- Joined
- May 3, 2020
- Messages
- 177
I also posted about this machine in the antique/vintage forum, I didn't realize there was a forum just for surface grinders so I'll post here as well. I picked it up yesterday from a local seller. I believe it's a 30's or 40's machine since it has a war production board tag on the main casting.
The seller was very friendly, he had come by the machine some time ago from an estate and ended up having little use for it, but appreciated it as a neat little grinder. Moving it was a little tricky as I wasn't driving my pickup today, thankfully the cabinet base for it put it at the right height for the two of us to slide it into the back of my Xterra. It's a pretty weighty machine in spite of its small size, the Grenby catalog posted earlier lists it at 320 lbs.
View attachment 507775
Unloading it solo was a little tricky, but I got it done with the engine hoist and set it down on the cabinet, which is pretty robust despite being handmade out of wood.
View attachment 507776
View attachment 507779
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The cabinet base was definitely designed for coolant in mind, the grinder is mounted to a wooden base, with a well made formed galvanized coolant tray with a channel around the perimeter, as well as a drain hole with a brazed in copper straw that has since broken off. Unfortunately the corners have cracked where they were welded and the tray has suffered some damage. Also whatever reservoir and pump system was underneath, if there ever was one is now missing.
View attachment 507773
View attachment 507774
A couple oddities about this machine; someone has replaced the original motor with one that is incorrect. The original spec was a 3450 RPM motor, that has been replaced with a 1725. Additionally the seller told me me that it spins the wrong way. I'll have to source a replacement.
View attachment 507785
The other odd thing is that someone has installed a homemade t-slot table onto the machine. If it were meant to be this way, it would have been cast as such and finish machined by Grenby.
View attachment 507777
View attachment 507784
Based on all these DIY accessories, I'm thinking the original owner was someone who was too cheap to buy the Grenby made base for the machine and their mag chuck to suit it and devised all this instead.
Here are some more general photos of the machine as well as it in my shop with its brethren:
View attachment 507778
View attachment 507781
View attachment 507782
View attachment 507786
On the positive side of things. Everything moves freely and seems operable, although maybe in need of a clean and lube on the sliding surfaces. Down the line I think I would prefer a base made of steel tube as well, but currently I don't own a welder. I don't know a ton about surface grinding so I'm also not sure if coolant is a necessity or not. I'll definitely be on the lookout for a mag chuck as well, I'm not sure what size would be most appropriate.
The seller was very friendly, he had come by the machine some time ago from an estate and ended up having little use for it, but appreciated it as a neat little grinder. Moving it was a little tricky as I wasn't driving my pickup today, thankfully the cabinet base for it put it at the right height for the two of us to slide it into the back of my Xterra. It's a pretty weighty machine in spite of its small size, the Grenby catalog posted earlier lists it at 320 lbs.
View attachment 507775
Unloading it solo was a little tricky, but I got it done with the engine hoist and set it down on the cabinet, which is pretty robust despite being handmade out of wood.
View attachment 507776
View attachment 507779
View attachment 507780
View attachment 507783
The cabinet base was definitely designed for coolant in mind, the grinder is mounted to a wooden base, with a well made formed galvanized coolant tray with a channel around the perimeter, as well as a drain hole with a brazed in copper straw that has since broken off. Unfortunately the corners have cracked where they were welded and the tray has suffered some damage. Also whatever reservoir and pump system was underneath, if there ever was one is now missing.
View attachment 507773
View attachment 507774
A couple oddities about this machine; someone has replaced the original motor with one that is incorrect. The original spec was a 3450 RPM motor, that has been replaced with a 1725. Additionally the seller told me me that it spins the wrong way. I'll have to source a replacement.
View attachment 507785
The other odd thing is that someone has installed a homemade t-slot table onto the machine. If it were meant to be this way, it would have been cast as such and finish machined by Grenby.
View attachment 507777
View attachment 507784
Based on all these DIY accessories, I'm thinking the original owner was someone who was too cheap to buy the Grenby made base for the machine and their mag chuck to suit it and devised all this instead.
Here are some more general photos of the machine as well as it in my shop with its brethren:
View attachment 507778
View attachment 507781
View attachment 507782
View attachment 507786
On the positive side of things. Everything moves freely and seems operable, although maybe in need of a clean and lube on the sliding surfaces. Down the line I think I would prefer a base made of steel tube as well, but currently I don't own a welder. I don't know a ton about surface grinding so I'm also not sure if coolant is a necessity or not. I'll definitely be on the lookout for a mag chuck as well, I'm not sure what size would be most appropriate.
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