Chevalier Surface Grinder

[wbleeker]

I just bought a Chevalier FSG-2A618 Surface Grinder on Ebay, it was an ex technical college machine so it probably didn't see much use, I will pick it up next week, in the meantime I am looking for a manual for it? I have had a look around and not found one yet, has anyone got one? or know where to find one?
No problems with paying for it if someone can help me!
Will

[.RC.]

ahhhh so it was you that bought it....

Went cheap enough for a machine of it's age.... Especially compared to it's mate the older Elliott..

[oldtiffie]

Manuals

Will.

Any help here? They seem to be expensive - must be popular or attractive.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Chevalier-Sur...efaultDomain_0

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Chevalier-Sup...efaultDomain_0

[Dr Stan]

You could try contacting Chevalier to see if they will e-mail you a PDF of the manual.

[squirrel]

Very good machines, make sure they block the head on the table because the roller bearings will leave flat spots on the ways as table bounces during shipment.

[Jim Shaper]

Better yet, just take the table off. It's only a couple screws and you'll want to clean up and remount the chuck anyway.

[wbleeker]

Thanks everyone for the replies, it was a bit of a toss up which one I went for so I put in a small bid for the Elliot and missed out then I put in a big (3500) bid for the Chevalier and got it for 1775 AUD which I think is alright, must have scared everyone off , it sat on that price for hours! I will email Falcon/Chevalier and see if they will send me a PDF failing that I will buy a book from the mob Tiffie found. I hadn't thought about blocking the table but I will when I pick it up. Next thing will be to put my Norton 18x 6 on Ebay to make a bit more room.
Will

[plunger]

chevalier

I have also recently scored a chevaleir grinder. I am quite nervous to pick it up and was hoping someone could give more info on how to lift it and I dont quite understand how to remove the table. Unfortunately it never came with a manual. I dont think mine is called the 2a just a fsg 618 It seems to come from the early eighties .Has the hydraulics and a coolant tank of some sort.
Unfortunately the chuck was siezed so I took it apart and now I am stuck with 33 little magnets and no idea on how to put it back together. Any one taken a magnetic chuck apart before?
Regards eugene

[Mcgyver]

Congrats on the grinder. I've got 2 Chevalier's and would describe them as somewhere between ok and and good...they're good enough i'm not looking to dump them but definitely not as nice as the Norton unless they Norton is shot. I agree on shipping - remove the table for any roller machine.

the manuals are a delightful form of Chinglish (my manuals are for T&CG's or id get you a copy)

how did it work that you put a 3500 bid on that everyone saw off but got it for 1775?

Eugene, I think you need a new chuck....I don't have first hand knowledge but have heard it enough to believe there must be something to it - you never take them apart, only the factory has the right equipment to assemble them so they work

[wbleeker]

i did my back in yesterday so I sent one of my employees to pick up the machine,he got it home and unloaded and I started looking it over, I am not happy!! All the cross and longitudinal feed gear has been removed and it is now a manual machine! I contacted the seller and explained that the machine is probably only worth a quarter of what I paid for it, he wants to make good but I am not sure what to do? He is offering me an Elliott 8-20 and some cash back, I tried researching the Elliott but can't find any information on them any ideas anyone?
Will

[Mcgyver]

It's not a grinder, but i have an Elliot horizontal mill. Made in England, I think most would regard them as a quality machine tool brand.

What matters more with a grinder than its pedigree though is its condition, the ways and spindle bearing....impossible to know if its a dog or a star at a distance. its buying the proverbial pig in a poke. With say worn spindle bearings, which either could have, it'll never do a good job no matter where it was made etc. I'd bet both used decent bearings to start with so hopefully the spindles are ok; Chevalier's manuals seem to spec P4 equivalent to ABEC 7, good but not quite great. The bearings in mine are of European manufacturer which i take as good sign; Asian made grinder but they're using quality components. Then again spindle guys tell me a lot of work should go into balancing the spindle which can affect bearing life; who knows if they put the big effort into that. Hard to know the bearing situation until you machine with it, and if the bearings aren't good, it'll never work properly.

I'd get in front of both of them, use and check them, trying figure out which was in the best condition and then see what you can get back in cash for the misrepresentation/trouble