Oh man - this could be a great deal.... 13 x 48 ....some nice additions $2500
- Thread starter Brent H
- Start date
So in a way, it's like a surface grinder for round work? With some limitations, one could perhaps make a ground rod using such an attachment!
I see now why others are not afraid to use it on their lathe. It isn't a convenient bench grinder at all. It's a real attachment!
Although my aversion has disappeared, I think I'd still cover my ways......
This is my second learning in one day! (The other being a reverse tumbler.) Who says new tricks cannot be taught to old dogs!
Thanks guys!
Two more common TPG brands in N-Am over the years are Dumore or Themac. Europe has their favorite brands. TPGs are generally expensive because of high quality spindles (accurate bearings, temperature & fit compensation) biggish motors, adjustability, balanced rotational parts (for reduced free play & vibration). There are also some less expensive import versions & you can speculate as to why. Lots & lots of home shop TPG builds too if you Google. Some work OK, others less so, many undocumented beyond the build, really depends on the application. Making something 'shiny' (polished potato analog) is different than hitting a dimension +/- a low tolerance with a target finish. And being able to do this repeatedly. The grit is not good for ways & other surfaces. The bigger mess is in-situ wheel dressing before beginning a grind job, but covering the ways & hooking up a vacuum isn't a big deal.
www.dumoretools.com
themacgrinders.com
Tool Post Grinders | Lathe Grinders | Dumore
Themac | Tool Post Grinders | Lathe Grinders
Themac tool post grinders have been made in the USA for over 80 years. An essential tool for precision grinding that is portable and durable.
Tom Kitta
Ultra Member
Correct D1-x needs to be very, very precise. My home made backing plates for D1-3 rub the spindle taper in few places despite being within a thou runout. If I remember the precision needed was within few tenths.
Tom Kitta
Ultra Member
Sort of but not really - surface grinders are designed for such precision and lathe is not - it would be more similar to a milling table used for a grinder to make flat-ish surface or maybe using tool cutter and grinder for such work.
Also your lathe has to be in great shape - any excessive wear on the bed will make grinding of longer shafts to good precision a pain.
So tool post grinder for a lathe is a light duty a bit less precise alternative to cylindrical grinder. Given that in time of industrial revolution new cylindrical grinders were very, very, very expensive and took a lot of room a TPG was a great alternative. I guess I can compare it to a milling attachment - it will not turn you lathe into a mill but was (and for some is) a great alternative to a mill. Main difference is that milling is rather common operation for most shops while cylindrical grinding is rather specialty - common only in some shops. So TPG with its low price and tiny foot print at a cost of accuracy and "heavy duty" was and still is a great accessory.
I understand. Thanks for the clarification. If I ever do get one (big if), I won't try to make indicator rods ground to +/- 0.00005.
for that you need one of these....a Jones Shipman 520 that came out of the Mercer indicator plant in England. Probably the smallest cylindrical grinder there is. The work head takes 8mm ww collets and I've got both the ID and OD grinding heads (OD head is sitting there askew, its not mounted). There a guy in Australian that has one, only other one I've ever heard of
Wow.
Dabbler
ersatz engineer
That is a thing of beauty. A treasure.
Wow...... Just wow.......
I may not ever be able to make a precision ground indicator rod, but at least now I know someone who can......
Well Mcgyver, I really enjoyed your Habegger videos. I think if you ever did a walkthrough (make than a running-through) on the 520, that would certainly be of interest.
Just curious, did you acquire it via a machine shop connection vs. an auction or home based individual with discriminating taste?
Just curious, did you acquire it via a machine shop connection vs. an auction or home based individual with discriminating taste?
Thanks Peter. I was buying some other stuff from a guy and saw it. Never came to market. He imported a lot from England and had at one point quite a collection (mostly gone but I got my fair share and maybe a little more). It was one of those moments insightful to the messed up psychology of a toolaholic - one minute I didn't know such a thing existed, the next, I just had to have it! lol. oh well, as I tell my bride, better than a life in the bars or chasing women. There is an overhead drive that weighs more than the grinder that goes atop the stand casting in the background, drives both the spindles and the work head.
I have not got into this little gem, but being JS I expect its top quality. They made very nice grinders. I really want to start on it, but have made a pact with myself to get some stuff finished before starting another project.
Mike
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Ha ha I totally understand that! However my finances and space limitations will keep that in check somewhat.