Introduction of only Okamoto Surface Grinder Rebuilders

[Richard King]

A company located in Minnesota has a 12 x 40 Okamoto surface grinder that wanted it rebuilt 4 years ago. They have had 3 rebuilding companies attempt to rebuild it and they couldn't get the machine to grind new machine spec's. When I taught a scraping class out at CCI Ammo in Lewiston Idaho, they told me they hired a company who strictly scrapes Okamoto. The local company finally called me and asked if I would do it. I said I would have 10 years ago, but not now at 72 and with a broken shoulder.

I called CCI and got the name of the Okamoto Rebuilders. Told the local company and they hired them to come and rebuild the machine. They called me wanting to borrow a 72" camelback as the way they normally scrape worn machines is to use the unworn areas as a guide. The other 3 had scraped the ways so much the table was hitting the clearance areas. They had to put new Rulon on the table too, They had to start from scratch on the base ways. My son Alex and I lent them a Brown & Sharp 72" camelback. They asked to take a picture. Dan Raciak the owner told me he had been hearing about me for 40 years. Okamoto doesn't use Biax Power scrapers, only scrape by hand. His company is called Waymint, Inc. from Mokena, IL. . We took some pictures in front of the grinder...

 

[ballen]

Rich, you're looking good, have you lost some weight? Cheers, Bruce

 

[Richard King]

yes, 50 pounds since my surgery. my shoulder aches today. I have ice packs on it today. I think I will be retiring now full time now. Alex will have to teach the classes now. My hand therapist told me Wednesday, that at my age (72) getting my arm back to normal will take along time. Shoot, I can't make a fist now. difficult to sleep.as the shoulder aches a lot. I am doing home therapy too, 3 times a day. sucks. hand therapy and arm therapy each with at dr office once a week.... :-(

 

[Richard King]

OT a lot....Alex is a professional Bee Keeper is President of the MN Bee Keepers Association and works at the MN State Fair in the Bee and Honey building where he demo's inside a screened room, how to open a bee hive and see below.

 

[Richard King]

Waymint Rebuilding has the scraping finished, they use a level to check the alignment (as Paolo mentioned in another thread). I suggested 2 levels at right angles, but they do it with 1 level and they spin it one check after the other. Note how Okamoto uses 3 point leveling screws with 2 corner stability levelers. Use 3 points to get it close and then adjust the front corners to carry the table weight as it moves to the outside limit. This is one of the most precision surface grinders made, notice the casting size compared to a Mattison of it's size.

 

[???]

I was offered a free Okamoto in mint condition unfortunately I didn't have room. I have run them before and they are one of the best grinders I have used. Sorry to hear that you won't be teaching class's anymore, I hope you don't give up imparting your knowledge on this forum. Good luck with your continued recovery.

 

[Richard King]

I hope to teach myself if I can recoup my left arm. , but I will be inside the shop helping teach verbally plus I will help here until I go to the scraping class in the sky (I hope,.lol)

 

[???]

I hope to teach myself if I can recoup my left arm. , but I will be inside the shop helping teach verbally plus I will help here until I go to the scraping class in the sky (I hope,.lol)

I've heard that the big scraping class in the sky has only the most attractive instructors (affirmative action). It's air conditioned and the cast iron is always perfectly homogeneous. The castings come out of the foundry perfectly flat so basically all you have to do is a decorative signature scrape. Hand scrapers are all in purgatory and the Biax's are all brand new with blades that never need sharpening. And after class the beers free.

 

[Richard King]

Years ago before we bought our first Biax 1/2 moon flaker, I could look at a local machines flaking and could tell my Dad had flaked it. His signature.