Surface Ginder

William Schrade

William Schrade

Joined
Jul 30, 2012
Messages
632
I posted this question in Around the grinder. I'm looking at a surface grinder tomorrow and was wondering what to look for in the area of excessive wear and tear.

Happy New Year!

Bill
 
See what they will throw in.

Try and get some wheel dressers and holders


and a magnet
 
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Check for play in the spindle (a dial indicator will be helpful here). Spindle bearings can get expensive fast.
Lift the table and check the ways. If the grinder has been used in the last year or so, there should be a coat of oil on them and relatively little wear.
If you can turn it on, feel the spindle motor for any vibration. There should be almost none. Listen for any squeaks, vibrations, grinding, etc...
Turn the wheels. Everything should run relatively smoothing back and forth, up and down, etc... If it's an auto table, check that it functions.

If you can surface a piece of steel, this will probably tell you the most.
 
Thanks for the info. It does have a magnetic chuck and I'm bringing a knife to for a demonstration.
The company bought it ten years ago for a specific job and has seen little use in that period. Not a machine shop. It's mounted on a roll around cabinet and is surplus equipment. $1000.00. Everything else I've seen around here is well north of that and not in as nice shape.

Thanks again
 
Make sure you get the tool that loosens the retaining nut that holds the wheel in. If you don't get it you have to buy one or make one or you can't take the wheel off. Ask me how I know this... :D

Everything knife to a gunfight said is what I would look for also. You can check the main spindle bearings by holding the wheel and trying to quickly move it back and forth laterally to see if there is any slop in it. Mine has some play in the x and z adjustment but I'm only using it for grinding knives flat so I don't care.

The only other thing I would be cautious of is brand. The guys on the machinist sites didn't speak highly of a few brands I thought were good. Oh if its water cooled make sure you get all the shielding that goes around the chuck to contain the water.

Happy Grinding!
 
If its got a mag chuck on it throw an indicator on the spindle and make sure as you run the table in both X and Y axis that there is no run out. If there is ask weather its a magnet needing to be reground or is it in the ways. Also like mentioned above make sure there's no slop in the spindle.

Jay
 
If there were slop in the spindle the thing would destroy itself. Use dial indicator to measure runout of the spindle shaft. Also check that there is no endfloat (axial play). If this machine wasnt abused then I think you got a great deal.
 
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