Machinery Rebuilders in NE Ohio or close

My original hope had been to attend one of Richard Kings classes and learn scrapping sufficient to rebuild two of my machines. They get used on every job and were tired when I bought them. I don't see having the time myself soon.

I am looking in NE Ohio or close, the less distance necessary to truck them the better.

I do understand the rebuild quote may cause heart palpitations my hope is if the price is at all justifiable I would like to rebuild them.

You may want to ask in the machine brands forum. Dayton machine is a big operation and high buck rebuilder in Dayton OH.. I will have to do some investigating for more names. Rich

What kind of machines??

Dynamic industries and Kone is in your area.

Trucking will be the least of your worries.

Thanks for the direction so far. I also found MTS in IN.

Cincinnati mill and a surface grinder. Chances are the prices for rebuild will be far above what is feasible. If I can at least put a dollar amount on the rebuilds maybe then I can justify the time to do them myself.

If the mill is $15k to rebuild, then I'll buy a nice used machine instead. The surface grinder grinds flat plates like a potato chip right now. About .0005" over 4" if I do my part. I know a hydraulic grinder at work (sharp) was just quoted $25k to rebuild. So not much promise there.

Basically the quotes will tell me which way I want to go.

You may want to ask them how much to "recondition" the machine and not "rebuild" if you can live with out a new paint job. "Rebuild is complete tear down and replace all bearings, scrape ways to new machine condition, update electrical, new lube system or rebuild old, new paint. Recondition is to get it better then it is and not do all the updating or testing the old and replacing bad parts. Another thing is if you can help with the dismantling and cleaning you can save tons of money. Many times I go to the customers shop and they have someone or even the owner in one man shops does all the mechanical work and cleaning and all I do is scrape or replace the Turcite. There is many ways to save money if you use your imagination.

On the grinder it could be spindle bearings because when they go off and back on the chuck in grinds heavier then in the middle. If you have a ground parallel you purchased set it on the chuck and see if it hinges in the middle. Hinge means to check for the fulcrum point between the chuck and bar. Just set it on with mag off and with one hand , say right push and pull the right end of the bar and look to where it swivels or pivods. Then if you have a precision level set it on the chuck and slowly move it left to right. If the spindle is OK then you probably ground in the middle of the ways to much and never cycled to the ends and as it wore the ends of the ways got high and as it moves to there now it lifts the table. I recently reconditioned the table ways of a Do-All Grinder and scraped off the ends and relieved the middle a bit for a custome who did not want to "rebuild" the machine and he was satisfied with .0002 in 24" chuck.

A agree completely with Richard. If you are not looking to spend a lot of money and IF the machines are mechanically good you just may need to have them re scraped.

If you have somebody come in to scrape them and you help out with the labor this may help out the cost.

I assume your grinder is small?? 24" long or so? that would be about 1 or 2 days to scrape the table.

Contact Ray Behner he had someone do some scraping on a mill for him. Here's the thread http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/scraping-wells-index-209822/

Richard, et all, thanks for the advise.

My intention was to bring the column, knee, saddle, and table to the company.

The head/bearings I should be able to handle it. The screws and nuts will have to be replaced, again, I should be able to handle that.

So really, the scraping. Problem is, my shop is REALLY small. I don't know if someone would be able to scrape it here.

I'll call Ray next week and talk to him.

Thanks guys.

H&W in Fort Wayne IN does Bridgeport mills not sure what else. My K&T had a complete build at Do-Rite Machinery Service INC in Dayton but that was 25 years ago. Not sure they are still around.

Richard, I did a little investigating on the mill last night. My technique may be flawed, feel free to correct me, but it gave results. I put a mag base on the saddle ways and the indicator on the flat of the table way with the table cranked max in one direction. Cranked it as far as I could before loosing the indicator and got .0045. Gib is tight, could rock the table a little less than .001. Measure the dovetail and it had .005. Pulled the gib out and it is pretty rough.

The saddle is nowhere near as worn but is heavily gouged from chips.

Am going to try what you suggested with the grinder shortly. I believe the spindle of the grinder was rebuilt say 10-15 years ago. I purchased this grinder from the shop I used to work at and guys there really took good care of equipment. I have had it 4 years now, which it isn't used every day. I suspect the wear is in the ways. The method I was taught for grinding something flat (right or wrong) is to grind something till spark out, rotate 180, rotate 90, rotate 90 while sparking out. I know the last piece I did was .004mm cupped like a potato chip (3"x5" piece) after a couple hours grinding. Could have been me too. . .

Did a little more investigating on the grinder. Took a beefy parallel, one that was made by a toolmaker I respect and who's work is impeccable, and checked the magnet as directed. Absolutely no rock what so ever. Put my starrett 12" no 98 and got no movement. Check underneath to see if it was dished, no light. Tried in both x and y.

I can only see about 5" of ways on the table either side when the table is traveled to its full extent. The ways *look* most worn on the outside edges. Saddle scrapings look good, but I know last piece I ground real close it would hit un even if flipped in Y after delicate grinding.

Right side table



Left side looks similar, can post pictures if desired.

Saddle


Knee to saddle on mill


Table V and flat way on mill

Fal Grunt said:

Richard, I did a little investigating on the mill last night. My technique may be flawed, feel free to correct me, but it gave results. I put a mag base on the saddle ways and the indicator on the flat of the table way with the table cranked max in one direction. Cranked it as far as I could before loosing the indicator and got .0045. Gib is tight, could rock the table a little less than .001. Measure the dovetail and it had .005. Pulled the gib out and it is pretty rough.View attachment 114291

The saddle is nowhere near as worn but is heavily gouged from chips.


Am going to try what you suggested with the grinder shortly. I believe the spindle of the grinder was rebuilt say 10-15 years ago. I purchased this grinder from the shop I used to work at and guys there really took good care of equipment. I have had it 4 years now, which it isn't used every day. I suspect the wear is in the ways. The method I was taught for grinding something flat (right or wrong) is to grind something till spark out, rotate 180, rotate 90, rotate 90 while sparking out. I know the last piece I did was .004mm cupped like a potato chip (3"x5" piece) after a couple hours grinding. Could have been me too. . .

Click to expand...

It is 3 AM here in Sweden and I have been awake a couple of hours after i slept about 4 hours...I have a bad case of jet lag and have been sleeping lousy these last 2 weeks so I am not exactly sure what you are trying to say. The ways on all the pictures look lousy.A good rule of thumb is 1/2 moon flaking is .002" deep and on some photo's it is there and on other ways it is completely gone plus scratched more. The column face (or I think that's what it is with the round plug looks nasty. If yo could take some pictures from standing back so I can see what sort of machines you have it would help a lot. You maybe better off looking for some newer used machines in better condition.
when i get back to the states we should talk on the phone as I find it easier then typing and guessing what you mean. Rich

Check out MPE in Corry PA.

Richard, no hurry at all. I remember the last I traveled over seas I flew from DC to Amsterdam, got in at 6AM after being awake the day before and the ~14hr flight. Wound up working till 1 am the next morning. I slept for 12hrs straight!

Would love to speak with you about these two. When you get back states side we will get in touch.


Will check out MPEG, thanks!