Fabing a surface grinder

[edowens]

I tried before to post this but it must have gotting lost. I would like to know if anyone has made a sureface grinder from scratch? was thinks of getting an X/y table and building the z but not sure where to start , any help would be great thanks ED

 

[Richard King]

I have seen older surface grinders like Abrasive 8 x 12, Do-All 8 x 18, Bridgport 8 x 18 sell for less then $500.00 at auctions. Building one from scratch ....? Why would you when you can buy one so cheap?

 

[bvd1940]

I have seen older surface grinders like Abrasive 8 x 12, Do-All 8 x 18, Bridgport 8 x 18 sell for less then $500.00 at auctions. Building one from scratch ....? Why would you when you can buy one so cheap?

Ditto what he said, don't make work:nono:

 

[DMS]

The brooks tool and cutter grinder has been described as a "small surface grinder". Depending on your requirements, it may do. HSM is running a series on a re-design of the original. I started on one a while back, but it's been stalled for a while. If you require the capacity of a standard grinder, then the previous posters are on to something, maybe start shopping around for a used on.

 

[stern]

The Milling machine I just finished making was originally a surface grinder, but back then (about 3 years ago) I was really green when it came to machining. I figured I would use a regular bench grinder as the head, and it DID work, but I kept blowing up the grinders. Hardest part (actually wasn't too hard) was making the table and column for the head to move on. Easy to build it but got tricky when I needed to dovetail the slide for the column (I only had a lathe, no mill).
I ended up cheating and bolting the head assembly to the column so I could grind down the two 60 deg rails (which were about 3 ft long). Then bolted them in place and had a working Z feed.

It sat there for almost 3 years and when I started a serious clean in the shop I decided "do something with it or chuck it". Seeing how much trouble I had doing things without a mill, I turned it into one. After time here on the forum and knowing what I know now, a surface grinder would have been easier to make than a mill, but Im getting a lot of use from the mill.

 

[edowens]

I have about all the equipt to build one and think it would be a fun learning exp. Im about to give up my part time small engine repair and just (play) the remaineing years , with a fully equipt shop so full I need to start useing all the $ I have stored there ED

 

[refinery Mike]

several years ago i made a surface grinder using standard ball bearings. No matter how i tried i could not get a good finish with the thing. Apparently the bearings had too much play in them. So if you decide to go ahead with it I would suggest you look hard into the proper bearings and seals. It does sound like a challenging project, and i bet you would learn a lot in the process. For most of us this machining thing is not about making money. Something inside drives us to make things, It is like a disease. An expensive disease usually.

 

[edowens]

Im planning to use a 3/4 spindle with taperd bearings, actualy useing 4 of them ,not sure if I will make the z axis lead screw or buy one, will have to get more practice on the lathe first thanks for all the info ED

 

[Bill Gruby]

I have seen older surface grinders like Abrasive 8 x 12, Do-All 8 x 18, Bridgport 8 x 18 sell for less then $500.00 at auctions. Building one from scratch ....? Why would you when you can buy one so cheap?

The home machinist gets great satisfaction in knowing what he has created works well for him. This is more than enough reason for taking on a project like this. Great pride is had when someone asks, "Where did you get that, I have never seen one before" and the answer is "I made it myself".

"Billy G"