Milling a BS guide post

[Mike Cruz]

Anyone have any idea where I would go to get about 2 inches of the end of a guide post (solid 1" post about a foot long) down to 7/8"? I need this for my 18" Grizzly because they no longer carry the guide support (which attaches to the guide post) in 1"...only 7/8".

If anyone local knows of a place in particular, great! If anyone knows of the type of place where I could take it, that would work, too. If there is anyone faily local that could DO it, that would be great, too!

Thanks for any help I can get with this...

[Rick Moyer]

I would say contact a local machine shop. sounds like a job for a metal lathe.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Anyone have any idea where I would go to get about 2 inches of the end of a guide post (solid 1" post about a foot long) down to 7/8"? I need this for my 18" Grizzly because they no longer carry the guide support (which attaches to the guide post) in 1"...only 7/8".

If anyone local knows of a place in particular, great! If anyone knows of the type of place where I could take it, that would work, too. If there is anyone faily local that could DO it, that would be great, too!

Thanks for any help I can get with this...Do you have a tech school / community college that has a machine shop course? They could do it as a "live project." It would take less than 1/2 hour to do. If post has a slot milled into it for alignment purposes, cutting would be just a little slower, as this would be an "interrupted cut."

[Mike Cruz]

Nope, no slot. Smooth as a baby's behind. OK, with a little rash because there is a little bit of rust... :D.

As for a machine shop, yeah, sounds great, but what do you do to find one, look in the yellow pages for machine shop? Is it really that easy? Sorry, didn't do the research on that one because it seemed unlikely...

I can check with the local college but I don't think they have those sorts of classes. Most of those types of ciriculum (sp?) have gone by the wayside here. I would probably have to contact a tech or trade school, but don't want to have to travel 1 1/2 hours to Baltimore.

Thanks for the ideas, guys. I do appreciate it.

[Phil Thien]

Can you just order a new post from Grizzly for a reasonable rate?

Or are their new posts 7/8" their entire length?

I know Grizzly has a machine center for performing their own work right here in the U.S. Have you asked Grizzly if they'd do it for you?

Finally, if you post over at owwm.org, someone there may be able to put you in touch with someone you can take it to locally, or ship it to.

[Mike Cruz]

I just (a couple of hours ago) was talking with a tech guy at Grizzly about this issue.

Here's the story. I purchased a 20 year old 18" Grizzly BS. I took it appart and looked all the parts over to see what I NEEDED/WANTED to replace. Among other little things, I ordered new belts, two trunions, trunion clips (the plastic pieces inside the trunions that help the trunions move along the trunion guides when tilting the table), etc.

When reassembling the BS, I noticed that the only way to get the upper guide assembly (with one rear bearing, and two side guide bearings) to match up to the blade was to cock it at an angle. Upon further review (can you tell it is football season?), the guide assembly, which attaches to the bottom of the guide post is off center...to the left...hence having to twist the assembly to the right. The bottom guide assembly is dead on. So if I twist the top guide assembly to encompass the blade, it twists the blade and would create a drift in the cut.

My post is 1". Therefore the ID of the guide assembly is 1" ID. A few years (maybe 4?) after my saw was made, they switched to a 7/8" guide post. They no longer have the 1" ID guide assemblies...they have sold out over the last 20 years. All they have are the 7/8" guide assemblies.

I didn't think to ask, and the fellow that was helping me didn't offer, to have them mill my post. Maybe I'll check with them. NOTE: The guy at Tech Support was VERY helpful, as are most all of the folks there. But, no, he didn't offer their services.

So, to answer your other question, no a new post wouldn't be the answer either because the ID of the "ring" on the upper assembly of the BS is 1". And yes, I believe they are 7/8 the entire length, otherwise the tech guy would have suggested that I just get a new one...actually, I suggested it and he said it wouldn't fit.

Thanks for the owwm.org suggestion. I'll try that.

Thanks for your help.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Another option would be to call Carter. Either upgrade to their guides or they may have a part that would fit.

[Rick Moyer]

As for a machine shop, yeah, sounds great, but what do you do to find one, look in the yellow pages for machine shop? Is it really that easy?

Uh,...yeah, that's why I suggested it. I just looked in our local yellow pages here (small rural area) and there are a dozen or more listed. I would think, if I understand what it is you need done, it would be a simple inexpensive thing to have a machine shop do. Probably could have had. it installed already. Just tryin' to help.

[george wilson]

A machine shop around here would charge an arm and a leg to do something simple. Bring it to me and I'll turn it down free. You can visit Colonial Williamsburg while you're here. PM me if you want my help.

I take it that this is a simple job that I can just chuck up in my lathe and turn down without a lot of problems? If it is more complicated,let me know. I don't mind doing a quick favor for free.

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks for the offers, guys. I've had some PM's already of those willing to turn it for me. Wow, love this place.

As for the Carter thing...I thought of that, but, not to get ahead of myself (I mean kinda gloat), I didn't pay much for this thing and since it will be a second BS for me, I don't want to dump more cash into this thing than A) I paid for it, and B) it is worth. Remember, it is a 20 year old Grizzly BS, back when they didn't have the best reputation. BTW, I love Grizzly, and have some other tools of theirs. I think their stuff is WAY better now than it used to be...

[Curt Harms]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#60695k6/=5ahv98 (http://www.mcmaster.com/#60695k6/=5ahv98)
$5.14 ea. 1" long. 7/8" shaft and put one or more of these bushing on the end of the shaft then put the 1" bore guides over the bushing. You could possibly slit them if necessary so they could compress. Around here, a machine shop would probably bill an hour at around $100/hr. unless you "know somebody".

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks. If other avenues don't work out, that may be my cheapest option. Of course, that would also mean that I would need to buy a new shaft at 7/8" for that collar...

[Mike Cruz]

Thank you everyone for your offers to help, advice, and giving me additional options.

What I ended up doing (after ordering a new guide assembly that still created the same problem as my original guide assembly) was cutting the ring (that holds the guide assembly to the post) off of the rest of the assembly and reattaching it. It ought to work just fine.

I just wanted to let you know what I decided to do, and let you know that I really appreciated being able to talk this out. I would have banged my head on the wall for a long time if I didn't have this outlet...