Show us Your Vintage Bench Grinders!!!!

[calandrod]

My father in law gave me this very old Baldor. I’m trying to identify what year it is because I haven’t seen the squarish versions before. He inherited it from his Grandpa. It runs unbelievably smooth. I called Baldor and they had several people look into it and they said they had no information on it as it was too old. They estimated 1930’s. They did ask for permission to display the pictures of it though which was neat. The data plate is very faded but it says “Type P8925”. Anybody here know anything about it?

 

[lafester]

I just picked this up for $10 and was wondering if anybody had info as to what year this 7 inch metalmaster by bradford is? I do see a "49" on the name plate but unsure if that's the year or not as there is no info online for this. Also if anyone has a lead for missing rest on right side and right cover that would be awesome.

Definitely a KC, but the tool rests (and wheel covers) are unique so it will be a challenge to find a match.

 

[Woods_Wanderer]

My father in law gave me this very old Baldor. I’m trying to identify what year it is because I haven’t seen the squarish versions before.

Calandrod,

The original mfg catalog archive on vintage machinery is a great place to find more info. A quick look at the 1930's catalogs does indeed show pretty similar designs:

Baldor Electric Co. - History | VintageMachinery.org

 

[1982fxr]

I just picked this up for $10 and was wondering if anybody had info as to what year this 7 inch metalmaster by bradford is? I do see a "49" on the name plate but unsure if that's the year or not as there is no info online for this. Also if anyone has a lead for missing rest on right side and right cover that would be awesome.

Older Baldor is all I got. Modern missing rest might still fit.

 

[1982fxr]

Definitely a KC, but the tool rests (and wheel covers) are unique so it will be a challenge to find a match.

Who's KC?

It's not a baldor?

 

[lafester]

Who's KC?

It's not a baldor?

Photo Index - Millers Falls Co. - Miller Falls, Model 87 bench grinder | VintageMachinery.org

There are quite a few posted in this thread. They made Walker Turner, Stanley, Thor, Atlas, Millers Falls and more that I can't think of at the moment. There are minor differences between all of the brands but this is the first I have seen without the base mounted tool rests on a 1/2 hp.

 

[Woods_Wanderer]

I just came across another grinder for sale, a Craftsman this time. This looks like possible another KC grinder? What are the odds of finding original guard covers and tool rests for it? Seller wants $50.

 

[lafester]

I just came across another grinder for sale, a Craftsman this time. This looks like possible another KC grinder? What are the odds of finding original guard covers and tool rests for it? Seller wants $50.

These are fairly rare but do turn up now and then. You can use the the tool rests from a 1/2hp KC grinder as they are very similar. The wheel guards and eye shields are going to be a challenge to find. I think the eye shields are the same on the 1/3 hp Companion model but they might be smaller. I've been looking for a quench tray for awhile now and pretty much gave up. I believe these are early model KC grinders but I do not know for sure. edit - 115=Packard so it is just similar to KC.

 

[1966Mustang]

Hello,
Long time lurker, first time posting, so I guess I'm new here!

Here's my Wissota E-7P S found on evilbay, delivered 11/2. My USPS guy got his lifting in, as this is all cast - box weight says 60lbs.

I wouldn't say it was a 'deal', but I 'needed' one and this size is perfect for what I wanted.

Got it out of it's well packaged box, plugged it in - spun right up, but definitely needed bearings from the sound. Took the guards and wheels off. Ran it to polish up the shafts with some random sand paper. Further disassembled with no problems and simple hand tools, knocked the Hoover 77203 bearings out.

A quick trip down to the local bearing place and $20.14 later I had 2 new SKF bearings (Italy made, oh well). Since I had it apart I stripped the paint off the 2 end caps and started thinking about how nice I should make this thing.

I forgot to take some chicken out to defrost, so... had some sardines and went back to reassemble to try it with new bearings. That did the trick! Nice and smooth. So, proceeded to clean up some of the other parts.

Other observations...

Serial Number: 1160

From everything I've seen it appears that the oval shaped tags are earlier, so my guess is this is from 1960?

The base has pretty heavy rusting on the front/sides, but the back and paint is fine.

The paint on this thing appears to be speckled gray with white specks... I thought it was overspray or something, but nope. Thought that was weird.

Missing the RH tool rest, LH rest is a one piece cast part, but is red in color, so not sure if it's from some other machine.

Cast guards have rectangular dust ports.

Need a round cord and bushing.

Missing it's bottom cover, but everything inside the base is clean including the paper tag to wire for 115/230v.

Would love to restore/replace the tag.

Update: angle grinder knotted-rope-cup-of-deathed the paint and crud off the base and guards. I think it's gonna get some rustoleum rustymetalprimer.

Found rubber feet...

https://www.rubberfeetwarehouse.com

Made a bottom cover.

 

[brute84]

I bought a Precision-Built grinder from Spiegel last week. One of my oddball collections is collecting all of the Speedway 117 clones. Simple one-piece elegant design. The only one I thought I was missing was the Western Auto version. With this Spiegel find, i am sure there will be others. What is odd about the Spiegel is the front plate says 2 amps, all of the others show 3 amps.

 

[930dreamer]

It might fit on a bench but.... Queen City 3 phase, 2 hp.

 

[Woods_Wanderer]

930 dreamer, could you take a pic of the plate on that machine? I'm collecting info on Queen City machines.

 

[930dreamer]

930 dreamer, could you take a pic of the plate on that machine? I'm collecting info on Queen City machines.

 

[gjz30075]

Here is my 1947 Baldor 6" bench grinder. This thing is so smooth that it takes a bit over 2 minutes
to come to a stop after shutting off.

 

[Retired - New England]

Here's my new project I have a variety of flat belts en route, and will fab a crowned drive pulley.

Babbitt bearings. Eight inch wheel and blade-sharpening wheel will be replaced with modern (safe) 8" wheels.

I want to run it ~5500-6000 sfpm. Your thoughts?

 

[wrenchguy]

Nice Champion.

 

[Mintgrun]

I want to run it ~5500-6000 sfpm. Your thoughts?

3.82 x SFM / D = RPM

3.82 x 6000 / 10 = 2,292 rpm

I think I'd run it slower than that. I'd also try to make the tool mobile, so I could roll the mess outside when I wanted to use it.

Tom

 

[Retired - New England]

Yes, I've done the math. I'll occasionally use it to sharpen HSS tool bits, so landed on that surface speed. I'm mostly wondering if this is unfeasible, given the babbitt bearings and flat belt. I plan on pairing it with a 1HP 3450RPM motor, will fab the drive pulley from a piece of aluminum stock, and selected a neoprene coated polyester belt to handle the power. However, I realize that guards would be prudent at that speed - so may resign myself to running it slower, so as to preserve its charm

Mobility is unnecessary, as it will reside deep within my machine shop.

 

[Retired - New England]

One other thing is that it's missing one tool rest. Good luck finding that, right? Another fab, I guess, unless someone can point me in the right direction.

 

[tominboise]

Here is my bench grinder. I bought it at Boeing Surplus in Kent, WA around 1995 or so.

 

[Budman33]

Just finished this.

 

[lafester]

Managed to snag a quench cup off ebay for my Stanley grinder. Fits perfectly!





This is the only pic I have found with a quench cup... does anyone else have one?

 

[lafester]

Also snagged this very rare Yates-American setup. They take a standard 1/3hp motor and supply all the parts to make it a nice bench grinder. The Yates motor is missing, which is surprising considering how nice the other parts are. This motor is a common Companion model. They had a pretty cool line up of accessories, check out the catalog linked below.

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/782/19864.pdf

 

[bmwrd0]

Jealous of that quench cup.

 

[26 Fe]

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I picked this old Bradford Metalmaster 6“ on this stand about an hour ago with a big free sign on it. The stand is pretty interesting, the overall height is 7‘, it has a 26“ lead counterweight cable system to offset whatever was designed for the end of the arm. The arm may extend out also. I haven’t found any kind of maker mark yet. If anyone knows what it was originally for I’d appreciate any information. Thanks

 

[aleksap]

Hello!
Picked up another grinder today but I can't find any information about it anywhere.

I'm curious if anyone knows how old it might be and any other details?

Brand is ACE which I believe is today Ace Hardware Stores.
Original price sticker still on it which is kinda cool.

 

[gleman]

Hello!
Picked up another grinder today but I can't find any information about it anywhere.

I'm curious if anyone knows how old it might be and any other details?

Brand is ACE which I believe is today Ace Hardware Stores.
Original price sticker still on it which is kinda cool.

You don't have to believe! it says Ace Hardware on the nameplate.

I don't know the age but it's definitely cool looking.

 

[exmaxima1]

Looks like a Thor model. Probably a weak shaded pole motor even though it draws 7.5 amps

 

[aleksap]

Thanks guys.
I noticed when I turn it on wheels move left and right, it seems like whole pole/shaft is moving.
Granted I only have one more bench grinder and it's not doing that so I would assume this is not by design?
Any thoughts on how could I fix that?

 

[Drill Sergeant Arc]

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I picked this old Bradford Metalmaster 6“ on this stand about an hour ago with a big free sign on it. The stand is pretty interesting, the overall height is 7‘, it has a 26“ lead counterweight cable system to offset whatever was designed for the end of the arm. The arm may extend out also. I haven’t found any kind of maker mark yet. If anyone knows what it was originally for I’d appreciate any information. Thanks

That stand is cool. It looks like it was some type of medical related equipment, I'm guessing X-ray machine related. You don't have a Geiger counter do you? Just kidding. No not really, get that thing tested. I think the fire dept. could tell you who could check that out for you. Never can be too safe.


That radioactive stuff from the first part of the 20th century is out there. https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radioactivity-antiques

 

[26 Fe]

That stand is cool. I looks like it was some type of medical related equipment, I'm guessing X-ray machine related. You don't have a Geiger counter do you? Just kidding. No not really, get that thing tested. I think the fire dept. could tell you who could check that out for you. Never can be too safe.


That radioactive stuff from the first part of the 20th century is out there. https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radioactivity-antiques

I believe you are correct, I found the word Wappler under corrosion on the knob in the front. They did/do make x-ray machines. It is a nice sturdy stand. I’ll do some research on the radiological aspect of it, I didn’t think about that. Thanks

 

[Drill Sergeant Arc]

I believe you are correct, I found the word Wappler under corrosion on the knob in the front. They did/do make x-ray machines. It is a nice sturdy stand. I’ll do some research on the radiological aspect of it, I didn’t think about that. Thanks

yes, good job finding that name, here's your machine;


That metal could still be radioactive. Be careful until you can be sure. Keep everyone away from it just to be safe.

 

[Outlawmws]

Do test in case its been exposed to raw radioactive materials, but X-rays themselves won't cause things to become radioactive.:

https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q12968.html

Q
If an object is exposed to radiation does it in turn become radioactive in a similar way that you can magnetize a piece of metal by having it close to a magnet? If someone has been exposed to radiation, do they carry the radiation in them or is it the contamination—dust, etc.—that is radioactive? I know the person exposed to radiation will be affected by the radiation, but does it intrinsically make them radioactive just by being exposed to the rays?

A
For most radiations that people, especially laypeople, encounter, which would include x rays, gamma radiation, beta particles, and alpha particles, the exposure of the people or objects to the radiation does not produce any radioactivity within them. When such radiation impinges on a person or an object it may interact and deposit some or all of its energy in the person or object, but this energy is dissipated in the form of very small amounts of heat or excitation of atoms and molecules with no induced radioactivity. The radiation impinging on a person or object is different from a case in which someone gets exposed to radioactive materials in the environment, such as airborne radioactivity that may be attached to small particles, as you have inferred, which might be inhaled into the respiratory system or attach to the surfaces of clothing and/or skin.

There is one radiation, well-known but less common than those mentioned above, that is capable of inducing radioactivity in an irradiated person or object; that is neutron radiation. The reason that neutrons are effective in that regard and other radiations are not is because radioactivity is a property of the nucleus of an atom, and the common x, gamma, beta, and alpha radiations interact with the electrons of atoms, but not within the nuclei, whereas neutrons are able to penetrate the electron cloud around an atom and be absorbed by the nucleus, changing the nuclear configuration and, in some cases, making it unstable against radioactive decay. For example, if a person is exposed to significant neutron radiation, one of the most notable radioactive products that we would expect to be produced would be 24Na (sodium-24), produced when stable 23Na captures a neutron. Sodium is a relatively abundant element in the body and is readily activated to the 24Na product. Similarly, many other materials, especially metals, are subject to neutron activation.

A piece of steel containing small amounts of stable cobalt when irradiated with low energy neutrons will produce radioactive products from both the iron and the cobalt in the metal (as well as other possible species). In fact, as a consequence of the atomic bombing of Japan at the end of World War II, stable 59Co in steel contained in many buildings was activated to radioactive 60Co. The measurement and detection of the gamma radiation from this 60Co provided a means years after the bombing for estimating the effective bomb-produced fluence of neutrons, a quantity useful in helping to establish the doses to some of the irradiated Japanese survivors.
I hope this adequately addresses your questions.
George Chabot, PhD

 

[Drill Sergeant Arc]

Do test in case its been exposed to raw radioactive materials, but X-rays themselves won't cause things to become radioactive.:

https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q12968.html

Copy that, thank you for that important point, it was pretty common that these old machines would retire into the basement somewhere in the facility and then disappear after many decades. Scrapyard? Some maintenance guy's home garage? These things just need to be cracked open by falling off the back of the guys truck and you've got a nice low level contamination problem that no one knows is even happening.

List of civilian radiation accidents - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"September 13, 1987 – In the Goiânia accident, scavengers broke open a radiation-therapy machine in an abandoned clinic in Goiânia, Brazil. They sold the kilocurie (40 TBq) caesium-137 source as a glowing curiosity. Two hundred and fifty people were contaminated; four died"

"February 1, 2000 – Samut Prakan radiation accident: The radiation source of an expired teletherapy unit was purchased and transferred without registration, and stored in an unguarded car park in Samut Prakan, Thailand without warning signs.[46] It was then stolen from the car park and dismantled in a junkyard for scrap metal. Workers completely removed the 60Co source from the lead shielding, and became ill shortly thereafter. The radioactive nature of the metal and the resulting contamination was not discovered until 18 days later. Seven injuries and three deaths resulted from this incident."

So, I'm betting these early machines weren't very well supervised. The rest of that machine probably ended up in a blast furnace somewhere. I remember that some radioactive material from somewhere ended up as rebar and was built into construction of slab floor's of houses.

"A trivial scrap metal sale for $8.50 in a Mexican border town morphed into one of the largest radiation spills in U.S. history. The November 1983 junkyard transaction has an uncomfortably intimate connection to the Phoenix housing market across the border, but details of the event have been largely forgotten."

"Three and a half decades ago, 600 tons of radioactive steel stock from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua rolled through a customs checkpoint in El Paso, Texas on several trucks. Customs lacked radiation detection equipment and they were approved to enter. Before the loads were intercepted, the irradiated steel flowed northward into 28 U.S. states. Within weeks, the steel would be used in residential and commercial construction projects in Arizona."

Read more at: https://arizonareport.com/arizona-mexico-radioactive-steel-rebar/

 

[26 Fe]

Copy that, thank you for that important point, it was pretty common that these old machines would retire into the basement somewhere in the facility and then disappear after many decades. Scrapyard? Some maintenance guy's home garage? These things just need to be cracked open by falling off the back of the guys truck and you've got a nice low level contamination problem that no one knows is even happening.

List of civilian radiation accidents - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"September 13, 1987 – In the Goiânia accident, scavengers broke open a radiation-therapy machine in an abandoned clinic in Goiânia, Brazil. They sold the kilocurie (40 TBq) caesium-137 source as a glowing curiosity. Two hundred and fifty people were contaminated; four died"

"February 1, 2000 – Samut Prakan radiation accident: The radiation source of an expired teletherapy unit was purchased and transferred without registration, and stored in an unguarded car park in Samut Prakan, Thailand without warning signs.[46] It was then stolen from the car park and dismantled in a junkyard for scrap metal. Workers completely removed the 60Co source from the lead shielding, and became ill shortly thereafter. The radioactive nature of the metal and the resulting contamination was not discovered until 18 days later. Seven injuries and three deaths resulted from this incident."

So, I'm betting these early machines weren't very well supervised. The rest of that machine probably ended up in a blast furnace somewhere. I remember that some radioactive material from somewhere ended up as rebar and was built into construction of slab floor's of houses.

"A trivial scrap metal sale for $8.50 in a Mexican border town morphed into one of the largest radiation spills in U.S. history. The November 1983 junkyard transaction has an uncomfortably intimate connection to the Phoenix housing market across the border, but details of the event have been largely forgotten."

"Three and a half decades ago, 600 tons of radioactive steel stock from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua rolled through a customs checkpoint in El Paso, Texas on several trucks. Customs lacked radiation detection equipment and they were approved to enter. Before the loads were intercepted, the irradiated steel flowed northward into 28 U.S. states. Within weeks, the steel would be used in residential and commercial construction projects in Arizona."

Read more at: https://arizonareport.com/arizona-mexico-radioactive-

I have a radiological survey meter I just tested it with and got no abnormal spikes. I’m good with it, if I had the whole machine I’m sure that would be a different story. Thank you all for your help and consideration.
I apologize for steering this thread so far off topic.

 

[26 Fe]

I have a radiological survey meter I just tested it with and got no abnormal spikes. I’m good with it, if I had the whole machine I’m sure that would be a different story. Thank you all for your help and consideration.
I apologize for steering this thread so far off topic.

Here’s the start of the disassembly of the Bradford Metalmaster. Looked very well used by the amount of debris that collected inside.

 

[Outlawmws]

Safety is never off topic! Nothing to apologize for!

 

[26 Fe]

I have a radiological survey meter I just tested it with and got no abnormal spikes. I’m good with it, if I had the whole machine I’m sure that would be a different story. Thank you all for your help and consideration.
I apologize for steering this thread so far off topic.

Safety is never off topic! Nothing to apologize for!

Appreciate it. Thanks

 

[Mintgrun]

I just saw this monster on Seattle FB MP. It's been listed for 26 weeks.

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Text from the ad--

Details​

Stand grinder - 2x20" diameter hard wheels. Wired 460V/3ph 7.5hp motor Counterweighted grinding jig on R side, table for face grinding on L. Flatbed delivery to your location available in Seattle area ($ dependent on distance from South Park, Seattle) - forklift or crane to unload, or strap & load on pallet to your shipper. Plan B: use the motor to make a 3-phase converter $750 OBO

 

[daddyopoppy]

Pretty sure I picked this up at an estate sale.