I have had this grinder, which is model number 208-20, for about 10 years now. Been an awesome machine. Very powerful, more so than my Dad's mid-70's Craftsman of the same HP, and WAAAY more powerful than anything of a more recent model that claims to be the same "1/2HP".
There is 1 problem with it though, and I am wondering if there would be a way to fix (or if someone may have a comparable one laying around that may be good for parts)
About 3 years ago it "ate" something I was grinding with it, and bent the armature on the right side. I briefly tried it with a new wheel on that side and it vibrated like mad so I took the new wheel off after ~15 seconds worth of free spinning. With no wheel on the bent side, if you spin the armature via the other wheel using your fingers (power "off" of course!) you can see it as being bent, as plain as day.
I have been using it ever since this way, with only the one wheel on the un-bent side. Kind of a waste having a tandem output motor and only being able to use 1 side.
Recently I found a like new Craftsman 1/2" grinder at a yard sale, looks barely used and even came with the manual. (manual shows '77 print date, certainly newer than the one my Dad has)
Plan was to mount the Craftsman grinder on the heavy Rockwell pedestal but the bolt pattern is different. While I can fab up an "adapter" easy enough, the Rockwell motor is still "electrically" fine, knowing they do not make anything these days here in the US like it and the imported stuff is universally junk, I would like to fix the Rockwell, even if I only ever put a cloth buffing wheel on that side.
Can that armature be straightened? Would doing so render the armature shaft unsafe? (it is now, as it stands, that much I know) Failing that, what would the chances be, of finding a replacement armature? (NOS or good used, I do not care which)
I really do not want to scrap this old Rockwell, hopefully that isnt my only option besides using it as I have, with only 1 wheel on it since this happened?
Also I have found 7" wheels getting harder (though not yet "impossible") to find.
There is 1 problem with it though, and I am wondering if there would be a way to fix (or if someone may have a comparable one laying around that may be good for parts)
About 3 years ago it "ate" something I was grinding with it, and bent the armature on the right side. I briefly tried it with a new wheel on that side and it vibrated like mad so I took the new wheel off after ~15 seconds worth of free spinning. With no wheel on the bent side, if you spin the armature via the other wheel using your fingers (power "off" of course!) you can see it as being bent, as plain as day.
I have been using it ever since this way, with only the one wheel on the un-bent side. Kind of a waste having a tandem output motor and only being able to use 1 side.
Recently I found a like new Craftsman 1/2" grinder at a yard sale, looks barely used and even came with the manual. (manual shows '77 print date, certainly newer than the one my Dad has)
Plan was to mount the Craftsman grinder on the heavy Rockwell pedestal but the bolt pattern is different. While I can fab up an "adapter" easy enough, the Rockwell motor is still "electrically" fine, knowing they do not make anything these days here in the US like it and the imported stuff is universally junk, I would like to fix the Rockwell, even if I only ever put a cloth buffing wheel on that side.
Can that armature be straightened? Would doing so render the armature shaft unsafe? (it is now, as it stands, that much I know) Failing that, what would the chances be, of finding a replacement armature? (NOS or good used, I do not care which)
I really do not want to scrap this old Rockwell, hopefully that isnt my only option besides using it as I have, with only 1 wheel on it since this happened?
Also I have found 7" wheels getting harder (though not yet "impossible") to find.
