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AIR BEARING FLUTE GRINDING ATTACHMENT

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AIR BEARING FLUTE GRINDING ATTACHMENT (ABFGA).

The ABFGA pictures and information has been kindly supplied by Patrick Carlier.
The attachment has been stored unused for quite a number of years. Pat has taken it apart and is in the process of restoring it for a friend.

↓ This is the paperwork that came with the attachment.
It was ordered from March Engineering on 20th February 1991 and sent over to Belgium.

 

↓ Here is the body of the ABFGA. It is attached to a non-standard 20mm plate, in order to raise it up on the machine it was used on.
The airbearing itself is mainly a piece of cast aluminium with a precision ground steel bush pressed in, with some holes to allow the air to pass.

 

↓ The attachment is rusty due to the storage conditions.
You can see a couple of the air holes in this picture.

 

↓ Here is a view of the underside of the body, showing the locating lugs.
The threaded boss for the air inlet is at the top.

 

↓ Here is the inner bush.
The bush has been pressed out. The insides were full of rust and debris, which was a shame.
The bush was a light press fit in the holder block, with an Oring at each end to seal the air.

 

↓ You can just make out the groove for the Oring.

 

↓ Here is the original March Engineering steel box.
There is a "March Engineering" sticker on the box, but it is now faint and hardly visible.

 

↓ There are 3 long sleeves and each is capable of holding a different OD size of collet.
The large and small sleeve (top and bottom in this picture) are standard equipment.
The medium sleeve (middle in this picture) is described as optional equipment.
The length of the large sleeve is close to 40cm to give you an idea.
There are 3 Locking Rings. One Locking Ring is the original standard equipment and the other two are of an alternative design.

 

↓ Here is a close up of the ends that hold the collets.

 

↓ Here is the full set of collets.
The 25,32,38 collets fit the standard equipment large sleeve.
The 20 collet fits the optional equipment medium sleeve.
The 6,10,12,16 collets fit the standard equipment small sleeve.
This set is metric, and it is believed that each sleeve accepts both imperial and metric collets.

 

↓ Here is a close up of one of the collets.

 

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↓ This ABFGA was for sale on ebay, located in Pudsey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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↓ This ABFGA was up for sale by Jubilee Machine Tools for 450 pounds plus vat.
This is Clarkson made and comes in a fitted wooden box. The wooden holders inside the wooden Clarkson box look to be the same as the March wooden holders in the March metal box.

 

 

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↓ (24-09-12) This ABFGA was up for sale with a starting price of 450 pounds, located in Coventry.
It was described as:
"In Good Working Order
Complete with full Range of Collets
Imperial:- 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8, 1", 1 1/4 & 1 1/2
Meteric:- 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 22, 25, 32 & 38"

 

 

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↓ (01-09-12) This collet was for sale on ebay, located in Finchley.
The collet is for the ABFGA.
It is 1 inch.
The part number is L426 (as per the sellers description)

 

 

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