8" GMF Bench Grinder Restoration

[CAOS]

Hey everyone,

I had posted my latest find in the garage sale thread, there seemed to be some interest in the restoration of my 8" GMF bench grinder. I spent a few hours last night trying to find some information on this company or any info on its age. Needless to say, I couldn't find really anything. The grinder was made in Sydney, Australia by GMF who was later bought out by a company named Betts.

The grinder has been disassembled and has been stripped with aircraft stripper.

I haven't decided on a color yet, it will likely be a hammer tone or wrinkle finish.

 

[CAOS]

Also, I did find this image showing what the grinder came with. Its really to bad its missing the side rests and the water cups.

 

[cowboy73]

That is a cool looking grinder! It looks tons better with the old paint stripped off. You might be able to fab up the missing pieces. The water trays wouldn't be too difficult.

 

[nine4gmc]

Holy **** that's cool, can't wait to see it finished! Maybe you can fab up or have someone fab up some side rests and dip trays to look similar since you have a pic reference to go by.

 

[CAOS]

Holy **** that's cool, can't wait to see it finished! Maybe you can fab up or have someone fab up some side rests and dip trays to look similar since you have a pic reference to go by.

Yea, I've been tossing the idea around. I do have a cnc plasma table i could use. I'll just work on getting it painted first and knock out a stand for it, thats the part I am looking forward to do.

Decided i am going to finally put this to use as the base of a stand.

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

wow! looking great

 

[CNGsaves]

OP . . . that IS going to turn out monumental . . . I can tell already !!

But hey, you can't tease us with that AWESOME gear you plan on using for base of stand. WHAT did that HUGE Beast come from??

More info on the gear please !

 

[CAOS]

OP . . . that IS going to turn out monumental . . . I can tell already !!

But hey, you can't tease us with that AWESOME gear you plan on using for base of stand. WHAT did that HUGE Beast come from??

More info on the gear please !

Hey, thanks!

All I know about the gear is that is weighs 133 lbs and I paid around $31.00 CAD for it. Oh and it was REALLY hard trying to manhandle it down from about 15' up the scrap metal pile, at the local scrap yard. Didn't want to drop it, just incase it got damaged. I was hoping there would be a matching shaft, or at least the first part with the splines. It would have made an awesome connection point.

Then again if I had found the shaft it would have become an end table for the deck.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

That gear is awesome! Please paint to match stand/grinder combo!

 

[humber2]

Also, I did find this image showing what the grinder came with. Its really to bad its missing the side rests and the water cups.

We learn something new every day here,

Side rests didn't come with basic model.

Another extra available was LH and RH shaft extensions to mount polishing mops.

Interesting that an Australian company made 60 Hz motors to export to Nth America.

Normally 50 Hz, 240 Volt 2950 rpm.

Guessing about 1980 manufacture, that Mark 3 may mean more to someone.

At least 3 sizes made, 6 8 and 10" models in single and 3 phase options.

 

[Faisal]

Woooow that's great job ,

i like the wooden stand idea and i think the hammer tone is the best color !
and i will make research for you about this GMF Grinder

by the way what did you use in fifth picture to remove the paint ?

 

[Moose364]

That's really nice, can't wait to see what you do with it,

 

[Faisal]

i found this in ebay
Vintage 1984 GMF BENCH GRINDERS Advertisement BETTS ELECTRICAL MOTORS

i think the company name is BETTS ELECTRICAL MOTORS

 

[tedsters]

that is gonna be sweet can't wait to see it finished that is cool looking

 

[CAOS]

i found this in ebay
Vintage 1984 GMF BENCH GRINDERS Advertisement BETTS ELECTRICAL MOTORS

i think the company name is BETTS ELECTRICAL MOTORS

"In the early 1980's Betts Electric Motors purchased GMF Electric Motors, of Arncliffe, NSW who were also an Australian manufacturer and not long after acquired the Australian fractional horsepower division of Crompton Parkinson."


The best way to date this grinder, would be to contact CSA standards council of Canada. As the grinder has a CSA number. They do have a search function their website, but it doesn't come up with anything on this grinder.

Thanks for doing your own search, I had also found those pictures. That is really all I could find as well.


I started throwing some primer on parts of the grinder yesterday, still havnt settled on a color, but I have a few in mind. Hammertone is one of the options.

 

[CAOS]

Woooow that's great job ,

i like the wooden stand idea and i think the hammer tone is the best color !
and i will make research for you about this GMF Grinder

by the way what did you use in fifth picture to remove the paint ?

This has me really confused, who came up with the wooden stand idea? Haha!

 

[Faisal]

This has me really confused, who came up with the wooden stand idea? Haha!

still you didn't answer my question
what did you use in fifth picture to remove the paint ?

 

[CAOS]

still you didn't answer my question
what did you use in fifth picture to remove the paint ?

Oh sorry, missed that.

This is what I used. Just make sure to wear a mask with chemical rated filters and DO NOT get it on your skin.

http://www.proformproducts.com/en/p...ducts/paint-stripper/aircraft-paint-stripper/

 

[humber2]

The GMF Canadian agency listed 40 years ago...

Canada Electric Sales
67 Penn Drive
Weston
Ontario

 

[CAOS]

A bit of an update today, went out and picked up some new hardware. Decided to go with stainless cap bolts, stainless washers and lock washers. The local bolt supply didn't have stainless counter sunk in stock though.

I am not sure if this is very accurate at dating the grinder, but all of the hardware on the grinder is imperial. According to wikipedia Australia started going metric in 1970. Does this date the grinder pre 1970? Possibly.

I started coating some of the parts with primer sealer and priming some others. The sealer is the lighter color of the grinder body, the bottom is coated in the darker primer.

I picked up some paint today, not totally sold on it yet though. All I will say is that its an OEM Toyota color.

Also, a plain square mounting plate won't do. It needs to fit the contours of the grinder base to fulfill my OCD needs.

Heres a few pics:

 

[Outlawmws]

Caos, I'm loving the gear! If I had that gear it would be heading for a vise stand though!

Project is looking GOOD! Can't wait to see in finished!

 

[Strouty]

Nice job, keep the updates coming. I love when people resurrect old iron!

 

[CAOS]

Caos, I'm loving the gear! If I had that gear it would be heading for a vise stand though!

Project is looking GOOD! Can't wait to see in finished!

I already have a nearly 300 lbs stand for my 6" Record vise.

I am starting to persuade myself in building a more retro styled pedestal for this grinder.

Decisions, decisions.

The base and pipe are filled with steel shot.

 

[Outlawmws]

I already have a nearly 300 lbs stand for my 6" Record vise.

I am starting to persuade myself in building a more retro styled pedestal for this grinder.

Decisions, decisions.

Yeah, I stopped by the local CAT place, which has a repair shop to ask if they happened to have an old track layer bogie or drive wheel awaiting the scrapper, they were cool about it and checked, but no go. So I'll continue to stop in once in a while and see if I get lucky.

I do like the retro stand idea.

 

[CAOS]

Yea, they seem to be very hard to come by. I like to think I am pretty dedicated rummager at the local scrap yard and can never seem to find any more.

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

If that gear does indeed weigh 133 lbs there is a very good chance that it is the primary reduction gear out of a John Deere 450 series bulldozer. That's the exact weight listed in the service advisor program. It's a beast! You may want to mount the gear on a round piece of plate, the teeth will do a real number on the floor any time it rocks.

I may have access to a few track idler wheels in the next few weeks...

 

[CAOS]

If that gear does indeed weigh 133 lbs there is a very good chance that it is the primary reduction gear out of a John Deere 450 series bulldozer. That's the exact weight listed in the service advisor program. It's a beast! You may want to mount the gear on a round piece of plate, the teeth will do a real number on the floor any time it rocks.

I may have access to a few track idler wheels in the next few weeks...

Thats what the scale said at the scrap yard.

 

[jkuc003]

What a coincidence, I have the same 6" record vice and 8" GMF grinder and am working on matching stands for them both. I'm pretty sure the GMF had been sitting in a box for the past 30 odd years because it's like new, paint looks original and is a hammer tone light green. I'm not sure if you've finished your grinder and stand yet but if so have you noticed much vibration while grinding?

What is the diameter of that gear? And the base on your vice stand? I came across some round steel plates that were cut outs from flanges, 50mm thick by 500mm diameter, they weight about 80kg each so hopefully they will help attenuate any vibrations whilst grinding and cutting stock in the vice. Along with some 100x100x9 SHS for the uprights and perhaps some concrete they should come in at a similar weight to your vice stand.

Would be cool to see any progress you've made since your last post, could come in handy for my build

Thanks in advance
Jacob

 

[exmaxima1]

I'm not sure if you've finished your grinder and stand yet but if so have you noticed much vibration while grinding?

What is the diameter of that gear? And the base on your vice stand? I came across some round steel plates that were cut outs from flanges, 50mm thick by 500mm diameter, they weight about 80kg each so hopefully they will help attenuate any vibrations whilst grinding and cutting stock in the vice.

Have you tried running the grinder motor w/o the wheels to sort out the vibration? If it runs smooth, then it is surely the wheels. Check for wobble, as that needs to be addressed first. Then true the wheels with a diamond dresser, and the vibration should go away.

 

[jkuc003]

Have you tried running the grinder motor w/o the wheels to sort out the vibration? If it runs smooth, then it is surely the wheels. Check for wobble, as that needs to be addressed first. Then true the wheels with a diamond dresser, and the vibration should go away.

Sorry, my grinder doesn't have any vibration, I hadn't made a pedestal before and wasn't sure if there would be any vibration as it's not fastened to the floor and whilst grinding you often get a bit of chatter.

I've finished welding them up now and they're ****** heavy, not sure yet what paint I will use, but for now, they will do the job.