let's see your craftsman block grinders

[McBrownie]

McBrownie That's great that you have you father's old saw. Nothing , but good memories I'll bet when you use it.

Absolutely. It’s a small 7-1/4” one, BUT the thing still scares me. Never had an accident and hope to never have one. I try to double and triple check everything. I’m pretty excited to see how it runs without a “ratchet arbor”.

 

[McBrownie]

Good Job!!!
Crazy only 1 bearing.
Where do you usually order your bearings from?
I always ordered from Lynn @ accurate, but we had a "falling out"
so I have been getting them from USA bearing, or USA bearing and belts, (something like that) on "the Bay"

Yep. Only one bearing by the blade and a bronze bushing at the other end of the motor stator. Homeowner grade, for sure. I just go to the bay and try to find the one I need. It’s a small saw, but it’s asking a lot from one bearing. I’ll check it more often from now on. More than once every 40 years, that is.

 

[jonshonda]

Jon: since McB posted about the same time as i did and posted the picture that doesn't get big i thought i'd post pictures so we can maybe help you if one of the guys sees anything else you should be aware of. of course if it's still available. it might not be the best grinder, but for 1/3 HP these old Blocks really do perform and they probably out perform the new 1/2 HP's and look a lot cooler. good luck.

After using my bench grinder recently on my Prentiss No95 restore, I realized I really would like a grinder that either has a unique mounting that hides it when not in use, or a grinder mounted away from my work bench to free up space. I am leaning towards mounting it away from my main bench to keep the bench free of debris from the grinder, but don't have a lot of free space for a remotely mounted grinder.

What I have learned is you f#ckers on GJ have produced yet another fuel in my ADD fire and given my new inspiration for old tools. When we bought our first house I was setting up my shop and was really looking for the best "bargain" tools, and bought them as needed based on the new projects I was working on. While I still acquire tools in the same fashion, I have learned to search GJ first for older vintage tools that I could buy at a bargain, then search modern if vintage is unattainable.

I am 35 years young and was just thinking that no one I know is into the kinds of things I am. Or if they are.....have no idea what good...better...best means. I am a millennial...probably one of few on this site.

 

[drivesitfar]

JON: you are far from RARE here on GJ in your age group, but you are learning what a lot of guys and gals your age never knew.

that said there are teenagers that have several thousand posts on GJ and i read most of them from a few of them cause they are teaching me (us).

best of luck with your seach and McB had a great hidden grinder set up on his wood bench if he wants to post a picture if he still has one or it's on this thread someplace before he built the BLOCKMEISTER. also look at a hitch type mount and i started a thread in fabrication section a few years ago that has a lot of vise and grinder stands and i think that is the title. i have to go put a new faucet in my daughter's kitchen or i'd look for the link to post or hope you find it. PM me if you can't find that thread.

if you find a 1/2 HP round top industrial block that is in decent shape it won't be super cheap, but it might be all the basic grinder any of us need.

McB: nice post about the BEARINGS and your Dad's old DP. got any pics left of your disappearing grinder on your old bench to post up?

 

[Outlawmws]

JH, look up the Black and Decker WorkMate thread (I know; ANOTHER thread to get sucked into... ) And I and others have posted where we mount the grinder (and other bench tools) onto a board, and with a cleat on the bottom set that up as a temporary work station for [Whatever; grinder chop saw, arbor press...]

One of the recent posts showed such a plate.

I went one step further and made a "book case" and those mounting plates are all the same width as the inside of the book case. With adjustable shelf standards, you can now rack those bench tools out of the way. Heck, add doors and its out of sight...

The WorkMate can also be hung out of the way. (also on the WM thread)

 

[jonshonda]

I have never identified as a millennial and typically can hold an intelligent conversation with old timers and I-gen's alike (that's the name for the latest generation btw). I have always said I know a little about a lot, but the internet and GJ have really helped fill my reserves with info.

Outlawmws; I will look more into some mounting options for various tools. I saw both a hinged mount that would work pretty good (a few posts down in the thread)https://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/470495-side-mount-bench-grinder.html, and a mount from our friends down under that could work with a lot of different tools. Its spendy but a great idea imho. http://www.v-lock.com.au/work.htm

 

[vertguy]

Reassembled the 1hp today and it runs perfect. I still need to clean up the lamp and source/make some tool rests, but happy with the result... especially compared to how it looked when I purchased it. A big thanks to Exmaxima1 for hooking me up with power cord strain relief.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Vertguy; looks great, did you replace bearings and if so, what method did you use?

 

[BRWEIDEM]

After using my bench grinder recently on my Prentiss No95 restore, I realized I really would like a grinder that either has a unique mounting that hides it when not in use, or a grinder mounted away from my work bench to free up space. I am leaning towards mounting it away from my main bench to keep the bench free of debris from the grinder, but don't have a lot of free space for a remotely mounted grinder.

What I have learned is you f#ckers on GJ have produced yet another fuel in my ADD fire and given my new inspiration for old tools. When we bought our first house I was setting up my shop and was really looking for the best "bargain" tools, and bought them as needed based on the new projects I was working on. While I still acquire tools in the same fashion, I have learned to search GJ first for older vintage tools that I could buy at a bargain, then search modern if vintage is unattainable.

I am 35 years young and was just thinking that no one I know is into the kinds of things I am. Or if they are.....have no idea what good...better...best means. I am a millennial...probably one of few on this site.

Jonshonda, I’ve got ya beat, 31 years young here and joined this community after I learned I would rather buy older American made tools rather than spend my money in a big box store on something subpar. What’s more, I find you can buy high quality tools and equipment from the past cheaper than you can buy the garbage made today. I also enjoy the thrill of the hunt. I just recently found a 3/4 HP block grinder for a good price and am proud to own it. I’m always on the hunt for a number of things.

I agree though, outside of this community I have yet to come across anyone in my age group interested in anything I mentioned here.

 

[exmaxima1]

Reassembled the 1hp today and it runs perfect. I still need to clean up the lamp and source/make some tool rests, but happy with the result... especially compared to how it looked when I purchased it. A big thanks to Exmaxima1 for hooking me up with power cord strain relief.

That turned out spectacular, good as new. You have the skills.

 

[vertguy]

Vertguy; looks great, did you replace bearings and if so, what method did you use?

Yep, both bearings were shot.

Removal: tapped on the shaft with the bearing supported in a large vise.

Install: heat/cold... heated the bearings with an old coffee cup warmer and put the shaft assembly in the freezer for a while. Bearings went on with a couple light taps.

Thanks EX!

 

[jonshonda]

Jonshonda, I’ve got ya beat, 31 years young here.

I don't know if there is room here for both of us!!

We might have to form a posse later in case there is an uprising from the old timers....so it is in our best interest to lay low until the time comes to fight!!

 

[McBrownie]

McB: nice post about the BEARINGS and your Dad's old DP. got any pics left of your disappearing grinder on your old bench to post up?

Drives,

Good thing GJ saves photos. This grinder is long gone as well as the workbench it was mounted to. I looked at doing the same thing with a 1/2hp round top and it's just too big to stuff under my new bench. The 6" 1/4hp Doerr in the picture was much more compact. Here are the pictures. You can see my first block grinder being torn down in the background!

View media item 41152View media item 41163View media item 41160

 

[drivesitfar]

McB: I LOVED THAT GRINDER DISAPPEARING STAND YOU BUILT!! thanks for finding the picture.

speaking of things i like that you've posted i think i read somewhere that you maybe made another addition to the BLOCKMEISTER so maybe a few pictures of it would be nice for me (us) to see. and some of the new guys might not know what you can do to a little BLOCK GRINDER.

cheers and thanks

 

[Outlawmws]

Well, I guess that solution presumes you actually have space under your bench!

 

[drivesitfar]

Outlaw: agreed and hence me not asking McB about more details, but i do like the look.

I don't have any space usually on TOP OF MY BENCHES either until i get a handle on my FSD (FLAT SURFACE DISEASE) that also carries on to the floor, shelves, bins and if i had a car parked in my garage other than my brides i'm sure that would count too.

ALL: speaking of bearings do most of you change the bearings on your blocks no matter if they still sound and appear to work ok?

any of you do a youtube video changing them or have a bunch or pictures and thoughts to write down on the process might help some of us that are not quite as handy?

thanks in advance!!

 

[lis2323]

I'm not feeling "Baldor" for the stand, but I agree it's worth at least $100. The top looks pretty wide, so good for a table; the base doesn't look as rounded as the nicer all-cast stands.

Agreed. I'm not getting the Baldor vibe either. Keep in mind Baldor offered the stand in all cast or stamped steel (considerably lighter and cheaper).

That said, it's still worth $100. Try making (a quality) one for that much. [emoji26]

Homemade stand (green) under the belt grinder. Cast OEM Baldor (gray) under the grinder.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I prefer to have my grinders on stands instead of the workbench for one simple reason. When you are grinding you don't want all that grit and slag to coat your workbench...

Mine are by the garage door, when I need to do some serious grinding I scoot the grinder just outside (if its warm enough) and use it there. Otherwise a piece of plywood behind it against the garage door keeps things clean and I can just vacuum up the ground afterwards.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

ALL: speaking of bearings do most of you change the bearings on your blocks no matter if they still sound and appear to work ok?
any of you do a youtube video changing them or have a bunch or pictures and thoughts to write down on the process might help some of us that are not quite as handy?

thanks in advance!!

The block jedi master has done a video 3 pack on said topic;
pt1

pt2

pt3

Thanks Mike!(Torqueman)

 

[drivesitfar]

Cajun: I probably should have looked at Doc's threads and videos before asking, but thanks for posting up a few of his videos he was able to make. that said unless he's putting the arbor in the freezer and just hand pulling off the bearings i'm not sure how some of you remove them. I'll do a bit more research, but if any of you have a favorite method and/or tool i might actually have a clean bench to do some work on my blocks this summer.

ALL: anybody have other wheels on their blocks besides wire and a few varieties of stone ones please post up those pictures and details if you have time. i'd love to have 5 of my blocks with 10 different wheels on them some day and maybe all with hitch mounts to change on one of my steel benches in a matter of minutes even though i like and own more than a few of the cool stands i just don't have the space.

 

[EOC_Jason]

ALL: anybody have other wheels on their blocks besides wire and a few varieties of stone ones please post up those pictures and details if you have time. i'd love to have 5 of my blocks with 10 different wheels on them some day and maybe all with hitch mounts to change on one of my steel benches in a matter of minutes even though i like and own more than a few of the cool stands i just don't have the space.

Stone wheels are really the only time-consuming ones that you need to balance. Once I get a stone dialed in, I rarely remove it... Others I swap out as-needed...

I have coarse & fine wire, unitized (there are also convolute) wheels these are better known as "deburring wheels" and look like a dense scotch-brite pad, and assorted buffing wheels.

 

[drivesitfar]

Jason: thanks and i'm hoping not to have to change wheels in the middle of a project some day so we'll see. i do like your idea on keeping the grinder on a stand near a door so you can keep the dust and debris off your bench. i also pull my little B&D (blasphamy i know) vintage grinder on it's stand and my baldor buffer outside to do work if it's going to be pretty messy. i also have a 1/2 hp block on a stand, but since it only has stones i don't usually grind things as much as i tend to clean or spiff them up.

thanks and i do have a few deburring wheels and i'm going to try one on my Baldor buffer and see how it works.

Cajun: this question came up by Merc on the garage thread when he found a NOS motor and he's wondering if he needs to take apart the motor and re grease or change bearings. Have you or anybody else thought of changing bearings on your NOS grinders if you are actually planning on using them and taking them out of their boxes?

thanks in advance for all the great thoughts!!

 

[torqueman2002]

Hey drives, cajun, and all ...

I have an old thread: 'CM Block Grinder bearing replacement - 3 methods', that I will update with non-PB hosted pictures, today.

Here's the link.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=328228

 

[cheechi]

5 grinders with different wheels. that's easy.

36 + 60 stones
100 + 150 stones
coarse + fine brass wire wheels
(coarse) straight + knotted steel wire wheel
80 stone + flap disc

If I get a fine steel wheel I'll move things around and remove the 80 grit stone. It's there just so that the grinder has some thing spinning on both sides.

There's also the possibility of a belt grinder if you have the power.

I saw where someone has a thin metal cutting blade on a grinder. I have a blade that I'm going to try sometime.

I've always been afraid to ask if this was a good idea. I'd like to know the results of your testing.

 

[drivesitfar]

Cheech: could i bother you to take and post up a couple (or more than a few) pictures of your grinders with all these different wheels on them. thanks!!

Doc: thanks for the threads and videos and i'll try to make more time to check them out. you're the best!!

ALL: while I've seen several member's grinders with cutting wheels on them they don't seem to use them much. i'm not so sure i'd like to have that set up especially when i have more than a few hand grinders and a couple cut off saws.

anybody else have more than a few bench grinders set up with different wheels please post up pics and details if you have the time too. thanks in advance!!

 

[torqueman2002]

drives, and all .... you are welcome.

I hope this is helpful to others.

I did this as a bit of a test, to get an idea of the time it would take to repost the pics. that are no longer viewable due to PB linking.

It took me about 2 hrs to find the pictures and edit that thread, with 29 or so pictures.

I can see reposting the pics. on an as-needed basis.

I'll 'fix' old posts as time permits, and requests are received.

Probably a post in this thread or a PM will have the best results.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I'll try to post pics of mine, I would really like to see Cheech's setup, especially the flap disc...

I just realized I got some brass wire wheels in the other week and never got a chance to install one. (Real solid brass wire, not the cheap brass coated steel ones)...

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Cajun: this question came up by Merc on the garage thread when he found a NOS motor and he's wondering if he needs to take apart the motor and re grease or change bearings. Have you or anybody else thought of changing bearings on your NOS grinders if you are actually planning on using them and taking them out of their boxes?

Uh, No, don't really plan on using them and actually never really thought about that....Dr Block, your thoughts on this subject of; NOS blocks and 30 year old unused bearings, is the grease shot and should these bearings on NOS blocks be changed, in your most humble opinion?

 

[McBrownie]

I prefer to have my grinders on stands instead of the workbench for one simple reason. When you are grinding you don't want all that grit and slag to coat your workbench...

Mine are by the garage door, when I need to do some serious grinding I scoot the grinder just outside (if its warm enough) and use it there. Otherwise a piece of plywood behind it against the garage door keeps things clean and I can just vacuum up the ground afterwards.

EOC, Great point. That is why my current grinders are nowhere near the work benches. I had forgotten about the mess they can make.

 

[torqueman2002]

cajun .... hmmm, that is a good question.

Is there a shelf life on a NOS bearing? The new bearings I've used come wrapped in a 'waxed' type of paper or plastic. So, I would think 40+ year old, properly stored bearings would be OK. That is, no evidence of water, etc ...

My guess is a NOS Block would be good to go.

Having said that, if I had a NOS Block and could bring myself to use it, I would want to at least verify the bearings were good.

 

[MercLSU]

You rang? I still need get off of my rear and post a thread on that motor, but it's a little different in that the bearings aren't sealed. I grew up on things with sealed bearings and generally if you pulled them off, it wasn't worth cleaning and regreasing them, especially since you typically compress some part of the bearing during removal. So to me it would be a question of do you use it as is or not? I don't guess you have much to lose, other than the bearings failing prematurely...in which case you can replace them. Maybe there's a chemist among us who can tell us what happens to grease of that vintage over time, in various conditions.

This motor obviously wasn't stored in a climate controlled environment (not bad at all though), but was definitely NOS...still bolted down to the wood base of the box and everything else appeared unused. What I need to understand better is why you'd have a bearing packed with grease but still have instructions on periodically oiling it. I'm guessing the oil keeps the grease from drying out and maintaining a proper viscosity? Probably best not to derail this thread as every block grinder I've ever seen used sealed bearings.

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm not so sure 40 yo NOS bearing ARE good to go without cleaning and repacking. While the bearing surfaces are probably not an issue, the validity of the grease still being an actual lubricant after 40 years isn't.

The greases I've see that are old, get old and some actually get crusty. Oils last longer, but still can age. They have volatile ingredients and over time they evaporate and its no longer a lubricant.

An installed bearing vs, a packaged bearing, If properly wrapped, I would give the wrapped bearing a higher chance of the grease having lasted. less chance for the grease to evaporate, but I bet it would still be somewhat degraded.

I would recommend at a minimum rotating the wheels by hand and get a feel for what the bearings are doing. Do they rotate freely; does it feel smooth?

On the other hand these are bearings, and if they do go bad, are easily replaced, as long as they don't seize and spin the races.

 

[exmaxima1]

cajun .... hmmm, that is a good question.

Is there a shelf life on a NOS bearing? The new bearings I've used come wrapped in a 'waxed' type of paper or plastic. So, I would think 40+ year old, properly stored bearings would be OK. That is, no evidence of water, etc ...

Most bearing manufacturers spec the shelf life of open bearings (like in block grinders) at 5-8 years. Sealed bearings might be twice that. That is with modern greases, many of them synthetic. It would be very unlikely that 40 year old dinosaur grease would still be good.

 

[MercLSU]

Mine are certainly closer to 80 years rather than 40...but I'm with the chorus, in that the likelihood of a bearing failing and falling apart / fusing immediately is unlikely so why not? My motor does run and make no noise while running...a slight noise while turning by hand but I believe that's minor corrosion on the rotor rather than the bearings.

Then again, I do have fond memories of a front wheel bearing on my '65 Mustang freezing while on I-10 near LSU...when all was said and done I scrapped the spindle after breaking two pullers trying to separate the spindle from the hub.

 

[jonshonda]

I am not familiar with the do's and don'ts of electrolysis...but could you dip them for a while to clean them up?

 

[exmaxima1]

Then again, I do have fond memories of a front wheel bearing on my '65 Mustang freezing while on I-10 near LSU...when all was said and done I scrapped the spindle after breaking two pullers trying to separate the spindle from the hub.

Been there, done that....

Heading out to Breckenridge to ski, 90 mph in a 455 Grand Am, about -10 degrees outside in the middle of Nebraska, and I'm hearing a noise from the front. Stop to take a look and see nothing; move 3 feet forward and the axle snaps off. Yep, bearings can weld onto the shaft.

 

[softailgarage]

I started yankiing down boxes for parts yesterday, found the pair of end frames & wheel guards with rear exhaust and another cord with a safer plug. Sanded down some minor chippage on the end frames, degreased, washed & primed everything (except the cord of course). Next I'll clean up the bearing lands in the frames, Bearings are good as usual (only once have I had to replace a Craftsman bearing) and clean up the stator shaft as well







And for whatever reason, the other pics failed uploading

 

[McBrownie]

Quick update: popped a new 6203ZZ into the old radial arm saw and it runs like new again. Easy and cheap fix at $8.

Drives has asked for an updated photo of the BlockMeister and there might be some newer members who weren't around when it was built. I still have it and use it regularly. My neighbor's reaction when I'm sharpening up their lawnmower blades is usually just "Wow!"

Here it is today, since it is warm enough to get out in the garage again:
View media item 79347
Here is what it looked liked when I got it:
View media item 44370
And this thread explains how it got from there to here:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277798

 

[drivesitfar]

McB: AWESOME and the BLOCKMEISTER might be the most expensive or maybe most talked about block here other than maybe Doc's GO BLUE, but there seems to be some chatter about Ziggy's restored 1HP and Cajun's pile of NOS blocks and others i'm sure i'm forgetting so i'll let other speak about your Blockmeister to hear what they say.

just curious have you had to change the belt and how often and do you have several grit belts or just the one and what grit?

thanks

Merc and others thanks for the conversation about new old stock bearings cause i've got a drawer full of them i'm not sure what to do with (just the bearings and not a drawer full of blocks like some own).

so maybe consensus is that if they sound ok and work ok to use them?

 

[jonshonda]

Just noticed the matainence guy at work has a 3/4hp industrial right next to a Wilton bullet vise. He knows his stuff!!