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Old surface grinder, builders iron foundery

Mike Powell

Stainless
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Location
East Palestine, Ohio
I have a chance to get an old surface grinder. The owner says it was built by BUILDERS IRON FOUNDERY PROVIDENCE R.I. U.S.A. serial No. 2018. I would like to know what you guys know about this maker, how old this machine is, and what ya think I should have to give for it. I know the magnetic chuck is small. But it looks like a larger one would fit if I needed it. The table feeds by pulling a lever. I presently use my lathe and drill press a bunch but have not had a lot of need for a surface grinder and I am not sure how much use I would get out of it.

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Thanks in advance for your input.

Mike :cool:
 
I'm not an expert on surface grinders, but that one does not look like a high-precision machine. Further, that's a single-phase motor, convenient in a small shop but guaranteed to generate more vibration that a three-phase of equal quality and HP.

On the plus side, it seems to have a fresh coat of paint. Its small size is also a big plus in a small shop. (Small machines sometimes fetch more $$$ than large ones because more people want small machines.)

$50 to a max of $200 is what I'd say, and remember I am not an expert on surface grinders. (Now, watch, someone who IS an expert chimes in and says I'm way lowball on the prices.)

John Ruth
 
The owner is a machine rebuilder. He purchased the machine forom an Amish fella who had it in his line shaft shop. (dont know if it was being used at the time) He said he was planing to display it at his place of business. The owner added the motor, cleaned it and gave it a paint job. He said he scraped nothing. It realy did not need it. Just a good cleaning and painting.

Mike :cool:
 
Welll...

Y'know, Mike... a surface-grinder at that size wouldn't be something you'd regret having around. It's small enough that you could probably tuck it under the stairway, and pull it out (or not) when you need it.

The kind of thing that a surface grinder does, that nothing ELSE will... is skimming off a very small amount.

It's very difficult to chuck a WASHER in the lathe and take off a thou or two. Slap that washer down on the mag-chuck and take a half-dozen passes!

It's difficult to mill a new and consistent edge on a mower blade. Clamp it down and let abrasives make it right.

I'd certainly employ good bargaining practice, but realize for those 3-times-a-year when you really, really need to cut a flat surface in something hard, you'll have a tool that does it.

As for vintage... well, it'll match your lathe.
 
What is the allure of this machine? Size, price, age?? Looks very spindly. Seems like a newer a 6x12 surface grinder wouldn't take up much more floor space and probably be more useful. In addition, the "chuck" is little more than magnetic block.
 
Price size and age are all factors of interest. I have kind of ben watching for one out the corner of my eye for a while now. This is the first one I have seen made in the same era as my other machines that was within resonable driving distance and for a resonable price. I probably should let it pass as I have so many projects now, but then again this does not look like it would need much work. As far as the clown paint goes... I think I would have likely chose a color and stuck with it. Realy not a fan of the blue.

Mike :cool:
 
I don't know anything about Builders Iron Foundry, but I have seen a few of their bench grinders in my travels.
To add to Reggie's comment, a newer machine would probably take up less room, and would maybe have power feed, which can make for higher accuracy and a smoother finish. This is a neat machine, though. I would buy it if it was cheap.

Andy
 
It will be useless if the wheel spindle bearings are not in first class shape. They have to be good enough for the wheel to move all over the workpiece while "sparking out" less than a tenth. It the wheel is jumping up and down a thousandth, that is not going to be happening.

As to movements, a surface grinder should move effortlessly. If you have to struggle in the least to get the table or saddle to move, it isn't a surface grinder, at least not yet.

John Oder
 
This machine would be nice in the lobby of your business but not for use.

First if you even wanted to use coolant it would not be possible.

Second, how about safety. No wheel guard. Not a good idea. There is always the chance of a part sucking up into the wheel and then boom.
 
I realize this is quite an old thread... I recently purchased a Builder Foundry surface grinder which looks to be complete (except the 1" flat belt) but , as usual with old equipment, NO manuals or any other information.. Does anyone have any information? .... any would be of help.. Thanks, Harry
 
Builders Iron Foundry was best known for their production of flow-control and flow-measuring devices for waterworks, water supply systems and similar. They became known as "BIF" and produced a wide range of cast iron venturi sections with flanged ends for use with flow measuring and flow recording instruments. Large venturis, big enough in some cases for a man to crawl thru. They eventually became known as "BIF", which they made a point of advertising as "Basic In Flow" rather than their original name of 'Builder's Iron Foundry'. I've run into their venturis and flow meters as well as other equipment used in control as well as measurement of large flows of water on aqueducts and dams.

What always stuck in my mind was the question of whether there was any connection between Brown & Sharpe and BIF. Both were in Providence, RI, and both use large quantities of iron castings. B & S moved out of Providence some years ago, out to Kingston, RI. The old shops and foundry became some kind of 'repurposed' use (loft housing ? Trendy shops ?). BIF became a part of one of the conglomerates that were gobbling up US manufacturers and merging them. I wonder if BIF produced a line of grinders to keep some steady work coming through their shops. The orders for venturi flow meters and flow control devices like sluice gates was not a steady thing, and almost every order was a custom order to suit a specific set of conditions. I remember seeing BIF venturi flow meters which were so old they used glass-tube manometers filled with liquid mercury. In my first office at a hydroelectric plant construction site, I had a Builder's Iron Foundry recording flowmeter (spring wound clock mechanism) on my office wall to record flows in a NYC water supply aqueduct. I think BIF ceased to exist a good 25-30 years ago. I also believe BIF had not built any grinders of any sort for many years prior to that.

Making a surface grinder in Providence, RI, on Brown and Sharpe's doorstep does not seem like the wisest thing. There was at least one other competing maker of surface grinders in Providence, RI, possibly 'Robot'. The surface grinder shown in this thread would not be taken seriously by B & S or any tool makers or machinists doing fine work. My guess is it was intended for fairly simple and not particularly accurate work such as sharpening punches used in sheet metal or structural steel or boiler shops. These punches only required being ground flat across the business end of the punch to restore a sharp shearing edge. Chances are a fixture with the correct angle (if needed) to grind off the punch faces was used rather than a magnetic chuck.
 
I realize this is quite an old thread... I recently purchased a Builder Foundry surface grinder which looks to be complete (except the 1" flat belt) but , as usual with old equipment, NO manuals or any other information.. Does anyone have any information? .... any would be of help.. Thanks, Harry

flat belts and flat belt kits can be had.
If the spindle is good or repairable it could be a handy machine. Do add a wheel guard and check the RPM (3400 is a good target. ..and make a proper wheel wrench if not having one.

Hand-turn the spindle a number of times before fire up to speed. the spindle should feel smooth, not at all gritty,

Check the free travel in the vertical by setting the wheel on a wood block with a half-turn of free travel replace the nut or threads so it does not look up or the wheel falls into the work..

1" Flat Leather Belting 1/8" Thick Gas Engine Motor 1' Piece | eBay
 








 
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