Briggs and sharp surface grinder?

[Bob Korves]

I will just go check it out ... yea right ... who was I kidding.

The owner is a small shop blacksmith school teacher ... very friendly fellow. After much chatting and going over the machine and $600, it somehow climbed in the back of my truck.

I arrived late last night so the surface grinder had to sleep outside. My friend will be coming over today with his tractor to help me unload it.

I've already gone through many of the threads that you guys have posted on similar models which were very helpful. If I have anything to add that may be useful to others I'll post the information.

Rich

View attachment 387325

I have that same surface grinder (well a similar one,) got it from benmychree on this forum, needing some work. If you get it, make sure to get the correct factory manual for it and study it well, these machines are much different than newer surface grinders in how they operate and how they should be taken care of. For instance, mine has a plain bearing spindle that uses a special very light oil to lubricate it with a very tight fit. After cleaning and setting it up correctly per the manual, it works very nicely, perhaps better than most ball bearing surface grinder spindles. If you use the wrong oil or set it up wrong, it can ruin the spindle. The power traverse and feeds on mine are completely mechanically driven, and they work great when kept properly set up and properly lubricated (the one you are looking at does not have power feeds or power traverse.) These grinders were made for a long time by B&S with numerous changes over the years. I love my old machine and it does good work. Contact me if you decide to get it or want questions answered, and I might be able to help you.

 

[Winegrower]

I also have that Briggs and Stratton, er Briggs and Sharp, er Browne and Sharp #2 grinder. Ditto what Bob K. says. It has a nice vertical height, came with a 6x18 mag chuck, even a power feed unit that sat outside for years and was toast. Gave that away. It's very smooth on the X and Y controls, vertically marked in half thou increments, with a pretty big space between tics for finer settings.

I paid $1200 for it and a beautiful little Sheldon horizontal mill, that is jewel-like.

I'm not very good with it yet, but can make flat things flatter OK.

 

[Flyinfool]

I also have that same B&S No.2. I had to disassemble it to get it home. It was stuffed in the corner on the 4th floor of a 150 year old building. since it was put there it was determined that the fork lift was to heavy fo the elevator. that is why i had to disassemble to get it out. based on the serial number, mine was made between 1904 and 1914. it was originally powered from belts, shafts and pullies that distributed power from a central steam locomotive. It has since had a 220V 3PH spindle put in. Since it was all apart I was able to give it a good cleaning and replaced all of the bearings except the spindle bearing$$.

I am now working setting up servo drives for the X and Z axis so that I can start it an walk away or at least operate it from a safe distance. My pace maker specifically lists surface grinders with MAG chucks as something to stay away from.

 

[Dabbler]

I have a B&S Valuiemaster, and it is a lot bigger - what you got is perfect for a small shop - at 5X less than I paid!

 

[RetiredRich]

I have that same surface grinder (well a similar one,) got it from benmychree on this forum, needing some work. If you get it, make sure to get the correct factory manual for it and study it well, these machines are much different than newer surface grinders in how they operate and how they should be taken care of. For instance, mine has a plain bearing spindle that uses a special very light oil to lubricate it with a very tight fit. After cleaning and setting it up correctly per the manual, it works very nicely, perhaps better than most ball bearing surface grinder spindles. If you use the wrong oil or set it up wrong, it can ruin the spindle. The power traverse and feeds on mine are completely mechanically driven, and they work great when kept properly set up and properly lubricated (the one you are looking at does not have power feeds or power traverse.) These grinders were made for a long time by B&S with numerous changes over the years. I love my old machine and it does good work. Contact me if you decide to get it or want questions answered, and I might be able to help you.

Hi Bob,
The B&S 2B spent it's first night in a warm and dry workshop last night. I've gone through all your post on you 2L model. Lots of useful information there. You will definitely see me posting my progress when I get into it. I will surely have questions. Now that I know it's a B$S, I'll post in the proper forum.
For now I'll find a place for it until I can give it some tlc.

That is one cute little surface grinder!

 

[RetiredRich]

I also have that Briggs and Stratton, er Briggs and Sharp, er Browne and Sharp #2 grinder. Ditto what Bob K. says. It has a nice vertical height, came with a 6x18 mag chuck, even a power feed unit that sat outside for years and was toast. Gave that away. It's very smooth on the X and Y controls, vertically marked in half thou increments, with a pretty big space between tics for finer settings.

I paid $1200 for it and a beautiful little Sheldon horizontal mill, that is jewel-like.

I'm not very good with it yet, but can make flat things flatter OK.

Too funny! Brown and Sharpe is molded right in the cast iron.

 

[RetiredRich]

I also have that same B&S No.2. I had to disassemble it to get it home. It was stuffed in the corner on the 4th floor of a 150 year old building. since it was put there it was determined that the fork lift was to heavy fo the elevator. that is why i had to disassemble to get it out. based on the serial number, mine was made between 1904 and 1914. it was originally powered from belts, shafts and pullies that distributed power from a central steam locomotive. It has since had a 220V 3PH spindle put in. Since it was all apart I was able to give it a good cleaning and replaced all of the bearings except the spindle bearing$$.

I am now working setting up servo drives for the X and Z axis so that I can start it an walk away or at least operate it from a safe distance. My pace maker specifically lists surface grinders with MAG chucks as something to stay away from.

You guys down south of the border have so many old industrial building with so much history. There are so many possibilities to find those types of treasures. I can only dream of finding machinery like that.

I was also wondering about adding servos but after looking at it last night, I'm now thinking that I will be keeping an eye out for one that has those features already built it. I'll keep this one manual for smaller jobs.

 

[Bob Korves]

Hi Bob,
The B&S 2B spent it's first night in a warm and dry workshop last night. I've gone through all your post on you 2L model. Lots of useful information there. You will definitely see me posting my progress when I get into it. I will surely have questions. Now that I know it's a B$S, I'll post in the proper forum.
For now I'll find a place for it until I can give it some tlc.

That is one cute little surface grinder!

Be careful, mine is different than yours. It looks like the spindle on yours may be of the caged bearing type from the photos you posted. If so, those are straight forward to work on.