Mesuring tooling to suit a surface grinder

[adama]

The title says it all realy. I have just bought my first real surface grinder. So what is the requirments mesuring gear wise? What do you use and find most usefull?

Currently i have digital calipers and basic od mics. I also have a 1/2 thou clock. No gage block yet either.

What do you need - use for every day grinding jobs? Most of what i grind will be for the finnish or hardened matirials. Currently i dont need "supper" precision. With my current gear though i can't accuratly mesure the hight of work whilst its still on the magnet. Will a depth mic let me do this? Or is it std practice to mesure off the machine?

I know thats pritty open as questions go but would realy appreciate some pointers as to what others find usefull? Oh the grinders a Jones and shipman 540 which is a 18x6" capacity machine with auto feeds, similar to the brown and sharp no2 i belive.

Thanks

Adam

[RJT]

Surface plate and height gage, angle plate, 1,2,3 blocks, spinning fixture, sine bar, magnetic v block. You can make a lot of this stuff yourself, which is good practice if you are new to grinding. RJT

[cash]

In our shop for the surface grinders and blanchard grinders a depth mike is probably the most used tool from the tool box.

[easymike29]

This is very useful. Extensions and different tips are available.

Gene

[adama]

Ok with a depth mike is it ok to mesure down to the chuck? Is the magnatism a problem? I like the idea of a depth indicator too, but how - what do you calibrate it too? I would also be far more concerned about the indicator filling up with grinding dust - magnetic bits of swarft too if grinding steel or am i just needlessly worrying?

[easymike29]

Originally Posted by adama

..... I like the idea of a depth indicator too, but how - what do you calibrate it too? .....

If you don't have gage blocks you can use a planer gage, set with a micrometer, to zero the indicator.

Gene

[cash]

Originally Posted by adama

Ok with a depth mike is it ok to mesure down to the chuck? Is the magnatism a problem? I like the idea of a depth indicator too, but how - what do you calibrate it too? I would also be far more concerned about the indicator filling up with grinding dust - magnetic bits of swarft too if grinding steel or am i just needlessly worrying?

It is o.k. to go right to the chuck or if you work is thicker use jo blocks. Just make sure the area is clean of swarf before putting your depth mike down. Hold it very firmly as the magnet will pull it.

Most us us use our hands and fingers to clean an area for using the depth mike.

[adama]

ok then it sounds like a depth mike is the first specific thing on the grinder mesuring tool shopping list. I know it will come in usefull for other things too, just grinding is the current priority as the things so dam accurate comepared to the bridgeport!

[Professor]

As Cash says, you can measure on the chuck. However, if you de-energize the chuck, the piece will still stay in place but the swarf will be much easier to sweep aside and it won't pull on your mic as it would if energized.

But...don't forget to re-energize the chuck before going back to grinding!

[Damien W]

A curious thing I noticed recently in some book or magazine is that some Vee blocks are slotted in the base to accept tenons (keys engaging the slots of a milling machine table) obviously for alignment of a job. I'd never given the possibility any thought before. So what I am suggesting is that if Vee blocks are on your shopping list maybe it's worth thinking about this type of Vee block.