, maybe the replacement motor turns the wrong way and either couldn't be reversed or the person who replaced it didn't know how to switch the wires.  This could be a problem if the arbor screw decides to loosen itself due to incorrect rotation... 

Stu


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## Getaway (Jul 3, 2015)

That grinder is made to turn counter clockwise when viewed from the operator position.  I know this is different than most surface grinders.


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## Wreck™Wreck (Jul 3, 2015)

I once owned the exact same SG, not a bad little machine, mine had plain spindle bearings, keep the oil cups full and let it run 10-15 minutes before using it.

As mentioned above the spindle does rotate in the opposite direction of any other grinder that I have ever used in any shop where I have worked.


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## kd4gij (Jul 3, 2015)

gr8legs said:


> Ya know, since that grinder has obviously had the motor replaced, maybe the replacement motor turns the wrong way and either couldn't be reversed or the person who replaced it didn't know how to switch the wires.  This could be a problem if the arbor screw decides to loosen itself due to incorrect rotation...
> 
> Stu


 


If yu look at te pictures ,The wheel gard has an arrow pointing counter clockwise.


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## gr8legs (Jul 3, 2015)

kd4gij said:


> If yu look at te pictures ,The wheel gard has an arrow pointing counter clockwise.



<blush> Yep, you're right - counter-clockwise rotation. Ignore my replacement motor comments. Sad thing is, I have that grinder in the shop and was too lazy to go look at it before opening my yap. 

Oh well, it could have been verse.

Stu


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## JimDawson (Jul 3, 2015)

kd4gij said:


> If yu look at te pictures ,The wheel gard has an arrow pointing counter clockwise.




Yup, I see that now.  That's different.


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## Andre (Jul 3, 2015)

For a LH spindle, your arbor and arbor nut threads have to be RH threads instead of the standard LH. Pretty interesting little grinder! 

I've seen one in person, and know a guy with one. They are much sturdier then they look.


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## tertiaryjim (Jul 4, 2015)

Recon I and gr8legs are gonna learn more about these machines as we clean and work on em.

Thanks Andre, will be checking the spindle size when I pull the wheel off.

Hadn't thought about spindle direction but as some of you noted, I too haven't seen a grinder spindle turn this direction. My grinding experience is limited to just a couple of shops and less than 40 hr's on them.
The table moves a lot further than is needed to clear the wheel from over the chuck.
Fellow I bought it from had used it to sharpen planer blades and had the stops ( they look factory stock ) set all the way out with a 15 3/8" spread.
Dont know about pulling the chuck without reason as I don't want to have to grind it true again. Perhaps with care a regrind wouldn't be needed. 
I was cautioned not to grind it if it could be helped and suspect it's been done more than a few times  but those T-slots could be real handy for mounting tooling or jigs.


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## DanGraves (Jul 8, 2015)

I also have that grinder and love mine. Neat tip. on your cake pan that you mounted. You can take off the mounting brackets and use a welding magnet (rect. one at harbor freight) to hold the cake pan. Works great and is easily removed.


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## silverforgestudio (Jul 8, 2015)

Nice SG- looking forward to seeing it cleaned up!



DanGraves said:


> . Neat tip. on your cake pan that you mounted. You can take off the mounting brackets and use a welding magnet (rect. one at harbor freight) to hold the cake pan. Works great and is easily removed.



The welder's magnet is a good idea- we took it one step further and placed a few very strong neomydium (sp?) magnets in ziplocs on the catch pan- when the magnet loads up with grinding bits just turn the baggie inside out- slide off the magnet and toss the baggie.

Seems weird to some- but I have a few "baggie magnets" hanging around my grinders (KMG, old Rockwell disc and a 1x42 die grinder setup) and am always amazed what they pickup.  If you have a dust collection setup- put a baggie on the filter housing INSIDE and see if you get fine particles...


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## DanGraves (Jul 8, 2015)

Love the baggie idea. I will be using it. Thanks.


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## intjonmiller (Jul 9, 2015)

That baggie idea is great! I have lots of magnets sitting around. 

I posted a while back about a Covel #6 "surface grinder" that I recently inherited. Jim Dawson helped me realize that it's actually a universal/T&C grinder. It also spins counter-clockwise. I was thrown when I took off the beat up wheel that was on it and had to twist left to get it off. I thought, "That can't possibly be safe!" Then I plugged it in and saw it spinning the "wrong" way and it made a little bit more sense. 

I used some scrap sheet metal to build a 3-sided crap catcher on the end of mine. It was actually leftover parapet cover from a job I did a couple years ago that turned out to be the EXACT right size. Roughly 1/4" clearance on each side at full movement of the table both forward and back. Now I think I'll put some magnets on the back side and see what cool patterns I can make.


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## Cactus Farmer (Jul 9, 2015)

I have this grinder too, mine is badged was a Rockwell , and in a surface/tool and cutter grinder. Great tool!!!
Mine has a removable spindle ,but yours has no picture of the spindle with the cover removed. I got one spindle with the machine and made 6-7 more (tricky project) so I can swap rocks without having to redress the stone every time. I have a couple boron nitride and several diamond wheels. This tool gets used more than I would have thought. I have build/bought fixtures to sharpen saws, reamers, build acme threading cobalt tools, ect.  It is a dandy tool .  There is a trick little tool to remove the spindle. I can take a pic if you need it.


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## ARKnack (Jul 9, 2015)

Here is my grinder. It is a B & S No.10. Actually designed for sharpening tools but I don't have any of the accessories. It also throws sparks to the right.
Noticed my cobbled up vacuum collector. The grinder is in a temporary locations (about 2 years now  until I get the other side of my barn done. I think I am going to have to pull the spindle apart because the rear oiler does not what to feed correctly. Most likely a plugged drain.


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## larryr (Jul 15, 2015)

gr8legs said:


> Ya know, since that grinder has obviously had the motor replaced, maybe the replacement motor turns the wrong way and either couldn't be reversed or the person who replaced it didn't know how to switch the wires.  This could be a problem if the arbor screw decides to loosen itself due to incorrect rotation...
> 
> Stu


those delta grinders turn ccw.there is an arrow cast into the wheel guard that shows the wheel direction. i own one of these in very good condition. the spindle vibration could very well be coming from the replacement motor. in the operators manual delta states that the motor and spindle are balanced together to minimize vibration. this is a very handy little grinder to have around it works very well for small grinding jobs and tool sharpening. i found a free download of the operators manual on line.


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## outalive (Jul 20, 2015)

Nice job!


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## gr8legs (Apr 12, 2016)

Well, it's been about 9 months since I started this thread and I finallt got around to finishing up what I started on the surface grinder. I got it 'running' within a week or so but then got sidetracked before finishing up what I had in mind, so this was my 'Sunday' project of the day.

When I got it the magnetic chuck had a really ratty power cord and it was scary to plug it in. I pulled off the chuck and rewired it with a new cord and plug set, plus replacing the neon lights that indicate 'on' and 'de-magnetize'. I was concerned about wrecking the alignment but the chuck went back on nicely and after doing everything else was only off by a thou or so and a quick pass under the wheel sorted it out nicely.

Next was fitting the handwheel to the Z-Axis - I got tired of cranking it up and down with a crescent wrench, so I milled out a hex recess into an aluminum handwheel purchased long ago for this purpose and fitted it to the nut installed on the vertical threaded 'Z-Axis coarse adjust' rod I put on earlier.  Easy this time around - I still had the program for milling the hex recess and just pushed the button!




A bit of cleaning and rust removal - I think I got most of it - at least in the critical spots -



And I added a handy box with a duplex outlet to power both the motor and chuck from one outlet and a long enough cord to reach an outlet without creating trip hazards. 

'Done enough' for now - maybe some gray paint in its future, but now it looks 'properly used'.



Stu


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## chips&more (Apr 12, 2016)

You did excellent! Are you going to show us a pic of the finish the grinder makes on a part.


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## Restorer (Apr 21, 2016)

Gr8legs,

Nice job cleaning up the grinder and getting it running!

If you plan on any precision grinding jobs, it should be sitting on the concrete floor with no wheels.
Shim between the legs and floor to get the table under the magnetic chuck level.

Restorer


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## coolidge (Apr 21, 2016)

Okay but what do you use these for?


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## intjonmiller (Apr 21, 2016)

Mine holds my dial indicators and setup blocks.  

If I had a mill I'm sure I would get more use out of the grinder.


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## brino (Apr 21, 2016)

coolidge said:


> Okay but what do you use these for?



lemme see, I would like to:
-grind some HSS lathe bits into various square and hex sizes (with relief) for a rotary broach,
-put a beautiful finish on some lathe tool holders,
-be able to produce my own rectangular gauge blocks to what ever precision dimension I want,

I'm sure there are more...the first one is just what I was dreaming about today on my drive to work.

-brino


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## intjonmiller (Apr 21, 2016)

brino said:


> I'm sure there are more...the first one is just what I was dreaming about today on my drive to work.
> 
> -brino


Your commute sounds a lot like mine.  

I would love to use mine as an actual tool-and-cutter grinder. At this point it's just an excessively large surface grinder that rarely gets turned on. (Maybe 4x since I got it almost a year ago.) The tooling for that is, at this point, much lower priority than the tooling for the lathe and the mill that costs me an hour drive each way to go use.


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