lathe bed grinding

This topic has 11 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 26 January 2016 at 21:03 by Jon.

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23 January 2016 at 21:23 #222315
John Anderson 3
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@johnanderson3
Hi

I have a 4.5" oxford model A lathe and I want to get the bed reground does anyone know where to get it done.

Thanks
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23 January 2016 at 21:23 #7975
John Anderson 3
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@johnanderson3
24 January 2016 at 10:00 #222349
Chris Evans 6
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@chrisevans6
Not used them but I believe Slideway Services ? Nuneaton have been mentioned in the past.
24 January 2016 at 10:59 #222359
Kenneth Deighton
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@kennethdeighton43272
Try a company that rebuilds car engines etc, they will have a surface grinder for cylinder heads , I'm sure that this will do your lathe bed.

Ken.
24 January 2016 at 11:14 #222362
Hopper
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@hopper
Posted by Kenneth Deighton on 24/01/2016 10:59:18:

Try a company that rebuilds car engines etc, they will have a surface grinder for cylinder heads , I'm sure that this will do your lathe bed.

Ken.

Not likely. Their machines will usually grind only the top surface of the job. Not suitable for the vertical shear surfaces or V ways etc.
24 January 2016 at 11:51 #222365
Ajohnw
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@ajohnw51620
Some of the cowboys mill cylinder heads. I told some one who had this done to sell the car. Took no notice and it went again 4 months later.

These people do this sort of thing as well

**LINK**

If you google slideway grinding plus a larger town near you a "local" one might pop up.

John

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24 January 2016 at 12:31 #222369
Russell Eberhardt
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@russelleberhardt48058
Posted by Ajohnw on 24/01/2016 11:51:21:

Some of the cowboys mill cylinder heads. I told some one who had this done to sell the car. Took no notice and it went again 4 months later.

I'm sure they do but so do professional engine rebuilders. I've had heads surfaced by milling for raising compression for racing and never a failure.

Russell
24 January 2016 at 12:48 #222372
Nick_G
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@nick_g
Posted by Kenneth Deighton on 24/01/2016 10:59:18:

Try a company that rebuilds car engines etc, they will have a surface grinder for cylinder heads , I'm sure that this will do your lathe bed.

Ken.

.

Noooooooooooooo.

Different grinding machines and a totally different skill set.

Nick
24 January 2016 at 16:08 #222390
Speedy Builder5
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@speedybuilder5
I guess that the saddle may need a re-grind also. After all that grinding, the relative position of the leadscrew will have changed, which could be adjusted by shimming the 'Norton Box" and the leadscrew bearing at the opposite end ?
BobH
24 January 2016 at 17:12 #222403
John C
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@johnc47954
I had a S7 bed reground by Brian Caddy of Slideway Services, Nuneaton A search on the internet will give details. No connection, but I could not recommend Brain enough. Excellent work, fair price and a very pleasant experience throughout. He will regrind the saddle as well.

Hope that helps,

John
24 January 2016 at 17:43 #222410
Muzzer
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@muzzer
Cylinder heads are milled in production – not simply because it's cheaper or faster but because you need a certain degree of roughness for the head gasket to key to. Too rough and you get leakage cos the gasket can't fill the gaps, too smooth and the gasket will move and fail. When validating a cylinder head line, there are lots of surface roughness measurements going on. Different requirement to a machine slide.
26 January 2016 at 21:03 #222733
Jon
Participant
@jon
Confirm that Muzzer, more so with aluminium heads.
Even my race bikes were turned back in the 70's but used copper gaskets.

Theres grinders and theres grinders having been in the family precision grinding business, in short you get what you pay for. Check the roughness of finish smoother the better like DSG's rarely seen for regrind, rough quick job wont last.

To do it right will be more than lathes worth but how much would a new equivalent cost not made any more.
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