Surface Grinder Restoration & Belt Conversion WIP

Salem Straub said:
It's pretty easy to just run 240 to it, then split off one hot leg of that for your 120 volt load... don't know why he'd have done anything else, if he had a 240 circuit handy. Odd.
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This would require a neutral wire for the 120v so the main wire would be 4 strands prior to the split?
 
Small update. Every day I get back into the shop some more oil has seeped out.



How much oil can there be in there? I did not add any since the start of the leak. At least the oil is now clear so I guess all the old oil is gone. Ran it for 10 minutes again and the temp still gets to around 120.
Still torn between running it like this and seeing what happens or taking the spindle apart. I don't mind the oil leak that much, it's just that I would not want to do permanent damage which is also what may happen if I take it apart. :(
 
Pat, I assume there is some type of seal in there that can be replaced, but I don't really know.

I found it strange that mine would never stop taking oil. It would just reach a point and start leaking out of the hub.
 
Don, I felt like I needed to see if there could not be something I could do to remedy the situation so I disassembled the front of the spindle, not wanting to take the whole thing apart but just in case it would be something simple to fix. Well I did find a bronze washer, domed on one side in there. The washer has a small part cutout which I assume is for a set-screw in the ring that screws over the washer, to align both of them. Well there were some marks on the brass washer like somebody had screwed the set-crew and missed the cutout, driving the set-crew into the bronze. Not sure if it was tighten like that when I took it apart but I realigned it, cleaned and put everything back together. I then refilled the oil and ran the grinder for 10 minutes and there was no leaks and the temperature was just about the same, maybe 1 or 2 degrees less. I'll let it sit for a while and give it a few more tries but it looks like that could have been part of the problem. I'll keep you posted on the results.

I do have another question. Here is the retaining ring for the wheel. There is one set-crew there and the second one is missing. My question is, how are you suppose to tighten those set screw? If you do, they don't align with the slot in there and make the ring skewed which I imagine is not a good thing, balance wise anyway.



Any idea?

Thanks
 
Pat, now you have me wanting to look into mine...

I don't know anything about the set screws on your retaining ring. Mine uses a retain nut with no set screws?
 
I would say do it Don. Really not that hard and if I can do it then it will probably take you a whole 5 minutes. ;) I ran the grinder again tonight and still no leak.
 
It's always nice to be leak free. Good job. Now for some details on the removal capabilities.
 
Well looks like, as stated before by some, 3-4 thou is about the right amount you want/can remove at a time. Using the chuck is relatively easy but I just tried some thinner stainless stock held in a small tool vise and it ain't working at all. :( As suspected, much more to this surface grinding thing than meets the eye. :(
 
PT, some 240V cable will have four wires and that works well, I share the neutral wire with the 120V circuit then. I've also done things like run the neutral wire of the 120V circuit to the ground if splitting out of a three wire 240V cable- it works, but I don't know if I could recommend doing that to anyone smarter than me.
 
Patrice Lemée;12708853 said:
Well looks like, as stated before by some, 3-4 thou is about the right amount you want/can remove at a time. Using the chuck is relatively easy but I just tried some thinner stainless stock held in a small tool vise and it ain't working at all. :( As suspected, much more to this surface grinding thing than meets the eye. :(
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Pat, the wheel makes a huge difference! .005" is what I normally take off on the down feed, but take .010" fairly often when I have a need to do heavy reduction.
 
Salem Straub said:
PT, some 240V cable will have four wires and that works well, I share the neutral wire with the 120V circuit then. I've also done things like run the neutral wire of the 120V circuit to the ground if splitting out of a three wire 240V cable- it works, but I don't know if I could recommend doing that to anyone smarter than me.
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derp300_derp_collection-s574x604-134537-580.jpg


I personally have been shocked from someone's wiring where they used ground as neutral. It works fine electrically. But using your body as a conductor works fine too. In my experience, this is generally not a very wise thing to do. Your derp may vary.
 
I am back. Sorry for the delay. Let's get back to the “belt conversion” part of this thread.

I still need to order the contact wheel but in the meantime there is a lot to be done.

First the collet and arm attachment. Fairly straight forward.
Please note that no welders were hurt in the making of this. ;)



I will probably use some kind of spring in the tubing for the belt tension.



Now for the idler wheel, I have 3 already done, all of them 2” wide:
2.90” dia. crowned
2” dia. flat
1.5” dia. crowned



Still not sure which one would be best or if turning a new 1” wide one would work better? I will be using 1” wide belts.

What do you guys think?
 
How will you begin? Do you have a photo of a converted one Do you know someone who has done the conversion? Is the stone wheel belt driven? Do you use a 2 inch belt and how long? Where do you drill into the machine to mount the idler? I will be really interested to watch your conversion since I know nothing about these machines. I have a machinist friend who is trying to help me find a Harig grinder that he worked with for many years but he does not know anything about belt conversion. I will be glued to the forum to see the next installment of your conversion project as I am sure many will appreciate. LL
 
Patrice, I think you need a larger idler wheel unless you have some really spectacular high-speed bearings. A larger idler will also help keep your belt more stable.

Bob
 
Larry, hopefully things become clearer for you at this progresses. Sure hope you find that Harig.

Bob, I will go with the larger wheel of the 3 then. Hopefully that will work but if not, I'll turn another. Thanks.
 
I'm really interested in the surface grinder belt conversions that you and RangerBobTX are both doing right now (his is more relevant to me, specifically,since we own similar Boyar Schultz 612s). I've learned a great deal from your trials and tribulations with your surface grinder and now I'm learning even more as you do the belt conversion I'm contemplating doing soon.

I chuckled at your comment that no welders were harmed during your work on the arm. Now that I'm doing some welding I have new found respect for it as an art (to say nothing of the dandy stuff you get to buy). I read somewhere that you're not really a welder until you've run a mile of it. I gotta long ways to go.

As always thanks for sharing your adventures with all of us here at BF, you,come a long way since you built that first beltgrinder so long ago sir.

Corey "synthesist" Gimbel
 
Patrice, the spring inside the main support arm is a grand idea. I did virtually the same thing on mine. If you don't have a spring on hand a local motorcycle shop should have old fork springs that they will likely give you. I got one and cut a few inches off of it and been grinding away ever since.
a>


The will be the next thing that will give you grief. The brass bushing will eventually go out and it isn't cheap to have machined. I had to replace the acme threaded shaft and the brass bushing on mine for a whopping 375.00
a>
 
Thanks Corey, I am glad you like my adventures. Sharing them with you guys is a big part of what makes this fun for me but it is nice to know that some of you also enjoy them. You do have a good memory, I just barely remember that first homemade grinder. :eek: Time does fly.

I ordered my contact wheel today from Contact Rubber Corporation. Specs are:

New C130 - 6.00'' Diameter x 1'' Face x 1.250'' Bore - 90 Durometer
Rubber – Standard Serration – Balance Price: $173.75

They say the wheel will be done in about 3 weeks. Can't wait.

Curtis, thanks a bunch for the pics, that is great. It will help me a lot with the idler wheel tracking mechanism. I sure hope the brass bushing holds up for a while, that is quite expensive. :(
 
Curtis, can I ask the outside diameter of your fork spring? (or ID of your tubing) Mine is 1.5" ID and I am not sure they make fork springs that small? Just thought I'd ask before scouring the bike places around here since they are not that close.
Thanks
 
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