Foley 357 carbide grinder

**Frank S** · Jun 29, 2023, 08:05 AM

There was an auction in a nearby town this past weekend I had planned on attending but when Sat. came around I had forgotten all about it. As per my usual routine if there is an online Prebid option, I had placed small or minimal bids on several items. Imagine my suprize whenI checked my Email Sat. night to find that I had won 14 of the lots. One of these turned out to the be Foley 357 Carbide grinder, with all its tooling, attachments and a full set of manuals. So Tuesday when I went to collect my spoils of war. this is what I found

Foley 357 carbide grinder-img_20230627_094507fol.jpg

Oh I won the Foley 387 saw filer as well as a Divine Brothers flex speed buffer

Foley 357 carbide grinder-img_20230627_094513fol.jpg

Foley 357 carbide grinder-img_20230627_172223fol.jpg

Foley 357 carbide grinder-img_20230627_094047div.jpg

**mwmkravchenko** · Jun 29, 2023, 09:30 PM

Wow! A fine grinder and what a buffer!

Mark

**Frank S** · Jun 29, 2023, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by mwmkravchenko

Wow! A fine grinder and what a buffer!

Mark

In the attachments there is a 4C collet holder with an 8 stop locator and a 12 stop locator so it can sharpen end mills ad annular cutters and an attachment that is belt driven off the main shaft to hold small 2" wheels for grinding very small surfaces such as those found on the annular cutters. The 357s are not by any stretch of the imagination a superb tooling grinder. They were designed primarily for sharpening circular saw blades from 3" in diameter through 42" in diameter with the proper attachments installed. But you can sharpen bandsaw blades and chain saw blades simply by mounting the proper attachments. I was watching the video posted here the other day where a guy converted his chainsaw grinder to sharpen band saw blades. I have the same chainsaw grinder or nearly the same as his and I was thinking about using his idea to convert mine to do the same should the need ever arise. Then this thing came up in the auction and pooph I no longer need to do that.
The buffer probably weighs 12 to 1500 lbs Has a tag from the USAF on it it is going to require some work but for what I have in it I can afford to do whatever it takes to bring it online the same with the saw filer but about all it needs is a new cord so I don't electrocute myself

**Toolmaker51** · Jul 3, 2023, 10:52 PM

I've looked over Foley-Belsaw equipment over the years. All were more 'dedicated' to circular saw blades, planer knives, plane knives, hand saws. Can't recall any with a machine tool (T-slotted) basis. That opens a lot of potential.
Closest to machine-tool pattern, one of their surface grinders, deceivingly normal, about 6" x 12" work envelope. I'd guess those were re-badged, manufactured elsewhere.

**Frank S** · Jul 4, 2023, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by Toolmaker51

I've looked over Foley-Belsaw equipment over the years. All were more 'dedicated' to circular saw blades, planer knives, plane knives, hand saws. Can't recall any with a machine tool (T-slotted) basis. That opens a lot of potential.
Closest to machine-tool pattern, one of their surface grinders, deceivingly normal, about 6" x 12" work envelope. I'd guess those were re-badged, manufactured elsewhere.

It's obviously no Gallmeyer & Livingston , Brown &Sharpe or Cincinatti and has way more features than the Clarkston that I used to own.
Like a guy who owned a grinding shop once told me, It's a manual machine that various types sizes and shaped grinding wheels can be mounted on with a grinding head that can be rotated in 2 axis and moves in the Y plane and has an adjustable Z plane but it's ability to do precision custom grinds is limited by 2 things Imagination and attachments either factory supplied, or user made.
I have a 12" miter saw with a carbide blade in it for cutting our aluminum planking if I only ever use the machine to resharpen that blade twice it will more than have paid for itself and the fuel I spent to go and bring it home.
Parked in its permanent location