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new/used Harig 618, want to check for damage

meowkat

Aluminum
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Location
IL USA
Recently, a Harig 618 ballway was available locally.
I transported it with the wheel pressing against a wood block to hold the table down and keep the balls from bouncing, now that it's in my shop I notice a slight hum noise when cranking the in-feed, like it's sticking every quarter inch of travel then "humming" as it slides more.

It looks like it's in great condition visually (I think), very little cracked paint, like it was used very little. The oil cup on the back is dry, the shop I bought it from probably cleaned the oil filter and never put more in, as it was sitting in the corner un-used (used machinery sales shop).

The side to side motion sounds like the balls are dry to me, but where does dry balls end and needs new balls and grooves start? I am a bit of a sucker and purchased the Harig brand way oil, so I can't fill it until it gets here.

If your balls are dry on a ballway machine do they roll audibly? What about the slight humming noise on the in-feed? I have great hearing, btw.
 
I have two grinders with ballways and in both cases the instruction are not to oil the ballways. Oil collects and holds dirt. Harig's may be different and have lubricated ways.

Tom
 
I think I'm going to have to inspect it and clean the rollers later then.
Now I have a new problem, the leveling feet on it are some 1/2 allthread with nice rubber vibration dampening pads on the bottom, problem is the allthread is so weak the weight of the table moving far left or right bends the allthread rods and makes it impossible to level.

The level I'm using is Chinese made unfortunately, but claims to be accurate to .0002" over 10 inches. I can push on the base of the machine lightly and move it enough to put the bubble off the scale.

I have an idea for some leveling feet that will have to come before further inspection and cleaning.

I'm attempting to upload a part of the manual that talks about the oiling system, I guess I just assumed it oiled the rollers too.harig.jpg
 
Done is done but the dropping the wheel head on a wood block is just to relieve the wheel head weight off the up and down screw.. You just down turn to make the hand wheel just free of weight..I Have seen a number of harigs with junky leveling feet..Simple is good enough in a shop that does have presses and the like shaking the floor. I have set surface grinder on a wood block with shimming the low ones to make machine level.. then a hammer side tap to see that were about equal.
I have used my Starrett combination square level to level a grinder ..Yes a better level if you have one handy.
I would put a very light coat of spindle oil on a new ball way set-up. On the parting between the long travel and the casing base I would place a strip of masking tape to over lap the gap about ¼ inch.. A coat of oil on the lower would assure it not to stick. A little machine paint and nobody knows it is there and it will last 20 years. Air hose should not even be near a grinder..
Cant remember if that machine had balls on long and cress.. will have to check reference on that.

Qt:[The oil cup on the back is dry] a good idea to go with the manufacturers oil plane...

I agree putting oil on balls and rollers is not a good idea where the machine does not have a wash off design..The light spindle oil I use evaporates before abrasive dust begins the load up on balls or rollers..
 
michiganbuck,
The 618 "ballway" I have only has the ballways on the side-to-side. On the in-out direction it's a V way, looked like some good flaking visible on the underneath of it.

Since the manual says not to lubricate anything I'm going to follow it after I get some oil in the oil pump system, if the balls don't sound better I'll take it apart and probably clean it. The tape idea is a good one, I wonder why there aren't flexible plastic or rubber or even cloth bellows enclosing the ways on grinders?

Thanks for replying.
 
Balls may be gritty form a trailer ride and not being wrapped tight..It Is surprising how much grit is on the roadway..We have been delivering deer blinds and a clean trailer often comes back looking like it has spent the weekend at the beach.
 
I didn't think of extra grit from the road, but I did know the windspeed would be like an air hose blasting on it. The machine was fairly clean beforehand, luckily.
 
Anyone know if the oil level in the sight glass is supposed to go up to the hole at the top of the sight glass or stay in the middle?

Sight glass has a metal back, with a hole at the top and the bottom, bottom hole is easily covered when the oil level goes up after starting the spindle, and I'm wondering if the hole at the top is an overflow or is necessary to fill the oil to that level?
 
A dry oil cup, may not be all the issue. Before you pour in oil, remove the cover, just in front of the cup, slotted holes make it easy. The is the oil pump, and reservoir, suggest you suck out the old oil, and clean the grit out. There is a filter which is in that round hockey puck. Just a screen, this will show that sort of maintenance if any has been done.
If just a coating on the bottom, Good day, if lots of grits, lots of wear likely. That window at the top of the spindle column is to show that oil is being pumped. Almost impossible to clean, so most look half full even when not running. That little valve on the filter should be open about 1/2 from closed.

The crossfeed is just an acme threaded screw, My guess is the bearing is rusted, cheap enough double row BB, HOWEVER. DO NOT remove the feed screw to remove the bearing, just remove the handwheel,witness indiactor and unscrew enough thread to access and remove bearing.

If you remove the feed screw, the dumbest lubrication idea ever will bit you. There is a spring with a wick located in the acme nut, which is bolted to the base casting. To access it the chuck, bed, and saddle must all be removed first. then the nut removed, shaft screw in, then the spring wick is bolted back to the base.

The oil system is the weakest part of an otherwise well made grinder.
 
Don't go crazy trying to level the grinder. The grinder sets of 4 rubber pads, between the grinder and the base cabinet. So a carpenters level is all you need. Run the screws all the way out, then enough level it. Mine were grade 5, 1/2nf bolts, maybe yours are crap all thread material.
 
OT:[I wonder why there aren't flexible plastic or rubber or even cloth bellows enclosing the ways on grinders?]

Perhaps for the ease of travel on manual machines.. plus grinder are designed for gravity falling dust to be shielded by the castings and parts over lapping.. agree more dust shielding would be favored...Yes some grinders have better shielding...
 
.....

The oil system is the weakest part of an otherwise well made grinder.

A strange comment as some regard this system as better than most small surface grinders.
PS. the upper window should never be full and if it was things are very wrong up or down stream as it is a flow indicator.
The sump and filter should be cleaned every 6 months to a year or so of 24/7 use. Doubt many here put 8760 hours on a little Harig in a year so your millage will be different.
The oil pumps die with time. Perhaps the highest replacement part if you run a bank of them hard and long.
Not a B&S micromaster but I have a perhaps unjustified soft spot for this little weenie machine.
Bob
 
Don't go crazy trying to level the grinder. The grinder sets of 4 rubber pads, between the grinder and the base cabinet. So a carpenters level is all you need. Run the screws all the way out, then enough level it. Mine were grade 5, 1/2nf bolts, maybe yours are crap all thread material.

The rubber + lead feet for the bottom had a hole tapped for 1/2-13 bolt, I tapped it for the 3/4" leveling feet screws that came with the grinder originally and used that combination.


PS. the upper window should never be full and if it was things are very wrong up or down stream as it is a flow indicator.
...
The oil pumps die with time. Perhaps the highest replacement part if you run a bank of them hard and long.

Much appreciated.
 








 
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