let's see your craftsman block grinders

[torqueman2002]

TM,
So, let's see. The trick is to publicly denounce buying anymore block grinders and then they fall into your lap? Is that your secret?

Me:

 

[drivesitfar]

TM: Sorry

 

[McBrownie]

I tried to send a pic. Don't know if it will work. Pic not grinder

Joe,

One of the last of the Blocks. Take a look at the following pages in this thread for some other examples:

page 80 #1596, page 84 #1878, and for a new in the box - page 98 #1946

Congrats!

 

[torqueman2002]

I tried to send a pic. Don't know if it will work. Pic not grinder

It's hard to tell what the model number is, from the pic.

I have a pic. from someone's previous post. Is yours this same model?

"A point of clarification. Sears sold many "block motor" designed grinders from several manufacturers, but the block design must be considered secondary. Of primary concern is the manufacturer. The best engineered, most durable, and desirable "Block Motor" grinders were made by Paramount/Allegretti & Co. These grinders have the 397 or 257 serial number prefixes."
http://tinyurl.com/Block-grinder-manufacturers

 

[torqueman2002]

TM: Sorry

All's good.

 

[jakemac]

Well, another 1/2 day I should've been out in the garage/shop but didn't make it there.

Just before turning off the Sunday morning car/truck shows, logging off the intranet, and heading out to there, I checked CL 1 last time. {I have people depending on me to find them grinders. }

Guess what jumped up at me.

I thought it must be a picture the seller downloaded, but at any rate, I was on my way and brought it home with in 3/4 of an hour. I paid the asking price.

I asked my usual question before I left the seller's front entryway - Do you have anything else for sale?

Yes, was the reply; step around to the garage.

I'll be back with what else I got for the extra $110 I left with him; after I get the pics off the camera.

It's best that I not comment further, for fear of getting banned.
There are no adjectives that adequately describe the suckage involved.

 

[pendragon1998]

Major, major suckage.

 

[txusa03]

TM, I just threw up my dinner

 

[nine4gmc]

Can we get a Craftsman family portrait Tman or does the wifey not know about your significant others?

 

[torqueman2002]

Thanks torqueman. I actually did some research and was able to find the answers I needed. The relay is either a starter current or potential relay, and takes the place of a mechanical centrifugal switch in controlling the start cap.

Edit: Also, I'm assuming that guy meant to say induction motor.

Lead - yes, the designers must have determined the cost benefit of a relay exceeded that of the start-up switch assembly.

Here's a good resource on induction motors, the link will open a PDF file.
http://tinyurl.com/AC-Induction-Motor-Fundamental
~AC Induction Motor Fundamentals
Microchip AN887
Author: Rakesh Parekh

 

[torqueman2002]

jakemac, pendragon1998, txusa03 - I appreciate the kind words.

Under the rules of Suckage Awarding, I would never ask for such an honor; but, once dispensed, please know I am very proud.

McB - I agree, there's a good supply of these Block grinders close to me. I wonder if all the auto industry related jobs and disposable income, generated a ready made market for Sears' well made tools back then.

bulletpruf - I apologize if we pulled the trigger too soon on your stand and 1/2 HP round top.

OLEJOE - I came across this additional information that may help us Block heads, figure out which are the sought after CM grinders. I don't have the source, I suspect it may be the same as the 1 I posted above for you.
"Overall, the "Block Motor" designs were also made by Rixon, Royal, and B&D -- just to name a few. These grinders do not have the higher quality field windings and castings that the Paramount/Allegretti units had."

 

[JCMTools]

Smokin' Joe grinder update:

Just when you thought it was safe to tiptoe through the dead grinder patch...

IT'S ALIVE!!!!

More details to come after I make dinner and kids are put to bed.

 

[McBrownie]

Smokin' Joe grinder update:

Just when you thought it was safe to tiptoe through the dead grinder patch...

IT'S ALIVE!!!!

More details to come after I make dinner and kids are put to bed.

Good news! I'm starting to pick up on a trend of the contributors on this thread. Proclamation of "I'm not buying anymore grinders" and then stumbles into the haul of the year. And now a "My grinder is broken" I assume to be followed with "Not only did it start running, but it spits out gold coins every few revolutions." Can't wait to hear the details.

 

[nine4gmc]

In for details

 

[drivesitfar]

McB: one thing i really like about this thread is the positive attitudes so not surprised JCM's block is ALIVE.

JCM: congrats. I'm also waiting for details and maybe a youtube video with a link to it?

TM: since Big Blue can't talk i'm only mentioning that that awesome stand is what he told me in a dream that he wanted to sit on in your shop.

 

[JCMTools]

So, amidst the tears, wailing, and tearing out of hair, I realized that I have an extra set of bearings that I should return to the motor repair shop. They're for the the 1/2hp 7" and they're the same size as I used on the Smokin' Joe, from which I could scavenge.

:Cue the Jeopardy thinking music:

See, I can be a bit slow at times...

I eventually realized that I could bring the motor to the motor repair shop and have them do a sniff test. I got a lot more than I asked for, though. This time, Scott the owner wasn't around but his shop lead Hector was, and he put the grinder through its paces:
Megger - ok
Resistance - ok
Relay - ok
Current - ok (rated at 5.0, tested at 5.1)
Smoke - what smoke?

It ran for over 5 minutes while he fiddled, tested and we talked. No smoke. There was a bit of the smell and he thought it smelled like oil. In any event, no shorts, no stuck relay. "Run it." he said. I haven't plugged it in since I've been home, but it looks like we're in good shape.

I can't say enough about the shop and the guys. I don't want to get into any trouble by putting in too much of a plug for them, but if you're in the Boston area and need bearings or anything else, PM me and I'll shoot you the info.

More once I have a chance to run it at home tonight and get it put back together.

 

[McBrownie]

Smoke - what smoke?

That is cool! Another one saved!

 

[drivesitfar]

JCM: go ahead and post the guy's shop name and contact # so anybody not a member can call them because you have to be a member to PM you. people that do great work can usually always use more. happy to hear old smokey is running ok now. crossing my fingers it will when you start it in you garage.

 

[torqueman2002]

drivesit - I had no idea Big Blue was not happy with the special Crown Top stand it sits upon.

I'm the last to know.

JCM - Man, I bet you are happy and glad that's settled. Great news, your persistence paid off!

 

[drivesitfar]

TM: our blocks have personalities and especially big blue. i knew i could get you to post another picture of it and a bonus with the other two and your shop helpers. get the big cast stand or don't, but i would if it was close to me and leave him his reworked grinder. just sayin and not another peep from me about it of course unless you buy it and post more pictures of Big Blue sitting on it.

All: i'm not sure what exactly i'm going to do with this surface plate so if any of my block buds have a clue i'd love to hear on my thread. i was just hoping for a nice steel bench, but this one is a little over the top even for me.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=268418

 

[jakemac]

Torque - sit Big Blue on that spiffy new CM pedestal you snagged (painted to match) and put that Crown Top stand under a nice Alien Head planer. - Don't have one ?, start a new quest and leave all those orphaned Block Grinders in the midwest for others to hoard.

 

[torqueman2002]

Can we get a Craftsman family portrait Tman or does the wifey not know about your significant others?

Sounds like a simple request, and well it should be.

But lately the garage/shop has been a bit like this, when I want to move/get something or start a project.

At any rate, here are a few family photos.

My go-to guys; 1 HP Big Blue. 3/4 HP Maroon, and a 1/3 HP Dayton.

Group shot 1.

Group shot 2.

Group shot 3.

Group shot 4.

I found this little guy hiding in a box.

I will post up a who's who a bit later; plus there's a couple of shots of CM stands, and some clever home-made stands.

Oh, nine4 - it was good to do some 'spring' cleaning. Thanks for nudging me.

Mrs. Torqueman discovered the Baldors in the family room, when we brought in the groceries. I think they look good there!

 

[torqueman2002]

Torque - sit Big Blue on that spiffy new CM pedestal you snagged (painted to match) and put that Crown Top stand under a nice Alien Head planer. - Don't have one ?, start a new quest and leave all those orphaned Block Grinders in the midwest for others to hoard.

Oh boy did I just step in it!

 

[cbacres]

drivesit - I had no idea Big Blue was not happy with the special Crown Top stand it sits upon.

I'm the last to know.

JCM - Man, I bet you are happy and glad that's settled. Great news, your persistence paid off!

TM, I like your block grinder security force.

 

[drivesitfar]

TM: thanks for sharing pictures of all your friends. my Mrs. doesn't let me put any tools or gym equipment inside the house except in my old office/kid's bedroom that I turned into my gym. obviously you married the right girl if she lets you put your Baldors in the family room until you find a permanent spot for them in your shop. very nice set up and i really like your sandblast cabinet.

 

[JCMTools]

JCM: go ahead and post the guy's shop name and contact # so anybody not a member can call them because you have to be a member to PM you. people that do great work can usually always use more. happy to hear old smokey is running ok now. crossing my fingers it will when you start it in you garage.

Happy to do so.

It's Delta Electric Motor Repair Sales & Service
http://www.deltaelectricmotor.com/index.html

101 Hicks Ave, Medford, MA 02155
(781) 395-0551
I've dealt with Scott (the owner, I think) and Hector. They're both great.
I wound up buying the replacement bearings from them because of how helpful they were. The fact that their prices were as good or better than those on the internet was just a bonus.

Directions note: If you're going to visit them, Google maps can lead you to a dead end 1/4 block from the shop, which requires about 12 blocks of driving to get around. A good way to get there is to navigate to the corner of Mystic and Hicks, 313 Mystic Ave, Medford.

 

[JCMTools]

During the final re-wiring of Smokey Mountain Block, I came across a few switches in my electronics stash that reminded me of the switches on later blocks. I don't know if they'd fit, work or look right, but I thought I'd see if anyone was interested in a closer look.

 

[torqueman2002]

cbacres - Thanks. They are great pals to one another and me.
Bella, on the left, has a great nose and memory. She's my daughter's dog and she (Bella ) remembers the dog food is kept in a galvanized can right next to her. She tries to open it, each visit. Abby, our dog on the right, is my reluctant 'garage' dog. She's OK with staying out in the front yard when I'm in the garage with the door open. However, any type of noisy work (compressor, vacuum, grinder! ) and she heads for inside.

drivesit - I had to promise to remove them (she didn't say to where, dare I put them in the kitchen as a Tim Allen kitchen appliance?), before she returnes from work today.

JCMT - Thanks. Always good to know of helpful people/businesses.

That reminds me of a great boss (Jim) I worked for while in school in the late 60's & early 70's.

I dressed in the essential young man code of the day - Army field jacket & gloves with liners for both, and a knit cap.

These were inexpensive, durable, and kept the Buffalo winter from nearly freezing me solid while pumping gas. And yes my hair was long - to my shoulders.

Jim didn't pay any of it, any mind.

He was large, a WWII veteran, with a load booming voice - in the summer, if he needed me to fill-in for a no-show or needed an extra hand, he would yell to me! Now, granted my apartment was directly across the street, but he could have called on the phone!

OK, back on point - he was gruff on the outside to his employes, but very 'customer focused' before there was such a phrase.

It was: "Yes Ma'ma", or "Yes Sir". We washed front and rear windows, checked - oil, coolant, washer level, and battery level with each customer, no matter the amount of purchase.

People liked and trusted him and our mechanic, ****.

More than once, I saw a older car (10+ years) given to Jim, or sold way below market value, that he had maintained for a customer who passed away or chose not to drive because of advanced age.

An elderly customer who lost her husband and was beginning to drive herself again after 30 years, asked for someone to ride with her, while she became reacquainted with driving in traffic. Jim knew I was short on money, working only part time while in school, so he recommended me.

There wasn't anything I would not do for him. Great guy and a veteran!

 

[drivesitfar]

TM: great story. yes i really remember those days of 29.9 cent gas and for full and always friendly service.

good luck with the kitchen idea for your Baldors, but i'm guessing you better find another spot.

JCM: awesome and great tip on the directions for those that might need them.

 

[McBrownie]

drivesit - I had to promise to remove them (she didn't say to where, dare I put them in the kitchen as a Tim Allen kitchen appliance?), before she returnes from work today.

Mount it vertically. I bet it would make a great milkshake machine.

Great story about a veteran on Veterans Day.

 

[JCMTools]

Smokey Robinson Grinder Update - Now with photos!

I turned it on last night and it ran and ran with no smoke. Over 6 minutes. What the bejabbers happened to it? A couple of nights ago I turned Smoke on the Water off in despair with smoke pouring out of it, and then yesterday, no smoke. It's not like I cleaned it or did anything between major smoke and no smoke. Weird.

Now that I was sure the lack of smoke wasn't some optical illusion at the motor repair shop, first thing I did was fix up the wiring. Hookup wire, colored heat shrink and a soldering pencil. I can be a bit sloppy with grease at times, but I do like a neat, color-coded wiring job. I even found a stash of vintage fuse holders to keep it more or less in period.

I had hoped that I might have a more correct toggle switch, but the replacement one that came with the grinder is pretty well made, so I kept it.

After that, it was just a matter of some screws and bolts and the main grinder is all put together.

The quench/tool rest base is still soaking in lye since there's some gunk inside the well that I can't see to get out with tools. I still need to decide if I'm going to keep the base or sell it. It's not strictly needed for a wire wheel/buffer setup, but.... In any event, I want to get it cleaned and primed, even if I don't keep it.

One note on the paint. I have to say that I'm disappointed with the Rust-Oleum Titanium Silver Universal paint. It sprayed a few drops that are visible in the back part of the center panel, and it hasn't dried to anything like a hard finish, even after a week. At some point I may repaint the center panel once I find a good silver that has some durability. Any suggestions?

Oh, and by request, here is a link to a video of the run test. I'm not sure why anyone would want to see it, but it does show that it works, stops and starts with no smoke. You can see that I had no idea where to focus the camera when I restarted the grinder. I settled on a still shot of the windings. A real action shot if there ever was one!

Now I need to name it. I'm leaning towards "Gunsmoke." Opinions? Discuss.

 

[Outlawmws]

Get the paint under a heat lamp or better still, out in the sun on a sunny day...

 

[JCMTools]

Get the paint under a heat lamp or better still, out in the sun on a sunny day...

No warm sunny days up here in Boston these days and no heat lamp.

I guess I figured that the hammered paint dried nicely, so the universal would also dry.

Can I just run the grinder for a while and let it heat up the metal naturally?

 

[drivesitfar]

JCM: oven in the shop yet for all your future painting projects and if so pop "SMOKEY" in it. don't use the family's oven as we've already been told not to with painted items.

 

[pendragon1998]

Group shot 1.

Group shot 2.

Are you a Jawa?

 

[torqueman2002]

Are you a Jawa?

All I know is I left 2 or 3 of them in the garage last winter, and now I am over run by them.

 

[JCMTools]

JCM: oven in the shop yet for all your future painting projects and if so pop "SMOKEY" in it. don't use the family's oven as we've already been told not to with painted items.

I wish I had the space, the wiring and the oven! Since I'm primarily a woodworker and general construction guy, an oven isn't high on the list.

 

[jakemac]

Get the paint under a heat lamp or better still, out in the sun on a sunny day...

No warm sunny days up here in Boston these days and no heat lamp.

I guess I figured that the hammered paint dried nicely, so the universal would also dry.

Can I just run the grinder for a while and let it heat up the metal naturally?

I wish I had the space, the wiring and the oven! Since I'm primarily a woodworker and general construction guy, an oven isn't high on the list.

If you're in a house, keep the grinder in the furnace room for a few days. It's the warmest room in your house.

If you're in an apartment, talk to the super and see if you can get access to the boiler room. Same thing.

PS - do you have a picture of the stand ? I might be interested.

 

[torqueman2002]

Here's a continuation of the 'family portrait' that nine4GMC requested.

Group shot 5.

Group shot 6. Non-CM content.

Most of these will be cut up and re-purposed. Except for this well made stand with wheels and wheel locks, 3/16" plate tapped for mounting a 1/2 HP Block round-top. The fabricator was a welder for the Sea-bees, and the quality of the welded seams are 1st rate.

Thanks for looking.

 

[nine4gmc]

dang Tman, Thanksgiving at your place?