# General Surface Grinder Questions



## coolidge (Oct 13, 2015)

I keep wanting to ask, what is a surface grinder useful for typically?


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## JimDawson (Oct 13, 2015)

Hmmmmm....Grinding Surfaces 

Seriously, precision grinding of flat surfaces, typically to <0.0001 on hand machines.  The markings on the Z axis hand wheel is typically 0.0001.  They can also be used to grind shapes in parts.  With proper shaping tools, the grinding wheels can be shaped to angles and radii for grinding these shapes into the part.  Normally used in tool & die work.  With proper tooling, can also be used to sharpen end mills and other tool bits.

If you need one I have a spare
.


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## T Bredehoft (Oct 13, 2015)

Best use in a Hobby Shop, unless you have a tool grinder, it will grind end mills (on the end) until they're used up. There are a  number of end mill holders just for sharpening them on a surface grinder.


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## dave2176 (Oct 13, 2015)

JimDawson said:


> If you need one I have a spare
> .


Do you ever get to Utah? How about Idaho?


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## WDG (Oct 13, 2015)

What is the best tool holder for a surface grinder?


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## Doubleeboy (Oct 13, 2015)

A Surface grinder is most useful in covering everything in the shop with a fine coat of highly abrasive, nasty grit.  Even with dust collection(mandatory) and overhead air cleaners the dust still covers everything.  For use they are the best set up for truing centers, precision pins, surfaces that interface with other surfaces.  Most all of the text books on Machine Shop Operations have a section on grinders.

michael


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## JimDawson (Oct 13, 2015)

WDG said:


> What is the best tool holder for a surface grinder?



Well, given that the wheel is actually the ''tool'' on the surface grinder, then I would say the hub would be the best tool holder.

If you are asking about a holder for an end mill or something like that,  then there are fixtures for holding them at the correct angles for sharpening.  However, sharpening an end mill on a surface grinder is a bit of a PITA in my opinion, that is why tool & cutter grinders were invented.  A spindex is also a good universal work holding device for round things.  Just putting the work on the magnetic chuck is a pretty good way of holding larger, flat parts.  A tool makers vice is many times is the best work holder, and that, in combination with a sine plate can generate compound angles.  Radii can also be cut if you have a radius dresser for the wheel.  You can do a lot of stuff on a well tooled surface grinder.

I hope this kind of answers your questions.
.
.


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## JimDawson (Oct 13, 2015)

Doubleeboy said:


> A Surface grinder is most useful in covering everything in the shop with a fine coat of highly abrasive, nasty grit.  Even with dust collection(mandatory) and overhead air cleaners the dust still covers everything.  For use they are the best set up for truing centers, precision pins, surfaces that interface with other surfaces.  Most all of the text books on Machine Shop Operations have a section on grinders.
> 
> michael




Ain't that the truth.  That's why you do all of your grinding wet.  Flood coolant is the only way to go.
.


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## kd4gij (Oct 13, 2015)

Surface grinders use a magnetic chuck for holding work.


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## Downwindtracker2 (Oct 13, 2015)

I have a 4" boat anchor Chinese milling vice that I wanted to use on my shaper,. It took a number of cuts to get it within a thou. My SG is only a Delta Toolmaker, a half thou machine.


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## wrmiller (Oct 13, 2015)

I used a surface grinder mostly for thinning 1911 hammers, creating accurate surfaces and angles on sears and hammers, 1911 slides and frames, mating a compensator to a slide, (I do a lot of tweaking on 1911s...), getting perfectly parallel sides on a piece made of hard to machine metal, and in general anywhere I want a really flat/accurate surface or dimensions. Quite a handy tool to have in the shop, and as Jim says, use 'em wet or you get nasty stuff everywhere. Don't have one at the moment, but will have one in my retirement shop.


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## PatMiles (Oct 14, 2015)

wrmiller19 said:


> I used a surface grinder mostly for thinning 1911 hammers, creating accurate surfaces and angles on sears and hammers, 1911 slides and frames, mating a compensator to a slide, (I do a lot of tweaking on 1911s...), getting perfectly parallel sides on a piece made of hard to machine metal, and in general anywhere I want a really flat/accurate surface or dimensions. Quite a handy tool to have in the shop, and as Jim says, use 'em wet or you get nasty stuff everywhere. Don't have one at the moment, but will have one in my retirement shop.



I use mine for 1911/2011 work also. Taking .001" off of hammer hooks evenly in a quick fashion is really nice. I also use it to "time" muzzle brakes on rifles.
Once you have one you will find many uses for it.


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## wrmiller (Oct 14, 2015)

Yea, I 'time' the compensators for a 1911 (I call then all that, even the new ones) and use it to put the angle cut on the back of the comp so I get a almost invisible line where the slide and comp meet. I've done this by hand with files and stones but that's WAY too much work, and pretty much hit-or-miss. Surface grinders are a god-send for this stuff.


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## coolidge (Oct 14, 2015)

wrmiller19 said:


> Yea, I 'time' the compensators for a 1911 (I call then all that, even the new ones) and use it to put the angle cut on the back of the comp so I get a almost invisible line where the slide and comp meet. I've done this by hand with files and stones but that's WAY too much work, and pretty much hit-or-miss. Surface grinders are a god-send for this stuff.



Pics would make it easier to visualize.


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## wrmiller (Oct 14, 2015)

I'll look and see if I have any tonight. But basically a 1911 barrel in battery sits at a slight muzzle down angle relative to the outside lines of the slide. So when you cut the top profile of the comp, you want it threaded onto the barrel and have the barrel in full battery/lock-up. If you don't do this, the comp will point slightly down at full battery compared to the top line of the slide. This angle also means the interface area on the sides/flats of the slide and comp don't meet at a perfect 90 degree angle. For a half-profile/round comp it doesn't look too bad from a distance, but a full profile comp (same profile as the front of the slide) looks kinda clunky.


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## buffdan (Oct 14, 2015)

Also you can utilize a cut off wheel to slice thru hardened materials.


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## BGHansen (Oct 14, 2015)

I recently bought a Grizzly G0709 14 x 40 lathe.  Really like the machine but the supplied piston style QCTP ended up with the handle at about 1 o'clock when tightening up a facing/turning tool.  Handle set right over top the work.  Other option was to turn it 180 deg.  The unlock position was at about 8 o'clock or just over the back corner of the tool holder.   In that position I had to unscrew the tool post handle to get the tool holder off the post.

SG to the rescure (mine is a Delta toolmaker circa 1945).  I pulled the plates on the QCTP that push against the tool holder and thinned them by about 0.020" (both plates are hardened).  Unlocked position is now 6 o'clock, locked at 5 o'clock.  I also use mine to sharpen end mills.  Have used it to thin up extractors for an RG&G gatling gun, T-nuts for a mill, etc.  Don't use it every day but sure comes in handy when needed.

Bruce


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