Outlawmws
Well-known member
SFPM (surface feet per min) is what you want to look, at ultimately.
7" will be 16-17% faster than 6" at the same speed...
7" will be 16-17% faster than 6" at the same speed...
Show us Your Vintage Bench Grinders!!!!
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Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
I figured you would have some useful information. Thank you I always appreciate it!
four.cycle
Well-known member
"Buffalo" is/was a line of offshore-sourced tools (primarily from Asia). We didn't sell their grinders, just their socket sets. Cheap, low-end tat.
Not a clue about their grinders, however.
CL always has a mess of grinders listed:
gigantic 10 inch Baldor with stand $400 (Covington)
cheapie "Mark I" $40 (east Bremerton)
Ryobi 6-inch University Place $40 (looks almost exactly like the Craftsman unit I've been using for ten years.)
Dayton 7-inch $250 (Edmonds)
Baldor 7-inch on stand (Enumclaw) $300
That Baldor you're looking at will outlive you and your children.
I should get ahold of that guy in UP on that Ryobi - I need another grinder but I don't use them enough to need "super duty".
Not a clue about their grinders, however.
CL always has a mess of grinders listed:
gigantic 10 inch Baldor with stand $400 (Covington)
cheapie "Mark I" $40 (east Bremerton)
Ryobi 6-inch University Place $40 (looks almost exactly like the Craftsman unit I've been using for ten years.)
Dayton 7-inch $250 (Edmonds)
Baldor 7-inch on stand (Enumclaw) $300
That Baldor you're looking at will outlive you and your children.
I should get ahold of that guy in UP on that Ryobi - I need another grinder but I don't use them enough to need "super duty".
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
I just finished cleaning up the buffalO
I haven't found much information on it but from testing it out I'm impressed. So I ordered 10-in wire wheels and 10-in polishing wheels for it that will be here Friday. Seems very powerful and super smooth and not too loud. It weighs a ton and is huge but that's fine. I don't need anything this big but for 60 bucks I'm happy.l
I was Planning on getting a Baldor and I may still get one.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ again, the only "Buffalo" product we carried was a 40-piece socket set we brought in from Los Angeles for $1.43 (freight prepaid from LA) minimum order 1000 sets. We could blow them out on sale for $3.99 at our stores and still make money - "LIFETIME WARRANTY!" - we'd just give 'em a whole new set. I think the sockets were made out of cheese, and it was low-grade cheese at that. 100% pure, unadulterated garbage.
I hope the grinder is of better quality!
I hope the grinder is of better quality!
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Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
It's definitely A lot better than the new **** out there that you can buy at Home Depot... A Baldor would be way better I'm sure but for what I use it for it's more than I need.^ again, the only "Buffalo" product we carried was a 40-piece socket set we brought in from Los Angeles for $1.43 (freight prepaid from LA) minimum order 1000 sets. We could blow them out on sale for $3.99 at our stores and still make money - "LIFETIME WARRANTY!" - we'd just give 'em a whole new set. I think the sockets were made out of cheese, and it was low-grade cheese at that. 100% pure, unadulterated garbage.
I hope the grinder is of better quality!
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ I'm considering calling that guy in UP on the Ryobi... that's the best price I've seen on one lately. I don't want to drive to Enumclaw - I have to go through Bonney Lake to get there. UGH.
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
@4
I know they can be found much cheaper. In fact one just sold for $20 in Tacoma but this one looks to be in exceptional shape.
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Can you tell me about your Craftsman? I'm also looking at one of those. I like the look of the vintage ones but I don't know how well they work. Most of them are a 1/3 HP. Would go great next to my Chas Parker vise.
I know they can be found much cheaper. In fact one just sold for $20 in Tacoma but this one looks to be in exceptional shape.
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Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
Yeah traffic is terrible in Western Washington!
four.cycle
Well-known member
The Craftsman? It's a small unit. Very quiet. Works fabulously. Former (now deceased) girlfriend picked it up at a garage sale.
"I paid $5.00 for it. Did I do okay?"
My other grinder, which lives outside the back door, is a home-made affair my late step-father put together in the early 1940s
It works, but the bearings in the arbor are shot and it's noisy as hell. I have another arbor, I've just never gotten around to fixing it.
The wire wheels are on "Grinder Boy" - usually I'm cleaning parts from lawnmowers so I don't give a damn about the wire wheels - it's living outside because of the **** it throws everywhere.
"I paid $5.00 for it. Did I do okay?"
My other grinder, which lives outside the back door, is a home-made affair my late step-father put together in the early 1940s
It works, but the bearings in the arbor are shot and it's noisy as hell. I have another arbor, I've just never gotten around to fixing it.
The wire wheels are on "Grinder Boy" - usually I'm cleaning parts from lawnmowers so I don't give a damn about the wire wheels - it's living outside because of the **** it throws everywhere.
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Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
That is cool! I've actually been looking at picking up one of those metal typewriter desks.
I mostly just want a bench grinder for cleaning up vintage bbq parts for my restorations and vintage Vises and other similar small projects
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
Absolutely. Right now I'm making do with angle grinder and mostly my DeWalt XR impact with different wire wheel attachments but I always wear my safety glasses. Those little wires hit me in the face all the time.
four.cycle
Well-known member
It's a tubular metal frame with a plywood deck. I believe it's a WWII vintage typewriter table. I had that whole thing completely disassembled, washed it all down, and put about 8 coats of silver spray paint on it in 1996. Disassembled and repainted the scroll saw.
Really need to replace that arbor.
Yes, it tosses pieces of wire everywhere - another reason it lives outdoors. I get those tiny little wires stuck in my feet walking around the yard. OUch! Last wire wheel I bought seems to be a little better - it's a "DeWalt" - not the usual made-in-China stuff they were peddling up at ACE before - the cheapies just go all to hell in a hurry when you're cleaning lawnmower blades that are covered with rust and crud.
I'm not really "in the business" any more - I got rid of all the mowers a few years ago - it's not a big money-maker.
What I need is the ability to polish stuff, which is why I'm looking at another grinder I can mount those funny 3M "220" wheels on that Don recommended.
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
My Weber Gas grill restorations are my equivalent. The ones from 1985-1999 I have to keep though. Made in America with American parts. Built to last. The newer Weber grills I clean up and sell. Easy money but just a hobby.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
I used an old school typewriter table on my 1935-6 7" tilting table saw - I under-mounted the motor to lower the center of gravity and footprint. Works well, and the pedal will raise it up for rolling.
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
That's Awesome! I'd like to see that
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Some in progress pics from the build - Yes I have the splitter and guard. And I made an extension and extension rods for it:
And an old "action" shot - Modified clamps can hold one of a couple of angles I use for the MIA fence, or I have two of the edge clamp I cn also use:
And an old "action" shot - Modified clamps can hold one of a couple of angles I use for the MIA fence, or I have two of the edge clamp I cn also use:
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
That's really cool!Some in progress pics from the build - Yes I have the splitter and guard. And I made an extension and extension rods for it:
And an old "action" shot - Modified clamps can hold one of a couple of angles I use for the MIA fence, or I have two of the edge clamp I cn also use:
$10 at a garage sale down the street. I decided to check the wiring before plugging it in. Glad I did! It’s restored now and being used as a buffer/polisher.
It was heavily rusted where the fire was. I think someone used an extinguisher on it and never cleaned it up. The bearings were worn out as well and it was overall very dirty and poorly looked after. It warranted a full teardown to get it clean, strip the rust, hit it with rattle can, etc.
It was heavily rusted where the fire was. I think someone used an extinguisher on it and never cleaned it up. The bearings were worn out as well and it was overall very dirty and poorly looked after. It warranted a full teardown to get it clean, strip the rust, hit it with rattle can, etc.
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Here is a Western Auto Wizard mini/jeweler’s benchtop polisher/grinder with oddball 3/8” arbors. In my experience with restoring old Wizard power tools, they were made cheaply but with relatively good quality components. They also use weird non-standard components that make life difficult. For example, nice motors, but bronze bushings are used where ball bearings probably were a better but more expensive or labor intensive choice. Also, the aforementioned 3/8” arbors are annoying to shop for, and their old circular saws have completely proprietary arbors that make it impossible to replace any missing saw blade retaining washers. After restoring a couple of these Wizard tools, I’ll say I can’t recommend them for anyone interested in using vintage power tools. They’re not on the same level as their contemporaries and are/were not consumer friendly. They were built to be sold more so than to really be used.
This grinder was abused by whoever had it last. They torqued down the arbor nut so tight on one side that they sheared off the retaining clip and shattered the cutout in the housing for the bronze bushing on the opposite side from the pulling force. I actually needed my impact wrench to buzz the nut off because it was so tight on there.
It was torn down, cleaned up inside and out, and a new power switch wired in to replace the worn out cheap original. The torque damage issue was addressed with a new beefy C-clip where the original tiny retaining ring was sheared off, spring washers were added on the arbors to take up the extra side to side slack in the rotor assembly and keep the bronze bushing on the damaged side sitting firmly in what was left of its cutout in the housing, and a full regrease on all friction surfaces with Super Lube (love that stuff, it’s a really incredible product with some magical properties).
It’s my indoor polisher/buffer for small parts since it’s small and doesn’t make a mess. It runs okay. Bronze bushings are not the right choice for a 3600RPM grinder, or any grinder for that matter. It runs warm, it runs loud, and it vibrates too much. Oh yeah, there are no benchtop mounting holes to keep it steady from vibrations. It relies purely on the rubber feet to keep it in place (they do not keep it in place).
This grinder was abused by whoever had it last. They torqued down the arbor nut so tight on one side that they sheared off the retaining clip and shattered the cutout in the housing for the bronze bushing on the opposite side from the pulling force. I actually needed my impact wrench to buzz the nut off because it was so tight on there.
It was torn down, cleaned up inside and out, and a new power switch wired in to replace the worn out cheap original. The torque damage issue was addressed with a new beefy C-clip where the original tiny retaining ring was sheared off, spring washers were added on the arbors to take up the extra side to side slack in the rotor assembly and keep the bronze bushing on the damaged side sitting firmly in what was left of its cutout in the housing, and a full regrease on all friction surfaces with Super Lube (love that stuff, it’s a really incredible product with some magical properties).
It’s my indoor polisher/buffer for small parts since it’s small and doesn’t make a mess. It runs okay. Bronze bushings are not the right choice for a 3600RPM grinder, or any grinder for that matter. It runs warm, it runs loud, and it vibrates too much. Oh yeah, there are no benchtop mounting holes to keep it steady from vibrations. It relies purely on the rubber feet to keep it in place (they do not keep it in place).
This Baldor 7306D is my $200 Marketplace find. It came complete with tool holders, lighted eye shields, and wheel covers, which I took off and set aside for safe keeping since I don’t need them. I was shocked by how huge and heavy it is. I was expecting a normal benchtop sized thing, not a giant machine. Rookie move on my part as this was my first bench grinder and I was still learning about them, not knowing they come in so many different flavors.
Someone repainted it red at some point, which I think was the right move. It was originally 1970s puke green. The red is way better.
This one needed all new wiring inside and out since all the power cables were torn up externally. I did all the wiring with Wago connectors (I love those things). It also got a fresh new motor capacitor from Grainger. The bearings are perfect and I will not touch them. It runs buttery smooth and dead quiet, and I don’t want to disturb the balance in The Force by replacing them as part of a restoration. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
I will say that it bogs down really, really easily on the buffing wheel. I really just have to let the cloth do the work. Holding any work firmly to the buffing wheel causes it to really chug. The nonwoven/scotchbrite wheel is a lot harder to bog down thankfully. It’s my favorite wheel to work with because it removes surface rust, smooths imperfections, and leaves a really nice brushed finish all at once. If you’re intentional with what direction you hold the workpiece, you can achieve some nice results.
Someone repainted it red at some point, which I think was the right move. It was originally 1970s puke green. The red is way better.
This one needed all new wiring inside and out since all the power cables were torn up externally. I did all the wiring with Wago connectors (I love those things). It also got a fresh new motor capacitor from Grainger. The bearings are perfect and I will not touch them. It runs buttery smooth and dead quiet, and I don’t want to disturb the balance in The Force by replacing them as part of a restoration. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
I will say that it bogs down really, really easily on the buffing wheel. I really just have to let the cloth do the work. Holding any work firmly to the buffing wheel causes it to really chug. The nonwoven/scotchbrite wheel is a lot harder to bog down thankfully. It’s my favorite wheel to work with because it removes surface rust, smooths imperfections, and leaves a really nice brushed finish all at once. If you’re intentional with what direction you hold the workpiece, you can achieve some nice results.
d42jeep
Well-known member
Tell us more about your bristle wheel. What are you using it for, what’s it good at, why use it instead of wire wheel or nonwoven, etc. I don’t see hardly anyone discussing them too much and I’m interested in possibly trying one.The little Craftsman looks familiar. I paid much more for mine.
-Don
Josh Dekubber
Well-known member
My 10" Weiler wheels showed up. Put them on and this $60 beast works great! I'm sure it's junk compared to a Baldor but It's smooth, heavy and powerful. The 2HP moter is probably over rated but it seems to work very well.
I got this grinder from my grandpa. It needs to be rebuilt. My grandpa bought it new and I have the original sales receipt.
it smokes & been sitting for 25 + years
I would like to rebuild it or have it rebuilt, but don’t want to screw but up. Is rebuilding it fairly easy and where does one find parts for it?
it smokes & been sitting for 25 + years
I would like to rebuild it or have it rebuilt, but don’t want to screw but up. Is rebuilding it fairly easy and where does one find parts for it?
jd5000
Well-known member
Jeff (who is here @11b30b4 ) did a rebuild series on a similar model block grinder. You can follow it here:I got this grinder from my grandpa. It needs to be rebuilt. My grandpa bought it new and I have the original sales receipt.
it smokes & been sitting for 25 + years
I would like to rebuild it or have it rebuilt, but don’t want to screw but up. Is rebuilding it fairly easy and where does one find parts for it?
Provincial
Well-known member
Hopefully, the smoke will be from a bad start capacitor. If the windings are burned up, look for another one with ugly cosmetics and/or missing guards. Often they run well, but go cheap because of cosmetics and missing parts. That one is well worth saving, especially because of the family connection.
Edit: I realized that it is a split-phase motor, so no starting capacitor. Hope it is just wiring, not windings.
Edit: I realized that it is a split-phase motor, so no starting capacitor. Hope it is just wiring, not windings.
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Ultradog MN
Well-known member
Ultradog MN
Well-known member
I have two other grinders also
An 8" Sioux and a 10" US Electric Motor Co.
The 8 and 10" ones did not have pedestals when I got them. I mounted them on Ford tractor axle housings.
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Ultradog MN
Well-known member
My Sioux is missing one of the end caps.
Does your Wissota look like this?
I would be delighted to find a replacement and if Blue point and Wissota were the same it would increase the likelyhood of finding one.
It looks like they are interchangeable - R/L
yes? No?
Thanks
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SilverJimmy
Well-known member
Bought this on Friday at a local yard sale.
Dayton 8” grinder that according to the seller his father got out of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Was on a HF stand but I’ll build a better stand with a Semi brake drum. Has newer Powertec 100 & 120 grit wheels on it and also needs a new power cord. Runs very smoothly and takes forever to slow down and stop, great piece of American Quality! Do need to find or make some side covers, anybody have any info or parts for one of these?
Dayton 8” grinder that according to the seller his father got out of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Was on a HF stand but I’ll build a better stand with a Semi brake drum. Has newer Powertec 100 & 120 grit wheels on it and also needs a new power cord. Runs very smoothly and takes forever to slow down and stop, great piece of American Quality! Do need to find or make some side covers, anybody have any info or parts for one of these?
Hooterville
Well-known member
I had about dozen electric bench grinders, and recently I sold all except six "keepers". The oldest grinder I have is Herberts Wizard grinder 50-14G, I believe it to be 1935. Only fitting I mount this grinder on my cast iron Clizbe Bros stand ~ 1918.
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That pedestal is really cool, looks heavy duty.
Hooterville
Well-known member
The Clizbe stand is indeed heavy duty, I particularly appreciate the wide base. Most of my vintage grinders are Craftsman block and pre-block grinders. My plan is to store the Craftsman grinders on shelves with "universal mounts" + ready-to-use wheels so they can be easily installed on one of my stands. Attached are pics of another vintage grinder-stand combination that seems to make sense: Skil grinder #287 (which I think is a relabeled Baldor #623) mounted on a Valley Electric Co. stand.
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tool_scrounge
Well-known member
I have one of these grinders. Really heavy duty construction for a grinder of its power rating.