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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Benchtop Machines > Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    149

    Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Hi, as the title goes, most surface grinders are big iron lumps.
    Surely a benchtop could be done? All the better for adding cnc to it, thoughts?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    803

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    What is the job you want to do?
    There are 5axis glass grinders out there.
    From one who has made money using a conventional surface grinder,
    yeah back and forth.manual up and down,. in and out. great exercise.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    670

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    I think the main reason is rigidity. Surface grinders are meant to be high accuracy machines and any vibration in the machine will translate to poor accuracy and surface finish. And given the fact that the grinding wheel is never perfectly balanced, you'll have a constant vibration source to deal with at all times.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    7063

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    There was, perhaps still is, an inexpensive surface grinder available from H-F. More or less the same machine on which the Tormach surface grinder is based. But, how many people NEED a surface grinder? It's a pretty specialized piece of equipment, that most people would only need extremely rarely. For those times, it's far more economical to simply go to a machine shop.

    Regards,
    Ray L.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    15362

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    They do make them you just have to search a little, there are many different manufactures that build them, here is one G5963 Grizzly Surface Grinder w/ Stand | eBay
    Mactec54

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    403

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    There was a company called Sanford that made a bench top grinder they took a 4 inch diameter wheels you can find them on ebay sometimes they also made a full size grinder as well .

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    149

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    The grizzly just about nails it, I need a 4" by 4" work area for piston rings, tappet shims, bucket follower heads. A bit pricey though, a seig copy would be nice.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    6463

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Hi, I bought a Macson bench top surface grinder back in '95....paid A$1k for it on EBAY....150mm diam stone........they are out there but you have to find them as they're very sought after......yeah, good arm exerciser too.

    Do you need a surface grinder?.....well if you do any mill work and want accuracy you do need a surface grinder.....that is an indisputable fact.

    Oh, and if you do any work that gets hardened you DO need, just can't be without one.
    Ian.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    16

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Hi,

    Try searching for "Vertical Swing Grinder" such as this example:- Mac Far Vertical Swing Grinder – Mullin Machinery
    Or "Vertical Spindle Surface Grinder" :- Gate - Vertical Spindle Surface Grinders | Gate Machinery
    These are designed for the type of grinding that you need.

    Nick.

  10. #10
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    Sep 2006
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    6463

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Hi, about 40 years ago I worked for a firm in Bristol, UK and they had a small Lumsden vertical spindle surface grinder.

    This looks like a small vertical milling machine in that it has an X, Y and Z axis to do the moves.

    It had a magnetic chuck to hold the work as per a horizontal type surface grinder.

    The main difference is that it grinds with a cupped stone in the vertical plane and is a very quick machine to use for surface grinding work.....you could compare the grinding action to fly cutting, not like a grinder where a 20mm wide wheel has to traverse across the work by grinding on the peripehery of the wheel.

    The stone was 100mm diam so a piece of work on it only needed centring on the stone diam and then just down feeding for each pass like a normal surface grinder but without the constant cross feed move.

    Stone dressing was with a square hand held dresser to make the bottom face slightly angled inwards to cut on the outer edge.

    I suppose a small vertical milling machine could be used in that manner too as a grinder running at 3,500 rpm, but with constant wheel dressing and lots of coolant flow the slides that aren't designed to keep water and grinding grit out could soon suffer........but it could be done, and cheaply too as a new SX2 costs under a grand.

    A mag chuck can be DIY made with electro magnets for under $100.......a normal mag chuck is an expensive item......and flood coolant is a must have.
    Ian.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    149

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Ian, these vertical grinders give me the impression of a miniature wash grinder, my memories of wash grinding were concave faces with deep groove scratches, more of a "pre'" machining operation.
    I'm unsure if I will do a build log, but recently I tore apart my red 3 axis "thing" (2008 build) to cannibalise some parts for a friends 1200 x 900 gantry router kit I'm assembling for him.
    The leftovers and a few other odds and ends laying about could build up one, a super stiff frame needs to fabricated though.
    Your right about hardening Ian, any good machinist will understand the value of precision grinding, my intuition tells me you've been in the game for quite some time.

  12. #12
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    Sep 2006
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    6463

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Hi, I'm a fitter and turner from way back in the late '50's and machinery has always been my passion......... still is in retirement.

    The vertical grinder I mentioned did a very creditable job as I used it for a lot of tool making jobs, and the surface finish depended a lot on how you dress the stone.

    The important bit is to have the vertical head dead square with the table or like a mill with a flycutter you will get back cutting and hollowing of the surface.

    It's a very quick machine to use and is similar to a wash grinder in action......it doesn't compare to a horizontal type surface grinder.....that one can give a mirror finish.

    I would say that for lack of a surface grinder, a DIY one is better than none at all.

    Perhaps all it takes is some linear rails for the X axis as that's where the fast motion occurs and dovetails for the Y and Z axis as they only move slowly......they're very precise machines but you "could" build one if you really must have one.......the mag chuck is the most expensive bit, but you can cobble one up too with the electro magnets I mentioned.......anything is possible.

    If you went the DIY path, then a motorised head would be the way to go....... that is a 1/4 hp 3,000 rpm single phase electric motor...... as it would be a complete package just waiting for the body to mount it on etc.

    The bearings would be OK for the small amount you'd need it for.
    Ian.

  13. #13
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    Jun 2007
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    149

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    I'm a probably 25 years behind you Ian, similar interests and background though.
    Probably everyone at CNCzone 'bench top' thread have similar limitations, maybe a basement or a single car space garage, single phase power.
    So within these limitations we try to create a functioning machine shop, large iron presents lifting issues, floor space a big consideration and also a thin concrete slab 4 to 5 inches.
    Mass, torque, stiffness are the desired qualities, but this is difficult to fit into a small shop, this creates a very specific target for machine size and capability.
    In my fantasy world there are a hundreds of heavy bench top machine tools of all manner of purpose and all well priced for home users.
    Ahh, dreams.

  14. #14
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    Sep 2006
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    6463

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Hey Elmer.....a dream is a reality waiting to happen......without a dream you have no direction to aim for.......it won't happen today, but it will happen.......I just love all those clichés that seem to fit the occasion.

    Back in the early 80's I started out with a 10 foot square tin shed bought from McEwans when they were around.......eventually by '95 I progressed to a brick built garage......the more space you have the more junk you can collect and hoard......LOL......it's very much a man thing when it comes to collecting engineering stuff.

    Before I got my surface grinder I toyed with the idea of making one with an angle grinder and a speed control device.

    Some people at the model club I used to go to have also used an angle grinder to do tool post grinding in the lathe with quite good results........when the Devil drives then needs must be etc.
    Ian.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    56

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    After seeing quite a few 6x12's converted to run belts in the knife world and some attachments for 2x72 belt grinders that are holding .001 over ~8 inches I am going to end up building one sooner or later. Will be a moving gantry out of steel/iron running 2x72 or 2x48 belts instead of a wheel. I was going to buy and convert but had to move most of my shop in to a single car wide 2 car long garage that already housed a 40x20 VMC so I have zero space to put one now. The real issue for me is it is almost cheaper to buy a used 6x12 than buy a used mag chuck!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    6463

    Re: Benchtop surface grinder, why are there none on the market?

    Hi, on the subject of a belt type grinder.........when I was in industry, before retiring in 2002, we had a vertical abrasive belt machine called a Parken linisher.

    They are not very accurate as the abrasive belt is held between 2 rubber rollers top and bottom to apply pressure to the work piece......the belt being 150mm wide and approx. 60 grit.

    It was used mainly to produce a surface finish from raw material in one pass before plating or lacquering.......you wouldn't get a size that was within .2 mm.
    Ian.

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