Baldor Grinder Rehab

[Chasbec]

Hi guys. This is my first time posting here. I kept stumbling onto this site because I'm interested in tools (especially good old American tools) and every time I'd do some research, I'd end up on this site.

Anyway, I found an old Baldor "Big Red" 812 RE Bench Grinder/Buffer for sale in a local pawn shop. It seemed to run perfectly, and the price was a real bargain. I brought it home and went to work on it, cleaned it, stripped it, regreased the bearings, ordered some parts and painted it up. Here are some before and after pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111620886502496989334/Grinder

Now I have to decide if I should keep or or sell it. I'm having a hard time finding values for comparable machines on Craigslist or Ebay. If anyone has any ideas of what this is worth, or where i can find a value, I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[Zeke]

Very nice and nice shop as well. I have the same model and I wouldn't sell mine. Smoothest one I have out of 3 different kinds.

 

[zkling]

Nice grinder, great job on the repaint. I would definitely keep it. You will never get the $ out of it compared to the time and money investment you put into it. If you don't need it, sell it I guess, but you are not sitting on a gold mine FYI.

 

[Zeke]

zkling, what is a 'gold mine' in terms of selling price? I was thinking $150 for one that size.

 

[zkling]

zkling, what is a 'gold mine' in terms of selling price? I was thinking $150 for one that size.

And I think you are spot on. Just the way the OP worded it, to me it read. "I think this is more valuable than what my searches are returning"

 

[lilredex]

Welcome, and that is a great job you did on it. A quick check shows those selling in the $7-1200 range new... think I'd be keeping that one. It looks to be fairly new.

 

[woody 73]

I own several of them because I am always having to sharpen my lathe tools and they are very nice grinders. If I were in your shoes I would not be selling it because they can be sometimes hard to come by (because guys hold on to them, they know a good thing when they see it).

But then again if you need the Money $150 is a good starting price and it will sell fast.

 

[cclfn]

Hi guys. This is my first time posting here. I kept stumbling onto this site because I'm interested in tools (especially good old American tools) and every time I'd do some research, I'd end up on this site.

Anyway, I found an old Baldor "Big Red" 812 RE Bench Grinder/Buffer for sale in a local pawn shop. It seemed to run perfectly, and the price was a real bargain. I brought it home and went to work on it, cleaned it, stripped it, regreased the bearings, ordered some parts and painted it up. Here are some before and after pics:


Now I have to decide if I should keep or or sell it. I'm having a hard time finding values for comparable machines on Craigslist or Ebay. If anyone has any ideas of what this is worth, or where i can find a value, I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks,
Chuck

Hey Chuck,

Welcome to the fun

Great post and a wonderful grinder restoration. If you keep hanging around here you will never get rid of it. I have six or seven grinders now and I didn't have any when I joined this group. The problem is guys like you post these really cool looking pieces and then I have to have one of those too.

I sold eight in Baldor grinder to a friend that really needed on for his shop telling myself I would find another one, while seven grinders later and I haven't found a good deal on a 6" or 8" Baldor yet. I would at least keep it until you find another project, of course I am sick


Wes

 

[tedsters]

welcome to the forum nice grinder and you did a very nice job on it

 

[oldldh]

As for the grinder---

Ya dun gud, Bubba!!!

As for keeping it or selling it...Keep it---Use it---What would have to pay for a real good grinder, when you need one, and you don't have it anymore???

Welcome to the Forum!!!

 

[PugetDude]

One more vote for "keep it"

You can't replace it for for what you have in it, and you wouldn't be able to find anything close to the same quality...unless you stumble across another used Baldor.

 

[Chasbec]

Thanks for your feedback guys. The only used one I could find for sale looks VERY used and has not been refurbished. To me, it seems very pricey. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BALDOR-812R...997?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a08638e5. Needless to say though, it has been for sale for awhile now, with no takers. If I could get that kind of money, it would be very tempting.

I bought a new Craftsman grinder about ten years ago. Brought it home, set it up and started to sharpen a chisel on it. The thing immediately stalled with very light pressure so I packed it up and brought it back to the store. I vowed at the time, that the next time I buy a grinder, it would be a good one. So, I guess this one is going to be a keeper.

Chuck

 

[lilredex]

This is what came up here.......next to new on Ebay is $700, others more.

Don't know what you paid, but based on my experience with a 6", I'd definitely keep it.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Bald...4YH4Bw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAA&biw=1366&bih=605&dpr=1

 

[Trey T]

can uou post the photos on this forum instead?

 

[larryq]

Great restoration, count me in with the crowd that says 'keep it'. How did you get the new eyeguards? Baldor charges an arm and a leg for replacements, so I hear.

 

[Chasbec]

Great restoration, count me in with the crowd that says 'keep it'. How did you get the new eyeguards? Baldor charges an arm and a leg for replacements, so I hear.

I found them on E-Bay. They were new, with the paper masking still on the lenses. The kit also included new spark arrestors which were missing off the machine when I bought it so that worked out well. $50 for the lot.

 

[Chasbec]

can uou post the photos on this forum instead?

I'll give it a shot. Here goes...

BEFORE:​

View media item 34482

DURING:​

View media item 34483

AFTER:​

View media item 34484View media item 34485

 

[rusty65]

Nice job on restore. I agree with the others with the time invested you would never really be able to make much back and how much space does a grinder really take up?

 

[Trey T]

stands really proud now! GJ!

 

[7th Kahuna]

Welcome to GJ. Beautiful job on the restoration.

I agree that you should keep it, unless you truly have no use for it or until you find something more to your liking. I have a great old Craftsman grinder but still regret passing up a $25 Baldor (like yours) before I knew any better.

 

[bonneyman]

Bright red in all it's glory! Nice job!

P.S. I'd keep it if I were you.

 

[Chasbec]

Bright red in all it's glory! Nice job!

P.S. I'd keep it if I were you.

Thank you. I tried to keep the color as close to original as possible. It took four attempts to paint. The first time I used red brake caliper paint from the auto parts store, figuring it would be very durable. It was a good color match but I thought it was too high gloss. The second time I actually purchased "Big Red" paint in a rattle can from Baldor (they really, REALLY bent me over for it). Nice color of red, but it was the worst spray paint I've ever used. It dripped splattered and spat all over everything and made a total mess . I sanded that off, then used a Krylon satin red. The color on the cap was perfect, unfortunately the color of the actual paint wasn't even close. More like a brownish - reddish - pink. So finally now, it's just good ol' Rustoleum red and that's how it's going to stay.

 

[Packard V8]

You can take my grinders when you pry them from my cold dead fingers!

That Baldor is the best home shop grinder money can buy and they are scarce. Those saying $150 seem low to me. I know I'd be buying every quiet running 8" I could find for that price.

jack vines