B&S #2 Surface Grinder

[Ray C]

Hi Folks...

I've been using this B&S #2 grinder for a couple years. -One of my favorite pieces of equipment. Picked it up locally for $500 and it had 2 prior owners and I understand the last owner used it in his shop making OEM Harley Davidson parts for 30+ years. It was recently rebuilt and the ways scraped before it was retired in the 90's then, sat in a garage for 15 years. It runs great. Anyhow, the serial number is 4598 and am wondering if anyone has an idea of it's birthdate. I'm not one of those guys that gets sentimental about old iron. I just prefer to utilize it -new or old but, I'm just curious about how hold it is. I got a few ideas from some folks who think it was 1920's or 30's.

Appreciate any ideas. This picture is pretty old from when I was moving it into the garage. It now has a prominent place in the shop with it's own dust collector and I replaced (but kept) the power switch with a VFD.

Thanks....

Ray

 

[4GSR]

Your surface grinder does not look that old or it's in very good shape. I found reference to a No. 2 on another site as a 1929 with s/n 9425, which is tellin me that yours is older than that.

Can you provide pictures of the motor drive setup, as well as more pictures of your grinder.

Borwn & Sharpe was making the No. 2 & no. 5 all the way into the 1950's before they changed their serial number system for grinders and other machines to a xxx-xxx-xxxx numbering system. The shape/design of the surface grinders changed about this time, too. My B & S surface grinder which is a 6 x 12 machine has s/n 523-612-3679.

BTW- I have a friend who has a serial number book that may go back that far. I'll send him a email and see what he can tell me.

 

[4GSR]

Ray,

Checked with my family friend, he said that his serial number book started in 1920 at s/n 5845.

He suspects your grinder is from the WWI era.

You may also want to make an inquiry to Bourn-Koch. They should be able to tell you more and sell you a parts manual for a $$$$$ around $110.

http://www.bourn-koch.com/pages_blo...sharpe_grinding_products&Exact=Yes&this_sect=

 

[Ray C]

4gsr,

Thank you very much for responding. As requested, here are more photos. FWIW, this thing is all original as far as I can tell with the exception of a few minor nuts & bolts. I have the original wheel cover and power switch but, I use a lot of 8" wheels (thus the make-shift safety cover) and use the VFD to keep the RPMs (low) where I want them. The history of it was fairly well known at the time I purchased it. It originated and was used in shops starting in New Oxford, PA then to Frederick, MD then to York, PA. The photo shows the serial number stamping (probably not visible in the image) but, it's very clearly 4598. The guy I bought it from used it in the shop from where it was retired. He was fond of it and the owner gave it to him when the shop closed. He lived near York, PA where it sat in his garage for about 15 years. It had been rebuilt and re-scraped a few years prior to it being decommissioned.

The beast is ungodly heavy for it's appearance. The forklift scale said 1250 lbs. The main masts are solid CI, the floorplate is 2" thick and the base sides are about 9/16" thick. -That's a lot of cast iron!

It runs fine, is tight as a drum and operates very smoothly. I don't grind too much but when I do, that piece of equipment really feels good in the hands. It took some doing but I flattened a drops piece of 3 x 12 x 1" alloy steel with a couple wheels, finishing with a 100 SC and much to my surprise, the class-A granite slab and TDI said it was within 0.0001 criss-cross from corner to corner. At that point, I said "Hmmm, I guess I'll keep you".

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond. I'll follow-up on your leads and if I learn more, will post back here.

Keep in-touch.

Ray

 

[4GSR]

Ray,

It's interested your grinder has a Pope motorized spindle equipped. That was non-existance back then. The motorized spindle didnot come around until later in life. One of the previous owners must have upgraded when they reconditioned the SG.

 

[idjeffp]

I purchased a B&S No 2 (SN-FM4034 Style-P32) similar to RayC's a few weeks back... complete with Pope motorized spindle (1 hp - 3 ph) and B&S permanent magnet 6x12 chuck. Shop has been cleaned to make room for it now... but waiting on the weather to get better before snatching it with a Penske lift gate truck. I've got a few VFD's in use already so definitely going that route with this motor...

Cheers!
Jeff P

 

[Ray C]

Cool! I really like that grinder a lot and hope yours treats you well.

Ray

I purchased a B&S No 2 (SN-FM4034 Style-P32) similar to RayC's a few weeks back... complete with Pope motorized spindle (1 hp - 3 ph) and B&S permanent magnet 6x12 chuck. Shop has been cleaned to make room for it now... but waiting on the weather to get better before snatching it with a Penske lift gate truck. I've got a few VFD's in use already so definitely going that route with this motor...

Cheers!
Jeff P

 

[idjeffp]

Hi All,
Glad to report that we got the break in the weather that we had been watching for... and got the B&S No 2 home and rolled into the garage yesterday with the aid of a lift-gate truck from Penske rentals, 5 pieces of 1" iron pipe and my strong armed son! It is a bit dirty from ~5 yrs accumulation of shop dust so will need a good cleaning and some paint as well as a new table feed screw + nut + a few Gits oilers. Should be a fun rebuild... which I will start soon upon finishing the Smith&Mills 12" shaper rebuild. I had reported the serial number incorrectly in my earlier post. Mine has SN 2125 stamped in the casting above the wheel. So thinking it's pretty old!! It appears to have been reground and rebuilt some time in the more recent past when the Pope motorized spindle was retrofitted...

Cheers!
Jeff P

 

[Ray C]

Holy smokes, I thought mine was old w/SN 4598. There might be dinosaur bones in yours.

Again, I hope all goes well with yours. It's a great machine. -And hey, show us some pictures...


Ray

Hi All,
Glad to report that we got the break in the weather that we had been watching for... and got the B&S No 2 home and rolled into the garage yesterday with the aid of a lift-gate truck from Penske rentals, 5 pieces of 1" iron pipe and my strong armed son! It is a bit dirty from ~5 yrs accumulation of shop dust so will need a good cleaning and some paint as well as a new table feed screw + nut + a few Gits oilers. Should be a fun rebuild... which I will start soon upon finishing the Smith&Mills 12" shaper rebuild. I had reported the serial number incorrectly in my earlier post. Mine has SN 2125 stamped in the casting above the wheel. So thinking it's pretty old!! It appears to have been reground and rebuilt some time in the more recent past when the Pope motorized spindle was retrofitted...

Cheers!
Jeff P

 

[idjeffp]

-And hey, show us some pictures...

Glad to see this folder and thread restored. Here are some pictures of the ol' gal I took last weekend after a partial cleanup... with the table still sitting on wood blocks until I get the ways cleaned up.


Let's see if this link will work...
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Jeff P