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Help with a Brown & Sharpe 618 Micromaster

SirRage

Aluminum
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
I'm looking at getting a used Brown & Sharp 618 Micromaster. One of the units I saw has the hydraulic table feed but the elevating handwheel jerks quite a bit when you are trying to do fine movements. Also the fine adjustment knob is stiff to the point to where you can bairly move it.

The other unit I was looking at didn't have that issue but didn't have the hydraulic feed.

I'm wondering what would cause the elevator wheel to jerk with slight movements. I'm hoping the fine feed worm gear needs to be taken out and cleaned but it might be binding up on metal. I tried test grinding a part and it was very annoying to do the fine movement you would expect when grinding. I could probably live without the hydraulic table feed but I feel if you are getting a grinder and you can get it, you probably will kick your self in the butt later for not getting it.
 
Hydraulic table is VERY usable, downfeed no so much. What needs to be repaired is up in the air. If the table works as normal, means the problem is specific to downfeed. my $0.02
 
Does it have hydraulic down feed or just table feed? They were available either way. If it's hydraulic, obviously it's more complex. The manual elevating version is very simple.

You should see a thumb screw on the hand wheel. That's like a clutch. When it's tight, the fine adjust worm gear in engaged. When loose, the fine adjust does not function.

It's possible the ways are set up too tight and the wheel is not coming down smoothly.
 
I'm looking at getting a used Brown & Sharp 618 Micromaster. One of the units I saw has the hydraulic table feed but the elevating handwheel jerks quite a bit when you are trying to do fine movements. Also the fine adjustment knob is stiff to the point to where you can bairly move it.

The other unit I was looking at didn't have that issue but didn't have the hydraulic feed.

I'm wondering what would cause the elevator wheel to jerk with slight movements. I'm hoping the fine feed worm gear needs to be taken out and cleaned but it might be binding up on metal. I tried test grinding a part and it was very annoying to do the fine movement you would expect when grinding. I could probably live without the hydraulic table feed but I feel if you are getting a grinder and you can get it, you probably will kick your self in the butt later for not getting it.

This might help

Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co. - Publication Reprints - 618 Micromaster Surface Grinding Machines | VintageMachinery.org
Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co. - Publication Reprints - Replacement Parts Manual for the 618 and 818 Micromaster Series II Surface | VintageMachinery.org

dee
;-D
 
Cool thanks everyone =)

Hopefully, it's an easy repair but I'm willing to take that chance.
 
The weak point of those grinders is the cheesy o-ring belt drive for the spindle and the cross feed nut on the hydraulic version.
 
Not to hijack your thread SirRage, but I too am looking into getting one of these specific grinders.

In addition to Ewlsey's comment on the belt drive, what other things should be checked out on this machine or on used surface grinders in general?

The input voltage controls the hydraulic and spindle motor right? IIRC the ones i have used the coolant pump is 110V. Are the motors similar to commercial TEFC motors where they are 230/460 or did these come with fixed voltages?

One of the other threads mentioned something about shipping with the table off? I have never had one of these machines apart, so although I know they are nice to use, I dont know how nice (or not) they are to work on.
 
[is the cheesy o-ring belt drive for the spindle]
Some had that mostly on the larger machines..The belts drive was very smooth but limited for hogging.. Many of the larger machines also could be ordered with a motorized spindle..

Don't think I have seen a 618 with belts drive.

The choppy down feed may be a dirty vertical screw or dirty in the vertical slide. perhaps OK with tear down and cleaning..
be sure to jog many times if the machine has been setting. That all is clean and lubricated.

Great machine. one of my favorites..
 
The 618 was most commonly sold with the o-ring belt drive. There was a direct drive option, but not very common from what I have seen.
 
I think the direct drive option was for the greater than 1HP models. I think there was a 2HP model and that would have had the direct drive.
 
Think 4 standard options the (1)1hp belts drive called the something flex drive, (2)the 1hp direct,(3) 2hp direct,and the(4) 2hp 1800 rpm. Running long hard stock parts one could stall the flex drive machines.Stalling could cause a burning of the part even with coolant in use..
And I think one could also order a pope direct drive as a special or standard in 3 hp but not sure about that..
I think the 10-24 and perhaps a few larger machines came with a larger flex drive (may have been a 3hp?) and a 5hp direct ..
The Micromaster moved the whole motor column as the cross feed with scraped ways on top of the base pallet so it was a very solid machine.Surprising it moved easier that one would expect.Yes the cross and long travel were not on the same slide movement as is a more common design. In good shape a Micromaster could make ring together parts...like jo blocks..
the 13 grinder used the moving column but scraped into the base not on a pallet..a very common design for many OD grinders.
I had a 3hp pope installed on a Reid 618 back in the 60s, The old scraped Reid was a good machine also.
 








 
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