Vintage Workshop Services for Brough Superior motorcycles and their contemporaries

last update: 03/2003

A year ago, I came across a relatively small cylindrical grinding machine. I had always thought it would be nice to be able to do my precision grinding myself. All those cam follower pins, main shafts, big ends etc. etc. ...

The little machine looked very sorry, but I thought there was nothing that could not be put right, so I bought it.

Unfortunately the top slide with head- and tailstock got stolen in the transport, but I was eventually able to get these vital items back - well that was another story!

When I tried to find out exactly what I had got, it turned out that Fortuna (the makers of the machine) were no longer in business, and their successors, Bahmueller, had been making these small machines since the 1970's. They told me it is a FORTUNA RME 200, but I am none too sure about this, because it would seem mine has been made in the early 1950's if not even earlier.

This is how it came. A bit neglected and rusty, but basically all there, I thought.
Well, the motors were in a condition that it made it more than risky to set them under current and most of the controls did not move any longer. This is why I decided not to run it, but to dismantle it right away.
Now, it took me almost a year until I had found the energy to start with this project. Eventually I got started. This is the grinding wheel spindle, for instance. Fortunately the bearings were still quite well. But I had to make new oil sight glasses as they had cracks. And I fitted a new motor to it.
This is the headstock. I was happy to find that the bearings needed adjustment only.
And I fitted a new motor to this as well.
So I dismantled all the sundry components, cleaned them and put right what had to be put right and finally painted them freshly.
This, for instance, is the tailstock. This alone consists of no less than 30 bits!
A real bad job was cleaning the old grit and paint off the chassis. Now, this is the first picture from the re-assembly. Things start looking better at last!
Now, the top slide and the grinding wheel spindle stock are back on, and both traversing drives have been reassembled. I have never counted the bits this machine consists of, but it must be about one thousand!
Here, we have the headstock and tailstock as well...
... and I put on a grinding wheel, besides completing the electrical installation. I fitted a little frequency converter that will give me variable speed on the work spindle, incidentally.
to be continued....

Any kind of feedback to is appreciated
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