SkillsCapabilitiesExploreContact
Projects
3D Printed Drones
Upgrading Shop Air Compressor
Aluminum Mountains
Bosswatt Prototype
Bronco Bumper
Machining a camera mount
Chuck Back Plates
Climbing Wall
CNC Surface Grinder Retrofit
5C Collet Box
Truck Crane Frame Fabrication
Leaf Spring Crossbow
Desktop Organizer
Engraving Tools
Festival Totem
Quick fix: Fixing household goods with a 3d printer
Fixture Table
Pirhana Plant
Building a Generator in Several Distinct Steps
Geodesic Treehouse
Grinding a custom groove cutting tool
Hanging Plotter
Hardtail Mini Bike
Welding an Infinity Cube
Lavender Sculpture
Small part: Mouse Axle
Mr Fixums' Lathe Handwheel Repair
Company Logo Sulpture
Penny Fakething Freak Bike
Picture Framing
DIY Press Brake
Building the Official Prusa Printer Enclosure out of Ikea Lack Tables
Scale License Plate
Metal Rose
Extending the Shop
Slip Roller
Full Suspension Mini Bike
Protoyping with python by creating an email task digest
Machining a Tube Bender
Turbofurnace
First Welding Project: Making a Weld Cart
Weld Cart (for everlast)
Welding Positioner
Layered Backup Workflow
Local LLM
Northwest Waxworks
Obsidian Remotion
Building My Portfolio Into a Publishing System
Staübli Reborn: Industrial Robot with a Modern Control System
thumbnail

CNC Surface Grinder Retrofit

2023-10-31
Project
Tool
Portfolio
Skill
Machine Building
Machining
Hardware Software
Capability
Grinding
Summary:
  • Designed and machined custom brackets, mounts, and driveline components to retrofit a manual surface grinder with CNC-driven motion
  • Built alignment fixtures and mounting aids to ensure accurate part installation against existing machine geometry constraints
  • Integrated stepper motors, wiring, and control hardware to produce a functional multi-axis grinding prototype
  • Iterated through physical testing to validate motion accuracy and achieve measurable test-grind results on the retrofitted system

Context

The goal was to retrofit a surface grinder with CNC-driven motion so the machine could move beyond a purely manual workflow.

What I built

This project involved the brackets, mounts, driveline details, and supporting control hardware needed to make the retrofit work as an integrated machine system.

Technical scope

The work included:

  • designing and machining custom retrofit parts
  • building fixtures and alignment aids for accurate installation
  • integrating motors, wiring, and supporting control hardware
  • iterating through testing to reach useful grinding results

Constraints and trade-offs

Retrofit work means adapting to the geometry and limitations of an existing machine instead of designing from a blank sheet.

Results

The retrofit produced a working prototype with encouraging test-grind results and provides a strong example of machine modification and controls integration.

Why it matters for hiring

This is a direct example of the kind of retrofit and machine-improvement work that is relevant to custom tooling, machinery upgrades, and special-purpose equipment.

00-cad-model.jpg

05-x-coupling.jpg

10-torque-measurement.jpg

15-z-mount-bracket.jpg

20-x-mount-bracket.jpg

25-x-drill-guide.jpg

30-y-mount-bracket.jpg

35-x-pulley.jpg

40-orienting-hole-pattern.jpg

45-x-mount.jpg

50-cardboard-layout.jpg

55-wired.jpg

60-plugs.jpg

65-cabinet-mounted.jpg

70-running-prototype.jpg

75-laptop-stand.jpg

80-4th-axis-parts.jpg

85-4th-axis-machining.jpg

90-4th-axis-backplate.jpg

95-4th-axis-hole-pattern.jpg

100-spoil-board.jpg

105-plate-machining.jpg

110-plate-machining-mess.jpg

115-plate-machining-complete.jpg

120-4th-axis-assembled.jpg

125-aluminum-brackets.jpg

130-test-grind.jpg

135-1-000-not-bad.jpg

Previous Next
Featured Work
CNC Surface Grinder RetrofitWelding PositionerStaübli Reborn: Industrial Robot with a Modern Control System
Company Info
About UsContact UsPrivacy Policy
Specific Solutions LLC
Portland, OR