Vintage Thor Bench grinder restoration

[bagged89s10]

I just wanted to share a bench grinder I finished restoring.

Before



After
I went thru the whole grinder. Replaced the power cord. Rebuilt the on/off switch. Stripped all the paint before priming, painting it cobalt blue metallic, and clearing over.

 

[bagged89s10]

https://vimeo.com/138914786

 

[2oolhound]

Woo-hoo-hoo! looks amazing, I hope you're never going to mount stones and use it again

 

[bagged89s10]

Woo-hoo-hoo! looks amazing, I hope you're never going to mount stones and use it again

Well I just sold it and the buyer said he was ordering stones for it.

 

[2oolhound]

Pretty sweet, you just can't buy equipment like that in the stores today.

 

[bagged89s10]

Pretty sweet, you just can't buy equipment like that in the stores today.

Thanks. Yeah you just get cheap underpowered, overrated Chinese made junk. That's what got me into restoring old American tools.

 

[toolchaser]

I like how the toolrest has v grooves for drill sharpening.

 

[dngrmse]

Nice work! Love the color.

 

[bagged89s10]

I like how the toolrest has v grooves for drill sharpening.

Yea I like those tool rests as well.

Nice work! Love the color.

Thanks. I'm kind of regretting that I sold it, but I have too many grinders.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bagged: i think i have 3 or 4 Thor 1/4 HP aluminum bench grinders i'm going to spiff up and sell some day. i found a few in dentist's offices on nice little carts.

Is your Thor an aluminum body? nice job restoring it BTW. i might have kept and swapped out the tool rests with a block for future use if it was me because they look like they would work a lot better than a flat surface.

maybe ask your friend or client if they mind you swapping if you can get another set to fit?

 

[bagged89s10]

Bagged: i think i have 3 or 4 Thor 1/4 HP aluminum bench grinders i'm going to spiff up and sell some day. i found a few in dentist's offices on nice little carts.



Is your Thor an aluminum body? nice job restoring it BTW.

Thanks drives. Yes it has a full aluminum body.

 

[bagged89s10]

Bagged: i think i have 3 or 4 Thor 1/4 HP aluminum bench grinders i'm going to spiff up and sell some day. i found a few in dentist's offices on nice little carts.

Is your Thor an aluminum body? nice job restoring it BTW. i might have kept and swapped out the tool rests with a block for future use if it was me because they look like they would work a lot better than a flat surface.

maybe ask your friend or client if they mind you swapping if you can get another set to fit?

Those would be a pain to fit on one of my block grinders. I would be better off making some.

 

[woody 73]

Good Job

 

[harleybuilder]

Looks great, awesome color choice.

 

[timbitca]

Great job on that resto, I like the looks of that grinder.

 

[Maui]

That would look absolutely awesome in a garage. What specific brand and color of paint did you use?

Maui

 

[bagged89s10]

That would look absolutely awesome in a garage. What specific brand and color of paint did you use?



Maui

Rustoleum cobalt blue metallic

 

[motofool33]

nicely done, wish it was mine.

 

[bonneyman]

Thanks. Yeah you just get cheap underpowered, overrated Chinese made junk. That's what got me into restoring old American tools.

^ This

 

[930dreamer]

Nice resto work on the Thor grinder.

 

[bagged89s10]

Good Job

Looks great, awesome color choice.

Great job on that resto, I like the looks of that grinder.

That would look absolutely awesome in a garage. What specific brand and color of paint did you use?



Maui

nicely done, wish it was mine.

Nice resto work on the Thor grinder.

Thanks for all the compliments.

 

[torqueman2002]

While I was visiting OWWM/VM site I found some documents on Thor.

http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1985&tab=3

This one is for bench grinders.
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=2439

 

[zkling]

I like how the toolrest has v grooves for drill sharpening.

Untill you try and actually use them. Easier and more accurate to do them free handed.

Thanks. Yeah you just get cheap underpowered, overrated Chinese made junk. That's what got me into restoring old American tools.

I know people like to throw this around a lot, but IMHO the only thing that really has going for it is style. It was never an industrial machine. Not trying to belittle your machine, just a dose of reality. I too like the blue color.

 

[exmaxima1]

I know people like to throw this around a lot, but IMHO the only thing that really has going for it is style. It was never an industrial machine. Not trying to belittle your machine, just a dose of reality. I too like the blue color.

I had a similar Thor grinder and know exactly what you mean. They sure are pretty, though. It sounds like you may owned one as well.

 

[bagged89s10]

Yeah I agree with zkling and enmaxima. They are light duty homeowners machines. They do look pretty cool though.

 

[torqueman2002]

Bench Grinder - $15 (Pinconning/Bentley) Saginaw, MI Craigs Lisr

http://saginaw.craigslist.org/for/5221831296.html

 

[404]

bagged89s10, Great job. How did you remove the drive rivets that held the metal tag on to the machine?

 

[bagged89s10]

bagged89s10, Great job. How did you remove the drive rivets that held the metal tag on to the machine?

Thanks 404. I just punched them out from underneath. I was able to reuse the originals as well.