Reid No 2 Surface Grinder Transverse cable drive

I've had this old Reid surface grinder for 3 or 4 years, and I've never used it-it has been waiting for me to devise a method to get it from the garage to the shop, over some uneven ground.

Well, I finally got it moved, and in doing so, I broke one end off the cable that drives the tables "side-to--side".

Near as I can tell, it is a Reid Model 2 (no "a" or "-1" or anything else). All of the mechanism for auto feed and movement has been stripped by some previous owner, it simply has 3 handwheels, one for each axis.

I need to replace the motor, but in the meantime, I am trying to repair the transverse feed. It seems as if this is simply a cable that wraps once around a small drum that is geared to the handwheel. The cable attaches to each end of the table, and turning the drum moves the cable, moving the table.

I made up a new cable with threaded adjusters on both ends, and when I snug it up, I do get the proper motion of the table when turning the handwheel-but starting at about 6 inches from center of travel, in both directions, it makes a loud "creaking" noise that sounds like the cable is rubbing the machine bed, or against itself. I've tried using the original cable, and a couple of slightly different-diameter cables, with either a simple single wrap around the pulley, or 2 wraps around, and always get the same results-it works, but it makes that noise.

This pulley/drum is simply a gear with a square slot in it, about 1/4" or 3/8" wide. i have seen some info in other threads about cable-drive surface grinders that used a grooved or "threaded" drum for the cable, but this grinder just has the simple single groove.

I've searched for a manual or a parts diagram for this machine with no luck. There is a brochure on the No 2 on Vintagemachinery,org, but no manuals of any kind, and I haven't been able to find much info.

There is no model marked on the grinder; I identified it using the brochure at vintagemachinery,org.

Is there anyone reading this who has knowledge of how this thing is supposed to work?

Is it normal for the cable drives to make noise? I can't believe that would lead to a good ground finish.

Should I try a plastic-coated cable?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Andy

Bumping this in one last hope that somebody out there has some info.

Posting some photos might help.

Just an offhand guess..would it be different if you came from the pully off the bottom so the cables angled up. so missing something to rub on.

Could the number of turns be such that they would just fill the grove width so to not have any double or cable on top of cable when it is on the pully.?

can you tell what it rubs on, or is it cable rubbing on cable?

Perhaps you will find something about your machine here that will be of help.
Reid Brothers Co., Inc. - Publication Reprints | VintageMachinery.org
Jim

Thanks, guys,

Buck, I will open it up and take some photos tomorrow.

Jim, I should have mentioned in my original post, I already checked at vintagemachinery.org, and found a sales brochure for the No. 2, but nothing else.

And all of the parts manuals there for Reid grinders are for later models with chain drive.

Don't know about a Reid but on a Harig wrap direction on the drum counts.
Two loops and the front of the loop has to connect to the left end of the table.
Harigs use a coated cable.

awander said:

Thanks, guys,

Buck, I will open it up and take some photos tomorrow.

Jim, I should have mentioned in my original post, I already checked at vintagemachinery.org, and found a sales brochure for the No. 2, but nothing else.

And all of the parts manuals there for Reid grinders are for later models with chain drive.

Click to expand...

Yes, I did the same and found a belt drive but not a cable for the Reid. A very good grinder made here in Detroit. We had a row of them at Cut More Tool and I sometimes ran them 12hr 7 days. I had one with a 3hp O P Popespindle and an electrochemical unit to run carbide special one up - few ups specials.

Here are a few photos showing the arrangement, with the table tilted backward off of the ways:

Overall view:



The pulley:



The right-side table connection:



The left-side cable tab on the table:



And this is the top view of the right-side cable connection point-note that they added nuts because the casting is thin at this point.



I'm not convinced that the tabs on the underside of the table are original, because of the nuts on the top of the right-side connection, and also each location has a third hole in line (diagonally) with the others, allowing the tab to be moved to an alternate, farther-back position.

There is also evidence of the cable rubbing on the surface of the main table(is that the right term? The one that moves in and out, and the one that the pulley is mounted in) right at the pulley.

I've tried crossing the cable over both ways at the pulley, and I've tried the alternate mounting locations for the tabs.

I'd love to see what this looked like stock.

At both ends I notice a third (tapped?) hole on the same diagonal of the two screws. I am wondering if either one of the brackets needs to be moved to the alternate position to better align the cable with the pulley, or the wrap around the pulley needs to be reversed in direction in order to match the current arrangement.

Paolo

awander said:

Here are a few photos showing the arrangement, with the table tilted backward off of the ways:

Overall view:
View attachment 312439


The pulley:
View attachment 312440


The right-side table connection:
View attachment 312441


The left-side cable tab on the table:
View attachment 312442


And this is the top view of the right-side cable connection point-note that they added nuts because the casting is thin at this point.
View attachment 312438


I'm not convinced that the tabs on the underside of the table are original, because of the nuts on the top of the right-side connection, and also each location has a third hole in line (diagonally) with the others, allowing the tab to be moved to an alternate, farther-back position.

There is also evidence of the cable rubbing on the surface of the main table(is that the right term? The one that moves in and out, and the one that the pulley is mounted in) right at the pulley.

I've tried crossing the cable over both ways at the pulley, and I've tried the alternate mounting locations for the tabs.

I'd love to see what this looked like stock.

Click to expand...

I have a Reid #2 as well. The table was driven by that pinion gear - the row of tapped holes along the bottom held a rack in place. Cable drive isn't original to this pup.
I'm actually thinking of doing this mod myself on my grinder, as I cannot stand the chatter marks left by the rack drive. Have you had any success with it?

I've "sort of" had success, in that the grinder is useable (for someone like me who knows nothing anout surface grinding).

It does not move smoothly at the extremes of the table movement.

I'd be happy to give you any details that you might want off of mine.

Could you give me some measurements on the rack itself? I might try making one out of Delrin or similar.

My old Harig has a much wider drum for the cable to wind on. I'm assuming (dangerous, I know) that your cable is walking sideways and rubbing or as the table gets near either end of it's travel the angle of the cable is changing so much that it rubs on cross slide. Just my thoughts.

I have a grinder set up with a cable, can't remember if I made two wraps or one.. *but I put a heavy spring at one end between the nut and the bracket so the cable would be tight from the very start.
Vinyl-coated cable would/may help if the noise is from cables rubbing.
Some oil flaking may make oil stay on ways better.
Way oil would be better than lube oil.

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