Thread: Elliot 8-18 Surface Grinder

Hi Joe. No I dont gave any rods. Its only the guard so figured grinding a groove along the crack and then filling with appropriate brazing material?

Cheers

Simon

Hi Simon,
If I can make a suggestion, get some aluminium and practice practice practice first before you tackle the guard.
Welding aluminium that way is not as easy as it looks

Phil

Thanks phil. Not in a hurry to do it. Its the least of my worries. Just thinking aloud.

Simon

On a different subject. I took the spindle apart today. I was very nervous at what may be awaiting me! Visions of a rusted and corroded spindle came to mind.

Anyway. While it was pretty filthy on the outside. It all seems OK. Yet to determine how good a condition the taper roller bearings are in but I plan on cleaning and repacking them and see how it goes. Manual says it has super precision Gamet bearings. Im scared to look for a replacement!

Anyway. Spindle looks in good nick. The spindle has an inscription at each end that looks like 5+

Be interested to know what that means:





The bearings also have some markings including what appears to be an X inscribed. Im wondering if the inner and outer cones are a matched pair and these inscriptions need to line up?



While the parts diagram shows that front and rear bearings are the same, the numers at each end are different but the inner and outer race at each end have matching inscriptions.

The preload is performed with 5 compression springs acting on a disc.

The arbor was well and truly seized on the spindle. I tried using a gear puller and soaking with some turps and it still didnt budge. I then applied some heat and it just popped off! It looks in ok condition and no sign of sliiping on the shaft. The small balancing weights are buried in a pile of rusted grinding dust. It looks pretty bad but an initial clean shows that with some soaking it will all clean up ok.



Cheers

SIMON

The gunk around the balance weights is pretty common from my experience Simon.

Dean

Originally Posted by Oldneweng

The gunk around the balance weights is pretty common from my experience Simon.

Dean

Thanks Dean, that's comforting. Interestingly, I can't imagine it would very well balanced if left in this condition. I've cleaned most of it up and it's mostly OK. I think I will have to make a new clamping ring as it's been tightened to point that it's deformed. I'm yet to loosen the screws that hold it down, it's been soaking overnight and I have also used some freeze penetrant but with no success. I am a little concerned at this stage because if I can't remove these screws then I'll be looking for a new wheel arbor which would be a big job to make.

My last line of defence is a screw extractor which I will be trying today.

Cheers,

Simon

Hi Simon,

You're talking about the C/S screws?

I think heat would work better in this case if you can shield the arbor and just heat the head of the bolt.

You could try a hitting the head with a pin punch.(or is it a pin punch in the socket?)

Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Yes it's the countersunk cap heads that hold on the retaining ring for the balance weights. I have had some success this morning. I left the spigot soaking overnight in sheltie (not that that seemed to do much) and then attacked it again with some screw extractors. It's a real balancing act (no pun intended) between torquing up the screw extractor to a point where hopefully the bolt cracks free and going too far and snapping it in the head! Needless to say I have since snapped two screw extractors, one proved impossible to get out, the other I managed to loosen out with a punch. Then I finally loosened the nut after purchasing yet another screw extractor, only to find that I sheared the head of the bolt off! I have since drilled through the centre of the bolt all the way through (the holes go through the spigot) and have since removed the counter weights and the retaining disc. There are still the remnants of two hollow screws in the holes but the wall thickness is very thin and I think I will manage to get them out. So far I'm still happy as I have not caused any further damage to the part which is always a general aim! What didn't help was the fact that whoever had been replacing the grinding wheels on this machine had been either using too long a bolts or just tightened them up too far as they poked through the back of the spigot and bent that retaining ring.

I thought I may have to make a new one but a little squeeze on the press and it's flat again, albeit not optically flat but probably good enough!

Now, as for those two thin walled 1/4 UNC remnants left on the thread, I may try some heat and another (yes another) screw extractor. Either that or slowly and carefully file them out in four places with a small needle file and then pick them out.

Cheers,

Simon

Well,

Still no luck with this wheel spigot. I figure I have 3 options if I can't clear the thread.

(1) Drill out the holes for the clamping dic and tap for a larger bolt

(2) Throw it on the RT and drill/tap 3 new holes for the balancing weight clamping disc.

(3) Make a new Spigot. In fact make several, to suite different sized wheels. This presents me with a very difficult task of turning the taper to fit the spindle. I don't have a taper turning attachment and I don't have the capacity for any grinding let alone internal grinding. Ideas be much appreciated...

In hindsight drilling out the guts of the bolts was the worst thing I could have done!

Photos to follow...

Simon

Cheers

Simon

Hi Simon,

If it was me I'd just drill out the old holes and tap for larger bolts, if you wanted to keep the same size bolts, you could try Heli-Coils ( assuming you can get the right size? )

Ray

Originally Posted by simonl

I figure I have 3 options if I can't clear the thread.

(4) Throw them in the bin and forget they were ever there.

You do know that arranged like they were at 120 degrees apart, they weren't performing any balancing function.

I don't think you got a balancing stand, with the machine? These days no one balances small wheels like that, its no longer required if you buy name brand wheels.

regards Phil.

Hi Simon,
In regards to getting the remnants out, what I've done in the past is to drill in the centre, then go up in .5mm increments till there is just the edge of the thread showing and using pointy nose pliers and a picker just pull it out, sometimes have been lucky that it screws out the other side when drilling. Ezyouts are NOT ezy, actually I only use them as a last resort, as they quite often create more work.
Kryn

Originally Posted by Machtool

You do know that arranged like they were at 120 degrees apart, they weren't performing any balancing function.

Hi Phil,

No, have another look.. that's just the clamping ring bolts, the balance weights slide around to where ever they are needed, and the small grub screws in the weights lock them against the clamping ring.

Ray

EDIT... Or maybe you were looking closer than me and spotted the marks made by the grub screws on the plate, those look like they are 120 degrees apart