6X12 Kent Surface grinder question?

[torker]

I'm talking long distance to a guy back east (Canada) who has a 6X12 Kent for sale cheap. It's from a shop and it's 20 years old. He says it's in "fair" condition but don't expect to hold 1/10th on it with any consistancy. Just how much can go wrong with these and are they rebuildable or at least fixable? I only need it for tool sharpening and to surface grind to get rid of milling marks etc. on the odd project. I know where a decent Harig is but it's a lot more money...maybe worth it in the end...no? The problem with both of these machines is shipping, $600 to $800 to get them here. I've been looking for one in Vancouver or Alta for 2 years now and there is no sign of a small one. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks!
Russ

[aboard_epsilon]

1/10TH.........LEAVE IT THERE .!!!
that's in the realm of woodworking tools ...lol
surface grinders are suposed to be super duper accurate......to give you an example mine is over 40 years old and holds 2 microns over a 7 x 2 peice of steel
1 micron = .00003937 inch

all the best...mark

[This message has been edited by aboard_epsilon (edited 01-09-2005).]

[John Stevenson]

Mark,
I think he means a 1/10 of a thou

[aboard_epsilon]

so whats that john
is it 2.5 microns ......
if it is he's ok then.......i think
all the best.mark

[torker]

Yes..That's what he meant...1/10th of a thousanth...sounds pretty good to me,,,I can't even hardly see one of those

[torker]

Now this has me thinking. What are the chances of this machine being accurate to "around" 1/10th if it's been used for 20 years. It does look used too...lots of paint gone off the top etc. I've never used a surface grinder so would have no idea what to look for (other than sloppy feedscrews etc.) even if I was standing in front of it. And it's about a 6 day round trip to Ontario to see it. Any ideas? Thanks.
Russ

[aboard_epsilon]

Well the only way of telling is to make a test peice on it .
then get it measured with a height gauge on a surface plate.
I took my test peice to a local engineering company and my friend there put it on his plate and measured it with a very expensive digital all singing and dancing swiss height gauge.
things to look out for.

nuts that are worn on coluum, can cause wheel head to drop during passes.
make sure it has magnetic chuck because these are expensive second hand.
wheelhead bearings can be very expensive.
idealy it should have auto traverse ..or your going to be driven mad by constantly hand cranking.
for more info look to john and allans answer to my post about purchasing my jones and shipman here

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net//Forum1/HTML/007757.html

all the best..mark

[torker]

Thanks Mark! Yes it has a chuck. Only thing is, the machine is 220V 1ph and the chuck is 220V 3 ph so I'd have to get a phase converter. I think I can get the whole thing for the price of the used chuck...then (sigh) the shipping costs.

[aboard_epsilon]

yep less than i hp phase converters on ebay can be had for very little...think thats all you will need for that mag chuck.
all the best..mark

[hsmike]

Most chucks are DC. It should have some kind of control to turn the chuck on/off/demag. A chuck this size should have a 110 volt controler.
good luck

Mike

[wierdscience]

Kent surface grinders,I have rebuilt two.
If it is the same model as the ones I worked on they will have a cable drive on the table and ball bearing ways with replaceable uppers and lowers.
They are good solid machines,if you can get him to make a pass over a piece of steel and send you a pic of the surface you should be able to tell what shape the spindle bearngs are in.

[torker]

Weird...how about this? Seems this machine IS 575 volts. The 6X12 Kents in the KBC catalog are 120/220 volt 1ph. Do you think it'd be that tough to swap motors for a 220V 1ph? I just checked on the shipping. I can get it here for $435 Cnd.

[wierdscience]

If you can find a motor sure,I would hate to see what Kent wants for one.
Better option would be to either have a motor shop change the internal connections or re-whind the one you have maybe even adapt a different motor.
Changing the motor shouldn't be that bad.The ones I worked on had just a lovejoy type jaw coupling between the motor and spindle.

[shaque]

6 days round trip What the hell are you driving?
Jim

[This message has been edited by shaque (edited 01-11-2005).]

[torker]

Jim...I drive a 2 wd 1 ton dually w/454...push it over 55 mph it gets 7 miles to the gallon...spend a lot of time at the pumps . In the summer we are about 17 hrs from Regina in a car....it's winter now and the roads out here have been crap for a month. Got a buggered back so I can't take more than 12 hrs or so of driving a day...figure a day to find the place..try the machine etc. My neighbour is a long haul trucker and he figured it'd take me around 2 1/2 days each way right now.