I started lurking here a while back so I could learn about vintage Craftsman bench grinders. I settled on a "block" grinder and kept trying to score one from local estate sales, but they were always gone by the time I arrived. I finally found a "mailbox" grinder for sale online that I couldn't pass up. It was a commercial grade 397.19591. Although it had light corrosion in places, it had never even been assembled and many of the parts were still in their original wrapping. It was pricey, but I bought it and eagerly awaited its arrival.
When it was delivered, I found that the person who sold it to me had not bothered to put any cushioning in the bottom of the shipping box. Of course, it had been handled roughly by the carrier. The end result was a bent and cracked housing along with a warped shaft. That would have been bad enough if it had been a new grinder, but this was a vintage Craftsman. To me, it was like they had trashed a 1967 Stingray.
The seller and I resolved the financial part of the transaction, but the unusable grinder sat on my workbench for over a year. Finally, someone told me about an electric motor repair business in town that worked on vintage items like this. I dropped the grinder off at their shop hoping they could work a miracle, but they returned it to me with the advice to look for another one. (I did finally score a vintage 397. 19430 block grinder that I think I can live with, but it needs some cleanup.) I was about to take it to our county recycling unit when I thought about seeing what could be salvaged. Essentially, I was able to salvage everything except the cracked housing. I even kept the warped shaft because I don't know how to remove the bearings or the rotor from the shaft and thought they might still be useful.
If you're still reading, thanks. Ultimately, I've told this long story to get feedback from the experienced members here. I feel I've got a nice and nearly complete overhaul kit for a 397.19591 that someone would really find useful. What is a fair price for something like this? I can add photos if that would help, but I didn't want it to look like I was trying to skirt the classified rules since this is my first post and I need 4 more before I can even list in the classifieds. (I'm sure I'll be posting more as I finish outfitting and organizing my own external garage.) TIA
When it was delivered, I found that the person who sold it to me had not bothered to put any cushioning in the bottom of the shipping box. Of course, it had been handled roughly by the carrier. The end result was a bent and cracked housing along with a warped shaft. That would have been bad enough if it had been a new grinder, but this was a vintage Craftsman. To me, it was like they had trashed a 1967 Stingray.
The seller and I resolved the financial part of the transaction, but the unusable grinder sat on my workbench for over a year. Finally, someone told me about an electric motor repair business in town that worked on vintage items like this. I dropped the grinder off at their shop hoping they could work a miracle, but they returned it to me with the advice to look for another one. (I did finally score a vintage 397. 19430 block grinder that I think I can live with, but it needs some cleanup.) I was about to take it to our county recycling unit when I thought about seeing what could be salvaged. Essentially, I was able to salvage everything except the cracked housing. I even kept the warped shaft because I don't know how to remove the bearings or the rotor from the shaft and thought they might still be useful.
If you're still reading, thanks. Ultimately, I've told this long story to get feedback from the experienced members here. I feel I've got a nice and nearly complete overhaul kit for a 397.19591 that someone would really find useful. What is a fair price for something like this? I can add photos if that would help, but I didn't want it to look like I was trying to skirt the classified rules since this is my first post and I need 4 more before I can even list in the classifieds. (I'm sure I'll be posting more as I finish outfitting and organizing my own external garage.) TIA