Surface grinding machine, made by Churchill Machine Tool Co. Ltd, Manchester.

Surface grinders were used to finish flat surfaces. Brown and Sharpe, an American engineering company, made the first surface grinder in the 1880s. The basic design changed little for over fifty years. This machine has a magnetic table to hold the workpiece in place, which is a common feature on this type of grinder. It also has ‘hoods’ on either end of the table. These are to trap the particles of metal that fly off during the grinding process.