Anybody have a Wolf Brand Bench Grinder with a bad switch? Let's Fix it.

[Brazen Bull]

I have an England made 110v 6" bench grinder probably 50's vintage.
Long story short, they are nice smooth running attractively designed machines.
The switch they chose ***** and usually breaks, which probably sends a lot of these to the dumpster and scrap yard.
More bright folks have simply installed a chrome flip switch (that sticks out like Pinocchio's nose)and been done with it.
I noticed the spacing for the bolt holes was familiar. Sure enough if I cut the wings off a wall switch, and enlarged the holes it all ready has, it fits right in.
This was just a try out.
I'm going to pull the switch back out and hammer the wings flat and than enlarge the rectangular hole in the original brass plate and see how it looks.

 

[neilreeveszz]

Nice save!

Far be it from me to talk about doing things "by the book" or "according to code" or "best practice", etc. Many times I have used what I had at hand with great success. But if one is going to take the time to install a snap switch (which I heartily endorse) one might look into using a motor rated switch. Admittedly the in rush current of this small bench grinder might well be handled by the switch you have already modified which renders my comments more academic than practical. I only bring it up because I have personally experienced failure in a non-motor rated switch in an application which called for a motor rated switch.

 

[Brazen Bull]

neilreeveszz, I thought about it. The thing is only rated for 3 amps, and the switch I specifically chose (I didn't want to put china **** in here) is rated for 10 amps.
Its one of the old click-clackity kind of wall switches which is happy enough with DC too.
I fixed this for my personal use and to only be used by me, and never to be sold.
I care about practicality and being safe. This isn't pretty, but it is safe. I don't care what the "according to code" dancing queens have to say about my crusty repair.

 

[Brazen Bull]

Off camera the plug disintegrated and I had to replace it. And this thing was out in the rain and the weather before I got it.
So when I turned it on after drying it off, all the water in the grinding wheels (which soaked it up like dry sidewalk) was forced out and created a cold humidifier effect until it was all gone.

 

[Brazen Bull]

After sleeping on it, I don't think my fix is very elegant. I'll do better guys.
At least it works.

 

[Brazen Bull]

Holy **** gents! No wonder the original switch failed, the lime-eaters were foolhardy enough to put in a 5amp switch that is built like it belongs on a table lamp from the 40's! Can you imagine this poor crappy grandma Mildred 5amp switch taking the inductive surge of this motor starting up??? No wonder it smells cooked on top of being totally dead!
AND they covered the screw contacts in an envelope of paper but bolted to the frame with the twin death ******* coming off the big antiquated box capacitor is only a quarter of an inch away from the metal! Silly English.

 

[neilreeveszz]

I think that your fix is practical and with the addition of an oval shaped escutcheon plate it would be elegant in my view.

After many decades of working the trades, I have quite a collection of bosses, coworkers, apprentices, and friends that would laugh uproariously at the idea that I was talking safety but here's another on which I can speak from experience. In Fairbanks, Alaska we had a big flood in 1967 and the vast majority of what my family owned was underwater. My father pointed me to a pallet of electric motors and bench grinders that had been totally submerged for many days and told me to go through them and clean them up and determine their fitness. This was considered fill-in work and much of it did not get done for a couple of years. My father insisted on ring testing all the grinder wheels that were saturated and then froze during the winter. Several wheels failed the ring test, no doubt due to the expansion of the water in the wheels.. Those wheels that failed the ring test were carefully marked and still sit on the shelf waiting to go to work on a hand crank grinder where if they fly apart, no one will get hurt. I think it's safe to say that is my granddaughter's worry, not mine.

I only subject you to this long drawn out story to encourage you to ring test your wheels. It is so easy to do at home with no cash outlay and if they pass, you will know you're good to go and if they fail you'll be delighted to buy a new wheel.

 

[Brazen Bull]

Ahhhh man! I spent a whole hour gents taking the rusted on tool rests OFF. I soaked them in WD-40 and put a big socket over it and tapped at it with a hammer than sanded the exposed part as it moved in and more WD-40. Than I did more polishing with glass mat sand paper and finally pried them off with a claw hammer.
Yuck! than I polished the inside of the hex holes than the hex shafts. Than I ran into a problem where the right one, when I tightened down the set screw/bolt it was still loose! The screw/bolt wasn't screwing in all the way and touching anything.
Forced it through the last bit of thread, cleaned everything with WD-40 and now the right holder is too tight on the hex shaft!!??
I think I warped it. The left one slid up and down the right hex shaft no problem butter smooth.
Man I had to manually polish the inside of the right hex hold with my finger and that glass sand paper.
I think years ago, the original owner or whatever never did tighten it down, and just jammed the sucker on there and that is where it seized with time.

What a nugget!

 

[Brazen Bull]

Now that im done getting this old rocket red nugget workin', whats a grinder for?

 

[dutchgray]

Holy **** gents! No wonder the original switch failed, the lime-eaters were foolhardy enough to put in a 5amp switch that is built like it belongs on a table lamp from the 40's! Can you imagine this poor crappy grandma Mildred 5amp switch taking the inductive surge of this motor starting up??? No wonder it smells cooked on top of being totally dead!
AND they covered the screw contacts in an envelope of paper but bolted to the frame with the twin death ******* coming off the big antiquated box capacitor is only a quarter of an inch away from the metal! Silly English.

Switch was probably ok in the domestic market for these since we are on 240v so it will be pulling half the amps that yours is, that said its still a weak point and you see a lot over here with replacement switches, but the switches aren't sealed, are used in a dirty environment and probably never get looked at until they break.
The 3 phase ones have rotary switches with big contacts, they still give trouble for the same reasons.
I would fit a modern DOL motor starter since its just better.

You do have to remember these 6" Wolf grinders were one of the more budget options available, found in car garages and light industry and small workshops, proper heavy industry used much better stuff.
Wolf made a fair amount of power tools aimed at the non professional market, although most of it is pretty good stuff, very similar to Black and Decker or Stanley Bridges at the time.

 

[Brazen Bull]

Switch was probably ok in the domestic market for these since we are on 240v so it will be pulling half the amps that yours is, that said its still a weak point and you see a lot over here with replacement switches, but the switches aren't sealed, are used in a dirty environment and probably never get looked at until they break.
The 3 phase ones have rotary switches with big contacts, they still give trouble for the same reasons.
I would fit a modern DOL motor starter since its just better.

You do have to remember these 6" Wolf grinders were one of the more budget options available, found in car garages and light industry and small workshops, proper heavy industry used much better stuff.
Wolf made a fair amount of power tools aimed at the non professional market, although most of it is pretty good stuff, very similar to Black and Decker or Stanley Bridges at the time.

I like my English made vintage vices.
England used to have good foundries.