Thread: Tool Post Grinders - Can A good one be made?

Simon,

My advice is to waste no more time and effort on this until you have the grinder.

If the condition of the motor internals is indicative of the condition of the all important spindle then all you will be left with is basically a casting. I tried to photograph the interior of the motor but some further dismantling would be required to provide adequate photos.

It may well be that when you inspect the grinder, you too may consider it fit only for the Sulo bin.

Bob.

For those hell bent on ruining their lathes, here are a couple of scanned DIY grinder projects for inspiration.

Bob, you seem really concerned about that bit of dust from dressing a wheel. I hope your area where you keep your lathe is well sealed from dust that blows around on a hot windy day. I understand your concerns for getting grit into places it shouldn't be, but you do need to use the lathe, or else why have it? Have you tried using a dust extractor or vacuum to collect the dust as you dress the wheel?

When I was much younger we needed to reduce the size of a hardened pin by about 0.5mm so I wanted a TPG. I took an old 8" bench grinder that had the motor burnt out, removed 1 wheel and the gaurd and fitted a pulley. I then mounted it to a bit of old plate and fitted an old washing machine motor with a larger pulley to drive the grinder. I fitted this contraption to the back side of the cross slide on my old capstan lathe and used it to grind down the shaft. The surface finish was ordinary, probably because of the unbalanced wheel and type of wheel, but it worked. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I wish I had some pics of it, then you would all know how rough I am!!

Hi Bob,

I had been meaning to respond to your last post, reading Burners has prompted me to pull my finger out.

Hi Burner, there is no doubt that Bob is not Robinson Crusoe when it comes to concerns of using a TPG. A video I wated from Tubal Cain on TPG echoed the same concerns, stating that many people would not let you anywhere near their lathes with such a beast! While I wouldn't disagree with Bob, (I have learnt an awful lot from him) when it comes to opinions, I like to have the same experience that others have had that they used to form that opinion. In short, I need to experience things for myself wherever possible.

So, I still want one!

Bob, What would I owe you to send that grinder my way?

Simon

Originally Posted by Burner

Bob, you seem really concerned about that bit of dust from dressing a wheel. I hope your area where you keep your lathe is well sealed from dust that blows around on a hot windy day. I understand your concerns for getting grit into places it shouldn't be, but you do need to use the lathe, or else why have it? Have you tried using a dust extractor or vacuum to collect the dust as you dress the wheel?

When I was much younger we needed to reduce the size of a hardened pin by about 0.5mm so I wanted a TPG. I took an old 8" bench grinder that had the motor burnt out, removed 1 wheel and the gaurd and fitted a pulley. I then mounted it to a bit of old plate and fitted an old washing machine motor with a larger pulley to drive the grinder. I fitted this contraption to the back side of the cross slide on my old capstan lathe and used it to grind down the shaft. The surface finish was ordinary, probably because of the unbalanced wheel and type of wheel, but it worked. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I wish I had some pics of it, then you would all know how rough I am!!

Burner,

As surprising as it may be to you, I do use my lathe. I just don't want it covered in grinding wheel grit and if others are happy to use TPGs, good on them.

Bob.

Simon,

If you haven't already got one, obtain a small mounted grinding wheel and stick it in your chuck and then dress the wheel with a diamond dresser. A quick way of determining whether you can contend with the mess.

As far as the Dumore goes I could post it off to you tomorrow without the rooted motor in a Parcel Post bag. And there is no cost.

Bob.

Hi Bob,

Yes I have diamond dresser I use the t&c grinder and well as the sg. It's unbelieveable the amount of dust created! Admittadly I have never done it with a vacuum cleaner close by.

OK, I will give up on the idea of resurrecting the motor! Happy to recieve the remnants though. Not sure why the postage is free? I'll PM you my address.

Cheers & Thanks

Simon

Originally Posted by Burner

Bob, you seem really concerned about that bit of dust from dressing a wheel. I hope your area where you keep your lathe is well sealed from dust that blows around on a hot windy day. I understand your concerns for getting grit into places it shouldn't be, but you do need to use the lathe, or else why have it?

I use my lathes a *lot*. Especially the Chipmaster. There is no way on earth I'd allow a toolpost grinder anywhere near that machine. It can hold tolerances at the 0.0002" to 0.0005" over 6" even though it's 40+ years old. A few years with a toolpost grinder and you could knock a significant figure off of that.

Other people can do whatever - I prefer not to have grinding equipment even in the same room as my lathe. The only time I'd install one was on a machine I didn't care about and yeah, I know sometimes you do what you have to do, but you rarely really have to do some things with a bit more planning.

PDW

I didn't mean to cause any offence to anyone, particularly Bob as I value his significant input on this forum. I respect everyones choice to treat their machines as they see fit. I never meant to imply that you gentleman don't use your lathes. I see my post was a bit blunt. Please accept my apologies.

My post reflected the ongoing internal struggle I often face myself. I don't want to cause any wear or damage to my machines, but I have jobs that need doing. I often have to tell myself that I need to use the machine or else why do I have it. I would like to have exactly the tool or machine for every job and I have an awful lot of stuff, but not always the right thing. This is not only with my workshop but also farm machines.

I am not the guy who can have a hot car in the shed to cruise in, to me it has to perform to its potential, hence I have done some rallying. I have old tractors, not painted and polished but in their working clothes and they still getting occasional use.

PDW, I have been milking cows for 20 years and that happens twice a day, 7 days a week, 365 or 366 days a year. Cows need milking, feeding, moving and milk needs cooling and all the other seeding and harvesting etc needs to happen when the weather and everything else is spot on. Stuff generally only breaks when you use it and often that is when all the suppliers are closed or the budget won't allow a proper fix. I have had to do a lot of dodgy stuff in a short time and compromise my ideals. It all depends on your circumstances how rarely these things happen.

My best lathe (a VDF Boehringer) in its former life was used with ceramic tools to re shape hardened steel tube forming rollers. It did this and other work for about 30 years. It had suitable covers and gaurds to protect the ways fron the swarf etc.. It has some wear on the bed, about what a 40+ year old industrial lathe that is used daily gets. It has rarely caused me any issues in regard to accuracy. Most of the pieces that I need really precise get hardened and then ground on the cylindrical grinder. My point is that machines can often take more "abuse" than we think they can, but I understand if people do not want to take that risk. Sometimes the machines can't take it and they are very sad days!!

I hope this explains about me and my posts better.

Craig

Originally Posted by Burner

I hope this explains about me and my posts better.

Craig

I didn't take any offence and I doubt anyone else did either. That's why I said that sometimes you do what you have to. I spent a lot of time working on deep ocean ships where we might be gone for up to 3 months without touching port. We had a lathe, Arboga mill/drill and welding gear. After the first voyage I learnt to take my own metrology gear and lathe tooling plus my preferred selection of welding rods.

The lathe wasn't much as it had been abused for years but it was better than none.

If I had absolutely no other choice I'd use a TPG, but it'd have to be truly desperate measures.

OTOH I'm wondering how I ever managed to survive this long without my small surface grinder. Now I want a cylindrical grinder......

PDW

Originally Posted by simonl

Overnight I received a couple of emails, one from Sopko, one from Dumore. They both state they still sell parts for the motor. Interestingly, I quoted the serial number in both emails and the reply from Sopko was that the number, 3866 was not correct and that all serial numbers are 4 digits starting with "8"

I sent them the photo you posted. Perhaps the 3 is in fact an 8 but difficult to pick up due to the age of the motor. We shall see what happens.

Simon

Had a look at the mate's one, it's 220v and the serial # there starts with an A, looks like Bob's starts with a B to me....so I'd have to wonder what Sopko are talking about!

His seems to have lost a few bits over the years, but all the pulleys appear there and wasn't game to switch it on . Dunno what depression era dollars work out to now, probably 2k-ish possibly?

Hi Hunch,

That's a similar series grinder to Bob's one that's getting the motor binned. The "Tool Maker" was made in the 1940's according to Bill Sopko, who replied to my email. Interestingly, it apparears that Bob's advice to forget about the motor was sound. I re-emailed Dumore to confirm that they had parts for that motor (this was prior to deciding to throw it out) as I explained that Sopko claimed no more parts were available. Their response was Oops, sorry, they are correct, no parts are available!

So, in short tell your mate to look after that TP grinder since no parts are available!

Simon

I wonder if I could fit a tool post grinder to the 10EE?

Originally Posted by .RC.

I wonder if I could fit a tool post grinder to the 10EE?

You could keep an eye out for a Pink Light Red one.