Baldor Grinder??

[NC Homestead]

A Baldor Grinder... is now mine!

So I spotted this one on my local CL and I am pretty sure that it is a Baldor, although hard to tell since the tag has fallen off. I am thinking that it is a Baldor from the bottom tag with the arbor sizes listed, I am hoping someone on here might have a similar grinder they can confirm on. The sell is not aware of what size it is, I probably need to go by and measure the arbor. Seems to be missing all the guards and rests, which doesn't bother me too much since I would use it as a dedicated wire wheel/buffer. I have got her down to $50 but still not sure it is worth that in it's present condition. I know this may not really be a vintage item, but I think the vintage peeps are a bit more used determining the origins of stuff!

Will

 

[exmaxima1]

So I spotted this one on my local CL and I am pretty sure that it is a Baldor, although hard to tell since the tag has fallen off. I am thinking that it is a Baldor from the bottom tag with the arbor sizes listed, I am hoping someone on here might have a similar grinder they can confirm on. The sell is not aware of what size it is, I probably need to go by and measure the arbor. Seems to be missing all the guards and rests, which doesn't bother me too much since I would use it as a dedicated wire wheel/buffer. I have got her down to $50 but still not sure it is worth that in it's present condition. I know this may not really be a vintage item, but I think the vintage peeps are a bit more used determining the origins of stuff!

Will

It has 4 bolts holding the motor housing together, so it's not a 1/3hp model. Looks like a 7-inch 1/2 hp Baldor grinder to me. With all the missing parts it's basically just a motor, but would be a great candidate for a Multi-Tool Belt Adapter:

http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool_2_x_36_inch_Belt_Grinder_Attachment_MT362_305#.VX7QXFIYHzk

 

[twertsy]

I think it is a 1/2hp Baldor as well. I tried looking at the pics I have of mine but I think mine's quite a bit older and the badges are quite different.

 

[NC Homestead]

Good call on the bolt holes there guys... I missed that while looking through the pics, for the big red line of Baldor grinders... assuming it has not been repainted, looks like they did not get 4 mounting bolts until they got to the 3/4HP 8" grinders. I might need to go out and take a look. if it is a 3/4hp 8" I am thinking that $50 for is not a bad price.

 

[exmaxima1]

Good call on the bolt holes there guys... I missed that while looking through the pics, for the big red line of Baldor grinders... assuming it has not been repainted, looks like they did not get 4 mounting bolts until they got to the 3/4HP 8" grinders. I might need to go out and take a look. if it is a 3/4hp 8" I am thinking that $50 for is not a bad price.

It looks like an older model and they had 4 bolts at 1/2 hp. In fact it looks like my old 1/2hp model 7303D that I modded with a belt adapter. It's hard to really gauge it in the pics, but maybe the red one is slightly longer, and could be a 3/4hp.

 

[NC Homestead]

In it's present state do you think it is worth $50? For either a 7" 1/2hp or a 8" 3/4 HP?

exmaxima1What year is that grinder? Trying to determine about when they rotated the switches from horizontal to vertical.

 

[exmaxima1]

In it's present state do you think it is worth $50? For either a 7" 1/2hp or a 8" 3/4 HP?

exmaxima1What year is that grinder? Trying to determine about when they rotated the switches from horizontal to vertical.

Don't really know the year, and I may have rotated the switch myself at some point. Sorry.

If I was planning to buy the MT belt adapter, I can't think of a better motor than that Baldor. 1/2 or 3/4 hp, it would be worth $50 to me. I paid over $50 for the Atlas grinder shown in my avatar, and it was also missing some parts and needed new bearings. But if you plan to look for the missing parts for that Baldor it will get expensive very quickly---not worth it IMHO.

 

[NC Homestead]

Well for what I want to do with it, I just don't think I can pass it up. Still doing some research it looks like the vertical switch guards were cast into the base, so I don't imagine you accidentally rotated that... so far it looks like early 70's from what I have been able to dig up so far. I thought about sitting on it to see if she would come down in price some more, but I an sure it is only a matter of time before someone else figures out what it is...

BTW how is that belt sander attachment working out for you? Why is that advantageous over a dedicated belt/disc sander setup?

 

[exmaxima1]

BTW how is that belt sander attachment working out for you? Why is that advantageous over a dedicated belt/disc sander setup?

It's a belt grinder and runs at faster speeds than most sanders. And the belts are typically 2" wide, not the 4-6" seen on most sanders. I own numerous belt grinders, yet find the 2" Baldor one of the quietest and smoothest machines to operate. There are entire threads on this if you do a search.

 

[Voi]

It looks like my old 1/2hp model 7303D that I modded with a belt adapter.

Which attachment is that? Or is it one you made?

I also have a Baldor 7" grinder and I can't decide between fitting that or my old Walker Turner 10" with a belt grinder attachment.

WT would cost more with its 3/4" arbor but if I ran it on a VFD I could really slow it down. And the Baldor has both of its original lighted eye guards and I can't seem to bring myself to remove one for belt grinder use.

 

[NC Homestead]

OK I have confirmation it is in fact the 8" 3/4hp model! How do I know you ask, well it is now sitting in my garage! Man this thing is a beast!! I could use the air coming off the the wire wheel as a fan! Will post some pics in it's new home soon. Not sure that it is going to need anything more than a bit of a cleanup.

 

[NC Homestead]

Well so far from what I have been able to dig up it seem that based on the switch plate/cover/guard that this is a late 60's or early 70's model. I have seen some ads for the "Big Red" line but none that show the model numbers for and 8"

 

[NC Homestead]

OK ended up finding a thread on here from Chasbec, now almost positive that it is a Big Red 812.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220673

Now I wonder if he has a close up of the nameplate?

 

[exmaxima1]

Which attachment is that? Or is it one you made?

I also have a Baldor 7" grinder and I can't decide between fitting that or my old Walker Turner 10" with a belt grinder attachment.

WT would cost more with its 3/4" arbor but if I ran it on a VFD I could really slow it down. And the Baldor has both of its original lighted eye guards and I can't seem to bring myself to remove one for belt grinder use.

My adapter started out as a Multi Tool 2x36, but I modded it to 2x42 and had it on a seperate C-face motor. It was only 1750 rpm and it not very good as a grinder, so I modded it again to fit my Baldor grinder which runs at 3450 rpm. Works fantastic.

While I think your WT grinder would be awesome with a belt adapter, I suspect yours runs at the slower speed due to the large wheels. The MT drive wheel is only 5.5" and it really needs a faster motor to perform as intended. If it is a 3phase machine you could conceivably use a VFD to produce 120 hz power and get revs up, but you would not be able to use 10" wheels on the other shaft. You would have twice the power at the 2x rpm, and would be a real monster.

BTW, up until 1956 Walker Turner grinders were made by the same company that made the Atlas grinder you see in my avatar---Kingston-Conley--and they are incredible motors.

 

[Voi]

While I think your WT grinder would be awesome with a belt adapter, I suspect yours runs at the slower speed due to the large wheels. If it is a 3phase machine you could conceivably use a VFD to produce 120 hz power and get revs up, but you would not be able to use 10" wheels on the other shaft. You would have twice the power at the 2x rpm, and would be a real monster.

My 7" Baldor is also 1725 RPM. The Walker Turner is 1425/1725 and it is 3 phase.

You're saying not to leave a 10" wheel on the opposite side of the Walker Turner because of the RPMs at 120 hz, correct? I could still run a stone/wire/polishing wheel as needed, albeit at lower HZ/RPMs?

My internet connection is painfully slow right now so I won't try to look up info or post pictures, but I believe my Walker Turner predates 1956. The guy I traded with for it had never heard it run but I asked him to wire it up before we agreed on the trade. That motor just purrs. I really need to make some decisions on that machine, buy a VFD and get it into service.

 

[exmaxima1]

My 7" Baldor is also 1725 RPM. The Walker Turner is 1425/1725 and it is 3 phase.

You're saying not to leave a 10" wheel on the opposite side of the Walker Turner because of the RPMs at 120 hz, correct? I could still run a stone/wire/polishing wheel as needed, albeit at lower HZ/RPMs?
.

At 120 hz, your rpm will be 3450. You can run a wheel or brush up to about 8" with no issues unless the wheel has a warning against it. And of course you would have the option to slow things down if needed. I have a VFD on my bigger Baldor 2x48 1.5hp belt grinder, and I do like to run it a tad slow on softer materials, maybe 2400 rpm. If I go much slower I lose too much power and can stall it. Your WT would be really nice with a VFD and belt adapter. Trust me, once you try belts, you'll forget about wheels!

 

[Voi]

Trust me, once you try belts, you'll forget about wheels!

I believe that. I honestly think I could run a belt on one side and a polishing pad on the other and then a couple of wire wheels on my 7" and cover most of my bases.

But my paralysis by analysis doesn't end there. I also have two massive pedestal grinders with 1.25" arbors. I don't have 220V in my shop yet and both can be run on 115V (one is a 115/230V Baldor 1217W and the other is belt driven) so I could get either of them running for less than the Walker Turner.

But if there is a belt grinder attachment for either of them I'm guessing it's way out of my price range.

I just realized this isn't your thread so I'll stop thread jacking. I'll make a goal of getting my 1217 re-wired for 115 this week and start a separate thread about where to go with my grinder collection.

 

[zkling]

At 120 hz, your rpm will be 3450. You can run a wheel or brush up to about 8" with no issues unless the wheel has a warning against it. And of course you would have the option to slow things down if needed. I have a VFD on my bigger Baldor 2x48 1.5hp belt grinder, and I do like to run it a tad slow on softer materials, maybe 2400 rpm. If I go much slower I lose too much power and can stall it. Your WT would be really nice with a VFD and belt adapter. Trust me, once you try belts, you'll forget about wheels!

Agreed, I mostly only use wheels for tools such as drills, lathe and tungsten sharpening. Even then most of my tungsten hits the belt for touch up.

 

[zkling]

I think it is funny that someone who has the old quote about the bitterness of low quality would complain about $50 for any grinder that works. Chinese stuff is more than that! Hypocrisy knows no bounds, it appears!

You must have missed his drill press saga.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=292993

 

[NC Homestead]

So I started doing a little work on cleaning her up last night and making sure everything was all good. I noticed some electrical tape on the cord when I picked it up, and sure enough under the tape there was a nice area where someone had ground through the power cord exposing some copper on the white lead. In addition someone had also removed the ground prong from the plug, so I will be installing a new plug. But at least on the inside the wiring looks good, and no surprises so that is a relief. Bearings look and feel good, at least from my perspective, since I am still a novice and learning the ropes. But there was no crunchy feeling to them. Anyone have a preference for the type of grease they like to run in these types of bearings? Hoping to get into the case tonight to see if anything else is lurking in there, but given that it ran pretty smooth I am not anticipating much.

 

[torqueman2002]

I'll make my comments in Blue.

So I started doing a little work on cleaning her up last night and making sure everything was all good. I noticed some electrical tape on the cord when I picked it up, and sure enough under the tape there was a nice area where someone had ground through the power cord exposing some copper on the white lead. In addition someone had also removed the ground prong from the plug, so I will be installing a new plug.
It won't be much cost to replace the whole cord, and probably less effort. See the link below.
But at least on the inside the wiring looks good, and no surprises so that is a relief. Bearings look and feel good, at least from my perspective, since I am still a novice and learning the ropes. But there was no crunchy feeling to them. Anyone have a preference for the type of grease they like to run in these types of bearings?
I haven't greased any bearings.
I have replaced most of the grinders (CM Blocks) bearings, when the case is OPEN. It's little cost [$8 - $12, for Blocks] and not much effort.
Hoping to get into the case tonight to see if anything else is lurking in there, but given that it ran pretty smooth I am not anticipating much.

I'm looking forward to watching the re-build.

Power Cord - HD $12.97
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-9-...3001rw&cm_mmc=CJ-_-6147012-_-11210757&cj=true

 

[exmaxima1]

Anyone have a preference for the type of grease they like to run in these types of bearings? Hoping to get into the case tonight to see if anything else is lurking in there, but given that it ran pretty smooth I am not anticipating much.

I would not try to lube the bearings, as they employ special grease that will be contaminated by other lubes. If the bearings are bad (not likely) just replace them---they are not expensive.

 

[NC Homestead]

torqueman2002 Thanks for the correction, yes I will need to change out the whole cord, not just the plug. and I suppose you are right again that while I have her torn down new bearings would probably be a good investment.

One of the reasons I asked about grease is that these guys are open bearings not sealed. To be honest I don't know if you can switch to sealed, there are any merits for switch, or if it is just better to go with what is currently in there. Although it looks like later versions of this grinder did have sealed bearings.

Took a decent amount of pictures, will have to post up some tonight.

 

[exmaxima1]

Power Cord - HD $12.97
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-9-...3001rw&cm_mmc=CJ-_-6147012-_-11210757&cj=true

I'm more of a Menards person (and the OP is very cost conscious):

http://www.menards.com/main/electri...indoor-power-supply-cord/p-1462707-c-6410.htm

 

[NC Homestead]

Unfortunately no menards around here

(and the OP is very cost conscious)

LMAO Wow seems like I am developing quite the reputation around here for being a cheap *******! Get a few good deals and suddenly people don't think you will crack open the pocket book

Reality is I ask a lot of pricing questions cause I am a newbie and still don't know my way around what the going market prices for different stuff yet. That requires either time in the field or some help from those that have been around for a while.

I know with the post on the old CM sanders and circ saw, if it hadn't been for the guys on here, I would have ended up paying 3-4 times the going rate for those items.

 

[torqueman2002]

I'm more of a Menards person (and the OP is very cost conscious):

http://www.menards.com/main/electri...indoor-power-supply-cord/p-1462707-c-6410.htm

I like the price.

It's on my list.

 

[NC Homestead]

OK so I got a little busy with a few other items, but I did not forget about taking a few pics along the way. So here is what I found during the disassembly process... As posted before I am going to have to replace the cord as the plug and the cord were both damaged (see pics below). Additionally there also seems to be a little rolled pin that they were using as a key on the arbors to keep the inside wheel flanges/supports from spinning on the arbor. The left hand side looked like it is still OK but the right hand side looks like it has seen better days. Looks like it has almost been sheared off.

So I was looking to replace the bearing and when I got in there and got them out I realized that one side is shielded and the other side is open. Would there be any issues putting back in bearings that are shielded on both sides? Or do you think it is best to replace with like bearings. Bearings are 6206 made by SKF.

The only other thing that I was deciding on was what to do with the wheel guards, or what was left of them. You can see in the before pic below. One of the previous owners had cut the wheel guards off, not exactly sure why... so I decided to go ahead and grind them down smooth and flush to turn them into end caps and basically make it a buffer.

Final item was some clean up work on the switch guard.

Damaged Plug


Damage to the cord


Left side rolled pin, I can still see the ID here...


Right side looks like it has seen some rough treatment, also a shot of the bearings...


Bearing Open Side


Bearing Shielded Side


Wheel Guards Before


Wheel Guards/ End Caps After


Switch Guard

 

[exmaxima1]

So I was looking to replace the bearing and when I got in there and got them out I realized that one side is shielded and the other side is open. Would there be any issues putting back in bearings that are shielded on both sides? Or do you think it is best to replace with like bearings. Bearings are 6206 made by SKF.

What's the rpm on that grinder? A 6206 bearing has a 30mm ID, so the surface speed on the seals may wear them fairly quickly at 3450 rpm. Usually sealed bearings are rated for about half the rpm as open/shielded bearings for this reason. In an industrial situation they may not be durable, but in a home use application they would probably be just fine. I use sealed bearings routinely in motors and grinders, but most are smaller 6202-6204. I'd say you'll be fine.

 

[NC Homestead]

What's the rpm on that grinder?

It is a 3600 rpm.... I don't imagine I will be running it hard on a daily basis. But man my little 6" Craftsman grinder got a workout this weekend. Kept thinking that I needed a much larger more heavy duty grinder!

 

[ez-duzit]

I just picked up a Baldor carbide grinder in such exceptional condition.

 

[NC Homestead]

Wow EZ that thing looks like it just got through with a restoration! Hoping you got a good deal on that, there is on on CL near me that appears to be from the late 60's in great condition, but still not that pretty looking

 

[ez-duzit]

It is virtually brand new--no restoration. Retails for nearly $1600, without stand or wheels; I got it for $600 with diamond and stone wheels. It was a little dirty; that's all.

 

[404]

I would not try to lube the bearings, as they employ special grease that will be contaminated by other lubes. If the bearings are bad (not likely) just replace them---they are not expensive.

Could you elaborate on this?

Personally I would pry out the single shield, soak the bearings in a glass jar with some acetone for a few days, then spray them clean with carb cleaner. If blowing them dry DO NOT LET THEM SPIN.

Then I would relube with a moly grease from the auto parts store. Push the grease right through the bearing. Quality bearings are not so cheap these days. Chinese ones are.

I would not bother putting the shield back.

 

[catalytic]

Could you elaborate on this?

Personally I would pry out the single shield, soak the bearings in a glass jar with some acetone for a few days, then spray them clean with carb cleaner. If blowing them dry DO NOT LET THEM SPIN.

Then I would relube with a moly grease from the auto parts store. Push the grease right through the bearing. Quality bearings are not so cheap these days. Chinese ones are.

I would not bother putting the shield back.

On a grinder, I would much rather replace them with double sealed bearings. SKF is one very high quality bearing brand -- I put them in all of my machines. MSC carries them. They are probably around $28 for a pair.

Grinders like this are going to make a ton of fine dust. The seals will help it from getting into the bearing.

 

[exmaxima1]

Could you elaborate on this?

Personally I would pry out the single shield, soak the bearings in a glass jar with some acetone for a few days, then spray them clean with carb cleaner. If blowing them dry DO NOT LET THEM SPIN.

Then I would relube with a moly grease from the auto parts store. Push the grease right through the bearing. Quality bearings are not so cheap these days. Chinese ones are.

I would not bother putting the shield back.

Your method of cleaning and replacing the grease is a valid one, very much like packing wheel bearings. I had advised against spraying/injecting oil lube into the existing grease. Your method also assumes the old bearing was not worn and just needs lube, but in most cases the bearing is run on dried out lube and gets worn. In any case, if I had already removed the bearings I would replace them with fresh ones. Its been my experience that new Chinese bearings are better than worn "quality" bearings. Further, modern bearings meeting ABEC3 standards, lubed with modern synthetic grease, can be purchased very cheap and out perform anything made 30 years ago. Last, I would not run a grinder without any form of shields or seals. Some grinders employ felt dust shields, which work great, but if the bearings are directly exposed to grit/dust they will quickly be destroyed.

 

[NC Homestead]

So after reading everything and doing some more research I think I am going to go with new double shielded bearings. I am thinking the reason that Baldor chose to go with open bearings on the outside was that if this grinder was seeing heavy use it would be easier to grease the bearing as part of maintenance without having to pull the bearings out. I did notice that when I pulled it apart, in addition to the felt shield there were two other dust shields as well. I am going to go with the shielded bearings since that was what was in there and they are supposed to run cooler than the sealed bearings. I think I am going to go with the SKF bearings since they are only a few dollars more than the Nachi bearings.

 

[404]

Thank you
catalytic
and
exmaxima1
All valid points.