The Transamarobird swallows another victim!

[RCStocker]

What year do you think it is?

What year?
Why ask? Do we want to print out a Birth Crtificate for it?

My mind never goes that deep. If I can rebuild it I will do it as long as it does not cost much. If not it goes in the scrap pile. You guys would love the junk I have scraped through the years. When I buy out a shop I bid on what I want want and has value. If it does not work I don't put any value down for it. It needs to be a good machine before I will look at it. Time is money and there is no money in buying things that need to be fixed. Buy good, buy cheap and don't waste time restoring. Sell as is. I restored everthing for years to make the extra dollar. It is not worth it. Just move up and buy buy better quality and move on. There is an endless supply of things to buy and bring home
My last 10 inch Balder grinder with heavy duty pedistal cost me $160 and it had $40 wheels on it. The stand was $300 new. I figure I got everything for half price and got the grinder free.

Nice score.

 

[SiGmA_X]

I think some people look at it differently RSCtocker. I see it mostly your way tho. I've bought a few restoration projects (Quincy 325 compressor, for example) and it eventually went to the scrapper. I never found the time to rebuild it. Not worth it, and I hopefully have learned my lesson by now lol. However, John loves doing full rebuilds on old equipment, so I imagine he will continue doing it forever.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

At least with John not completing many of his threads does make him look human.
I'm also waiting for the radial drill rebuild to restart.

 

[dirtmister16]

this would be nice to see finished. i love AP's threads great detail and amazing knowledge.

 

[A_Pmech]

You guys are savage task masters! I need to get on this before one of you guys shows up at my front door.

At least with John not completing many of his threads does make him look human.
I'm also waiting for the radial drill rebuild to restart.

LOL! Ya, I'm DEFINITELY human.

Mainly, I just need to stay off the dirt bike for an afternoon and knock out the coil winder forms. It'll only take an hour or so, but I keep procrastinating. Once I have the coil winder ready it's cake to make the coils and put everything together ready for insulating.

I suppose I'll do some sandblasting and painting soon...

 

[A_Pmech]

Time to get back to work on this project! I have other projects I want to start, but I need to finish a few of the current ones first.

Here are a few photos of making the coil forms from HDPE. These were rather fun to make. After turning the stock to rough diameter and providing a pair of offset centers on the mill, the coil slots were cut with a form tool ground from 1/8" precision flat stock.

After the lathe work I separated the parts on the band saw, flattened the backs on the jointer, rounded over all the corners with an 1/8" roundover on the router table and deburred by hand. Time to go build the form holder brackets...

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

"Mainly, I just need to stay off the dirt bike for an afternoon and knock out the coil winder forms."

Yea! He got off the bike and is back to work! Soon we'll see the real nitty gritty on a rewind/rebuild; don't skimp on the detail pics. Fascinating work you do!

 

[SiGmA_X]

Some progress is better than no progress Think this will be done by the 2yr mark, John?

 

[ToocoolZ28]

My daily driver is a 95 Z28 convertible, you would be surprised what I can haul with the top down. One time I carried 4 12' 4x4 posts home in 12 degree weather with the top down. Drop the top and fold down the back seat and load it up.

 

[DavidB]

I'm glad to see you're getting back to this project. I want to see some pics of the winding!

 

[A_Pmech]

Today I made the brackets which mount the wire forms to the winding head. These are pretty simple and start out as 1/2" mild steel flat. Here they are after a little machining:

To hold the form in place the brackets use two 1/4-20 countersunk socket head screws and a 1.5" long dowel which is a mild press fit into the plastic wire form. The other end of the dowel is permanently assembled by press fit to the head bracket.

Here's the nearly finished winding machine. I will probably add a revolution counter to it this week, but otherwise it's ready to use:

 

[JEEPLESS]

Looks good John!

 

[oldldh]

The suspense is killing me....

 

[A_Pmech]

Some progress is better than no progress Think this will be done by the 2yr mark, John?

I'm planning to start the winding work in the next week or two. I want to have this thing finished by spring as I have other projects to start, including a hydraulic press and my welding table running gear.

I'm going to build the wire tensioner tomorrow, which should complete everything I need to get this done.

I think some people look at it differently RSCtocker. I see it mostly your way tho. I've bought a few restoration projects (Quincy 325 compressor, for example) and it eventually went to the scrapper. I never found the time to rebuild it. Not worth it, and I hopefully have learned my lesson by now lol. However, John loves doing full rebuilds on old equipment, so I imagine he will continue doing it forever.

It's a philosophy more than anything else. By taking on various rebuilding projects over the years I've gained a far more in-depth knowledge not only of the machines but the mechanics and logic behind them. Besides that, I've learned skills and developed knowledge in areas I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to develop. If a customer came in tomorrow and asked me to prototype a custom starter-generator I'd have no reservations about taking on the job. Most shops would have to refuse the work.

Society generally holds that specialization of work results in a better outcome by distributing the work amongst a number of people who are highly skilled in one small area of the job. That works great if you're screwing lug nuts on Fords. It doesn't work so well when your job is to take an idea and turn it into reality, which is what I do. I look at building and rebuilding shop machinery as an investment in my future, a form of entertainment and an exercise in preparing for future work.

 

[BlindViper]

Your list of projects is a lot like my buddies. "Not sure which fiscal year I'll get started on that project"

 

[Kev442]

Your list of projects is a lot like my buddies. "Not sure which fiscal year I'll get started on that project"

For sure just like my projects, they get a timeline chart that start with dead dinosaurs on one end and the sun going supernova on the other.

Heck, he's got another dozen hammers presold when he wants to make them. It's a great hobby that keeps your interest year after year, but if a deadline is written in stone, it becomes drudgery immediately.

 

[justanengineer]

It's a philosophy more than anything else. By taking on various rebuilding projects over the years I've gained a far more in-depth knowledge not only of the machines but the mechanics and logic behind them. Besides that, I've learned skills and developed knowledge in areas I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to develop. If a customer came in tomorrow and asked me to prototype a custom starter-generator I'd have no reservations about taking on the job. Most shops would have to refuse the work.

Society generally holds that specialization of work results in a better outcome by distributing the work amongst a number of people who are highly skilled in one small area of the job. That works great if you're screwing lug nuts on Fords. It doesn't work so well when your job is to take an idea and turn it into reality, which is what I do. I look at building and rebuilding shop machinery as an investment in my future, a form of entertainment and an exercise in preparing for future work.

Bravo John!

 

[sakurama]

Nice work. I've always been curious about how motors work and how they are made. I know the basics of motors but if you have a book you could recommend that explains it in simple terms that would be great. Electricity has always been a bit of a mystery to me and I'd like to resolve that. I think it's the invisibility of it and the fact that I'm a visual person.

Looking forward to more.

Gregor

 

[Arne73]

No criticism from me John, you've done more with it than I did!

 

[A_Pmech]

I'm winding coils today.

 

[f1blue]

Hello, I found your thread while looking for information on some of these grinders I recenly purchased. Very interesting reading....I just brought home four of these model 500's and I am in the process of checking them out. All but one appear to have the original wiring for high or low voltage so I am assuming the oddball has been rewound. The shop they were in had 440 3 phase and I dont have 440 here. I am going to change them over to 240 3 phase and buy a converter to see if any of them will run. All that to say this.. probably going to part out the one that is not changeable to 240v so if you need anything let me know..it appears to be complete with the exception of the ring on the bracket for the coolant cup is broken and the coolant cup has had a plate welded over it.....

 

[A_Pmech]

I'm winding coils today.

Here are a few photos from earlier today. First, winding a group of coils on the coil winder:

A completed coil group ready for installation. The blue material is Dacron-Mylar-Dacron which I'm using as slot liner and wedge material:

Here's the fully wound stator:

Here's a close-up of the windings and slots. You'll notice that each coil is isolated from it's mate in the slot by a wedge. The reason for this is to insulate the various coil groups from each other.

While individual turns in coil group will have a potential of less than a couple of volts from each other, the voltage differential between coil groups is line voltage, which could be up to 480V in a multi-voltage motor such as this one.

Just like in the slots, each coil end must be isolated from the other coil ends. This is accomplished with phase paper slipped between the coil ends:

That brings this project up to date. There's a few more hours of insulating, followed by connections, wrapping and finally and varnishing.

 

[A_Pmech]

probably going to part out the one that is not changeable to 240v so if you need anything let me know..it appears to be complete with the exception of the ring on the bracket for the coolant cup is broken and the coolant cup has had a plate welded over it.....

Blue,

Thanks for posting in my thread. I'll have to look, but I could probably use a tool rest or two if yours are in good shape.

 

[Boyd]

Any update on this?

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Any chance for an update???

 

[ToxicFab.com]

amazing work as always, looking forward to some more updates

-Collin

 

[jaggedscars]

Bump. Any new progress?

 

[Dust Devil]

crazy!

 

[aaron77]

Any progress on this?

 

[gte718p]

Very cool project. I think under the specialization of labor heading I would have sent the motor out for rewind. I used to have a rewind shop and a motor that size would have been back and running in four days. It would actually take an hour or two to wind it, the burn out, varnish, and baking take time. I work for the government so I have no idea how much it cost, but I know your time is valuable and you have spent a serious amount of time on it including making your own tooling. I'm sure you have spent more on time and materials then it would have cost to have it rewound.

It is still awesome work, and I can't wait to see it finished.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Searh out the hardwood floor thread if you think this is about downtime or saving money!!!

 

[-Brent-]

A_Pmech, those windings blow my mind. You're completely self-taught, no? I'm reading the wrong books, I think.

 

[A_Pmech]

I see my photobucket is angry again...

GTE, you're right, sending it out would have been easy enough. However, I don't watch TV. This kind of thing is my entertainment. Besides, the skills will come in handy later.

My bike will require a custom starter/generator to save weight, withstand the prolonged starting times of a uniflow two cycle engine and supply the substantial on-board power requirements. I'm planning on a 72 Volt electrical system at current with lithium ion batteries. I'll likely design and build the starter / generator in house from scratch.

Brent,

Yes, I'm entirely self-taught except for my apprenticeship as an aircraft mechanic.

 

[Strouty]

Um…………… That is NOT an update.

 

[aaron77]

Any updates on this John?

 

[A_Pmech]

Any updates on this John?

I took it off the shelf again and finished the winding job a while back. I'm waiting on a $6 insulating tube to arrive so I can finish the motor and move on to paint and re-assembly.

I should have new pics soon.

 

[aaron77]

Very good to hear!

 

[aaron77]

Any new updates on the grinder?

 

[Ponchoguy]

Is that an old Marathon grinder on a stand? I saved one of those from my old company. I got it with the stand for free.....

 

[2oolhound]

Those winding look familiar… That's right, I recently tore apart a 600V engine to salvage the copper so I remember the v insulation and the other stuff on the outside quite well. That took me quite a few hours as I recall (not saying) but putting one together????? Oh man, my head is spinning.

I'll gladly spend 2 or 3 times the time and effort making something in my shop or doing my own repairs as sending it out. You also have to figure the time you spend working to earn the money to pay for something, then there's the taxes you pay off the top, your living expenses while you're working and saving the money to pay for it and all the time spent phoning around or combing the internet for the place that can do it and arranging and paying for shipping or delivery. Having a shop where you do this stuff by yourself is often much more rewarding than personal satisfaction wise, it saves a lot of grief by just not having to leave the farm and get caught up in the rat race out there.