Brown & Sharpe 618 Surface Grinder

[ErichKeane]

If you could find a crossover chart, I think that Mobil Vactra #2 is the same spec. You might be able to get by with less gallonage since the machine will not operate all day long 6 days a week; renew oil yearly? Don't hold your breath!

I hope so! Also, any idea on how to size a VFD? There are 3 electrical blocks that are rated for 1.5 HP each, (spindle, hydro pump, and coolant), plus a 120v transformer.

Anyway, here are the pictures! Some from the apron, some from the electrical box, so let me know if there is anything else i can provide to help make an idea!

I've got local business stopping by next tuesday with a forklift for 20 mins, so hopefully I can get it into my shop by then!

-Erich

 

[Dabbler]

Use a 5HP VFD to be safe. You can get away with less, but risk burning out the unit. That was one great find (envy, oozing from pores...)
Good luck with your new machine!

 

[benmychree]

The apron top is entirely different than mine, but I am guessing that the crank on top at the left is the table throttle (and it does have hydraulic travel), the vertical thing in the center is table feed direction and that the lever to the rear of the right hand of the vertical feed is the cross feed direction; on mine, that lever is located with the rapid/grind/dress and amount of cross feed knob. I'm figuring that your machine is an earlier model than mine; if you feed/dress on mine, those functions are initiated by setting the lever down on the right side, then opening the table travel lever on top of the apron, I assume yours would work the same; with the selector lever set to rapid/grind/dress, the table travel function is disabled.
What is your serial number? It was not legible in the picture.

 

[ErichKeane]

Not sure I got all that, but hopefully it'll make more sense when I get power to it

Serial is 523-6182-6599. If there's any way to get the age fo that one, it would be pretty awesome. My grandfather used to work at the Brown and Sharpe Foundry in Providence, so I'm curious to see if the times overlap.

 

[benmychree]

You mentioned your GF worked for B&S at one time, my mother's uncle served his apprenticeship there starting in 1914 -1918 when he took a new job as a coast watcher during WW-1; I have some of his apprentice school work. I just read a book about the company, and came away with a less than favorable opinion of its labor practices, especially in its later years; the machinist's union was on strike for 16 years there!
I took a tour there in 1970 with mom's uncle, it was not so much of a tour that I would have liked, but their cafeteria was wonderful!

 

[ErichKeane]

I dont know much of his experience there, just my facebook post got a few comments saying he was there a while. He would have been at least mid-60s or closer, but otherwise I have no idea.

 

[benmychree]

The serial numbers on mine seem to indicate that yours is newer than mine; the last four digits are the actual serial number, mine is 5730; it appears that the model came out in 1959, and my list ends in '62 with a number of 1349, I think I found something online that suggested a date in the late 1960s, perhaps '67. The sump on mine calls for 15 gallons of oil, I think I put about 12 gals. in and saved the rest for other uses.

 

[benmychree]

I'm told that the foundry was not moved to North Kingston from Providence when the rest of it was moved, I've read that there were 47 buildings at Providence, on a hillside, not too efficient! In North Kingston, they had over a million SF in one building on one level, plus a second level that the offices were on, there was a system of catwalks radiating from the office level to all the respective departments with stairs to descend into the departments, so that the office people did not have to walk through other departments on their way to specific departments, and presumably get waylaid and delayed by folks not necessary to interact with.

 

[benmychree]

I took some pics of mine so you can see some of the differences between the two of them #1 shows the cross feed selector and speed knob with the cross feed lever mounted with them in a place not convenient to reach, where yours is, mine has the Neutrofier mag chuck control mounted. #2 shows the table travel controls on top of the apron, yours looks like an improvement. #3 shows the wheel guard with the suction port, it also has a bracket on the far side for the coolant nozzle. #4 shows the Neutrofier control box. #5 shows the stop start control box #6 shows the hydraulic fill porton the left side just back from the front of the machine. #7 shows the electrical controls with less equipment than mine, I guess you would have an extra contactor for the blower. #8 shows the serial number plate.
The Neutrofier, if one is not familiar, ramps down the residual magnetism in the chuck and workpiece when the chuck is turned off; it is a wonderful thing, no fighting to part to get it loose from the chuck, with the usual chance of scratching the chuck and workpiece. It does the job by reversing the electrical polarity in a number of cycles, with diminishing voltage at each reversal.

 

[ErichKeane]

Huh, interesting pictures! Once I get this guy powered up, I'll have to take a look.

I noticed that I have a 3rd control on the apron that I didn't take a picture of. It is on the side of the apron, and is a rotating handle. It is on the apron, but above the "Step size" control (which is where your #1 image is I think).