Repurposing swiss made precision spindle for internal toolpost grinder

[TorontoBuilder]

I am restoring a Meyrat and Louisoni Tousdiamant Mill, which utilizes a Golay Buchel motor and spindle that takes Schaublin W12 collets. As part of my restoration I like to research as much about the company's related to the machine as possible. I had thought that Golay and Buchel merely made the motor used in the milling machine, but it turns out not to be the case.

Golay Buchel was a swiss firm with a rich history in the swiss toolmaking industry, particularly for watch and jewelry making. They're perhaps most famous for making the favourite watchmakers precision lathes. Tony at lathes UK has this to say about Golay:

Manufactured by Golay-Buchel of Lausanne, Switzerland the "Favorite" lathes were but one part of a vast array of horological accessories turned out by the Company. Like Boley in Germany they offered a complete product range from the tiniest screwdriver through staking sets to micrometers, vernier gauges, precision drills, taps, dies, engraving machines and even electro-plating kits. Their 325-page catalogue was a treasure trove of mouth-watering items designed to help the watch and clock repairer undertake every conceivable task.

Golay later expanded and started manufacturing spindles which pretty much seem to be the spindle of choice for small precision swiss mills like the Aciera F1 and F2, the Sixis 101, and the Tousdiamants. The Aciera F1 and F2 had smaller 40mm diameter quills with needle roller bearings, while the Sixis and Tousdiamants had 55 and 60mm quills with angular contact bearings and a preload spring, thus making servicing of the spindle more rigid and easier to service. The Sixis 101 came with a high speed spindle is rated for up to 15k rpm.

This Tousdiamants pulley system does not look like it will yield such speeds from the 3300 rpm motor but I suspect that I can change out a pulley and safely obtain similar speeds from my spindle.

So of course I got to thinking, wouldn't this make a fine internal tool post grinder, with a few modifications such as a better spindle end shield to keep out grit, and huge block of cast iron for the mount?

I shall find out.

 

[Mcgyver]

The Aciera F1 and F2 had smaller 40mm diameter quills with needle roller bearings, while the Sixis and Tousdiamants had 55 and 60mm quills with angular contact bearings and a preload spring, thus making servicing of the spindle more rigid and easier to service. The Sixis 101 came with a high speed spindle is rated for up to 15k rpm.

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So of course I got to thinking, wouldn't this make a fine internal tool post grinder, with a few modifications such as a better spindle end shield to keep out grit, and huge block of cast iron for the mount?

I think that would make a great grinder.....provided you can get it up to to speed (bearings should be fine). Those little consew motors (my current plan) run at irrc 4200 rpm so with a 3 or 4 :1 pulley ratio and you're there.

The Aciera F1 may be ultimate small mill, but the spindle design quite frankly, sucks. Same with many Deckels. Needle bearings are good and offer great support, but its not a cartridge bearing - the housing is the outer race. After some wear, and they are wearing item, either replace the spindle (now impossible) or thousand to have the housing ground and then a new bearing made....needle rollers to suit. imo simply horrible design vs press the old bearings out and new ones in and good for another 30 years.

I'm most of the way through making a replacement spindle using the narrowest AC's. It just fits. A big job. I just need to finish my internal grinder to complete the housing, shaft is done......using an internal grinder from a Cincinnati T&CG. Once done it, will be a 40mm W12 spindle with cartridge bearings.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Finally felt well enough to get back into overdue projects, and had the time and inclination to rewire the motor for the Mill spindle in order to prepare for adapting it to the lathe as a grinding spindle.

There is no documentation, no wiring diagram or anything else to go by but luckily my brain still works and I managed to rewire the 3 phase motor correctly to go from 380 to 220v. Standard stuff except for the motor brake element which I didn't mess with.

I don't know swiss / german power standards or plugs but this had a funky plug with 3 round pins and a round recess for the ground. I also can't make sense of the amperage calculation for 3 phase power, but I think it is incorrect because of the electric brake part. I also think the CH is the motor HP of 1/3.

Anyway, I wired it to one of my VFDs and gave it a quick spin up. Aside from the carrier frequency needing adjustment the motor and more importantly the spindle spins smoothly and silently. We are going to be in business soon.

Before:

After: