Thread: Herless Surface Grinding Machine Model - TFY-618

The easy way to get 3 phase power from single phase is to run it through a VFD. If your motor is over around 2 HP (I think) then efficiencies come into play and it needs more than a standard domestic supply to drive it.
A surface grinder is not really the thing to use to dress up black steel. Surface grinders are normally used for hard materials and fine tolerances. The black oxide surface would be messy as well as taking while to get through (black bar is not wonderfully flat, so would need multiple passes to dress). I would suggest a mill is a better purchase as it will do that more easily. Shapers are even better because of their calming effect on the operator.

Michael

Thanks Michael.
I guess I was being a little flippant in suggesting I'd be using black MS. I usually dress flat stock by hand and draw file it ,at the moment--with lots of checking with an engineers square, so my intention was to be able to have a machine that squares the surfaces accurately even if it's a slow job.
I KNOW a mill would be the best machine, but my budget doesn't stretch to it at the moment. That's why for the price, the surface grinder was interesting.
I agree that a shaper would be soothing, but I don't have the floor space for one. It's all a juggling act.

Mills will remove metal from as thick as you can afford down to maybe 0.0005" with repeatability and accuracy.

Surface grinders generally operate in the 0.005" down to 0.0001" or better range.

So basically using a surface grinder to remove rough stock is going to be using the wrong machine for the job. Sure, you *can* do it, but it's going to be slow, tedious and probably cost you a lot of consumables in the process.

There are a lot of mills out there. Some of them are cheap. Some of the cheap ones are good. It's all a matter of time....

PDW

Thanks PWD. Good advice, and I appreciate it
warm regards Brian

Originally Posted by Briangoldcoast

Thanks PWD. Good advice, and I appreciate it
warm regards Brian

If the surface grinder is any good it's worth getting for $100 anyway. If it has a chuck on it, that's worth more than the $100 by itself.

I have an excess of mills but somehow I think we're way too far apart geographically to work out any swaps.

PDW

Thanks PDW--I will go and take a look at it then
warm regards
Brian

Surface grinders are usually pretty big machines - because they are designed for very fine tolerances - as PDW has already said.
But their capacity is often surprisingly small, in terms of both length and width as well as height. I suspect a mill with the same work envelope is likely to be smaller. And much more versatile. However, surface grinders make a good miiling job VERY beautiful.... horses for courses.
PDW already said that if it has a magnetic chuck, that by itself might be worth the purchase price.
Let us know what size it is (X and Y capacity) and we may be able to advise you better.

While I'm not familar with the model number, I can make a few guesses... TFY 618 is most likely Tafuyuan 6" x 18" rebadged and sold under many different labels.

If' it's in good condition I'd grab it in a heartbeat. I have Tafuyuan MPS350AHD rebadged Herless, and it's a great machine, it gets used all the time.

Don't worry too much about the 3 phase power issues, I run mine off single phase using VFD's. The spindle motor is rated at 5hp, but I've never seen the spindle draw more than a few amps.

Pictures will help assess the general condition.


Ray

hi jhovel and Ray,
Thank you for your advice. It's helped me decide to give this one a miss. It doesn't look to be in good condition even though it does have a magnetic chuck. I suspect it will go for $300-400 the way the bids are heading, and at the moment I have come down to earth and realise I need a few other things more. But who knows the future!
warmest regards and thanks for the help.
Brian

If the chuck is 18"x6" and working, that would be worth $300-400 by itself used. Double that for new. However its a gamble if it can't be demonstrated to work well...
You have to make your own decision of course.

Is this the one? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/201060004984 Doesn't look too bad to me.... Comes with a toolmaker's vice (on the chuck) and is either hydraulic or has a coolant pump (hanging out the back near the bottom) - can't tell from the photos without knowing the model. It's missing the spark guard/coolant spray guard and the wheel guard.
You could call the seller and ask questions about when it was last running, how warn it was then and if he has the missing bits with it and if it is hydraulic feed and what happened to the cooling system....

hi jhovel. Yes that's the one. Good detective work. You got me all interested again, thinking I could get regular use from the bits and pieces with it, even if it didnt work or was too worn to get going. The bids have started to come in now, so I suspect at this point, I will be better holding onto my money for some tools I need more at the moment. My thanks for your advice, it's well placed
regards Brian

Originally Posted by jhovel

If the chuck is 18"x6" and working, that would be worth $300-400 by itself used. Double that for new. However its a gamble if it can't be demonstrated to work well...
You have to make your own decision of course.

Is this the one? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/201060004984 Doesn't look too bad to me.... Comes with a toolmaker's vice (on the chuck) and is either hydraulic or has a coolant pump (hanging out the back near the bottom) - can't tell from the photos without knowing the model. It's missing the spark guard/coolant spray guard and the wheel guard.
You could call the seller and ask questions about when it was last running, how warn it was then and if he has the missing bits with it and if it is hydraulic feed and what happened to the cooling system....

I'm 99% sure it's manual feed.

PDW