Basic Surface Grinding- What my Son and I used to do a first part.

countryguy said:
btw- our Mag chuck is pretty worn. Shallows from about 2" out from the edge which looks new and hardly used. Walker Magnetic. Now I'll need to run a few more test jobs for my own skills, then I will take a run on it.
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It is a tough deal that after you get a surface grinder cleaned up and ready to do to work, the first real job is to grind the chuck, which is a difficult job to do well, and is quite possible to mess it up badly. It took me weeks of studying and reading before gaining enough courage to start the job. I first ground the table flat, it was out quite a bit. Then I ground the bottom of the chuck to get it flat and also to improve the geometry of it a bit. Then the top. I have two mag chucks, and did the smaller (about 5+ by 11+ inches) first. I was able to get it within .0003" over the entire surface, which I am happy with. Then I went on to the 6 x 18" chuck, and after three attempts, the best I have achieved is .001" over the extent of the chuck. I think the bottom of the chuck is also not quite flat and I need to go there again to get a better result without the chuck moving against the table. I have done quite a few small projects with it as it is, and they turned out fine, but I will not be satisfied until is is correct.
 
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Replace 'Anonymous' with 'Bob'.

Sorry Bob, the devil made me do it!

Another thing that helps, is to keep a few different wheel types on hand for the different materials and hardnesses you may need to grind.
I got lucky a few years ago on picking up some Radiac grinding wheels at a heavily discounted price for free. I don't recall the exact grade or wheel type, they have a pinkish color to them. They are a 46 grit, kind of a wheel for most types of grinding. I find it to work good on medium to higher heat treated materials in the 20 to 62 HRC range. But for lower hardness materials, it don't do as good. Still gives a good finish. Just loads the wheel much more. I keep a couple of finer grit wheels for when a much finer finish is needed, too. And I've yet hooked up and used my coolant system on my SG! I'm to the point of doing so.
 
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