New machine day!

I've been working on and off the past few days getting this machine up and running. Lots of stuff to change over to 240V from 480V. One of the most complicated is the head rapid motor. It's a 20-lead brake motor and every one of those leads is packed into a tiny little junction box on the back. I almost didn't get all the wires back in!



Here's the hydraulic pump. I believe the pump makes about 250 PSI at around 15 GPM:



and here's the hydraulic reservoir and hydraulic control block. I hope I never get to take it apart!



So far the machine appears to be in good condition. I'm currently debating pulling the table and column to ensure they are receiving proper lubrication. The table should be easy, not sure about the column though! I have heaters on the way for the motor starters and I'm working on getting a couple drums of coolant and hydraulic oil in.

In the meantime I need to pull the spindle.

I bet the grinding wheels cost a pretty penny. Are you able to dress them and how often would that be required?

That's an awesome looking machine! You should take a short video of grinding something after you get it up and going.

A surface grinder is probably the next thing I'm going to add to my shop. Any recommendations for a smaller one? I have a line on an older delta possibly.

Griff93 said:

That's an awesome looking machine! You should take a short video of grinding something after you get it up and going.

A surface grinder is probably the next thing I'm going to add to my shop. Any recommendations for a smaller one? I have a line on an older delta possibly.

Click to expand...

Griff, if I may suggest, get a grinder with a self feed table at least, even for a home shop. I have passed up on several with manual table movement, waiting on an auto feed.

2oolhound said:

I bet the grinding wheels cost a pretty penny. Are you able to dress them and how often would that be required?

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Surface grinding wheels are like anything, you can spend a bit, or spend a lot. Also, a lot of that depends on what size wheel the machine uses. We have two grinders at work, one that uses standard little 7" wheels, and the other is 14'" diameter, 2" wide wheels. Those ones are pricey.

Also, not only are you able to dress the wheels, but you are required to. Grinders are used to get extremely fine surface finishes, and to grind to final size on critical areas. Because of this, you need to dress the wheel virtually each time you set it up and you do this with a diamond dressing stone that you cycle the wheel back and forth over while it's spinning.

P Mech, I love your rebuild/refurb threads. I have a couple to do myself, as I'm just about to get started on a Buffalo 15 drill press, and an old surface grinder that is buried in my father in law's garage. Now his grinder is no way near as large or high end as your Brown and Sharpe, but I can't wait to add it to my shop.

Looks like a great find.

I think you might be able to qualify for God statis in many cultures by now.

I want a miniature version of your shop.

2oolhound said:

I bet the grinding wheels cost a pretty penny. Are you able to dress them and how often would that be required?

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Depends on the wheel. This machine uses 10" wheels that run in the $100 to $300+ range, depending on the job. An average wheel is about $125

Dressing is always required to make the wheel periphery concentric to the axis of revolution and to keep the wheel cutting. A wheel may be dressed several times during the job.

Griff93 said:

That's an awesome looking machine! You should take a short video of grinding something after you get it up and going.

A surface grinder is probably the next thing I'm going to add to my shop. Any recommendations for a smaller one? I have a line on an older delta possibly.

Click to expand...

I may take a video when I grind in the table and re fit the chuck to the table.

Brown and Sharpe made an 618 Micromaster.

Actually, there are a number of decent grinders out there. Regardless of what you end up buying, buy one with mechanical or hydraulic traverse. Cranking a surface grinder is one of the most tedious and tiring jobs there is.

Harig, Oakamoto, Brown and Sharpe, Parker-Majestic, KO-Lee, Thompson and many others all make or made good machines. The main thing is to find a machine in good condition, especially if you lack the tools, time, or competence to rebuild its geometry. Besides the ways themselves, check the condition of the spindle. Spindles are more easily rebuilt than ways, but such work is far above replacing car wheel bearings and requires very clean working practices. The mechanical systems are generally straightforward if you're familiar with industrial control, hydraulics, electrical, mechanical and etc.

Jim Johnstone said:

P Mech, I love your rebuild/refurb threads. I have a couple to do myself, as I'm just about to get started on a Buffalo 15 drill press, and an old surface grinder that is buried in my father in law's garage. Now his grinder is no way near as large or high end as your Brown and Sharpe, but I can't wait to add it to my shop.

Click to expand...

Thanks.

I look forward to seeing your rebuild threads, so get busy!

Tire Tracks said:

I think you might be able to qualify for God statis in many cultures by now.

I want a miniature version of your shop.

Click to expand...

LOL Tire Tracks.

Start dragging home some iron and you will.

Long time no post in this thread!

Since my last posting I've cleaned out the entire sump and the multitude of catch and drip trays which direct return oil back to the sump. Along the way, with the help of Mitch, I re-plumbed the entire oil return system, part of the pressure supply system, flushed the entire hydraulic system, added a full-flow return oil filter, and replaced all the return and supply screens in the machine.



The pressure gauge measures filter head pressure, which is a way of determining when the filter needs to be replaced:



Upon starting the machine back up I came to the realization the table flat way and column prismatic way are not oiling. That necessitated pulling the table which weighs about 1,000 lbs. Upon removal of the table I discovered the problem is that the 1/8" capillary lines feeding the table lubrication orifices have clogged. Considering the state of the lubricant I removed I'm not overly surprised. New capillary tubing is on the way to re-plumb the entire lubrication system and add a high-pressure filter to the lube system to prevent further problems with the capillary tubes clogging.



The ways have been re-scraped in recent history and look to be in very good condition.

Pulling the table must have been interesting. You've gotten your money's worth out of that little hoist!

So this ought to be all done by noon right?

My avatar is a AN/GKA-5 Time Division Data Link system from the mid 60's, one of the first digital "computers", I thought that was difficult to comprehend and repair but...

I am amazed with the amount of stuff I don't know...I used to repair Liquid Chromatography Syringe Pumps that produce pressures of over 6,000psi, and Reciprocating Pumps that used sapphire pistons and ruby valves, but I'm rapidly approaching "Big Old Dummy" status...

I'm a lurking learner...

Thanks for the lessons...

Well, it's been a while and the Brownie is almost back in working order. To solve the way lubrication problem, I retrofitted a Trabon / Lubriquip high-pressure series-progressive lubrication system.

Here's the lube system installed on the machine, before I finished tying everything up:



The small spin-on filter center right is the lubrication system filter. It receives low pressure oil from the hydraulic system and supplies filtered oil to the high pressure pneumatic boost pump on the bottom right. The boost pump supplies a metered output to the flow divider valve which is the big gold block hiding to the right of the head rapid motor.

The flow divider proportions lubricating oil equally to 8 different way and bearing surfaces. It also has a monitor switch which triggers an Allen Bradley Bulletin 509 timer circuit in the electrical cabinet. Actually, three 509 timers make up the interval, monitor and startup timer circuit. If the flow divider locks up signalling a lubrication failure, the monitor timer triggers an annoyingly loud alarm bell.

I also re-plumbed the entire lubrication system. That proved interesting as I couldn't find a single source for the .095 copper capillary tubing which the machine was plumbed with. In the end it was just as well, the stuff clogs easily.

My solution was to make some copper adapters to adapt 1/8" copper tubing to .095 copper tubing. First, using a slitting saw to cut off some slices of pure copper .250 thick:



Then, slicing the slices into rectangles .250 on a side by 1" long:



Drilling the adapters for the tubing sizes:



The completed adapters:



After soldering the .095 stubs into the adapters:



Three of the completed tubing connections on the table ways:



The table is back on, the spindle is almost completely repaired and grinding wheels will be on their way shortly. Soon I'll be able to grind in the table, fit the chuck and see how the machine turned out.

You went much further in shop class then I did. Great work on the lube system.

pictures?

I figured it was time to update this thread...

The machine is done and runs great!



Here are a few parts I made on it this past week:

Ya Dun Gud, Bubba!!!

I`d like to see a complete shot of the shop if that's possible. And if you go to OZ I can get you a ride in a Marloo no prob.
He might even let you drive it.

I'll have to take some more this winter when I have a chance to do some clean-up!

I have a Holden Monaro, AKA GTO. Closest thing I can get to a Maloo. It's close enough...

Looks great John good job as always!

Did you have to spend much time adjusting the machine to meet specs ?

Very nice finish. I know this thread is old but great find on the surface grinder.

Mike.