I'll be picking up a Delta toolmakers surface grinder tomorrow. Will
carry it in the back of an Explorer. I'll have a couple of strong boys
to help load it, but plan to do some disassembly first.

I presume that the cast iron legs will come off pretty easily.

How about the grinding head and/or the column? And the table? Any
tips, or pitfalls to worry about?

Thanks,

John Martin

John Martin wrote:
I'll be picking up a Delta toolmakers surface grinder tomorrow. Will
carry it in the back of an Explorer. I'll have a couple of strong boys
to help load it, but plan to do some disassembly first.
I presume that the cast iron legs will come off pretty easily.
How about the grinding head and/or the column? And the table? Any
tips, or pitfalls to worry about?
John Martin

Mine came apart easily and I needed help lifting only the square base.
Support the head assembly before loosening the pivot cones.
Ask if it had the accessory swivel table for grinding between centers.

It isn't the finest precision surface grinder I've ever used but it is
very useful for sharpening tools and finishing milled parts to better
accuracy than my old Clausing milling machine can attain.

Would you mind sending me photos of the spindle disassembly plate on
the head and whatever the plate is near the bottom of one leg?

I bought one of these a few months ago, does a good job. I had to adjust the
spindle to get it to run smooth but once that was done its done a great job
for me. Be careful moving it is VERY top heavy.
wrote in message
oups.com...


John Martin wrote:
I'll be picking up a Delta toolmakers surface grinder tomorrow. Will
carry it in the back of an Explorer. I'll have a couple of strong boys
to help load it, but plan to do some disassembly first.
I presume that the cast iron legs will come off pretty easily.
How about the grinding head and/or the column? And the table? Any
tips, or pitfalls to worry about?
John Martin

Mine came apart easily and I needed help lifting only the square base.
Support the head assembly before loosening the pivot cones.
Ask if it had the accessory swivel table for grinding between centers.

It isn't the finest precision surface grinder I've ever used but it is
very useful for sharpening tools and finishing milled parts to better
accuracy than my old Clausing milling machine can attain.

Would you mind sending me photos of the spindle disassembly plate on
the head and whatever the plate is near the bottom of one leg?

wrote:
John Martin wrote:
I'll be picking up a Delta toolmakers surface grinder tomorrow. Will
carry it in the back of an Explorer. I'll have a couple of strong boys
to help load it, but plan to do some disassembly first.
I presume that the cast iron legs will come off pretty easily.
How about the grinding head and/or the column? And the table? Any
tips, or pitfalls to worry about?
John Martin

Mine came apart easily and I needed help lifting only the square base.
Support the head assembly before loosening the pivot cones.
Ask if it had the accessory swivel table for grinding between centers.

It isn't the finest precision surface grinder I've ever used but it is
very useful for sharpening tools and finishing milled parts to better
accuracy than my old Clausing milling machine can attain.

Would you mind sending me photos of the spindle disassembly plate on
the head and whatever the plate is near the bottom of one leg?



Disassembly was a breeze, although seller did almost all the work.

Removed a couple of guards to lighten, then the large nut at the top of
the column. Head slid off, column slid out of base, drawbolt removed.

Removed screws holding crossfeed nut under saddle (one screw only - the
other was broken off and I'll have to remove) and the saddle and table
were off.

Four more screws and the legs came off.

Tip for anyone disassembling one of these for the first time: bring
your large wrenches.

Got it into the basement with my wife's help. Amazing what you can do
with heavy pieces when you think about them a bit.

Came with a magnetic chuck but no swivel table. Found a swivel table
at a reasonable price at a shop on the way home that someone had
written Harig on, but the owner swears it's for the Delta. In any
case, it should fit. No centers, though.

The plates are all painted over, and I don't know how much luck I'll
have stripping them. I'll try to get some photos if I'm successful.

John Martin

The swivel table itself is the valuable part. Mine came with adequate
but unimpressive centers and I had to make a base for it. The centers
could be turned from drill rod and the brackets made from cheap
machined angle plates like these:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PMAKA=418-4515

If you can find one good ground angle plate you can use it to square up
the cheap ones.

Good luck
Jim Wilkins

wrote:
The swivel table itself is the valuable part. Mine came with adequate
but unimpressive centers and I had to make a base for it. The centers
could be turned from drill rod and the brackets made from cheap
machined angle plates like these:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PMAKA=418-4515

If you can find one good ground angle plate you can use it to square up
the cheap ones.

Good luck
Jim Wilkins

Checked the swivel table last night and it has SCG 150 cast in, which
matches the scheme of the Delta parts, so I guess the dealer was right
and it is truly a Delta table. Came with the swivel.

I'm guessing that to set these up you don't rely on the angles on the
swivel, but put a test bar between centers and clock it in with a dial
test indicator on the head or column or base.

I may end up making the centers, and the angle plates are a good idea.
I'll also be keeping my eyes open for some matched dividing head
tailstocks. The flat tops on many of those seem to allow pretty good
access and clearance.

My intent is to use it more for sharpening than for surface grinding.
Although I'm not really sure why. When I mentioned horizontal milling
cutter sharpening, the dealer I got the table from (Brothers Machinery
in North Andover, Mass. - really decent folks) pulled open a couple of
big drawers of resharpened perfect cutters and said "Five bucks each -
why would you want to resharpen yours?". Somewhat the same with end
mills, although I may pick up one of those 5C fixtures to resharpen the
ends only. Or hold them in my spin indexer, on an angle plate. Other
sharpening would include reamers, shaper (wood) cutters, jointer &
planer knives and the like.

What do you do with yours? What tooling and fixturing have you found
helpful? Also, any good books?

Many thanks,

John Martin
Cumberland, Maine

Do either of you have some pictures of yuor add on items?
"John Martin" wrote in message
oups.com...


wrote:
The swivel table itself is the valuable part. Mine came with adequate
but unimpressive centers and I had to make a base for it. The centers
could be turned from drill rod and the brackets made from cheap
machined angle plates like these:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PMAKA=418-4515

If you can find one good ground angle plate you can use it to square up
the cheap ones.

Good luck
Jim Wilkins

Checked the swivel table last night and it has SCG 150 cast in, which
matches the scheme of the Delta parts, so I guess the dealer was right
and it is truly a Delta table. Came with the swivel.

I'm guessing that to set these up you don't rely on the angles on the
swivel, but put a test bar between centers and clock it in with a dial
test indicator on the head or column or base.

I may end up making the centers, and the angle plates are a good idea.
I'll also be keeping my eyes open for some matched dividing head
tailstocks. The flat tops on many of those seem to allow pretty good
access and clearance.

My intent is to use it more for sharpening than for surface grinding.
Although I'm not really sure why. When I mentioned horizontal milling
cutter sharpening, the dealer I got the table from (Brothers Machinery
in North Andover, Mass. - really decent folks) pulled open a couple of
big drawers of resharpened perfect cutters and said "Five bucks each -
why would you want to resharpen yours?". Somewhat the same with end
mills, although I may pick up one of those 5C fixtures to resharpen the
ends only. Or hold them in my spin indexer, on an angle plate. Other
sharpening would include reamers, shaper (wood) cutters, jointer &
planer knives and the like.

What do you do with yours? What tooling and fixturing have you found
helpful? Also, any good books?

Many thanks,

John Martin
Cumberland, Maine

I've had pretty good luck with the 5C fixture for regrinding the ends
of end mills, less success with various attempts on the side flutes
using a spin index or the PYH fixture. For roughing endmills I bevel
the outer tips using the 30 degree setting to get greater depth of cut
with the easily reground part.

If you hold a ruler across the end of an end mill you can see that the
edges are slightly angled toward the center. The 5C fixture is tilted
sideways to accomplish this but sometimes I have to twist the fixture
base for a steeper angle to make the wheel clear adjacent teeth on
multiflute end and shell mills.

Jointer knives are really tricky because they burn so easily. I
sharpened them in the cutter head between the centers of a very old
Brown & Sharp cutter grinding attachment, using the end of a broken
hacksaw blade for the supporting finger.

The only cutter sharpening books I've found assume you have a Real
Tool & Cutter Grinder. The Delta is a funny mix of a large Quorn-type
head and a standard surface grinder table.

$5 each for sharp cutters isn't bad, but they aren't open nights and
weekends when we hobbyists are dulling our only 7/16" end mill on
unknown scrap steel. I'll have to get down there some time soon. Have
you been to Brentwood Machinery on 125 a few miles south of 101?
http://www.brentwoodmachine.com/Merc.../bmshome3.html

Jim Wilkins

wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had pretty good luck with the 5C fixture for regrinding the ends
of end mills, less success with various attempts on the side flutes
using a spin index or the PYH fixture. For roughing endmills I bevel
the outer tips using the 30 degree setting to get greater depth of cut
with the easily reground part.

If you hold a ruler across the end of an end mill you can see that the
edges are slightly angled toward the center. The 5C fixture is tilted
sideways to accomplish this but sometimes I have to twist the fixture
base for a steeper angle to make the wheel clear adjacent teeth on
multiflute end and shell mills.

Jointer knives are really tricky because they burn so easily. I
sharpened them in the cutter head between the centers of a very old
Brown & Sharp cutter grinding attachment, using the end of a broken
hacksaw blade for the supporting finger.

The only cutter sharpening books I've found assume you have a Real
Tool & Cutter Grinder. The Delta is a funny mix of a large Quorn-type
head and a standard surface grinder table.

$5 each for sharp cutters isn't bad, but they aren't open nights and
weekends when we hobbyists are dulling our only 7/16" end mill on
unknown scrap steel. I'll have to get down there some time soon. Have
you been to Brentwood Machinery on 125 a few miles south of 101?
http://www.brentwoodmachine.com/Merc.../bmshome3.html

Jim Wilkins

I don't have the Delta TM grinder but did come across some original
literature that I've scanned in including a 13-page manual on the T&C
grinding attachment, which appeared to consist of the Unihead and a table
with set of centers, fingers, etc. Is there amy interest in that?

Mike

Sure any info would be great
"Mike Henry" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
I've had pretty good luck with the 5C fixture for regrinding the ends
of end mills, less success with various attempts on the side flutes
using a spin index or the PYH fixture. For roughing endmills I bevel
the outer tips using the 30 degree setting to get greater depth of cut
with the easily reground part.

If you hold a ruler across the end of an end mill you can see that the
edges are slightly angled toward the center. The 5C fixture is tilted
sideways to accomplish this but sometimes I have to twist the fixture
base for a steeper angle to make the wheel clear adjacent teeth on
multiflute end and shell mills.

Jointer knives are really tricky because they burn so easily. I
sharpened them in the cutter head between the centers of a very old
Brown & Sharp cutter grinding attachment, using the end of a broken
hacksaw blade for the supporting finger.

The only cutter sharpening books I've found assume you have a Real
Tool & Cutter Grinder. The Delta is a funny mix of a large Quorn-type
head and a standard surface grinder table.

$5 each for sharp cutters isn't bad, but they aren't open nights and
weekends when we hobbyists are dulling our only 7/16" end mill on
unknown scrap steel. I'll have to get down there some time soon. Have
you been to Brentwood Machinery on 125 a few miles south of 101?
http://www.brentwoodmachine.com/Merc.../bmshome3.html

Jim Wilkins

I don't have the Delta TM grinder but did come across some original
literature that I've scanned in including a 13-page manual on the T&C
grinding attachment, which appeared to consist of the Unihead and a table
with set of centers, fingers, etc. Is there amy interest in that?

Mike

Mike Henry wrote:

I don't have the Delta TM grinder but did come across some original
literature that I've scanned in including a 13-page manual on the T&C
grinding attachment, which appeared to consist of the Unihead and a table
with set of centers, fingers, etc. Is there amy interest in that?

Mike

Yes, sir.

John Martin

wrote:
I've had pretty good luck with the 5C fixture for regrinding the ends
of end mills, less success with various attempts on the side flutes
using a spin index or the PYH fixture. For roughing endmills I bevel
the outer tips using the 30 degree setting to get greater depth of cut
with the easily reground part.

If you hold a ruler across the end of an end mill you can see that the
edges are slightly angled toward the center. The 5C fixture is tilted
sideways to accomplish this but sometimes I have to twist the fixture
base for a steeper angle to make the wheel clear adjacent teeth on
multiflute end and shell mills.

Jointer knives are really tricky because they burn so easily. I
sharpened them in the cutter head between the centers of a very old
Brown & Sharp cutter grinding attachment, using the end of a broken
hacksaw blade for the supporting finger.

The only cutter sharpening books I've found assume you have a Real
Tool & Cutter Grinder. The Delta is a funny mix of a large Quorn-type
head and a standard surface grinder table.

$5 each for sharp cutters isn't bad, but they aren't open nights and
weekends when we hobbyists are dulling our only 7/16" end mill on
unknown scrap steel. I'll have to get down there some time soon. Have
you been to Brentwood Machinery on 125 a few miles south of 101?
http://www.brentwoodmachine.com/Merc.../bmshome3.html

Jim Wilkins

Thanks for the reply.

I'm not familiar with the PYH fixture. What is it?

OK, "down there" to Brothers'? Looks like you're in southern NH if the
segway.com is any giveaway. I know Brentwood, and used to go there
more often when we lived in Peterborough. I get there once a year or
so now. I've got to say I liked them better when they had the trailers
full of interesting stuff. Still worth a trip, though. Brothers' I
think you'd like. They have a greater inventory than Brentwood,
metalworking only, no junk, lots of separate tooling, and the boss
there really knows his stuff. Open weekdays and Saturday mornings
(although I'd call first), but I know what you mean about needing a
sharp cutter now, not in the morning.

http://www.brothersmachinery.com/

Ever try the guy in Plaistow, Rison's I think it is? I've been by, but
never when they were open.

Also supposed to be a dealer in Tilton. I'll check it out sometime
when we're over at my wife's family's camp on Winnipesaukee.

John Martin
Cumberland, Maine