1939 (maybe) Black & Decker Special 6 Type A Grinder Restoration Thread

[thehorse13]

Today I started yet another project in the shop. I picked up what I thought was a 1920s Black & Decker Type A grinder but it seems as if this one is from the 1930s. If anyone can confirm the date, I would certainly appreciate it. Thus far, I have one guess of 1939 but nothing definitive as of right now.

The major parts have been pulled apart and I will go through the usual cleaning, polishing, inspection and painting processes. Some of you may recognize my new old stock Proto 5249 3/8ths ratchet seeing service use on this restoration. For those of you not in-the-know, it came to me from a flea market haul from a retired Bell Systems line man. For those with a really keen eye, you might also spot a Proto adjustable wrench along with a pre-patent 1/2 inch Craftsman fine tooth round head ratchet.

As expected, the wiring is shoddy and will need to be gone through completely. I also expect to find bearings that require replacement. Once I get to that point I will be turning to you fine folks for assistance sourcing a set of bearings.

As for right now, here are some pictures from the start of this adventure. Hopefully this restoration goes well.

 

[thehorse13]

Today I began stripping 100 year old paint off of the grinder base. After getting down to bare metal, I found what looks like a date stamp. 1926 perhaps? Maybe I was right all along. I looked at an ad for a 1/4 horse Black & Decker grinder in a 1926 Saturday Evening Post and it looks almost identical.

The search continues...

 

[woody 73]

Just a start for good bearings:

http://www.accuratebearing.com/

 

[Zeeman]

Cool. I'll be watching this thread.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

1939 (maybe) Black & Decker Special 6 Type A Grinder Restoration Thread

Very nice. I have one of those.

NOS

Edit. Yours may be earlier than mine. I think the changed the direction of the handle at some point.

 

[thehorse13]

Here is the ad I mentioned earlier. Of course the 1/4 horse grinder is the one all the way in the background but you can zoom in and see that the shape is the same. It also has what appears to be a carry handle as well.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up what I thought was a 1920s Black & Decker Type A grinder but it seems as if this one is from the 1930s. If anyone can confirm the date, I would certainly appreciate it. Thus far, I have one guess of 1939 but nothing definitive as of right now.

Horse,

I think I can get you to at least January 1944, definitively.

I have a January 1944 and a February 1945 edition of the U.S. Navy Aviation Supply Office Catalog Class 40, which contains all types of Machine Tools (lathes, drill presses, boring machines, etc). Your grinder appears in both editions.

Just for cred, here is the cover of the February 1945 copy.

Here is an excerpt from page 9.

I could be mistaken, but that sure looks like your grinder.

Not sure what makes it "Special" (as indicated by the data tag on your machine), but the rest of the data tag (if I'm reading it accurately from the photo) seems to agree with the voltage, cycle, and RPM specifications in the Class 40.

Note that there is no illustration for the Eight-Inch Grinder below it. Note, however, that the description for the Eight-Inch Grinder says, "Resembles 6-inch type illustrated above." Note that while I did not include it in my scan, there is also a Ten-Inch Grinder on the same page, and it includes the same reference to the 6-inch grinder illustration. You should understand that this is very common throughout the entire catalog, not just the Class 40, but the Class 41 (Hand Tools) and all the other supply classes, conserving space and pages.

Finally, note that while there is no supplier reference for the Six-Inch Grinder, there is for the Eight-Inch Grinder directly below it: "Black & Decker"!

Here is the relevant page in the earlier version of the catalog. I am including it because it has a crisper photo, and I led with the other one because I noticed the description didn't include the RPM spec for some reason. Little discrepancies like that are not uncommon between the two, but that is obviously the same grinder.

Lastly, I do have a wartime Black & Decker catalog at home. I will check it later. That won't put it any closer to the 1930's for you, but I'm sure you'd want to see it in the B&D catalog, if it's there.

 

[thehorse13]

Horse,

I think I can get you to at least January 1944, definitively.



Lastly, I do have a wartime Black & Decker catalog at home. I will check it later. That won't put it any closer to the 1930's for you, but I'm sure you'd want to see it in the B&D catalog, if it's there.

Awesome!

Thank you for the info. It matches up with the original owner's past WWII military service. Many of his items appear to have followed him home when the war ended. A good number of the hand tools I bought are the no warranty variety with US military only part numbers.

It also looks like I will need to be extra careful with the center band on the grinder. The pictures show that it should not be painted. I wonder what I will find underneath the paint.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Horse,

Your grinder was in my wartime B&D catalog. In fact, it looks the U.S. Navy ASO borrowed the photograph from the B&D catalog for their Class 40 catalog, which is typical. (I have found many instances of the same practice with Snap-On, Bonney, and many other mfgrs.)

I noted that your grinder has two data plates, and the grinder in the catalog has only one. That could be an insignificant discrepancy between marketing and production, or it could be an indication that your grinder is older.

My B&D catalog is missing its cover, and there are no dates on it, but this notice - a War Production Board limitation order - is commonly and only found in catalogs printed in 1942 through 1945.

.

 

[thehorse13]

Horse,

Your grinder was in my wartime B&D catalog. In fact, it looks the U.S. Navy ASO borrowed the photograph from the B&D catalog for their Class 40 catalog, which is typical. (I have found many instances of the same practice with Snap-On, Bonney, and many other mfgrs.)

I noted that your grinder has two data plates, and the grinder in the catalog has only one. That could be an insignificant discrepancy between marketing and production, or it could be an indication that your grinder is older.

My B&D catalog is missing its cover, and there are no dates on it, but this notice - a War Production Board limitation order - is commonly and only found in catalogs printed in 1942 through 1945.

Thanks for adding this information to the thread. I appreciate your contributions! I also have some updated news to add.

I got in touch with the guy who sold me the pile of items. He was kind enough to give me his information because he thought that there may be more items of interest buried in the house. He assured me that I would get first crack at buying anything that is on the list of items that interest me.

I found out that the original owner of this grinder was a Sgt. in the Army Air Corps, assigned to the motor pool in Hawaii, right before Pearl Harbor. This makes perfect sense given all of the US military marked hand tools that came home with me. This also means that the tools bore witness to the bombing, which adds a whole new level of awesome to these silent witnesses of history.

Apparently the Sgt. took home a large number of tools from the Hawaii station after the war because the Army planned on boxing everything up and selling it in bulk as surplus. The Sgt. felt that these items would better serve him back home so he gathered up a healthy pile of tools, including this grinder, and took them home in 1946. They remained with him until his passing.

 

[twertsy]

Thanks for adding this information to the thread. I appreciate your contributions! I also have some updated news to add.

I got in touch with the guy who sold me the pile of items. He was kind enough to give me his information because he thought that there may be more items of interest buried in the house. He assured me that I would get first crack at buying anything that is on the list of items that interest me.

I found out that the original owner of this grinder was a Sgt. in the Army Air Corps, assigned to the motor pool in Hawaii, right before Pearl Harbor. This makes perfect sense given all of the US military marked hand tools that came home with me. This also means that the tools bore witness to the bombing, which adds a whole new level of awesome to these silent witnesses of history.

Apparently the Sgt. took home a large number of tools from the Hawaii station after the war because the Army planned on boxing everything up and selling it in bulk as surplus. The Sgt. felt that these items would better serve him back home so he gathered up a healthy pile of tools, including this grinder, and took them home in 1946. They remained with him until his passing.

Now THAT is cool! I love it when stories go with the items we buy.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks for adding this information to the thread. I appreciate your contributions!

My pleasure. My father, several uncles, and a great aunt were WWII veterans. My WWII collection, probably like most WWII collections, started with their "take home" stuff. It's been a "calling" (the commander-in-chief of the house has other words for it...) ever since.

This makes perfect sense given all of the US military marked hand tools that came home with me.

I'd be very interested in seeing pictures of them when you get a chance. It could help with my research; and I might be able to help you identify them.

You may find this thread interesting:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=294074

 

[thehorse13]

Yea, this adds a new level of cool to this grinder. Interestingly, after restoration, it will live next to my Rock Island 574 vise which came from the original Navy munitions plant in Washington, D.C.. It wears a USN stamp along with a 9-44 date on the dynamic jaw. The son of that estate gave me the background story of the vise when I purchased it last year.

Through sheer luck, I'm acquiring many items from WWII wartime service.

 

[thehorse13]

My pleasure. My father, several uncles, and a great aunt were WWII veterans. My WWII collection, probably like most WWII collections, started with their "take home" stuff. It's been a "calling" (the commander-in-chief of the house has other words for it...) ever since.


I'd be very interested in seeing pictures of them when you get a chance. It could help with my research; and I might be able to help you identify them.

You may find this thread interesting:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=294074

Same here. Six men went from both sides of the family and all saw some of the worst combat in both theaters of war. Fortunately, all six came home and with plenty of Jap/Nazi/USGI loot.

The military stuff is easy to identify. They have the, "no warranty" stamp and the part numbers on the tools were only used for the US military. The Snap-On and MAC stuff all carry this pattern of markings. One example is the FV-67 and No Wty stamp on the Snap-On ratchet adapter.

If you pop over to my flea market finds thread, there are pictures of the hand tools that came along with this grinder.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The military stuff is easy to identify. They have the, "no warranty" stamp and the part numbers on the tools were only used for the US military. The Snap-On and MAC stuff all carry this pattern of markings. One example is the FV-67 and No Wty stamp on the Snap-On ratchet adapter.

By "identify" I wasn't referring to distinguishing civilian tools from military tools. I was referring to identifying the vintage and the application (which particular tool-set). No WWII tools from any mfgr were stamped "No Warranty" that I am aware of. These sound like KW era tools to me.

If you pop over to my flea market finds thread, there are pictures of the hand tools that came along with this grinder.

Will do.

 

[thehorse13]

I will get some close up pics over to you. Hopefully it can assist you in your research. Would you prefer PM or I can post to any thread that you have running on the topic.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Probably best to post in your thread, right? I was just about to comment on the tools you already posted pics of over there.

 

[thehorse13]

It's been a while since I have updated this thread so let's get that fixed.

I'm unsure what kind of paint was used on this grinder but it was one of the hardest I've ever tried to remove. It was very close to the thickness and durability of modern powder coating. Ultimately, several parts are ready for cleaning, prep and paint.

I have moved along to the motor and used an old trick that makes brass come back to life. I wanted the original badge to retain its vintage look but I also wanted it cleaned up. The solution? Ketchup. You heard me right. All you need to do is smear ketchup on the brass and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Wipe dry and presto, instant happy brass. I'm very satisfied with the cleanup.

In removing the axle, I ran across one problem. One of the chucks is frozen on and I'm hoping that kroil does the trick on the stubborn side. Once I get that sorted out, I can continue getting down to the bearings.

 

[thehorse13]

I've been making progress here and there on this restoration project.

I have several parts painted and ready to go along with the hardware all polished up. They look far better in person.

I have a few odds and ends to clean up and then I will be ready for wiring repairs and assembly.

 

[thehorse13]

Today I finished assembling the grinder. It looks pretty good to me.

The bad news is that I never ran the thing long enough to give it a good health check. The motor ran for a minute or two and I began to smell that horrible electric burning smell. A small swirl of smoke began to come out and I yanked the plug. The motor was extremely hot.

The motor only got out of the startup phase one time. The other few times I turned it on and off, it stayed in the start up stage.

I can't tell if the bearings are binding, the brushes are shot or if the windings are toast. Maybe it's all three.

Anyhow, I'm going to give it another tear down and take a close look. If I can't find the obvious issue, I will have to take it to a motor shop.

Any suggestions are appreciated and certainly welcome.

 

[thehorse13]

I tore down the grinder this morning after a sleepless night of running all the possibilities through my mind. A closer look exposed the issue and you can chalk this one up to, "I'm and idiot".

One of the old original nylon wrapped wires was not seated in its original race so it was binding up the brushes when centrifugal force was building. This, along with a little piece of electrical tape rubbing on the wire were the culprits. I removed the entire wire, soldered in a new one and ran the wire through the proper channel.

End result?

The little grinder runs glass smooth and immediately spins up to full speed. I ran it for 15 minutes and threw some test metal at it to chew on. Zero heat issues, no bogging down and it eats through metal like a champ. I also ran some rusty iron on the wire wheel side making sure to add some pressure and it didn't even blink as it blasted away the rust. Whew!

Now I have a few little items to finish up on it like sourcing a pair of rubber feet. I went to the hardware store expecting this to be something I could buy off the shelf but alas, no luck. Ebay has some Shanghai specials but I don't want to wait 6 to 8 weeks for delivery. Ah well. I will have to stumble upon them like everything else.

On to a vise restoration now.